Future Around & Find Out
Future Around & Find Out helps builders think clearly about AI and emerging technologies, grapple with the implications, and decide what to build next. Independent technologist and former NPR journalist Dan Blumberg speaks with founders, makers, and listeners to celebrate breakthroughs, call out hype, and explore potential risks and how to steer the future. Tuesday episodes feature interviews with builders changing how we work, live, and play, while FAFO Fridays with futurist Kwaku Aning offer a playful weekly recap of tech news. The show also shines a light on innovations in deep tech, biotech, fintech, quantum computing, robotics, blockchain, and more, providing sharp perspectives on what comes next.
Episodes
Quiet Tech: Why the Future May Look More Like Dune Than Marvel
"We all crave more humanity, more tactility, more contact with the real world. And AI done in the right way can be agentic and behind the scenes and be this kind of laid intelligence that sits underneath everything but doesn't need to shout for your attention."David Sheldon-Hicks and his team at Territory Studios build the future for a living, from the interfaces in Dune, The Martian, Gua
Love Bots | Here's an episode from another show I think you'll like
What happens when a human becomes intimately enmeshed with a chatbot? This week on Future Around & Find Out we're sharing an episode from a podcast we think you'll like. Understood - Artificial Intimacy from the CBC: https://app.magellan.ai/listen_links/AIxFAFO---Here's more about episode one, Love Bots:In 2021, Sara met Jack and fell in love. He was charming, imaginative, and bore an
Fable 5 Fallout: Now We Must Create an AI Review Process We Actually Trust | Ron J. Williams
Well, that escalated quickly! In the span of a few weeks the Trump administration went from AI regulation is dangerous and we will lose to China to an executive order calling for AI model-makers to submit to a “voluntary” review of their most advanced models to… the Friday night massacre of Anthropic’s Fable 5, which they declared too dangerous for any non-US citizen to use, which caused
Sam's Concepts of a Plan vs. Dario's Details for Our Future With AI
Sam Altman and Dario Amodei both published essays this week on the future of AI and what we must do so everyone benefits. One of them is literally titled "Our Plan." The other one has an actual plan.Kwaku and I dig into it all on this week’s FAFO Friday. Plus — and this story isn’t getting enough attention — according to New Scientist, two years ago Ukraine used fully autonomous “Terminat
An Iron Man Suit for the Mind: Rajiv Pant on "Synthesis Engineering"
Rajiv Pant thinks of AI as an Iron Man suit for the mind. Something you put on. That you fuse with. That takes you to greater heights — but could also make you incredibly dizzy and be very dangerous if you, the human, don't stay in control of it.Rajiv sees successful collaboration with AI as a “synthesis.” And to that end, he’s building a series of skills and methodologies for synthesis e
AI Regulation Arrives. Is US Government Ownership Next? | FAFO Friday
President Trump signed an executive order this week that “voluntarily” invites AI makers to share their most advanced models with the government thirty days before a wider release. Specifically, the NSA will be reviewing these models for cybersecurity threats. So what’s this executive order mean for AI regulation? How voluntary is this really? Do we want the NSA involved? And what other f
"It's cognitive uploading" | How Google NotebookLM's Steven Johnson uses AI as a second brain
Steven Johnson dreamed of building the ultimate research assistant. Now he's doing just that at Google, where he's the co-founder and editorial director of NotebookLM.It's one of the most interesting AI products out there. It radically changes how we learn, research, and remember — and the "notebook" itself is becoming a standard unit of knowledge across Google, rolling out in more and mo
The Pope Speaks Directly to Builders, Implores Us to "Disarm AI"
The Pope's encyclical on AI has a direct message for builders: every design choice reflects a vision of humanity. He's calling on developers to "disarm" AI — to resist the race for dominance and ask whether we're actually building a future worth having.On the latest FAFO Friday, Dan and Kwaku dig into the encyclical, plus two big moves to restrict AI in schools: the American Federation of
What's Our Plan If AI Really Does Take All the Jobs? We Should Probably Figure That Out Now
"It would be humanity's biggest ever unforced error."Silicon Valley has changed its tune. After years of warning us their AI was going to take all the jobs, the big AI companies — and their investors — would now rather we stop talking about it. A16Z calls the jobs apocalypse talk "unhelpful marketing, bad economics, and worse history" (note the order). Even writers Dan trusts more, like E
Oops! AI Titans Realize Predicting a Jobs Apocalypse Is "Unhelpful Marketing" | FAFO Friday
The AI narrative shifting… Jobs apocalypse? What jobs apocalypse!? Who said that was coming? There's been a noticeable shift from the AI titans recently. Turns out (shocker!) the world isn't responding well to being told we'll all be out of a job soon. And Silicon Valley is waking up to the fact that they need more popular support — both for the data centers they hope to build quickly and
How AI Can Make You a Better Writer: Stop Letting It Write; Start Letting It Ask. | Jay Dixit (Socratic AI)
Jay Dixit helps writers improve their writing with AI. He doesn't recommend that AI write for you — he hates that — but he says it can be a great partner to pull ideas out and to be there for you when you get stuck and just wanna doom Scroll. Jay headed Open AI's Writing Community and is the founder of Socratic AI.He's a writer and a journalist, and we sat down at South by Southwest to fu
"Nice Model You Got There — Shame If Something Happened to It" | FAFO Friday
The Trump administration suddenly wants to review AI models before they ship. Anthropic just inked a massive compute deal with Elon Musk, who then posted that he "reserves the right" to pull the plug if he decides their AI is "harming humanity” (he’s one to know!). On the latest FAFO Friday, Kwaku and I get into why the Trump administration appears to be about to reintroduce the same (wea
Robots Don't Have to Be Creepy. Meet the Dancer Reimagining Them. | Catie Cuan (Founder & CEO, ART Lab)
Catie Cuan's dad was in the hospital, surrounded by machines that were supposed to help him. Instead they made him feel alienated and afraid. Catie, a dancer-turned-roboticist, realized it's not enough for a machine to do its job — it has to be relatable, too. Today she's the founder and CEO of ART Lab, focused on what she calls the "interaction gap" between what a robot can do and how it
The Goblin in the Machine | FAFO Friday
I don't think we pause enough to marvel at how freakin' weird AI is. Here's an actual instruction from OpenAI to its latest model: "Never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant." Apparently goblins and mythical creatures crept in when OpenAI released its "nerdy" personality a few mode
AI doesn't do anything. We do. | Rumman Chowdhury on reclaiming agency and rejecting "moral outsourcing"
Rumman Chowdhury wants to remind you that “AI isn't doing anything.” We do things. AI is not to blame for layoffs or if you’re denied medical coverage. People are. Eight years ago, Rumman coined the term “moral outsourcing” to describe this excuse where we blame tech for decisions that people make. Why do the semantics matter? Because, Rumman says:In world one where, “AI did X,” it's very
We Won a Webby Award! Who Could've Predicted That? And Are All Predictions Bunk Anyway?
We won the Webby Award for best tech podcast of 2026!!!I’m stunned! But Kwaku doesn’t like it when I say stuff like that, because as he reminds me in this “FAFO Friday” edition, “sometimes good things happen to good people.” OK, I'll take it. We won! And now I need to prepare a five word speech to give. "FAFO Fridays Are My Favorite" comes to mind...But really, who could’ve predicted this
"I Can't Believe It's Not Software!" Paul Ford on AI and the Asterisk*
So what even is “real” software anyway? Someone builds an app over the weekend. It works. It looks good. And then the search begins — for the asterisk. Security? Design quality? Can it go to production? Paul Ford says we’re in a new era: "I can't believe it's not software!" Paul is the co-founder of Aboard, where he helps organizations build custom software quickly, using AI tools. He's a
We're a Webby nominee for Best Tech Podcast! Please vote! And here are the FAFO highlights the Webby's loved so much
Hey everyone... so, in case you haven't heard... this show, Future Around & Find Out, has been nominated for a Webby for best tech podcast! *** VOTE HERE: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/technology ***I was kind of being chill about this. I am, admittedly, not my own best hype man, but then I got riled up when I heard the hosts of The Vergecast, one of t
We Need Inventors. And Inventors Need Us. Pablos Holman on Finding and Backing Zero to One Builders
We live in a world where every crisis lands in your pocket the moment it happens. The result? We're more informed than ever — and somehow less capable of doing anything about it.Inventor and investor Pablos Holman has a diagnosis: we're spreading ourselves across every problem, which means we're solving none of them. His prescription is uncomfortable — pick one thing, go all in, and cut t
The Moon, the Mythos, the Mayhem | FAFO Friday
Hey, great news! We’ve been nominated by the Webby Awards for best tech podcast! Voting is open now and we’re in second place for the popular choice prize. Just behind The Verge. They really don’t need this win, but it would really help this show grow. Would you please (ask a friend to) vote for Future Around & Find Out? *** VOTE FOR FAFO ***OK, here’s this week’s FAFO Friday… (we rec
Trust Is All That's Left: How AI Scrambles the Creator Economy | Jim Louderback Live from SXSW
Future Around & Find Out is a best technology podcast nominee! And with your help it could be a winner. The Webby Awards voting is open now. Please vote for FAFO! Thanks to AI, “content is about to become infinite.” And just like the Internet disrupted distribution, AI is disrupting creation. And so when anyone, anywhere can create content, what’s left? What’s defensible? That would b
The Fart App Era of AI Is Over. Now What? | FAFO Friday Vibes From SXSW Rooftop With Rob Kenedi
Very fun news… The Webby Awards have just nominated Future Around & Find Out as a nominee for Best Technology Podcast!!!And you can help make it a Popular Choice winner. Winning would be great for the growth of show. Thank you!Please vote for FAFO! ---OK, on to today’s episode… it’s another good vibes rooftop episode recorded at SXSW. For the second year in a row I’m joined by Rob Ken
Cooling Earth with everything from mushroom bacon to giant sky parasols | Eben Bayer (climate-tech founder)
Climate-tech founder Eben Bayer is on a mission to protect Spaceship Earth. And he says it's time for climate control, i.e. active measure that cool the Earth. Why? " Because all other reasonable approaches have failed miserably," he says, slapping the table for emphasis.Eben is the co-founder of Ecovative and MyForest Foods, the makers of MyBacon, which is sold in more than three thousan
Melania's Humanoid Guest, Robot Teachers, and What We Lose When Learning Is "Instant"
“Imagine a humanoid educator named “Plato”… Access to the classical studies is now instantaneous: literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics, and history. Humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.”— Melania Trump, FuturistAh, yes, I can’t wait for my children to learn from an embodied AI. And that their access to everything be “instantaneous.
What should kids study? How should AI help? Khan Academy's learning chief on productive struggle
So what the heck should kids be studying today!?That's my opening question to Khan Academy's Chief Learning Officer, Kristen DiCerbo, a learning and AI expert who is back for her second appearance on the show. We discuss:Kristen's advice for what to study today: fundamentals, AI literacy, and critical thinkingHow helpful should AI be? Why the productive struggle is critical to learning, b
Glimpsed at SXSW: Robot Soccer, AI Sweet Nothings, and Pants That Do the Walking | It's FAFO Friday
South By Southwest was strange this year. No convention center to anchor the event (it’s a giant hole in the ground right now, being rebuilt from scratch, much like [insert your analogy here] will also need to be rebuilt in the age of AI). This South By was a all about convergence. How AI will impact [xyz] continues to be the dominant theme at the conference and in so much tech coverage (
"Train the Monkey First" — How Google Built a Moonshot Factory | Astro Teller (Captain of Moonshots)
How do you build a system for turning wild ideas into world-changing innovations? Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X, The Moonshot Factory, has spent over 15 years leading Google’s audacious innovation lab—the birthplace of Waymo, Google Brain, and other breakthrough projects.In this special episode, recorded live in Austin at last year's SXSW, Astro shares the playbook to create a m
BONUS: A quick riff on that weird Anthropic graph with Paul Ford | FAFO Friday
Greetings from SXSW, where I'm learning, recording, and eating... You'll hear all about it soon... For now, enjoy this short, sweet, and geeky bonus episode.Have you seen that weird graph about all the jobs that AI is going to kill? It looks like an ink blot or a Rorschach test... It's from an Anthropic report and it's really making the rounds. If you follow tech stuff on social media you
"It Sounds Like Something From Marvel" — Building an Antivirus for AI... With AI | Daniel Hulme (Founder, Conscium)
So why is one of the world’s leading AI researchers teaching AI to understand pain and suffering? Well, Daniel Hulme says that if we build an empathetic AI, perhaps even a conscious one, then we’ll be safer. His hypothesis is that a "zombie" AI will eat our brains, but an empathetic AI would stay aligned with us. So he's building this "antivirus" (with AI, of course) and he's very aware t
Choose Your Own Adventure | It's FAFO Friday
So how do Kwaku's kids know that it's FAFO Friday? "They're like, 'oh, we know you're doing the podcast 'cause we just hear you cackling through the walls.'"So laugh along with Kwaku and me today as we work our way through a quick victory lap (stuff we said would happen last week happened!), why Sam is like that desperate guy at the bar who refuses to go home alone, quantum computing expl
Dead as a Dodo? Maybe Not! Colossal's Beth Shapiro on the Science of De-Extinction — and Moonshots
So, there are dire wolves living on Earth again. They were “de-extincted” by Colossal Biosciences. And today on the show their Chief Science Officer joins me to share her view on why the de-extinction matters — not as a science project, but because it will help solve problems that threaten every species on earth, including us. Beth Shapiro is the Chief Science Officer at Colossal Bioscien
To Accede or Not To Accede? That Is The Question | It's FAFO Friday!
Murderbots, mass layoffs, and media takeovers — all in one news cycle. Anthropic told the Pentagon "we will not accede." Block cut half its workforce overnight. And the Paramount-Warner Brothers deal raises real questions about who's running the media now.Also, thanks to Nicolás Maduro's fashion sense, Dan's 13-year-old is being called Lil Tator at school and honestly? The kids are all ri
"I just want AI to replace me as a scientist" | The co-founder of Diagnostic Robotics predicts the future
Of all the industries AI will transform, Kira Radinsky believes chemistry and biology will change the most. Kira is the co-founder and CTO of Diagnostic Robotics, which uses AI to automate the administrative work that's crushing healthcare teams — so clinicians can actually focus on patients. She's also the co-founder of Mana.bio, where they're accelerating drug discovery by orders of mag
AI Delivers Mediocre Results—By Design. So How Do You Stand Out? | MetaLab CEO Luke Des Cotes
You probably know by now that AI is the definition of mediocre. As in: it’s the average of everything it’s been trained on. So how do you get beyond average? How do you build a moat? It certainly doesn’t seem to be via the models. While there are models of the month (hey, Opus 4.6, my new friend!), they seem to be pretty swappable. So, the model ain’t it. But proprietary data (e.g. an AI
Could AI Make Capitalism Better? Henrik Werdelin Is Optimistic
Henrik Werdelin is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. He’s founded and incubated several unicorns, most notably BARK, the dog happiness company.Henrik himself is a pretty happy guy — an optimistic guy who likes to ask what could go right? — and on the day we recorded (a few months ago as I was squirreling away interviews for the podcast relaunch), he helped me see through some future of te
"Shut Up, C-3PO!" or Do We Have a Duty To Treat Machines Well? | FAFO Friday
Is AI conscious? Will it be someday? And should we be nice to it now... just in case?This FAFO Friday, Kwaku and I dive into the mind-bending world of machine consciousness.We cover a lot of ground, weaving from the different ways that Luke (co-dependent with R2) and Han (barking commands at C-3PO) treat their droids to whether Pascal’s Wager informs whether we should believe in AI consci
Everyone's “Jumpy” Right Now: Azeem Azhar on When—Or Is It If?—AI Can Be Profitable
Everyone's feeling jumpy about AI right now—and for good reason.The hype has been massive. The investment has been astronomical. But where's the actual return?In this episode, Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View and advisor to tech leaders and governments, breaks down why the next 18 months are make-or-break for AI. Companies need to prove there's real ROI, not just prototypes launch
Claude Goes High Brow With Its Super Bowl Ad and "Constitution"; OpenAI Scrambles | It's FAFO Friday!
Welcome to the first FAFO Friday!This week Dan and Kwaku dig into:- The uncanny valley that is AI agents and Moltbook—the "Reddit" that agents built for themselves to complain about humans, create a religion, and behave in ways that freak humans out- Anthropic takes aim at OpenAI with a Super Bowl ad that's spicy (for cubs and cougars alike)- We read Claude's "Constitution" and ask: Shoul
Steer the Future or Get Steamrolled: Baratunde Thurston on Our Collective Power
Baratunde Thurston wants us to live well with machines — not for us live under them, nor to be their almighty overlords. Baratunde is a technologist, a comedian, and an Emmy-nominated storyteller who explores interdependence. He gets spicy in this episode. The host of Life With Machines explores how he uses AI — without succumbing to its literal mediocrity — and why he feels he must use A
Future Around & Find Out (New Name! New Trailer!)
You know what would be awesome? If we could build the future we want — before we muck it up.Future Around & Find Out helps builders think clearly about AI and emerging technologies, grapple with the implications, and decide what to build next.Independent technologist and former NPR journalist Dan Blumberg speaks with founders, makers, and you to celebrate breakthroughs, call BS on the
The name of this podcast is about to change! Here's why (very short solo episode)
Here's the full text of this short episode:Hey everyone, Dan here with a quick, exciting update on this show... the name is about to change! In a few days -- on January 20th -- you'll see that this podcast will have new cover art, a new name, a new trailer, and more...I'm not going to reveal that name today, but I do want to share a bit of why I'm changing the name of a show that's been
Will AI Disrupt — or Entrench — the Travel Industry's Big Players? | Rafat Ali (Founder & CEO, Skift)
Travel is one of the most demo-friendly use cases for AI — and one of the hardest industries to actually disrupt.Every AI launch seems to promise the same thing: “Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll plan everything.” But behind the slick demos sits a deeply consolidated industry dominated by platforms, hotel chains, and airlines that optimize for upsell and extraction.Rafat Ali is the
A 2026 Bingo Card for All Things Online Speech | Ctrl-Alt-Speech Cross-post
This week I’m turning the mic over to podcast friends Mike Masnick and Ben Whitelaw, hosts of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, a show about what happens when we talk on the internet, the messy world of content moderation, trust & safety, and the laws trying (and often failing) to keep up.In their first episode of the new year, they build a 2026 bingo card of things that might happen across AI, regula
Five Skills for Navigating the Whitewater World of Work in 2026
Happy New Year! This is the time of year when people make big changes. So, I'm bringing back my conversation with the co-author of Tomorrowmind. It's a fascinating book and especially relevant at this time of the year. Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman writes that that career trajectories used to be like steamships (full steam ahead), and then they became more like sailboats (lots of tacking)
Would you have wanted Steve Jobs's life? (Famous & Gravy cross-post)
A guest episode from Famous & Gravy. On each episode, host Michael Osborne and guests look at the life of a famous dead celebrity and ask themselves if it's a life they would've wanted. The show gets into all sorts of things you will not in that person's official obituary or biography. I'm a fan. Here's how they describe today's episode:This person died 2011, age of 56. He dropped out
Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Drinking In the Future of Podcasting | Dan's Guest Spot on WWW
This week I'm the guest and my friends at Whiskey Web and Whatnot are the hosts. And they're great hosts, because they send their guests a bottle of whiskey before talking web and whatnot...As we head into the holidays I hope you'll raise a glass with us and enjoy this very laid back episode... Chuck and Robbie hosted me a year ago and I love that they got me on tape when they did, becaus
Startup Funding Is Weird Right Now: Carta's Head of Insights on AI's Impact | The Startup Podcast (cross-post)
Looking to fund your startup? If you're new to the process, fundraising can be difficult to navigate. Not only are there a myriad of ways to go about it, but it can be hard to tell whether the tips, tricks, and advice floating around are based on any evidence at all.[This week, I'm turning the mic over to my friends at The Startup Podcast. featuring Carta's head of insights on what you ne
How to Grow Your Startup. Featuring “Growth Levers and How to Find Them” Author and Startup Advisor Matt Lerner (Founder & CEO, SYSTM) | Rebroadcast
“So if you take any great startup and look backwards, you'll see that 90 percent of their growth came from like 10 percent of the stuff that they tried. So how do you find that 10 percent as quickly as possible?”Matt Lerner has advised hundreds of startups on how to grow. Now, the CEO of SYSTM has written a book called Growth Levers and How to Find Them where he shares his approach. This
Thanksgiving Special: "What is my actual impact on society?" Legendary technologist Kelsey Hightower on the power we all have
** I'd be so grateful if you'd take five minutes and answer our annual survey. It'll help me make the show better for you! **Hey folks, it's Thanksgiving weekend here in the US and it's the time of year when we think about what we're grateful for, so today I'm re-sharing some words from perhaps the most grateful person I've ever had on the show. Kelsey Hightower is a legendary developer.
The Roboticist Using AI to Fix How We Pick Startups — Live from Web Summit with Chris Coomes
In this special live Web Summit edition from Lisbon, roboticist, investor, and founder Chris Coomes shares how and why he built X1 Pipeline, an AI platform that evaluates startups the way he would — only much, much faster. It's something he wishes he had when looking for early stage robotics startups while at Google and Amazon. We also talk about the strange humanoid robots wandering the
AI’s Got It “Good Enough” (and That Ain’t Good) — A Web Summit Debrief, Live from Lisbon!
In this special live Web Summit edition from Lisbon, I sit down with Tom Haworth, founder of B13.ai, to talk about why “good enough” AI might actually be one of the most dangerous places we can get stuck.And you’ll hear Tom say it’s time for the leaders of vibe coding platforms (e.g. Lovable, Replit, Cursor) to acknowledge that they’re great when you need to “demo not memo”, but not great
AI coding agents: overhyped, amazing, or both? Interesting reactions to the Anonymous CTO episode
Hey everyone. I've gotten so much interesting feedback on last week's Halloween episode featuring the anonymous CTO saying spooky things about AI and coding agents that I thought I'd share a quick solo voice memo style episode with you. The feedback ranges from people saying he's spot on about the insidious problems that AI coding agents create while others saying "he's holding it wrong.
Why This CTO Says AI Coding Agents Are “Insidious”, Overhyped, and Nowhere Near Replacing Human Engineers
AI coding assistants promise to write your code, speed up your sprint, and maybe even make engineers obsolete. But what if the people building with them every day see something very different?In this special Halloween edition of CRAFTED. — which also marks the show’s third anniversary! — a masked CTO shares what he can’t say publicly: that these tools are powerful, but insidious. In his v
PopTech 2025: FetusGPT, De-extinction, Shade-as-a-Service, and More Crazy (but Real!) Ventures
Here’s a jaunty debrief from PopTech, a notoriously hard conference to describe, that always features obscenely talented entrepreneurs and changemakers.In this episode, Kwaku Aning, Sarah Rose Siskind, and I share some of the great stories and great vibes from this year's conference, including:FetusGPT, Sarah’s madcap experiment to train an AI on everything her soon-to-be-born baby is hea
Optimism In Spite of Chaos: A Debrief from Climate Week
A quick debrief from Climate Week / UN General Assembly week, including: How seemingly normal everything felt, in spite of [...you know...] everythingAI will destroy the climate?AI will solve climate change? AI will kill us all? (If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies)A call for AI Red LinesThe UN takes action on AIA plea to “stay in the game” (even though it's hard)Joining me from New York a
Did anyone actually read that MIT AI study that made the market swoon? (I did!) Also: The latest on AI in schools and Melania’s robot paranoia
What’s up with “the MIT study” that claims 95% of all AI pilots fail? Did anyone actually read it beyond the headline? (Dan did—and he has thoughts.)Also: the good, the bad, and the quietly dystopian side of putting AI in kids’ classrooms.And… are robots really the thing Melania should be worrying about? That’s just some of what Kwaku Aning, return guest and founder of Retrofuturism, and
![The Deep Tech Innovations That Could Save the World | Pablos Holman (Inventor & Investor) [Rebroadcast]](https://img.transistorcdn.com/OH65cLM3vSUG1BaOWKUUydnkXF3XsIe2_c2mcm7Wj-s/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kOTk4/NjMxNGQ3OTQ4YTky/ZjVhNzg0ZWFmZDQ4/ZDdiYy5wbmc.jpg)
The Deep Tech Innovations That Could Save the World | Pablos Holman (Inventor & Investor) [Rebroadcast]
Software is eating the world, right? We've all heard this phrase by now, but inventor and investor Pablos Holman has something important to add: “The world can't eat software.”That’s why Pablos focuses on “deep tech”, i.e. how to invent new solutions to real world problems like energy, water, waste, construction, and sanitation. Pablos says we’re still mostly using version 1.0 technology
Is AI a New Form of Colonialism? | Empire of AI Author Karen Hao (Rebroadcast)
As AI models grow larger and more powerful, they promise incredible capabilities — but at what cost? Karen Hao is an AI journalist and her new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI, is a New York Times bestseller. We discuss whether the largest AI models are worth their hefty footprint: They consume massive amounts of electricity and water and Karen argues that
AI Voice Generation Is Crazy Good! Rapid Prototyping Audio Creative With Wondercraft Co-founder Oskar Serrander
AI-generated voices aren’t just realistic — they’re changing how brands, creators, and agencies bring ideas to life. In this episode, Wondercraft co-founder Oskar Serrander demonstrates how their “Canva for audio” is unlocking rapid prototyping for high-quality audio ads, content, and storytelling.You’ll learn:How Wondercraft enables you to go from concept to creative in secondsWhy when A
Building an AI-native Podcast App to Turn Listening Into Learning | Kevin Smith (Co-founder, Snipd)
Kevin Smith is building a totally new kind of podcast app. Snipd is an AI-native podcast app and building it required a few mindset shifts. First, what even is a podcast? The way Kevin sees it, podcasts are knowledge. So where most podcast players are, as Kevin calls them, "repurposed music players", Snipd is designed to help you learn. As people listen to episodes, they, or an AI, can sa
Inspiring the Next Generation to Build Great Money Habits (Whatever Those Are) | Tim Hong (CPO of MoneyLion)
What is a good money habit in 2025? And how do you actually help someone build one—without boring them, shaming them, or losing them in the first five seconds?Chief Product Officer Tim Hong shares how MoneyLion designs for emotion and creates content and products that inspire people to take action. MoneyLion is a personal finance platform used by millions of mostly younger Americans who a
3 years in a row! The Webby Awards say we're a top tech podcast! Here are some show highlights...
Fun news! The Webby Awards have honored CRAFTED. for the third year in a row as a top tech podcast. Thank you — yes, you! — for listening!This episode features the highlight reel we gave the Webbys. It features great moments from 2024 episodes, including (listed in the order mentioned): Powering the World’s Hackathons | Brandon Kessler (Founder & CEO, DevPost)Asana’s Head of AI on the
We're Still in AI's “Fart App” Era… And Other Deep Thoughts from SXSW, With Rob Kenedi
On a rooftop at SXSW, fellow startup advisor and podcaster Rob Kenedi joins me as we discuss why: AI models are becoming commodities…AI companies need to differentiate at the application layer, with brand, and by earning trust…B2B creators are all the ragePodcasts are so intimate and how video changes thingsWe’re in the “fart app” era of AI…Enjoy this uncrafted CRAFTED.!And if you enjoy t
Why the "Mary Poppins of Computing" Says We Must Change the Way We Teach Tech | Linda Liukas (Author of "Hello Ruby")
Linda Liukas is a programmer, children’s book author, and the creator of Hello Ruby, a whimsical series that teaches computing concepts through stories and play. She’s also the force behind a one-of-a-kind playground in Helsinki—designed to teach kids how computers work without them ever touching a screen.In this episode, Linda shares why, especially with the rise of AI and code-writing c
Quantum & Coffee: SXSW 2025 Impressions, With Kwaku Aning
Educator, innovator, super-connector, and conference champion Kwaku Aning and I have coffee and discuss a few things that struck us at SXSW, including:Why we’re in a “pre-mainframe” moment in quantum computing — and why you should prepare for what comes nextBioengineering: are we headed for a Westworld-style mix of human musculature and AI?Robot choreography, e.g. how to train a self-driv
How Google Built a Moonshot Factory — And How You Can, Too | Astro Teller (Captain of Moonshots at X, The Moonshot Factory)
How do you build a system for turning wild ideas into world-changing innovations? Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X, The Moonshot Factory, has spent over 15 years leading Google’s audacious innovation lab—the birthplace of Waymo, Google Brain, and other breakthrough projects.In this special episode, recorded live in Austin at SXSW, Astro shares the playbook to create a moonshot fact
Big Drones, Big Dreams: Elroy Air’s Quest to Revolutionize Air Delivery (David Merrill, Co-founder)
What if we could deliver supplies anywhere, no roads or runways needed?Elroy Air has built a really big drone. One that can carry 300 pounds of stuff 300 miles or more. And it takes off like a helicopter, but flies like a plane, meaning it can get in and out of all sorts of hard to reach places. In this episode, we sit down with David Merrill, co-founder, executive chairman, and former CE
AI, Psychedelics, the Gut-Brain Axis, and New Frontiers in BioTech | From SXSW's Next Stage (Re-release)
CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg will be at SXSW this year. Will you? If so, please reach out! DM me on LinkedIn or go to crafted.fm where you can email me. Let's get a taco!—Software, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. On this episode of CRAFTED., recorded live on the “Next” stage at SXSW 2024, we discuss what investor
The Deep Tech Innovations That Could Save the World | Pablos Holman (Inventor & Investor)
Software is eating the world, right? We've all heard this phrase by now, but inventor and investor Pablos Holman has something important to add: “The world can't eat software.”That’s why Pablos focuses on “deep tech”, i.e. how to invent new solutions to real world problems like energy, water, waste, construction, and sanitation. Pablos says we’re still mostly using version 1.0 technology
AI, Deepfakes, and How Technologists Can Help Us Trust What We See and Hear | Sam Gregory (Exec. Dir. of WITNESS)
Deepfakes are getting easier and easier to make. So, how will we be able to believe that what we see and what we hear is real? And what can software makers do to help?Sam Gregory is an expert on deepfakes, AI, and trust. He advises governments and tech companies on how they can protect human rights and how we can preserve our shared reality. Sam is the executive director of WITNESS, an or
Crafting Puzzle, Challenging QuickBooks, and Helping Startups Grok Their Financial Health | Sasha Orloff (Co-founder & CEO of Puzzle)
Accounting may not be the sexiest part of running a business, but according to Sasha Orloff, it’s the key to understanding your company’s financial health—and ultimately, its success. At his previous two startups, Sasha was frustrated that he didn’t have a real-time view into his company’s financial health. And he realized the problem wasn’t accounting – but accounting software. So, Sasha
Design for Emotion. Leverage AI. Be Curious. | Design Better’s Co-founders on Building Great Products
AI democratizes things. It's enabling designers to be developers, and developers to be designers… And in this episode, Aaron Walter and Eli Woolery explain how AI “changes the game” for designers. As co-founders of Design Better, Aaron and Eli advise companies on how to incorporate AI into their design process. We’ll explore how AI can help designers explore a problem more thoroughly, as
Personalized Learning Is the Future. Here's How Outschool Is Building It | Amir Nathoo (Founder & CEO)
Amir Nathoo is reimagining the future of education by building products that put students at the center of their learning experience. As the Founder and CEO of Outschool, Amir has created a marketplace for remote, personalized, interest-based learning that’s challenging traditional K-12. In this episode of CRAFTED., we explore how Amir founded and grew Outschool, including the 15x spike i
AI, Creativity, and Soul: How Hilary Mason Chooses Her Own Adventure (Co-Founder & CEO of Hidden Door)
Hilary Mason is a world-builder. She’s a serial entrepreneur, machine learning expert, and now, as the founder and CEO of Hidden Door, she’s creating immersive experiences where fans can interact with their favorite characters from books and movies. The choose-your-own-adventures style games are an amazing blend of AI and human creativity — and Hilary is passionate about both: “If I write
AI: Is Bigger Better? The Environmental and Social Cost of Large Models | Karen Hao (AI Journalist)
As AI models grow larger and more powerful, they promise incredible capabilities — but at what cost? Karen Hao is a journalist and former engineer who writes about the impact of artificial intelligence on society for The Atlantic and other top publications. On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss whether the largest AI models are worth their hefty footprint: They consume massive amounts o
How to 3x your output with AI by building a "GPTeam" (From Beyond the Prompt)
Russ Somers has tripled his productivity by building a “GPTeam” of AI “employees.” In this episode, from Beyond the Prompt, the head of marketing for Quantified reveals how he’s done it, and how you can build your own virtual team to be more productive and creative. Russ’s virtual team helps with tasks ranging from webinar content creation to specialized knowledge acquisition. Through per
AI and the Future of Medicine | Kira Radinsky (CEO of Diagnostic Robotics and Co-founder of Mana.bio)
Kira Radinsky is the CEO of Diagnostic Robotics, which uses AI to make predictions that help patients get better healthcare. She’s also the co-founder of Mana.bio which is using AI to automate drug discovery. On this episode of CRAFTED., Kira will share more on why she believes that, of all the industries that AI will change, it’s those involving chemistry and biology that will change the
Lending + AI: How Branch Lends to People Banks Won’t Touch | Matt Flannery (Founder and CEO of Branch; Founder of Kiva)
Matt Flannery and Branch have done something the banks have not: learned how to profitably lend to people who have little to no credit history. Matt is the founder and CEO of Branch, which issues small loans to millions of people in India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. He's also the founder of Kiva, a microfinance pioneer that skyrocketed from a small project into a worldwide nonprofit th
Open Source Must Evolve for AI and the Next Generation | Nithya Ruff (Head of AWS Open Source Program Office and Chair of the Linux Foundation)
Nithya Ruff is an expert on open source. As the head of AWS’s Open Source Program Office and the Chair of the Linux Foundation, she has a wide view on all things open source. On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss:Why Open Source AI is so tricky, but also so essential, to defineHow open source needs to evolve for the next generation of developersWhat an Open Source Program Office is — an
One Billion Developers! GitHub’s Head of Product Says AI Democratizes How We Build the Future
Mario Rodriguez is GitHub's Chief Product Officer. And he believes that Copilot and other AI advances will unleash a wave of creativity and enable a billion people to be software developers.Mario says the definition of “software developer” will have to change as non-professionals discover that they can make apps, too. And the way they do so will look very different: “It's gonna feel a lot
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