Pioneers of AI

Latest Episodes:

ChatGPT doesn’t want you to email your ex Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Mining the minerals to power AI Apr 22, 2026

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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/

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What is agentic commerce? Stripe’s CRO of AI explains. Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

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/

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SXSW Keynote: Humanize AI before it dehumanizes us, with Dr. Rana el Kaliouby Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

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/

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

How AI is reshaping Wall Street Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

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/

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

AI Roundup: Anthropic, OpenClaw, layoffs, and more Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

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/

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

Could a robot fix the loneliness epidemic? Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

We have a power grid problem. Can AI fix it? Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

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.

Possible: R.I.P. Computer Keyboard (1964 – 2025) Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

Can an AI agent be your CEO? Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

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.

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