Pioneers of AI

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/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

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

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.

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/pioneersofaiAt 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.

As agentic AI continues to rise, many wonder when Apple will give Siri an AI overhaul. Siri is perhaps the most ubiquitous and well-known voice assistant, the one that got users comfortable talking to our phones. Without Siri, who knows what kind of interface tools like ChatGPT would have? On this Pioneers of AI episode, Rana el Kaliouby talks to Siri co-founder Adam Cheyer about why the platform is as relevant as ever – and how it stacks up against current AI agents. Plus, more on Cheyer's dynamic entrepreneurial journey (from machine learning to change.org), a bold prediction on the next big technological innovation, and his life hack to manifest change. Then, a conversation with the human who gave Siri her signature sound, voice actor Susan Bennett.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

Love, dating, and AI — what could go wrong? Or right? In this Valentine’s Day special, Rana el Kaliouby and a series of expert guests explore how AI is reshaping romance. First, Will Wu, former Chief Technology Officer at Match Group, gives us a peek at how AI is already at work in apps like Tinder and Hinge, helping users choose their best profile pictures and refining match recommendations. Next, the team at Gottman Inc. shares how AI is being used to improve relationships. Their AI-powered tools analyze conversations and help therapists guide couples. The goal? Better communication, healthier relationships, and maybe even fewer breakups. Finally, we meet Violeta and her AI husband. Her story challenges how we think about love, connection, and what it means to feel truly understood. Swiping, coupled up, or AI-curious? This episode is for you.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

We may have reached the “ChatGPT moment” in agentic AI. Over the past couple weeks, an open-source AI agent called OpenClaw (previously known as Clawdbot) has taken the AI world by storm. It boasts nearly 200,000 stars on Github and has adopters scrambling to buy Mac Minis to run the program locally. The lobster-themed agent works like an ultra-fast, super-smart personal assistant capable of answering emails, booking flights, ordering coffee, managing calendars, updating its source code, and much more without human intervention. However, it’s also raised some major concerns around privacy and security because the program requires total access to your local system and personal accounts. To help make sense of this watershed moment, Pioneers of AI is joined by agentic expert Joelle Pineau. The former VP of AI Research at Meta and current Chief AI Officer at Cohere, Pineau is helping build the next generation of foundation AI models and enterprise agents. She offers her insights on the promise and perils of OpenClaw, why open source matters, and the value of developing AI models outside of the US and China. Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

Winter Olympic success depends on having the right team, on and off the ice. Canadian gold medal skier and current Chef de Mission of the Canadian Olympic team Jennifer Heil knows this firsthand. She credits her success to her drive, her training, and the high-level coordination between her coaches, doctors, nutritionists and psychologists. After retiring from competition, Heil set her sights on entrepreneurship and women’s health. Now she’s bringing Olympic-level, highly personalized healthcare to women everywhere through the power of AI. Heil joins Pioneers of AI to talk about her Olympic journey, how AI is transforming wellness, and why her focus is on women’s health.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

Anthropologists theorize that the human brain is only wired to maintain around 150 relationships and remember 1,500 people. But AI can help expand our natural capacity through ‘relationship intelligence.’ Caroline Dell — co-founder and CEO of Goodword — is building a tool to do just that. By cataloging conversations and connections across platforms, these AI tools can help us make the most of our networks and understand their real scope. Dell joins Pioneers of AI to talk about how relationship intelligence works, tips for good networking, and why human connections matter more than ever in the age of AI. Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

Advances in robotics have lagged strides in software for many years. So far, only a few companies seem to have cracked the code to get robots working in the world, at scale. Raffaello D’Andrea is behind several success stories in that vein. His Kiva Systems was acquired by Amazon to move inventory around warehouses, and his newest firm, Verity, uses AI drones to improve warehouse efficiency and safety. An artist, technologist, and entrepreneur, D’Andrea has also built robots that play soccer and drones that perform alongside some of the biggest musicians in the world. He joins Pioneers of AI to talk about why it’s so hard to build good robots and how AI has opened up so many new possibilities.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

SaaS companies made work easier by revolutionizing enterprise software. But AI is starting to actually do the work for us. So what role do legacy SaaS platforms have in the AI era? Pioneers of AI sat down with Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie to discuss how his 20-year-old, 4 billion dollar company is back in startup mode to keep up with AI. Levie refers to the current moment as the third wave in Silicon Valley disruption following the dot com and app booms. He describes how Box is adapting to the rapidly evolving landscape, how AI is disrupting labor and software markets, and why SaaS still has value in this next chapter. Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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.

Dr. Shiv Rao wears many hats. When he’s not pulling a clinical shift as a cardiologist or obsessing over the latest Rick Rubin album, he’s running his $5.3 billion company, Abridge. It’s an AI company that summarizes medical conversations, freeing up clinicians from clerical work and allowing them to focus on their patients instead. It’s a novel idea: humanize healthcare by outsourcing busy work to AI. On this Pioneers of AI episode, we dig into the future of healthcare, how AI can be the antidote to doctor burnout, and why vanity matters when building a business.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofaiAt 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 or texting us 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.