Rapid Response

AI is moving fast. But are we really keeping humans at the center? In this special live Rapid Response, recorded on stage at South by Southwest, host Bob Safian sits down with AI scientist, founder of Affectiva, investor at Blue Tulip, and host of Pioneers of AI, Dr. Rana el Kaliouby.  Rana makes the case that human-centric AI isn't just a safety guardrail; it's the key to thriving socially, economically, and emotionally. She also cuts through the noise on the buzziest AI myths, weighs in on AI in therapy and Meta Glasses, and draws a sharp line between AI founders who are truly visionary and those who are simply opportunistic. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI bots are on track to outnumber humans online by 2027. No one has a better line of sight into that shift than Matthew Prince — his company, Cloudflare, routes more than 20% of all internet traffic. Speaking live from SXSW, Prince reveals how AI is rewriting the economics of the web, how tech giants are scrambling to respond, and what it means for anyone running an online business. Plus, what it's like to be on the frontlines of Iranian cyberwarfare, and why Prince made the unexpected move to buy a local Utah newspaper.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who's really winning the AI race? And what does innovation even mean anymore? Fast Company’s Executive Editor Amy Farley joins Rapid Response to break down this year's Most Innovative Companies list — the surprising winners, the notable snubs, and the unexpected lessons hiding between Google, Gap, and Bad Bunny.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When global trade buckles, Ryan Petersen is the person executives call. The founder and CEO of Flexport returns to Rapid Response to offer a real-time account of the Strait of Hormuz crisis — what he's seeing on the ground, on the water, and across the supply chains straining under the pressure. Petersen also digs into the prospect of tariff refunds in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump Administration, and why businesses risk leaving $160 billion on the table by not acting. Plus, how AI is reshaping both logistics and software-based firms, and whether all the trade turbulence might actually be a tailwind for Flexport itself.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

William Shockley was a brilliant inventor and Nobel Prize winner, but he was a terrible boss. Paranoid, cruel, and obsessed with micromanaging, he drove away the team of young engineers — later called “The Traitorous Eight” — he had assembled in Northern California. They went on to pioneer silicon chips, create companies like Intel and AMD, and fund tech giants like Google and Slack. This episode from Business History, hosted by former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith, tells the story of how one bad boss accidentally sparked the tech revolution that became Silicon Valley.Find Business History on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/BHRapidVisit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Rapid Response, Ro CEO Zach Reitano joins the show to talk about what happens when a breakout drug becomes a full-blown market force. Since first appearing at the height of the Ozempic-Wegovy-Zepbound boom, Reitano has helped scale Ro into a leading provider of branded GLP-1s — grabbing headlines with a Super Bowl ad featuring Serena Williams and landing a major partnership with Novo Nordisk for the new pill version of Wegovy. He also takes on the tougher questions: the long-term health unknowns, the cultural backlash to “Ozempic face,” and what this wave of disruption could mean not just for pharma, but for the future of healthcare.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Career disruption is accelerating across the economy — and few people have navigated it more boldly than Maryam Banikarim. The former CMO of Univision, Gannett, and Hyatt, and host of The Messy Parts podcast, Banikarim joins Rapid Response to share hard-won wisdom about C-suite politics, and ultimately betting on yourself. Growing up in Iran during the time of revolution, Banikarim offers a unique perspective on the current Middle East conflict — and her determined search for hope amid the chaos.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hollywood's biggest night is more than a spectacle — it's a stress test for an industry in freefall. Janice Min, CEO of The Ankler, joins Rapid Response to break down her Oscars predictions and what the show's upcoming move to YouTube signals about the future of mainstream media. Min also unpacks the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal that caught everyone off guard, what David Ellison's arrival really means for Hollywood, and why a viral AI video of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise has the entertainment world more rattled than any box office bomb.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI disruption and geopolitical upheaval are forcing business leaders to make high-stakes decisions — fast. Accenture CEO Julie Sweet joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share what she's hearing from her 9,000 clients and the hard-won advice she's giving them. Sweet reveals why AI proficiency is now a requirement for promotion at Accenture, why she's doubling down on entry-level hiring amid the automation wave, and why tension in the C-suite may be the most underrated leadership advantage right now. Plus, Sweet unpacks the hidden power of "leader-led learning", and makes the case for why preparing society for an AI future is not just a government job, but a business imperative.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Logitech may be known for keyboards, webcams, and gaming gear, but CEO Hanneke Faber is going AI-first. On this episode of Rapid Response, she explains how she’s leading the hardware brand through an AI shift, approaching it as a leadership challenge, not just a tech one. Faber also shares lessons from competitive diving, navigating tariffs, and why she gave herself a 48-hour crash course in gaming to understand her customers.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.