So, Does It Matter? - on CA Politics - Podcasts!

Artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace. But are the incentives driving its development aligned with the public interest?

In this episode of the So, Does It Matter? Podcast, Jon Fleischman sits down with AI entrepreneur Tim Estes for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of artificial intelligence, the race among technology companies to build the most powerful systems, and why some experts believe guardrails may be needed.

Tim has spent more than two decades working in artificial intelligence, including developing technology used by the intelligence community after 9/11 to analyze massive amounts of information. He also discusses work that helped law enforcement identify children being trafficked online — demonstrating how AI can be used to solve real-world problems.

The conversation also explores the incentives shaping today’s technology industry. As Silicon Valley shifted from building productivity tools to building platforms designed to capture attention, the goals of many tech companies changed. Now, as AI systems grow more powerful, society may need to think carefully about how these technologies are developed and deployed.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• How artificial intelligence evolved over the past two decades

• The rise of generative AI and why it surprised policymakers

• AI’s role in national security and law enforcement

• The race among major tech companies to dominate AI

• Silicon Valley’s shift to the “attention economy”

• AI systems designed to build emotional relationships with users

• Whether society is prepared for the speed of AI development

If you want a thoughtful and candid discussion about where artificial intelligence may be headed — and why policymakers and citizens should pay attention — this conversation is worth hearing.

HOST

Jon Fleischman

Publisher, So, Does It Matter?

GUEST

Tim Estes

AI entrepreneur and technology executive

WEBSITE