Azeem Azhar's Exponential View

Latest Episodes:

Building Unicorns in Europe Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

Seedcamp has backed close to 400 European startups at the seed stage. The fund’s co-founder and managing partner Reshma Sohoni joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what it takes to build a thriving startup ecosystem outside Silicon Valley, and how some of Europe’s most successful startups were created.

In this episode, they also discuss:

The “next big thing” from an investor’s perspective.
How regulators use “sandboxes” to help entrepreneurs innovate.
How the cultural diversity of Europe benefits both investors and founders.

Further reading:

“2020 Vision: predictions from 28 big-hitters in Europe’s startup scene” (Sifted, Dec. 16, 2019)
“Why Silicon Valley Investors Are Bonkers For European Startups” (Forbes, Dec. 2, 2019)

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The State of Nanotechnology Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

Nanotechnology has long been hailed as a means of eradicating diseases and delivering other healthcare solutions. University of Oxford professor Sonia Contera, a nanotechnology pioneer, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how scientific and technological developments in her field are bringing about another tech revolution that will change our lives.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

Which nanotechnology applications are already available in healthcare and materials engineering.
How machine learning and AI are crucial in the new era of nanotechnology.
How advances in biological physics are reshaping our understanding of life.

Further reading:

“Structurally designed DNA star creates ultra-sensitive test for dengue virus” (Phys.org, Nov. 25, 2019)
“The ‘blob’: zoo showcases slime mold with 720 sexes that can heal itself in minutes” (The Guardian, Oct. 16, 2019)
“Nano Comes to Life with Prof Sonia Contera” (Oxford Martin School, Dec. 4, 2019)

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Cybersecurity in the Age of AI Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

AI is reshaping the landscape of cyber defense. As new security fissures open up, threat analysts deploy more powerful tools to prevent and respond to attacks. Nicole Eagan, CEO of Darktrace, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the escalating arms race in this new cybersecurity landscape.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

What security experts can learn from the human immune system response.
Why trust in automated decision-making technology is a crucial step in implementing AI-first security systems.
How a parked Tesla in your company parking lot can be a security flaw for the entire organization.

Further reading:

“Louisiana Was Hit by Ryuk, Triggering Another Cyber Emergency” (ArsTechnica, Nov. 21, 2019)
“AI is the Latest Weapon Cybercriminals are Exploiting” (World Economic Forum, Sept. 25, 2019)
“Advancing AI in Health Care: It’s All About Trust” (STAT, Oct. 23, 2019)

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Growth and the Energy Transition with Vaclav Smil Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

For the first time in history, we have to tackle a truly global problem: climate breakdown. Energy transition away from fossil fuels is imperative, but there is no consensus on how to achieve this. The preeminent expert on energy history and development, Vaclav Smil, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the limits of renewables, the consequences of megacities, and why waste reduction is a game-changer.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

Whether the massive amounts of information we gather today has purpose.
What possibilities Moore’s Law predicts for biology and chemistry.
The limits of nuclear power.

Further reading:

“What I See When I See a Wind Turbine” (IEEE Spectrum, Vaclav Smil, March 2, 2016)
“Thank Maxwell for Cellphones” (IEEE Spectrum, Vaclav Smil, Feb. 28, 2017)
Inside Bill’s Brain (Netflix, 2019)

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AI, Accountability, and Power Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

In November 2018 mass protests by Google workers drew attention to deep problems with bias and discrimination at some of the largest Silicon Valley companies. Meredith Whittaker, co-director of the AI Now Institute and one of the organizers of the Google Walkout, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how technology workers can influence progress in culture and technology.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

How discriminatory culture influences the values embedded in AI.
Whether ethics officers can actually influence firms and their products.
Why responsible AI design must include recognition of the shadow workforce helping to create it.

Further reading:

“Discriminating Systems: Gender, Race, and Power in AI” (AI Now Institute, April 2019)
“Exposing the Bias Embedded in Tech” (The New York Times, June 17, 2019)
“’People Fix Things, Tech Doesn’t Fix Things’” (Tech Crunch, October 21, 2019)

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Technology and the New World of Work Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

The nature of work is undergoing tremendous changes, influenced by aging populations, the digital revolution, and a paradigm shift away from Fordism. Laetitia Vitaud, author of “Du Labeur à l’ouvrage (From Labour to Work),” and Azeem Azhar discuss how the reinvention of craftsmanship is creating a new deal to ensure more equitable, sustainable, and fulfilling jobs.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

How Silicon Valley is bringing back the values of craftsmanship.
What the single most important skill in the new world of work is.
Why the jobs of tomorrow will largely be in proximity services.

Further reading:

“The future of work is in proximity services… But first we need to speak about work and gender” (Medium, Laetitia Vitaud, Oct. 24, 2019)
“The Future of Work and Democracy in the Information Age” (Exponential View episode featuring Matthew Taylor, Nov. 7, 2018)
“Bubbles, Golden Ages, and Tech Revolutions” (Exponential View episode featuring Carlota Perez, Oct. 16, 2019)

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How Free-Market Economists Got It Wrong Nov 06, 2019

Show notes

The late 1960s saw a revolution in public policy, as economists began to play an important role in shaping politics. On the wings of ideas popularized by Milton Friedman and other economists, the world was forever changed by free markets, dominant corporations, and stakeholder capitalism. Azeem Azhar discusses this with New York Times editorial writer and author Binyamin Appelbaum, whose recent book, “The Economists’ Hour,” is a deep dive into the history of ideas that formed capitalism, as we know it.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

Why supply-side economists were able to drive home their ideologies with such success.
Why the theories that formed the foundation of free-market economic policies have failed in practice.
What kinds of solutions economists can offer during this period of explosive technological change.

Further reading:

“Blame Economists for the Mess We’re In” (The New York Times, Binyamin Appelbaum, Aug. 24, 2019)
“Milton Friedman Was Wrong” (The Atlantic, Eric Posner, Aug. 22, 2019)
“The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society, Review” (Binyamin Appelbaum)

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Beyond Deep Learning with Gary Marcus Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Gary Marcus is well known as a deep learning critic. A neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and the author of “Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust,” Marcus believes that researchers need to move past deep learning in order to make true advances in machine intelligence. Marcus and Azeem Azhar discuss why, how, and when we can expect progress.

In this podcast, they also discuss:

What newborn ibexes can teach us about intelligence and learning.
How deep learning widens the gap between big companies and startups.
What we need for a breakthrough in AI.

Further reading:

“How to Build Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust” (The New York Times, Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis, Sep. 6, 2019)
“Deep Learning: A Critical Appraisal” (Cornell University, Gary Marcus, Jan. 2, 2018)

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AI and the Future of Warfare Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

In our rapidly changing world, peace is increasingly fragile. The only way to ensure we keep it and foster it around the world is to educate citizens to become its resilient stewards. General Sir Richard Barrons is the former Commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, and he joins Azeem Azhar to discuss why the definition of warfare is changing with the development of technology and why our society’s resilience in the face of threats to peace must be founded on education.

In this episode, they also discuss:

What societal resilience is, and how it can ensure our survival.
What better leadership looks like in the exponential age.
The common denominator between conflict and quinoa.

Further reading:

“How to Stay Informed on the Future of War” (Quartz, Tim Fernholz)
“The Future of War is Already Here” (New York Times, P. W. Singer, Sep. 18, 2019)

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Bubbles, Golden Ages, and Tech Revolutions Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

How do we exploit the technological revolution for green growth and global development? Celebrated economist, author, and scholar, Carlota Perez joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the nature of techno-economic paradigm shifts and current progress in the cycle of technological revolution. Perez is the author of one of the most influential books on the subject, “Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital.”

In this podcast, Carlota and Azeem also discuss: