Possible with Reid Hoffman

Latest Episodes:

Kara Swisher on AI, media, and accountability May 15, 2024

Show notes

What will the media landscape look like as tech companies, as opposed to traditional media, own increasingly more ink? And who better to offer an optimistic take on the news industry’s future than…Kara Swisher?!

Reid and Aria speak with the famous—and famously direct—tech journalist, author, and podcast host about the roles and responsibilities of journalists covering rapidly developing innovations, along with those of the technologists driving advancements. They cover the OpenAI/New York Times lawsuit, disinformation, TikTok legislation, and AI’s potential to improve healthcare and climate outcomes. Plus, Kara makes the case that today’s content creators benefit from staying relatively small vs. striving for scale.

Topics:

3:30 - Hellos and intros

3:54 - Technology that makes Kara optimistic

6:40 - Technology to solve climate change

8:43 - Why health-tech and climate tech inspire optimism

10:09 - State of the media landscape

15:34 - Can smaller-scale media work?

16:56 - Pi weighs in on Patrick Soon-Shiong

19:33 - How will AI impact media misinformation

22:27 - Impact of AI in politics

27:52 - Kara’s latest book

30:36 - Is AI training “stealing”?

37:28 - TikTok ban

42:51 - A question for Reid: Is TikTok worth buying?

45:43 - How to shape capitalism

51:30 - Rapid-fire questions

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

Select mentions:

Burn Book by Kara Swisher

Platformer News founder Casey Newton

Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig

Strongmen: Mussolini to the Presentby Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Anchor Oyster Bar

What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what’s possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology—and, in particular, AI—is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Inflection’s Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do. Lastly, between guest episodes, Aria interviews her co-host Reid on his latest takes on what’s possible if we use technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

Reid riffs on AI milestones and AI efforts abroad May 08, 2024

Show notes

Reid recounts the story of a milestone GPT-4 demo at Bill Gates’ house—and shares what series of achievements by AI would most impress and excite him next.

Aria also asks Reid about the investment in technology and AI that he’d like to see be made at the domestic and international level. Lastly, Reid addresses the skepticism people have about AI—and how to best direct that skepticism to the benefit of people.

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

Kevin Scott on AI and humanism May 01, 2024

Show notes

What if artificial intelligence becomes so ubiquitous that, in the future, we won’t be able to imagine what life was like without it?

Kevin Scott is Executive Vice President of AI and Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft. He joins the Possible Podcast to talk about AI, its impact on education, healthcare and jobs, and how AI can benefit more of us, irrespective of our geography. Kevin, Reid, and Aria discuss Kevin’s leading role in Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership, along with collective decision-making for ethical AI, how technology can empower rural communities, and what’s underlying Kevin’s humanist perspective on artificial general intelligence. Plus, Kevin reacts to some advice from Microsoft Copilot.

Topics:

4:13 - Hellos and intros

5:48 - The origins of the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI

14:34 - Kevin’s wildest hope for Microsoft/OpenAI partnership

17:32 - Making Microsoft Copilot as accessible as possible

26:43 - How technology can revitalize communities that are being left behind

34:34 - A quick break

35:42 - A humanist approach to AI

42:00 - Copilot’s suggestions for getting Copilot into more businesses’ hands

43:20 - AI and its impact on work, productivity and labor markets

51:10 - Framing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

57:19 - Rapid-fire Questions

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

Select mentions:

Behind the Tech Podcast with Kevin Scott

Reprogramming the American Dream by Kevin Scott

Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

[BONUS + VIDEO] Reid interviews Reid AI, his AI avatar Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

Reid recently created an AI version of himself—REID AI—and recorded a video Q&A to see how this digital twin might challenge him in new ways. Watch the full clip here: https://youtu.be/rgD2gmwCS10

This is Reid’s latest AI experiment, following the book he co-wrote with GPT-4 (Impromptu), the podcast he co-hosted with ChatGPT (Fireside Chatbots), and, of course, Possible, in which we use AI tools like Pi and GPT-4 to prompt guests and enrich conversations.

Possible returns next week, but in the meantime, we thought you might like to watch and learn more about Reid’s latest experiment with AI tools.

Watch the full clip: https://youtu.be/rgD2gmwCS10

The backstory on making REID AI in Reid’s newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/long-reids-6953437305957232640/

Lastly, the video avatar is generated by Hour One, and its voice was created by 11ElevenLabs.

Hour One - https://app.hourone.ai/home

11ElevenLabs - https://elevenlabs.io/

REID AI’s persona—the way that it formulates responses—is generated from a custom chatbot built on GPT-4 that was trained on Reid’s books, speeches, podcasts and other content that Reid has produced over the last few decades.

This video is fully endorsed by Reid Hoffman.

Introducing: a new Possible Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

The award-winning podcast Possible is back with a new season and some new changes! As always, you can tune in every Wednesday for grounded and speculative thoughts on the future from forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across a range of fields: tech, art, geopolitics, healthcare, climate change, education, and more. But now, the show is on year round — that means Possible won't take a break after a dozen episodes! Plus, every other week you'll hear Reid's latest takes on AI, industries, technology, and the future. As always, AI tools like Inflection’s Pi and OpenAI’s ChatGPT will debut to enhance the discussion each week.

Join us for the new season of Possible, launching Wednesday, May 1.

Reflections on AI and season two Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

What can we learn from the OpenAI saga? What role might AI play in the 2024 election? What’s the deal with the New York Times suing OpenAI? How will AI evolve our sense of human purpose?

Reid and Aria reflect on season two of Possible and answer questions like these from a variety of sources: Listeners, Pi, ChatGPT, and each other.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

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

Topics:

00:48 - Reflecting on the season

03:51 - Reid and Aria’s favorite new AI developments

06:30 - Segment: OpenAI

06:34 - What can we learn from the OpenAI saga?

10:58 - Does the nonprofit model make sense for OpenAI and beyond?

13:46 - Why was OpenAI able to get miles ahead?

16:36 - How will the lawsuits against OpenAI play out?

21:06 - Segment: Inflection

21:09 - How and why was Pi created?

24:25 - How can we create more empathy and humanity with AI?

27:45 - What are Aria’s favorite applications for AI?

29:53 - Segment: Ethical AI

29:54 - How will AI impact our social interactions?

34:09 - How do we prepare people in the workplace for AI?

37:53 - Segment: Election and governance

37:54 - What role will AI play in the election?

43:12 - Is the government equipped to regulate AI?

46:47 - What role should AI play in national security?

49:18 - Segment: Technology and the future

49:19 - What is the latest in AI hardware?

51:49 - How will AI change our sense of purpose?

The award-winning Possible podcast is back with a new season that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future.

This season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger are speaking with a new set of ambitious builders and deep thinkers about everything from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion.

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles. And a big thanks to MacLean Fitzgerald and Little Monster Media Company.

Katherine Maher on the future of trusted information Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

What would it take for AI to become as trusted a source of information as Wikipedia?

Katherine Maher, former CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, joins the show to talk about the fundamental building blocks of trust behind Wikipedia.

The use of AI will fundamentally reshape what information is distributed on the internet—and how. Reid, Aria, and Katherine talk about what creating and scaling positive spaces and community-driven ideas online would look like in the context of AI.

Could in-text citation be a viable option for generative AI? What was Wikipedia’s response to being used as training data for AI models? Globally, the West currently appears far less optimistic about AI than the rest of the world. They discuss that cost and more.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

Read the Washington Post article referenced by Katherine here.

Read Luis Villa’s newsletter here.

Pre-order What If We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson here.

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

Topics:

03:57 - Hellos and intros

06:00 - AI and governance

12:25 - How to make trust and neutrality possible in AI

15:30 - The future of Wikipedia and AI

19:28 - What can AI companies learn from Wikipedia’s model?

21:29 - Should LLMs use citations?

25:02 - The impact of the internet on trust

28:48 - How to regain trust in society

34:50 - The importance of “the loyal opposition”

36:01 - Wikipedia didn’t happen at scale

38:37 - How to make the internet a positive place for dissent

43:01 - Wikipedia and AI training

47:17 - Rapidfire questions

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles. And a big thanks to Katherine Farrell, Jenny O'Donoghue, and Little Monster Media Company.

Kerry Washington on connection, identity and AI Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

How can technology change—and actually deepen—human connection?

Kerry Washington is an Emmy-winning, SAG-and-Golden Globe-nominated actor. She’s also a director, and producer, and New-York-Times-bestselling author of the memoir Thicker Than Water. She joins the podcast to talk about how AI and other technology can transform our most important relationships. She, Reid, and Aria also discuss AI’s impact on the entertainment industry; her use of social media to elevate the hit TV show “Scandal;” and how a DNA test evolved her definition of family. Plus, Kerry reacts to an AI avatar of Reid, and to some Olivia-Pope-related brainstorming support from Inflection’s Pi.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

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

Topics:

4:10 - Hellos and intros – travel memories

7:33 - Kerry explains the title of her memoir

9:43 - How technology transformed Kerry’s relationship with her parents

14:17 - Kerry’s found family from Scandal

16:44 - How technology made Scandal a hit

24:24 - Kerry meets Reid’s AI avatar

26:23 - Consent and compensation when using AI in Hollywood

29:58 - Why Kerry is excited about AI

32:34 - Pi’s lessons from Olivia Pope

35:35 - How AI can amplify creativity and connection

42:43 - Transparency and AI

45:38 - What a post-AI world means for a 9-year-old

48:22 - Rapid-fire questions

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive Producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, Rae Steward, Tamer Mokhtar, Nicole Butler, Katie Greenthal, Haley Asofsky, Braden Thole, Blair Nelson, Huy Q. Nguyen, Jon Giardiello, Hour One AI, and Little Monster Media Company.

Sal Khan on the future of K-12 education Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

What if every learner on the planet had access to a world-class education? This week’s guest has an impressive track record of using technology to make that dream a reality. Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, an education nonprofit whose pioneering digital tools support K-12 students everywhere, along with parents, teachers, and school districts. In this episode, Sal discusses how technology widens access to education and creates more meaningful learning experiences. He also shares his experience helping train Chat-GPT and speaks to why, 15 years after launching Khan Academy, he has decided to go all in on AI.

Plus, a special guest joins the podcast to demo Khan Academy’s new AI chatbot tutor, Khanmigo.

Read the transcript of this episode here.

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

Topics:

5:26 - Hellos and intros

7:51 - What has changed in education technology in the past 15 years

13:24 - Khan Academy’s new AI guide, Khanmigo

18:59 - Khanmigo demonstration

21:37 - How teachers can incorporate AI into their classrooms

29:15 - AI in the classroom in North Ward, Newark, NJ

33:13 - How to make remote learning engaging

37:01 - How education technology in the U.S. compares to other countries

42:43 - How the use of AI in the classroom will expand in the future

47:28 - Rapidfire questions

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive Producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, Stacey Olson, and Little Monster Media Company.

Van Jones on AI, disruption and inclusion Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

What would it look like to build coalitions to disrupt poverty, pollution, and the prison system? This week’s guest received a $100 million grant to do just that. Van Jones is a CNN host, New-York-Times-bestselling author, and the co-founder of multiple social enterprises to address issues of criminal justice, climate change, and social equity. Aria and Reid spoke with Van about what it will take to rethink our social systems and build fair, balanced coalitions for change. How can we disrupt the profit-driven prison system? How can underserved communities better contribute their talent and resources? And how can we change our news, media, and even sci-fi comic books to reflect a better future?

Read the transcript of this episode here.

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

Topics:

04:35 - Hellos, intros, and Van’s comic book ideas

09:00 - Make Wakanda Real and plans for change

12:12 - How to build a coalition for change

17:15 - How to build trust with vulnerable people

20:31 - Bringing people with power and purpose together

21:15 - Using the Bezos grant to disrupt poverty and the prison industry

27:29 - How organizations like Codepath make change

31:09 - What does addressing climate change look like

37:07 - What is the role of media for change

40:00 - How might AI change media?

42:41 - How to address political division

48:55 - Rapidfire questions

This season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, are speaking with a new set of ambitious builders and deep thinkers about everything from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion.

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, Rae Steward, Gus Alexander, Andi Lichtenfeld, Belicia Montgomery, Kalia Lydgate, Didier Morais, Chantel Muentes, Felicia Shand, and Little Monster Media Company.

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