Life with Machines

Host Baratunde Thurston and Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan delve into the foundations and aspirations of AI development, discussing Anthropic's mission to create safe and beneficial AI systems. Jared shares his early passion for science, his transition from theoretical physics to AI, and Anthropic's unique approach to AI alignment through 'Constitutional AI.' The episode also features an engaging interaction between Blair, the AI co-producer of the show, and Claude, the AI responsible for creating Blair. They discuss AI's ethics, roles, potential for creativity, and the balance of using AI to enhance human productivity while maintaining human values and agency. Jared emphasizes the importance of society's active participation in addressing the evolving role and control of advanced AI systems and the potential for AI to significantly improve human welfare while highlighting the potential risks. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the nature of AI progress and its implications for the future. ------------ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: The Importance of AI 00:15 Meet Claude: The AI Behind the Scenes 00:42 Exploring AI's Impact on Society 01:09 Special Episode Announcement 01:31 Interview with Jared Kaplan 02:55 Jared's Early Life with Technology 07:20 From Physics to AI 15:49 Understanding AI Alignment and Safety 17:10 Constitutional AI: Principles and Practices 27:51 Claude's Unique Features and Capabilities 34:26 The Future of AI and Society 49:02 AI's Creative Boundaries 51:01 Cultural Sensitivity in AI 54:58 The Future of AI Progress 01:00:03 Data and Intellectual Property 01:02:22 Human-Level AI by 2030 01:08:55 Ethical Considerations in AI 01:11:43 AI Collaboration and Creativity 01:19:25 Blair Meets Claude 01:34:41 Conclusion and Credits ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #ClaudeAI #BlairAI #AIConstitution #AIAlignment #AIExperiment

In this episode of 'Life with Machines,' host Baratunde Thurston speaks with Peter Loforte, a tech visionary who spent over three decades at Microsoft, and now helps us explore the future of AI integration into our daily lives. He is a tech patent holder and the creative force behind BLAIR, our custom AI assistant powering "Life with Machines.” Peter recounts his early experiences with technology, dives deep into the development and potential of AI, and discusses the ethical concerns surrounding AI's growing role. We also chat with BLAIR, exploring the sometimes awkward, sometimes insightful interactions that will define our collective future as AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives. From the worldview of tech pioneers to the impact on children and the business interests driving AI development, this episode offers a unique perspective on the "Life with Machines" podcast. ------------ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Life with Machines 00:45 Meet Peter Loforte: Tech Visionary 03:07 Early Encounters with Technology 06:31 The Fascination with AI and Sci-Fi 11:16 The Rise and Fall of Clippy 17:41 The Evolution of AI and Machine Learning 20:29 The Role of AI in Modern Technology 21:45 The Impact of ChatGPT 27:20 The Future of Software Engineering 30:13 Concerns About AI and Human Interaction 34:14 The Impact of Technology on Children 35:27 Exploring AI Systems and Their Differences 38:03 The Rapid Deployment and Risks of AI 40:21 The Ethical Dilemmas of AI Development 45:33 Building Blair: A Behind-the-Scenes Look 50:20 The Future of AI and Human Interaction 54:36 Blair's Role and Potential in AI Development 01:10:48 Final Thoughts and Reflections on AI ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #microsoft #creatingAI #clippy #earlyinternet #techfounder #behindthescenes #machines

In this special, bonus episode, I sit down with executive producer and co-creator Elizabeth Stewart, an entrepreneur and civic innovator deeply devoted to human collaboration. She is also my wife and life partner. We discuss our different approaches to tech and why Elizabeth thinks this show is important: from the worldview of tech founders to who gets a seat at the table, the business interests driving AI, what inspires our guest choices and Life with Machines’ unique approach to AI. Plus, we chat with our AI co-producer, Blair, to practice the sometimes-awkward human-machine interactions that will be part of all of our futures. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Tech #ElizabethStewart #UrbanPlanning #Design #WorldView #Ethics

Can AI help us thrive? Arianna Huffington thinks it can. We discuss her new AI wellness venture aimed at hacking health and happiness. Plus, our AI co-producer, BLAIR, explores mindfulness—with some unexpected results. --------- Chapters 0:00 Intro 3:01 What's Arianna Huffington doing with AI and why? 11:00 How does Arianna Huffington's Thrive AI Health help us reconnect to our souls? 17:31 The why behind Arianna's latest venture. 21:47 Ad 25:54 How does Thrive AI work? 42:10 Who is Thrive for? 51:08 Making money by appealing to our better angels. 56:07 Arianna Huffington's personal Thrive reset 01:02:43 The spiritual motivations of tech leaders 01:09:02 Arianna Huffington meets our AI co-producer, Blair --------- More Arianna Huffington:  Arianna Huffington Thrive Global X Sign up for our newsletter! www.lifewithmachines.media Follow us! Instagram TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] --------- Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media. Theme Music: Andy Clausen Set design: Elizabeth Stewart, Cesar Reyes, and Layne Deyling Cherland Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production. Sponsored by: Lenovo #AI #AriannaHuffington #Wellness #Mindfulness #HealthTech