One of the most anticipated technologies of the future is AI. What will it be? What will it do? How will we react? But, before we can anticipate sentiency, which we will discuss in this episode,  we must train AI to do its jobs. However, that requires properly organized data sets, a new topic in the town square. If AI is to imitate the data it is given, how do we determine what data to give it? This is a looming question in the fog of the future as the data we train AI with today creates our relationship with this unknown tech tomorrow and, in many ways, shapes the future we will soon inherit. Join me as I examine this with my friend, Sarah Newman (Full bio below).  (Check out my 100th episode special with Sarah Newman here)Topics-Data Sets and Data Nutrition - Why and How the data of today shapes the future of AI tomorrowAI and Sentiencey- Will it happen?Artificial General IntelligenceWhat is it?The current state of AGIThe future of AGIValue Alignment - Before we give AI our values, we must determine what our values areUniversal values - Are there such things?Ultimate purpose - Does man have an ultimate purpose?What books have had an impact on you?What advice do you have for teenagers?Sarah Newman is Director of Art & Education at metaLAB at Harvard, at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Working at the intersection of research and art, her work engages with technology’s role in human experience, and interrelations between complex systems. In addition to her art practice, she is also an educator, and leads creative workshops to address interdisciplinary research problems. Her research in artificial intelligence and related technologies investigates how emerging technologies embed and mirror historical social and ethical challenges. Newman is Co-Founder of the Data Nutrition Project, which designs tools and practices for responsible AI development. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Imaging Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Newman's work has been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Rome, and London, and she has held artist residencies in Germany, Sweden, and Italy.  Newman has previously been an AI Grant Fellow, a Harvard Assembly Fellow, a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, a Fellow at the Royal Society of Art, a Rockefeller AI Bellagio Resident, an artist-in-residence at Northeastern School of Law, and a grantee of the National Endowment for the Arts; with the Data Nutrition Project, she was awarded the 2022 Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiming4moonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-Tw

In honor of the 100th episode, I am interviewed by guest host, Sarah Newman (full bio below)! Sarah Newman is Director of Art & Education at metaLAB at Harvard, at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Working at the intersection of research and art, her work engages with technology’s role in human experience, and interrelations between complex systems. In addition to her art practice, she is also an educator, and leads creative workshops to address interdisciplinary research problems. Her research in artificial intelligence and related technologies investigates how emerging technologies embed and mirror historical social and ethical challenges. Newman is Co-Founder of the Data Nutrition Project, which designs tools and practices for responsible AI development. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Imaging Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Newman's work has been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Rome, and London, and she has held artist residencies in Germany, Sweden, and Italy.  Newman has previously been an AI Grant Fellow, a Harvard Assembly Fellow, a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, a Fellow at the Royal Society of Art, a Rockefeller AI Bellagio Resident, an artist-in-residence at Northeastern School of Law, and a grantee of the National Endowment for the Arts; with the Data Nutrition Project, she was awarded the 2022 Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiming4moonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/

For centuries, we have been stuck in the matrix of "The Mindest," the need for ever-exponential, economic growth. Sucked into the "game" of capitalism, we have toiled for monetary benefits always searching to double, triple, and quadruple the GDP. But, beneath every socio-economic structure is the creator's perception of human nature. For us to understand the world and escape "The Mindset," we must know what human nature really is. These questions and many more are discussed in this interview with Dr. Douglas Rushkoff (full bio below). The basis of this interview, Dr. Rushkoff's latest book, Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, was released on September 9th, 2022.Topics:What is "The Mindset?"What is human nature and how does wealth change us?The origins of "The Mindset"The mythologies of America and their effect on our perspective How to fight "The Mindset" and make the world a better placeTransitioning from an "exponential" economy to a "regenerative" economyPromoting freedom in our productsWhat books have had an impact on Dr. Rushkoff?What advice does Dr. Rushkoff have for teenagers?Douglas Rushkoff is professor of media theory and digital economics at Queens/CUNY. Named one of the world's ten most influential intellectuals by MIT, he hosts the Team Human podcast and has written many award-winning books. He lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiming4moonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXkGQ

In this episode, I talk to NYT  bestselling author, Ryan Holiday (full bio below), about the disciplined life. His latest book, Discipline is Destiny, comes out September 27 (2022). Topics:The Three Types of DisciplineThe Purpose of DisciplineWhy should we have self-control?Why to define a Primary FocusHow to structure skill-building around assignmentsPractical habits for a disciplined dayWhat books have had an impact on Ryan HolidayRyan Holiday's advice for teenagersWhen Ryan Holiday was 19 years old, he dropped out of college to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. Mr. Holiday had a successful marketing career at American Apparel and went on to found a creative agency called Brass Check, which has advised clients like Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as many prominent bestselling authors, including Neil Strauss, Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss. He is the author of ten books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, Conspiracy and Stillness is the Key which have sold more than 2 million copies in thirty languages and has a following among NFL coaches, world-class athletes, TV personalities, political leaders, and others around the world. Mr. Holiday spends much of his time on a ranch outside Austin, Texas where he does his writing and work in between raising cattle, donkeys, and goats.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiming4moonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXk

Ethical hacking is essential in the tech world as it exposes the holes and bugs in systems before bad people can use them. This same mindset can be applied to the legal system in order to “hack” it before "black hat" hackers exploit the problems. In this episode, Dr. Bruce Schneier (full bio below) explains this philosophy and the steps to apply it.Topics:What are public-interest technologists? Hacking the legal systemPractical hackingThe Big Tech monopoly Surveillance CapitalismWhat can the next generation do?What books have had an impact on Dr. SchneierWhat advice Dr. Schneier has for teenagersBruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a "security guru" by the Economist. He is the New York Times best-selling author of 14 books -- including Click Here to Kill Everybody -- as well as hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers. His influential newsletter, Crypto-Gram, and blog, Schneier on Security, are read by over 250,000 people. Schneier is a fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow, and an advisory board member of EPIC andVerifiedVoting.org. He is the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXk

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Carolyn Chen, author of Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley and associate professor of ethics at the University of California, Berkeley, (scroll down for full bio), about the “religion of work” in “techtopias.”Topics:Work as religionTech workers as believersThe cult of productivityShould we let this happen?The sacraments and saints of WorkThe monkish lifestyle of workersWhat books have had an impact on Dr. ChenWhat advice Dr. Chen has for teenagersBooks Mentioned: (I get a cut)Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley - https://amzn.to/3pLH5LxTattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion - https://amzn.to/3ccvC4HThe Hidden Lives of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate--Discovers from a Secret World - https://amzn.to/3Cno8qkJustice: What's the Right Things to Do? - https://amzn.to/3AdgCeGDr. Carolyn Chen, a sociologist, is an associate professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Getting Saved in America (Princeton) and the co-editor of Sustaining Faith Traditions. She lives in Kensington, California.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXk

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Margaret E. Roberts (scroll down for full bio) about China and the new age of censorship. Topics:Methods of modern censorshipWhy free speech is bad for regimes How much does the average Chinese Citizen know?How censorship creates factions in ChinaShould the West intervene?The global impact of censorshipDemocracies and censorshipCensorship and Covid-19 in ChinaWhat books have had an impact on Dr. RobertsWhat advice Dr. Roberts has for teenagersBooks Mentioned: (I get a cut)Censored: Distraction and Diversion inside China's Great Firewall by Margaret E. Roberts - https://amzn.to/3QJODtEStories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - https://amzn.to/3QKcnODMargaret Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at the University of California, San Diego. She co-directs the China Data Lab at the 21st Century China Center. Her research interests lie in the intersection of political methodology and the politics of information, with a specific focus on methods of automated content analysis and the politics of censorship and propaganda in China.  She received a PhD from Harvard in Government (2014), MS from Stanford in Statistics (2009) and BA from Stanford in International Relations and Economics (2009).  Her book, Censored: Distraction and Diversion Inside China's Great Firewall, published by Princeton University Press in 2018, was listed as one of the Foreign Affairs Best Books of 2018, was honored with the Goldsmith Book Award, and has been awarded the Best Book Award in the Human Rights Section and Information Technology and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. She holds a Chancellor's Associates Endowed Chair at UCSD.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXk

Just announcing that I'm switching to a bi-weekly release schedule for the school year! Thanks!!

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Kaschuta, writer and host of the Subversive Podcast. We discussed the importance of subversive ideas, how to become a free thinker as a young person, and how to create a career where you get paid to think.  Topics:Why Alex Kaschuta's podcast focuses on subversive ideasShould offensive ideas be censored?How to become a free thinker as a young personCollege and censored ideasCreating a career to get paid to thinkWhat books have had an impact on Ms. KaschutaWhat advice Ms. Kaschuta has for teenagersResources:The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature - https://amzn.to/3p8dpbvThe Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life - https://amzn.to/3PX6jSHAlex Kaschuta is a writer, cultural critic, and podcast host from Transylvania, Romania. Her areas of interest are technology, immigration, religion, gender relations, and the broader emergence of postliberal politics in Europe and the United States. Her background is in economics, having earned a BSc. in Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and an MSc. at ESADE Barcelona. She has been active as an opinion writer for the better part of a decade and has been featured in the New York Post, the American Mind, IM1776, and other outlets. Currently, she is the host of the Subversive Podcast and writes for her Substack audience and various other publications.Socials! -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXkAll Amazon Affiliate links help financially support "Aiming for the Moon" while you get a great read or product

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sergei Guriev (click here for full bio). Dr. Guriev is the professor of economics and director of graduate programs in economics at Sciences Po, Paris as well as the Former Chief Economist and the Member of the Executive Committee of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He also served as the former Rector of the New Economic School in Moscow. Most recently, he is the co-author of "Spin Dictators." We discussed the next phase of Putin’s authoritarianism, the rise and current political environment of China, and what the West and the next generation can do to fight tyranny and despotism! Topics:What are "spin dictators?"How Putin used white-collar crime charges to imprison political opponentsFrom spin to fear - the next phase of Putin's authoritarianism What do Russians think of Putin?The rise of spin dictatorsThe rise and current political state of ChinaWhat should the West do?Resources:Spin Dictators - https://amzn.to/3OGPUApMaster and Margarita (English) - https://amzn.to/3JhbhY2The Gentleman in Moscow - https://amzn.to/3cRm7YLSocials! -Substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4MoonTaylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-TwYdfPcWV-V1JvjBXkAll Amazon Affiliate links help financially support "Aiming for the Moon" while you get a great read or product