Azeem Azhar's Exponential View

Chris Urmson , co-founder and CEO of the self-driving technology startup Aurora, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the state-of-play of self-driving technology, the criticisms the tech must address, and the huge challenges to be overcome before we trust a computer to drive our kids to school. They also discuss: How Aurora’s founders built their “no jerks,” team-oriented culture. The importance of new L...

Social networks polarize communities and spread misinformation. Professor Sinan Aral , director of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy and author of The Hype Machine , joins Azeem Azhar to explore what makes these networks so powerful and how we can engineer our way to a healthier online ecosystem. They also discuss: Why powerful “network effects” lead to social media monopolies. Why forcing i...

Could deep tech companies bring about an age of abundance? Matt Ocko , co-founder and managing partner of Data Collective Venture Capital, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the art of investing in startups that aim to transform entire industries with radically cheaper, cleaner products. They also discuss: Why establishing “computational advantage” is key to a successful deep tech approach. How AbCeller...

From an insurance giant to an incubator of cutting-edge tech companies, Ping An’s evolution is impressive and unique. Chief Innovation Officer Jonathan Larsen joins Azeem Azhar to explore how the China-based holding conglomerate has managed such agility at immense scale. They also discuss: Why being founder-led has enabled bold movement into new markets. How Ping An created the world’s largest tel...

“Quantum computing is to conventional computing what a warp drive is to a bicycle,” says Jeremy O’Brien , CEO of PsiQuantum. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore the exponential advantage quantum computing will bring to problems across science and industry, and how he’s using photonics to build the first productive quantum computer. They also discuss: Why only quantum computers can help solve our most...

Regina Dugan, CEO of new biomedical non-profit Wellcome Leap and former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the U.S., joins Azeem Azhar to explore how she approaches delivering breakthrough technologies, and why she has now set her sights on global health. They also discuss: The thinking behind DARPA’s early support of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine technology. How the DAR...

Cory Doctorow , award-winning author, technologist, and founder, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the power of big tech monopolies and how a future wave of antitrust lawsuits could unleash innovation across the sector. They also discuss: How antitrust litigation, even if it fails, has a powerful effect on corporate behavior. Why interoperability is key to a competitive marketplace. How software patent...

In his reflection on this tumultuous year, Azeem Azhar finds hope in our reaction to the pandemic. The achievements made through collective action and the latest technologies have been life-saving. Azeem also explores: What businesses will need in order to thrive in 2021. How new multi-stakeholder institutions will emerge to meet the challenges in the coming period of friction and fragmentation. Q...

Cory Doctorow , award winning author, technologist, and founder, joins Azeem Azhar to examine how the pandemic mindset around harnessing massive collective action and exponential technologies for the good of humanity could also help us mitigate climate change. They also discuss: How Covid-19 exposed the need to reset the relationship between market and state. Why the predicted 20-30 percent unempl...

Leila Rastegar Zegna , co-founder and general partner of Kindred Capital, joins Azeem Azhar for a deep dive into venture capital: how it really works, what’s broken, and how to fix it. They also explore a new model for venture capital, where founders become partners in the fund. This new approach aims to align incentives for both entrepreneurs and investors, in order to build a healthier innovatio...

IKEA generates 0.1 percent of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Can this $40 billion multinational company become climate positive by 2030? Jesper Brodin , CEO of Ingka Group, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how to grow a business while investing in renewable energy, sourcing sustainable materials, and building a circular economy. They also discuss: How being a leader in the “green revolut...

“China is no longer a copycat. It’s an innovator,” says Kai-Fu Lee , CEO of Sinovation Ventures and former president of Google China. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore China’s rapidly evolving tech scene, their embrace of automation, and their journey to AI dominance. They also explore: How Covid has dramatically accelerated the use of consumer-facing robots. Why office workers are most vulnerable t...

As the world population grows and climate change intensifies, how can we transform the food supply chain to be more sustainable and resilient? Mike Zelkind , co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms, is building a network of hyper-efficient, high-tech, indoor farms to provide local communities with fresh, nutritious produce. He joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the challenges of disrupting the farming indu...

Azeem Azhar speaks with Yale Professor of Social and Natural Science, Internal Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, Nicholas Christakis , whose latest book “Apollo’s Arrow,” lays out the three phases of the world’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Christakis argues that each phase will be fraught with risk and will leave an enduring impact on our society, economy, and politics. They also discuss...

Google and Facebook became multibillion-dollar juggernauts by stockpiling data and using it to sell advertising. Governments can now track their citizens en masse. Where will this “surveillance capitalism” lead? Dr. Carissa Véliz from the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford joins Azeem Azhar to consider what’s wrong with the data economy, and to explore her bold proposals for en...

When Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer joined the company in 2008, it was about to hit 100 million users – today they serve 2.7 billion. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore how they planned for infrastructure resilience to cope with such explosive growth, and why Facebook has invested so deeply in AI and virtual reality. They also discuss: How Facebook increasingly uses AI systems to...

Demis Hassabis , CEO and co-founder of DeepMind, dreams of using AI to solve fundamental problems in science. He joins Azeem Azhar to explore his own journey from world champion gamer to neuroscientist to building AI systems that can train themselves to solve real-world engineering challenges and, eventually, make Nobel-prize winning discoveries. They also discuss: Why games are the perfect traini...

“Democracy is a technology. Like any […] technology, it gets better when more people strive to improve it,” says Audrey Tang , Taiwan’s first digital minister. Minister Tang joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how the Taiwanese Government is using the Internet as a space for civic participation, dialogue, and consensus building. They also discuss: How the open Internet helped Taiwan proactively tackle th...

OpenAI stunned the world with the release of Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), the world’s most impressive language-generating AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joins Azeem Azhar to reflect on the huge attention generated by GPT-3 and what it heralds for the future research and development toward the creation of a true artificial general intelligence (AGI). They also explore: How AGI could be...

As we wrap up the season and head off to a short summer break, Azeem Azhar reflects on what he learned from his conversations with technology and business leaders like Microsoft’s Brad Smith, social activist Hilary Cottam, and historian David Runciman. Plus, he shares the trends he will keep his eye on across the summer. We’ll be back with Season 5 this fall. Further reading: “ The Three Cleavages...

More than half of the world’s population believe capitalism is doing more harm than good. But is it beyond repair, or can it be fixed from within? Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson joins Azeem Azhar to share her vision of purpose-driven capitalism, where companies can make good profits by doing the right thing. They also explore: Why strong government and civil society are fundam...

The increasing capabilities of computing have changed biology from a realm dominated by scientific discovery to one that intersects with engineering and innovation. Vijay Pande , a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the emergence of this novel industry at the interface of technology and biology. They also discuss: The most promising technologies to combat Covid-19...

Starting a company with a stranger is not the traditional path for many entrepreneurs, but this is one of the basic principles of Entrepreneur First (EF), the world’s leading talent investor. Matt Clifford , EF’s CEO and co-founder, joins Azeem Azhar to explain why he invests in founders before they have a business idea and other novel approaches to venture capital and innovation. They also discus...

Operating a company with no managers, where everyone chooses their work, salary, and holiday entitlement may sound like chaos. But Daniel Hulme , CEO of Satalia, and his team of 250 people are making it productive. Daniel joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what a company that runs as a decentralize swarm looks like in practice. They discuss: The role of artificial intelligence and open innovation in a s...

Companies increasingly use digital systems to hire, fire, and monitor their employees. But who is keeping employers in check? Former director at the service workers union, UNI Global, and one of the most influential thinkers in the ethics of AI, Dr. Christina Colclough joins Azeem Azhar to explore how to ensure that the increasingly digital workplace of the near future protects workers. They also...