KUNC presents "Possible," an audio series exploring the future of AI and how it could benefit humanity. The series is back for a second limited run, with five episodes airing every Friday at 8 p.m starting April 4 through May 2.
Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what鈥檚 possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology 鈥� and, in particular, AI 鈥� is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI鈥檚 GPT-4 and Inflection鈥檚 Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do.
This season explores the role of AI in national security, drug discovery, the future of cities, and more. Luminaries and industry leaders such as Bill Gates, Fei-Fei Li, Anja Manuel, Daphne Koller, and Devon Zuegel contemplate technology鈥檚 role in society, and what鈥檚 possible in the future.
Here are the episode descriptions:
April 4: Anja Manuel on AI, China, and national security
What role can AI play in international diplomacy and national security? In this episode, Reid and Aria sit down with Anja Manuel, a former diplomat, author, and one of the leading voices in AI and foreign policy. She has the unique ability to bridge the gaps between technology, policy and diplomacy. They discuss international AI governance, China, potential threats of bio-terrorism, and the strategic decisions that the US and its allies must make to navigate this complex landscape of innovation with regulation.
April 11: Bill Gates on AI and humanity
How many lives will be saved with the help of AI over the next decade? Reid and Aria sat down with Bill Gates to discuss his main areas of focus: climate change, energy, global health, and education鈥� and how AI will help transform each of them. Taking a bird鈥檚-eye view of society鈥檚 challenges, it鈥檚 easy to give in to pessimism. But as one of the most influential people in the world, Bill Gates has a unique perspective on how far humanity has come and what our potential 鈥� and timelines 鈥� for meaningful change really look like. He gets granular on everything from cows (5% of global emissions) to disease reduction and eradication (Guinea worm disease). At each turn, he has data at his fingertips to ground his beliefs. So, what current set of innovations is Bill most excited about? And what is realistically on the horizon for AI, climate change, energy, global health, and education?
April 18: Daphne Koller on drug discovery and AI
How can scientists leverage AI and machine learning to more effectively research, develop, and deliver new drugs? This week, Reid and Aria talk drug development with renowned computer scientist and executive Dr. Daphne Koller, whose company, insitro, uses machine learning to improve the quality and speed of drug discovery. She addresses several ways AI and ML are already being used to redefine diseases and create better therapeutic interventions. Plus, she shares her experience transitioning from academia to industry.
April 25: Devon Zuegel on the future of cities and communities
What if we built cities focused around community, leveraging technology to actually increase human connection, health, and fulfillment? Devon Zuegel, the leader of Edge Esmeralda 鈥� a pop-up village that took place in June 2024 鈥� joins Possible to discuss how she is reimagining cities to optimize for community. In this episode, Devon, Aria, and Reid get into why designing cities with intention can impact quality of life and strengthen communities. Devon shares what she has learned from Edge Esmeralda 鈥� and what she plans to build from here.
May 2: Fei-Fei Li on spatial intelligence and human-centered AI
How can we use AI to amplify human potential and build a better future? And what exactly does 鈥淎GI鈥� even mean? Reid and Aria sat down with world-renowned computer scientist Fei-Fei Li, whose work in artificial intelligence over the past several decades has earned her the nickname 鈥渢he godmother of AI.鈥� An entrepreneur and professor, Fei-Fei shares her journey from creating ImageNet, a massive dataset of labeled images that revolutionized computer vision, to her current role as co-founder and CEO of the spatial intelligence startup World Labs. She explains why spatial intelligence 鈥� the ability to perceive and interact with the 3D world 鈥� is so crucial for AI's development and how it could lead to breakthroughs in fields like medicine, climate, and education. They get into regulatory guardrails, governance, and what it will take to build a positive, human-centered AI future for all.