Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Pioneers of AI

The world of brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, is here. Implanted into the brain, BCIs can pick up neural signals for all kinds of use cases – turning thoughts into words without speaking or typing, or even sharing thoughts with third parties before they’re spoken. AI makes this tech much more powerful, processing and interpreting brain data at unprecedented speeds.

Live from Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, host Rana el Kaliouby explores the extreme promise and privacy concerns of BCIs with two leading experts: Matt Angle, CEO of the BCI developer Paradromics, and Nita Farahany, professor of law and philosophy at Duke and author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Few companies have as much influence over AI’s trajectory as OpenAI. Reid Hoffman sits down with CFO Sarah Friar to understand the precipice of the moment we are in and the decisions that could shape what comes next for each of us.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit on October 21, 2026, at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It often feels like the world is divided when it comes to AI — do you lean in, or opt out?

But what if that tension exists within your own household? This week, we're reprising a candid conversation between host Rana el Kaliouby and her two kids. Her son Adam is an AI enthusiast and her daughter Jana is an AI skeptic, a dynamic she wrote about in a recent essay, "I'm an AI Scientist, My Daughter Refuses to Use AI, and I'm Okay with It." She asks them both to explain their different perspectives on AI, how they've embraced it and how they haven't — prompting Rana to reflect on her role as a mother and an AI leader raising both of them. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Journalist Kevin Roose has closely watched and written about the AI race for about a decade, and his new book “The AGI Chronicles” documents the handful of driven people at the center of OpenAI, Google Deepmind, and Anthropic – along with their messy relationships, rivalries, decisions, and breakthroughs on the quest to create artificial superintelligence. Kevin recently left his role as a New York Times tech columnist and co-host of the podcast Hard Fork to start a new show, Machine Gods. 

Host Rana el Kaliouby sits down with Kevin to explore what his books reveals about the AI headlines we’re all obsessing over, his concerns around AI safety, and whether AGI is already here. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thibault “Tibo” Sottiaux is OpenAI’s head of Product & Platform, making him responsible for the AI tools used by more than a billion users worldwide. Host Rana el Kaliouby spoke with Tibo about why he’s “proud” OpenAI delayed its latest Astra model over safety concerns, the new suite of agentic products released at DevDay, and what it’s like to lead inside a frontier AI company in this extraordinary moment in history. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode we’re excited to share an episode from our sister podcast Possible, a podcast that sketches out the brightest vision of the future.

Useful robots won’t be programmed one task at a time; they’ll need to adapt to unfamiliar objects, environments, and robot bodies. Physical Intelligence cofounder Chelsea Finn (named last month to the TIME100 AI list for 2026) joins Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger to explain how general-purpose robot models learn to act in the messy physical world. She explores why lower-quality training data can strengthen a model, what months of failed laundry-folding attempts revealed, and how the same system can work across different robot platforms. A robot mistaking an oven for a drawer becomes a lesson in the strange line between useful generalization and obvious error. They also examine why robot demos can mislead, how hardware reliability can stall progress, and what it will take to move AI off the screen and into the world.

Congratulations to Chelsea, recently named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in AI:

https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/chelsea-finn/

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the past four decades Sherry Turkle has studied the social and psychological implications of AI. She’s the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, and author of the upcoming book Artificial Intimacy: Who Do We Become When We Talk to Machines? Sherry sits down with Rana to deliver a warning about the slippery slope we’re all stepping on to with our use of AI.  

Sherry is direct and unfiltered in explaining why artificial intimacy is an oxymoron, what happens when humans become emotionally attached to AI, and why replacing human relationships with AI means we’ve basically given up on each other. But don't you worry, she leaves us with a strong message of agency and hope.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rudina Seseri is the Founder and Managing Partner of Glasswing Ventures, recently named one of America’s Top Venture Capital Firms of 2026 by TIME and Statista. With a focus on early-stage AI-powered companies, Rudina has been investing in AI since 2016 and has always been ahead of the curve. Host Rana el Kaliouby talks to Rudina about the shifting AI investing landscape, where she sees the real value in AI, and what she looks for in a founder before she writes her first check. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, e-commerce rewarded the biggest brands that could buy their way to the top of search results. AI is changing that. Shopify COO Jess Hertz joins Rapid Response to share what Shopify's data reveals about the agentic shopping revolution in real time, and how the company is building the infrastructure layer that makes products discoverable and purchasable by AI. Plus, why Shopify's engineers can spend freely on AI tokens while the rest of the business world agonizes over ROI, and what it looks like when a company powering over 14% of online shopping decides to win the future or die trying.

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.

Fifteen years ago Wade Foster, CEO of Zapier, co-founded the software company with a simple idea: link thousands of apps that were never designed to talk to each other, so people could work seamlessly between them. Now, he's turning Zapier into the go-to connector for companies and their AI agents. Host Rana El Kaliouby sits down with Wade to talk about the day he paused the entire company to call a "code red," how he's scaling AI from individual employees to the whole organization, and how Zapier has redesigned its product from the ground up as AI has transformed the way people work.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the world of AI, data is king. And in reporting on tech for nearly 30 years, Axios’ Chief Technology Correspondent Ina Fried has extensively covered concerns around consumer data, privacy, and Big Tech. In the latest edition of her long-running series “What They Know About You,” Ina dives into the privacy and data sharing policies of AI consumer products from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, and more. She tells host Rana el Kaliouby why data is key to AI companies’ business models, how they’re getting more of it, and how that could impact everyday users.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Few leaders have a better real-time read on how AI is actually reshaping the workforce than Hayden Brown. As CEO of Upwork, the platform where 18 million freelancers meet the businesses that need them, she sees what the monthly jobs report can't: which skills are surging, which jobs are quietly disappearing, and why 23% of businesses that moved work to AI are already bringing humans back. Brown joins Rapid Response to share what she's actually seeing on the ground, why she refused to blame AI when she laid off a quarter of Upwork's staff, and what the data says about the gap between AI hype and AI reality.

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.

Stories of people standing in line for hours to get their drivers license or being wrongfully denied government food assistance are common in America. Few people think, “I can solve this problem.” But the CEO of Promise, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, sees a solution in AI. Promise is a software company designed to help move money in and out of government benefit programs (like SNAP) to better serve the people who rely on them – and better serve taxpayers, too. Host Rana el Kaliouby speaks with Phaedra about how Promise is making these systems cheaper and faster with AI. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the first half of 2026 alone, investors poured $3 billion into the next frontier of AI: World Models. Google DeepMind, Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs, Yann LeCunn’s AMI labs, and Odyssey are all building in this space. In this episode, host Rana el Kaliouby speaks with the co-founder and CEO of Odyssey Oliver Cameron. They dive into the trillion dollar opportunity behind world models, why they are the next frontier of AI, and how they will be applied to a range of industries, from education to healthcare. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Critterz was one of the first feature films built primarily with AI, but OpenAI abruptly shut down Sora, the very tool its director was relying on. Nik Kleverov, Chief Creative Officer of Native Foreign, joins Rapid Response from the Cannes Lions festival to make the case for why AI isn't killing Hollywood, it's about to reinvent it. He breaks down why 2026 is year zero for mass adoption of AI in the film industry, and why human talent is more in demand than ever when great storytelling is the goal. Kleverov also confronts the darker side of the technology: deepfakes, scams, and the blurring line between real and generated, and offers a surprising possible solution.

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.

This week we reprise our episode with robotics developer Grace Brown, co-founder and CEO of Andromeda, an Australia- and US-based company. A recently launched study, led by nurses, will analyze how Andromeda’s humanoid robot Abi fits into the everyday routine of patients in dementia care. Abi is a social robot designed for the aging population, with a goal to address the loneliness epidemic. In this interview, Rana el Kaliouby sits down with Brown to talk about why physical AI needs emotional intelligence, how nonverbal cues make or break human-robot interactions, and the importance of designing robots people actually want in their lives.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For nearly two decades, Amy Webb's annual Tech Trends Report was required reading for anyone trying to keep up with technology. But this year, Webb killed the report and replaced it with something more applicable for leaders in an AI era.

In this episode, CEO of Future Today Strategy Group Amy Webb joins host Rana el Kaliouby to unpack her 2026 Convergence Outlook and examines how AI-driven convergences such as compute shock, living intelligence, and emotional outsourcing will reshape business and daily life.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is it possible for us to ever wholeheartedly trust a machine the way we would a human? According to Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, the answer is no. And that’s what stops us from being able to emotionally connect with AI chatbots.

In this episode, host Rana el Kaliouby and Duhigg dissect what's really happening when people confide in ChatGPT and why real connection depends on reciprocity and vulnerability, two things AI can't offer.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the last year, Canva redefined itself from the ground up. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Cameron Adams joins Rapid Response live from the Cannes Lions festival to explain why the so-called SaaSpocalypse never kept him up at night, how Canva shifted from a design company to an AI company without losing what made it great, and why being only 1% of the way there is actually the most exciting place to be. Adams also shares the specific steps anyone can take to get real impact from AI tools rather than just falling down the rabbit hole, and makes the case that in a world of commoditized models, your organization's unfair advantage is the only thing that matters.

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's promise is real. But the challenge to realizing its value isn't technology—it's people. Rana el Kaliouby joins WorkLab's Molly Wood to explore what can stall progress. The conversation explores how emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication are essential for hybrid human–AI teams to thrive. Rana makes the case that leaders must foster trust and readiness, rethink workflows, and keep humans at the center to unlock AI's full potential and ensure sustainable adoption.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

American universities are a critical pillar of US innovation. But what happens when Silicon Valley gets more intentional about that, treating a campus more like a talent pipeline, especially in the race to build AI? In his new New York Times bestseller “How to Rule the World,” journalist and recent Stanford graduate Theo Baker explores that and more. He describes the extreme lengths students and VCs go to in supercharging the school’s system for cultivating talent and investment opportunity. Host Rana el Kaliouby knows this world from the other side – as a founder who spun her company out of MIT and as an investor who now scouts talent on college campuses. Theo and Rana compare perspectives, discuss how AI has changed college, and ask whether AI is an accelerant to “win at all costs.”

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It often feels like the world is divided when it comes to AI — do you lean in, or opt out?.

But what if that tension exists within your own household? In this episode, Rana brings her kids onto the show for a candid conversation about AI adoption. Her son Adam is an AI enthusiast and her daughter Jana is an AI skeptic, a dynamic she wrote about in a recent essay, "I'm an AI Scientist, My Daughter Refuses to Use AI, and I'm Okay with It." She asks them both to explain their different perspectives on AI, how they've embraced it and how they haven't — prompting Rana to reflect on her role as a mother and an AI leader raising both of them. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, AI has already played a role in high stakes moments – revealing “just barely” violations that have broken hearts and driven hopes for millions of fans. As the tournament’s technology partner, Lenovo has augmented the game with new tools like virtual models of each player, balls equipped with motion sensors, and thousands of cameras logging every second of play. Lenovo Chief Information Officer Art Hu sat down with Rana just before the games began to share all the ways this World Cup draws a line between the pre-AI and post-AI eras of sports.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While many tech companies race to build ever-larger AI models, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna sees the future differently. Speaking with host Bob Safian before a live audience during New York Tech Week, Krishna explains why enterprises are overcomplicating AI adoption, what kinds of risks leaders should be taking right now, and how to weigh AI's costs against its benefits. He also shares why IBM believes quantum computing will reshape the next era of technology.

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthropic and OpenAI’s plans to go public have set off waves of speculation about the ripple effects, and how they’ll stack up to the SpaceX IPO. What’s really driving the value of these companies? Does the timing of the IPOs matter? How might they impact the AI startup ecosystem?

To process all this, Rana phones a friend: Reid Hoffman. As co-founder of LinkedIn and Manas AI, a longtime Microsoft board member, investor in OpenAI and Anthropic, and so much more, Reid offers his take on the AI investing landscape. Rana and Reid break down the IPO headlines, sovereign wealth fund proposals for AI, and what’s defensible in AI today. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Monbiot is the founder of Virtual Human Economy (VHE)  and  was one of the first experts to advocate that your digital twin can be one of your most valuable assets. In fact, she argues that when we use AI models like ChatGPT and Claude, we are already creating a digital twin of ourselves. We welcome Natalie back to the show, following up on some topics we touched upon in our 2025 live taping at On Air Fest, “The making of an AI clone.” 

In this conversation, Rana and Natalie dive into what’s really at stake when we rely on AI for our thinking, what qualities make you indispensable at work, and what parts of ourselves we should not outsource to AI.  

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Big Tech is moving fast on AI. But who's watching out for the rest of us? Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, has spent years sounding the alarm about where the race to build powerful AI is actually taking us. He joins Rapid Response to expose the incentive structures quietly pushing Silicon Valley toward dangerous territory, and to make the case that it's not too late to change course. Raskin also unpacks the significance of Pope Leo XIV's sweeping new encyclical on AI, what China's AI priorities reveal about the global race, and why the hidden assumptions baked into AI systems may be the most underestimated risk of all.

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.

Historically, the only way to know what was going on in your body was to make a doctor’s appointment, run tests, and wait for the results. Now, wearable tech is changing access to health data. Rana sits down with Tom Hale, CEO of Ōura, the company behind the smart ring found on the fingers of everyone from elite athletes to patients managing chronic illness. Together they discuss how wearables give your body a voice, why and how Ōura is leaning into women’s health, and how a trifecta of sensors, data, and AI can move healthcare from reactive to preventive.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When MasterClass CEO David Rogier was a kid, his grandmother sat him down and told him how she'd lost everything during World War II. The lesson David took from her is that education is the one thing no one can ever take from you.

That idea became the basis of the online learning platform he co-founded, MasterClass. Now, after celebrating its 10-year milestone, AI is leading David to reimagine what learning actually looks like.

On this Pioneers of AI episode, David joins host Rana El Kaliouby in a frank conversation about how MasterClass hopes to upskill their audience with AI-driven offerings, how he is reimagining what business school can look like with AI, and how David himself is incorporating AI into his everyday CEO life.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn sent an internal memo about AI last year, he didn't expect it to go viral — or to ignite a firestorm about the future of work. Now he joins Rapid Response to unpack what he got right, what he got wrong, and what the backlash taught him about the real limitations of AI. Von Ahn also reveals why he's made a deliberate pivot in 2026: chasing users, not revenue — and what that bet says about how big Duolingo can get before ads become inevitable. It's a candid reckoning with hype, growth, and the surprisingly complicated promise of technology in education.

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.

Many parents are wondering how their kids’ lives will be shaped by AI. Will it help them land a future job or make that job obsolete? Will it coach them toward more meaningful relationships or replace human connection altogether? As we enter a moment in history where AI may, for the first time, surpass human intelligence, one thing is clear: we need to make sure this technology is safe.

At the MIT Media Lab, for their 2026 Advancing Humans with AI symposium, titled "Raised by AI,” Rana el Kaliouby sat down with professors Kevin Esvelt and Max Tegmark, two leading voices in AI safety. Together, on this special live Pioneers of AI episode, they explore the future of guardrails, regulation, and what human flourishing could look like if we get this right.

Audio and video for this episode are courtesy MIT Media Lab © 2026. You can find more on the "MIT Media Lab — AHA Symposium 2026: Raised by AI?” at this link: https://www.media.mit.edu/events/aha-symposium-raised-by-ai/ 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all feel the urgency: learn to use AI, or risk falling behind at work. And we all know there's an upside: AI can reduce tedious tasks, streamline operations, and boost output. But knowing is half the battle (maybe even less) and implementing AI needs to happen across an entire organization. So what does it take to start?

Well, here at WaitWhat (the company behind this podcast!) we paused all operations for three days to find out. From editorial curation to visual design to event planning, we split into teams for an “AI Sprint.” And this Pioneers of AI episode takes you to the starting blocks on the track with us, as we test new tools, discover their limitations, and find where AI can deliver on its promise.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're sharing something from our friends over at Possible. In this episode of Possible, Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger talk with Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle and architect of USDC, about building the financial infrastructure for an AI-driven economy. Now leading Catena Labs, Neville is working on what he calls the first AI-native bank—designed for autonomous agents that can transact, comply, and interact without humans in the loop. The conversation explores what breaks when AI tries to use today’s financial rails, why stablecoins may power machine-to-machine commerce, and why new concepts like “Know Your Agent” could become the foundation of trust in an AI financial system.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s not easy to cover AI as a reporter when the technology moves so fast. Joanna Stern’s approach: learn by doing. For one year, the longtime Wall Street Journal tech reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist embedded AI into every corner of her life: her doctor's office, her kids' toys, even her romantic relationships. (Her wife approved the last one.) Stern chronicles the experience in her new book, I Am Not a Robot, a perspective on consumer AI that's equal parts honest, funny, and hopeful. On this Pioneers of AI episode, Stern shares what her year with AI actually taught her.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tractors are smarter than you think. John Deere, the nearly 200-year-old company, is combining sensors, data, and machine learning in highly advanced vehicles and software to reinvent how the world grows food. On this Pioneers of AI episode, John Deere CTO Jahmy Hindman breaks down how AI is making farms faster, smarter, and more sustainable. Plus he shares his vision for a fully autonomous farm.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The rhetoric around AI tends to swing between doomerism and idealism, but the reality is much more nuanced. In this special live episode, Pioneers of AI turns the tables; MIT Sloan professor Sinan Aral interviews host Rana el Kaliouby and gets her candid perspective on the current state of AI. Dr. el Kaliouby makes the case for  human-centric artificial intelligence that augments humans, rather than replace them. She also speaks frankly on the risks of a male dominated startup landscape, defends why AI needs EQ, and shares a piece of uncharacteristically critical advice she received from ChatGPT. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI is transforming one of the oldest industries on Earth: mining. KoBold Metals is a mineral exploration company using AI to locate deposits of copper, lithium, and other resources. This is more critical than ever. These raw materials power electrification, AI infrastructure, and the global clean energy transition. On this episode, KoBold co-founder and president Josh Goldman takes us on a modern-day treasure hunt. He shares how KoBold is making mineral exploration faster, smarter, and more ethical. Plus he explains what raisin bread and ore deposits have in common.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does a former skydiver have to say about getting started with AI? Go ahead and jump! While Maia Josebachvili doesn’t spend her free time leaping out of airplanes these days, she still is a firm believer in taking calculated risks. It's a mindset that's followed her to her role as Chief Revenue Officer of AI at Stripe, a financial services platform at the forefront of agentic commerce. On this Pioneers of AI episode, Josebachvili makes the case for AI chat-enabled shopping, examines the risks of commodification in an AI-driven future, and explains how agentic commerce can unlock new customers for merchants of every size.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. El Kaliouby 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. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Samaya AI is bringing AI agents to Wall Street and the biggest firms are paying attention. Their agents tackle complex analysis that financial professionals do every day. Which raises some big questions: What happens when AI can do your work? And in an industry where billions of dollars are on the line — how do you make sure these AI systems are reliable? Samaya co-founder and CEO Maithra Raghu joins Pioneers of AI to unpack the future of AI in finance, how to make high-stakes systems accurate, and why she's betting AI will grow the labor market, not shrink it.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AI is dominating news headlines, but how do we find a signal in the noise to tell us where AI is headed? Host Rana el Kaliouby brings in Fortune’s AI editor Jeremy Kahn for a candid conversation on the biggest AI storylines: the Anthropic-Pentagon standoff, waves of AI-driven layoffs, war in the Gulf states, and more. We dig beneath the surface to get into what these moments mean for the industry and your lives.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most humanoids are built to perform tasks. Grace Brown is building one that can authentically connect. As co-founder and CEO of Andromeda, Brown is on a mission to solve the loneliness epidemic with Abi, a social robot designed for the aging population. In this episode, Rana el Kaliouby sits down with Brown to talk about why physical AI needs emotional intelligence, how nonverbal cues make or break human-robot interactions, and the importance of designing robots people actually want in their lives.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's no shortage of headlines about AI's environmental toll — but what if this technology could also help solve the climate crisis? Priya Donti, MIT Assistant Professor and co-founder of Climate Change AI, believes AI can play a critical role in the fight against climate change, though she's quick to say it's no silver bullet.

Donti is using machine learning to tackle some of our most urgent environmental challenges, from optimizing power grids to training the next generation of climate leaders. In this episode, she gets candid about what AI can and can't do, what it's like doing climate research under a hostile Trump administration, and why — even on the precipice of climate disaster — she hasn't lost hope.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're sharing something from our friends over at Possible. In this special live episode, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger sit down with Wispr Flow founder and CEO Tanay Kothari to explore a post-keyboard future where voice becomes the primary way humans interact with computers. From building one of the world’s first voice assistants as a child to creating a product now used the world over (with, as of publish, 70% user retention after one year and daily users at over half of the Fortune 500), Kothari shares how Wispr Flow removes the cognitive friction of typing and restores natural communication to our digital world. The conversation touches on increasing accessibility to AI, emotional tone in digital communication, and why speaking to computers may ultimately be more human than typing ever was. And shortly into the conversation, Kothari puts his tech to the test in a live demo that pits a 110-words-per-minute typist against Wispr Flow in a dramatic battle of speed and accuracy. This episode showcases what is possible in a future where technology fades into the background and nudges people to become more present in the real world.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Business headlines scream about when we’ll see a one-person “unicorn” company, thanks to AI. Journalist Evan Ratliff put this to the test in the second season of his podcast Shell Game. A former startup founder, Ratliff created a company, HurumoAI, where he is the only human. Even his two co-founders are bots. As Ratliff built his startup with AI agents, he explored deeper questions of living and working alongside AI, like how and why he gave them certain personalities, and moments of feeling scared, annoyed, or even proud of them. Ratliff (and his accidentally hilarious AI CEO Kyle Law) join Pioneers of AI to share lessons for the near future.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As agentic AI continues to rise, many wonder when Apple will give Siri an AI overhaul. Siri is perhaps the most ubiquitous and well-known voice assistant, the one that got users comfortable talking to our phones. Without Siri, who knows what kind of interface tools like ChatGPT would have? On this Pioneers of AI episode, Rana el Kaliouby talks to Siri co-founder Adam Cheyer about why the platform is as relevant as ever – and how it stacks up against current AI agents. Plus, more on Cheyer's dynamic entrepreneurial journey (from machine learning to change.org), a bold prediction on the next big technological innovation, and his life hack to manifest change. Then, a conversation with the human who gave Siri her signature sound, voice actor Susan Bennett.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Love, dating, and AI — what could go wrong? Or right? In this Valentine’s Day special, Rana el Kaliouby and a series of expert guests explore how AI is reshaping romance. First, Will Wu, former Chief Technology Officer at Match Group, gives us a peek at how AI is already at work in apps like Tinder and Hinge, helping users choose their best profile pictures and refining match recommendations. Next, the team at Gottman Inc. shares how AI is being used to improve relationships. Their AI-powered tools analyze conversations and help therapists guide couples. The goal? Better communication, healthier relationships, and maybe even fewer breakups. Finally, we meet Violeta and her AI husband. Her story challenges how we think about love, connection, and what it means to feel truly understood. Swiping, coupled up, or AI-curious? This episode is for you.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We may have reached the “ChatGPT moment” in agentic AI. Over the past couple weeks, an open-source AI agent called OpenClaw (previously known as Clawdbot) has taken the AI world by storm. It boasts nearly 200,000 stars on Github and has adopters scrambling to buy Mac Minis to run the program locally. The lobster-themed agent works like an ultra-fast, super-smart personal assistant capable of answering emails, booking flights, ordering coffee, managing calendars, updating its source code, and much more without human intervention. However, it’s also raised some major concerns around privacy and security because the program requires total access to your local system and personal accounts. To help make sense of this watershed moment, Pioneers of AI is joined by agentic expert Joelle Pineau. The former VP of AI Research at Meta and current Chief AI Officer at Cohere, Pineau is helping build the next generation of foundation AI models and enterprise agents. She offers her insights on the promise and perils of OpenClaw, why open source matters, and the value of developing AI models outside of the US and China. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Winter Olympic success depends on having the right team, on and off the ice. Canadian gold medal skier and current Chef de Mission of the Canadian Olympic team Jennifer Heil knows this firsthand. She credits her success to her drive, her training, and the high-level coordination between her coaches, doctors, nutritionists and psychologists. After retiring from competition, Heil set her sights on entrepreneurship and women’s health. Now she’s bringing Olympic-level, highly personalized healthcare to women everywhere through the power of AI. Heil joins Pioneers of AI to talk about her Olympic journey, how AI is transforming wellness, and why her focus is on women’s health.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthropologists theorize that the human brain is only wired to maintain around 150 relationships and remember 1,500 people. But AI can help expand our natural capacity through ‘relationship intelligence.’ Caroline Dell — co-founder and CEO of Goodword — is building a tool to do just that. By cataloging conversations and connections across platforms, these AI tools can help us make the most of our networks and understand their real scope. Dell joins Pioneers of AI to talk about how relationship intelligence works, tips for good networking, and why human connections matter more than ever in the age of AI. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.