The Futurists

Lauren Ducrey, a poet and AI designer, shares her journey of creating authentic personas for Google's assistant across Francophone nations. She discusses how poetry can foster trust and collaboration in the workplace, using workshops to reconnect employees with creativity. Lauren emphasizes the unique human skills that AI can't replicate and how metaphor and language shape our reality. She explores the use of AI as a tool for creative prompts and innovative cross-medium artforms, illustrating the synergy between technology and artistic expression.

This week on The Futurists retired-NASA astronaut and pilot of the Space Shuttle, is a former F14 fighter pilot, a test pilot, an engineer, and a veteran of four space flights. Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on three expeditions and was a member of the year long mission to the ISS. In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut at that time. Host Brett King gets into what he misses about life on station and what Mars crews are likely to face when they land on Mars, along with why we should go to Mars. This is one of our best episodes yet!

Technology strategist Shelly Palmer returns to The Futurists to demystify abstruse concepts of quantum computing in practical terms with his characteristically sharp insights about artificial intelligence. Shelly explains: why code and content will be free;  why quantum encryption won’t create jobs for humans; what happens when Moore’s law compounds with Metcalfe’s and Cooper’s Laws; why we can bank on the proliferation of good ideas; and how to separate hype from reality in the realm of Big Tech research.  

Cory Doctorow, a savvy activist and journalist, delves into the complexities of our tech-driven world. He shares insights from his latest novel, 'Picks and Shovels,' highlighting financial crime in 1980s Silicon Valley. The conversation tackles exploitative economic models, comparing pyramid schemes to cryptocurrency, and discusses the personal journeys of women leaving oppressive faiths. Doctorow emphasizes the need for a sustainable capitalism that fosters innovation while confronting monopolies and climate challenges, urging listeners to navigate digital privacy with care.

In this week’s episode we interview author, AI theorist and researcher David Shapiro. Shapiro is part philosopher, part theorist with a fair bit of practical wisdom thrown in. With a hit YouTube channel Shapiro travels  the globe as a speaker and advisor musing on the longer-term impacts of AI, technology and human adaptability. In this deep conversation with host Brett King, we delve into the ways in which advanced AI might completely transform our way of life, including economics, politics and what it means to be human itself. This is not one you’ll want to miss.

Pablos Holman, a futurist and venture capitalist at Deep Future, discusses pressing energy challenges and the innovative solutions on the horizon. He highlights the stark disparity in energy consumption and the urgent need for sustainable practices. The conversation ventures into China’s rapid adoption of electric vehicles and groundbreaking advancements in nuclear technology. Holman also explores the futuristic idea of transmitting solar energy from space to Earth and the role of AI in resource efficiency, envisioning a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Bay Raitt, a versatile artist and technologist known for his work in comics, games, and VFX, shares his insights on AI's transformative role in the creative process. He argues that AI empowers artists, enhancing their abilities and fostering community-driven creation, as seen with Steam Workshop. Bay discusses the intricacies of training AI models, copyright issues, and the historical parallels between AI and synthesized music. He urges artists to embrace AI tools ethically, predicting a future where automation leads to greater access to creativity.

Marc Buckley returns to The Futurists with Brett King talking his return to Davos with Alohas Regenerative Futures in his role as a resident futurist with the United Nations Climate Change Global Innovation Hub and World Economic Forum advising on global sustainable development goals. Buckley maintains we can build a better future if we are clear about our goals and visions of the future, and that a regenerative future is very possible with the tech that is available today. When Marc speaks about this you get a clear sense of urgency, and he talks about the impact of ongoing extreme weather events like the LA wildfires also.

Is DeepSeek a massive disruption of the AI landscape? Or just another entrant in a brutal contest between Big Tech and feisty startups? In this episode, Brett and Rob examine the advent of DeepSeek R1 from all angles:  China’s rising AI prowess, the new Cold War, the myth of American exceptionalism, protectionism and export controls, the power of open source software, the winners and losers, and some surprising insights about the massive 17% drop in Nvidia’s market cap. 

While the 2025 wildfires still burn, a special eyewitness account from Rob, located deep in the fire zone in Los Angeles. He and Brett discuss the economic, environmental and psychological toll of one of the nation’s worst natural disasters.  Also, the looming instance crisis and the challenge of measuring the true economic toll of ecological disaster and inaction by Congress.