Pioneers of AI

Cutting-edge special effects have brought some of the highest-grossing films, like “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame,” to life. Historically, these effects are time-consuming and expensive to produce, but that’s changing. Now, AI offers more options. Co-founder and CEO of Metaphysic, Tom Graham, is at the forefront of reshaping Hollywood using AI — building tools that provide more fidelity and...

AI is ushering in a new era for humanity. And for Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at Alphabet’s X, AI’s transformative power is not just about technology; it’s about our human mindset. At X (no relation to the social media platform of the same name!), the Moonshot Factory’s audacious projects include Taraa, Google Glass, and Waymo. Teller says he cultivates a “10x mindset” for his team to find...

We have all experienced searching for a job. Online platforms have made it easier than ever to share your resume, but harder to stand out in the sea of applicants. AI plays a growing role for job seekers and hiring managers alike. Journalist and author Hilke Schellmann spent years diving into the impact of AI on who gets hired and moves up – or doesn’t – in writing her book "The Algorithm." Schell...

We all know what it’s like to call a medical office and wait on hold, just to provide basic information that only takes a few minutes once someone picks up. Medical workers face this, too, spending hours on calls to share patient details or billing codes. Elad Ferber, co-founder and CEO of Synthpop, is deploying AI agents to take those calls, using synthetic human voices with AI behind them to red...

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to AI. There’s a belief that AI will replace our jobs and friendships or even take over the world. But Jeremy Kahn sees things differently. To him, AI can augment human potential when used strategically. Khan’s new book,  Mastering AI , gives a birds-eye view of the state of AI and highlights how this tech can transform our classrooms and medica...

It’s always tough for parents to navigate challenges with their kids, especially amid a widespread shortage of mental health workers. Sam Gardner, a seasoned tech leader and mom of two, has faced parenting struggles herself. She found therapy to be so helpful that she built an AI-powered app, Happypillar, to democratize therapeutic tools. Sam talks about how the platform analyzes child-caregiver i...

Tech journalist for the New York Times and Hard Fork podcast host Kevin Roose has always been interested in AI, particularly the social side. What is it like to talk to an artificial intelligence, and to have it talk back? How will fast-evolving AI chatbots change our social lives? To find out, Roose invited 18 AI companions into his life, using popular apps like Kindroid and Replika. Roose joins...

For Dr. Joy Buolamwini, addressing bias in data sets and algorithms, especially in facial recognition, is crucial to AI’s future. How do the data sets we use to train AI play into that? After years of research at MIT, founding of the Algorithmic Justice League, and becoming the “poet of code,” Dr. Joy has made it her mission to ask questions about inclusion in AI design, and address the answers. D...

As Pioneers of AI kicks off, host Rana el Kaliouby sat down with longtime friend, mentor, and Masters of Scale host Reid Hoffman for a wide-ranging conversation on their hopes, concerns, and the opportunities they see as AI develops. Rana shares key moments of her journey in AI research and entrepreneurship that led to her role as an innovator in the field of emotion AI and now an investor in ethi...

Coming soon, Pioneers of AI will be your definitive guide to the forefront of artificial intelligence. Each week, host Rana el Kaliouby will engage with leading creators, critics, and thinkers shaping this transformative technology. Subscribe today to never miss an episode and stay connected to the latest in AI. At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experience...