55 Comments
User's avatar
ruth novaczek's avatar

wow Karen Hao, you're so smart, we so need your intelligence!

Expand full comment
Deepa Narayan's avatar

Wonderful generous and illuminating conversation- THANKS so much

Expand full comment
Wendy Voahangy Ravano's avatar

Most grateful thanks for hosting this illuminating conversation Anand and congratulations to Karen Hao for this seminal work ✨🙏🏽✨❤️✌🏽✨

Expand full comment
Paola's avatar

I've been having deep waves of anxiety for a while about the version of society that these psychos are trying to impose onto us through their nefarious use of AI and tech in general. This was a clarifying conversation that made me realize I'm not crazy to be so terrified..didn't ease my anxiety but I feel less alone in my panic waves, and I learned a lot along the way which is always a good outcome. I just ordered the book :)

Expand full comment
Merieh S's avatar

The fact that these guys don’t consider how this will affect the people at the bottom of the food chain - is exactly why I believe eugenics is at the base of their world view. And why this regime is anxious to cut Medicaid, Medicare, Social security. People who are not”productive” are just considered to be a drain on society. They are in the way, and therefore disposable .

Expand full comment
Bruce Raben's avatar

Sam Altman is either a sociopath or a psychopath and he understands what people want to hear and manipulates them. That should not be confused either empathy

Expand full comment
AmericanCitizen's avatar

Yes ...he acts like Ai

Expand full comment
Cindy Burkhalter's avatar

What an amazing conversation!!! Not only elucidating one of the primary topics we need to face in this moment, but also clearly expressing thoughts and questions that I’ve had but could not express well. Thank you so very much!!!

Expand full comment
Maureen Drews ❌👑's avatar

This was a fascinating and important interview with @Karen Hao. So many issues we need to focus on. I know I don’t want the tech bros designing my personal future or that of my loved ones. As a follow up to tge interview with Karen Hao, I’d like to see you interview a lawmaker who is intimately familiar with AI issues Karen raised as well as an activist who might inspire us as to actionable items we can take now and what we can do to influence lawmakers to adopt common sense regulations to protect interests of the American people. Thank you.

Expand full comment
Madeleine's avatar

Such great questions, Anand. Thank you. And thank you to Karen Hao for this important work.

Expand full comment
Thomas Hutt's avatar

“[A]ll of the resources that these companies need to develop their tools are ours. The data is ours. The land is ours. The energy is ours. The water is ours. The labor is ours… “. Boom!

Great interview. Timely warning. I’m reading this book now and (shameless plug) look forward to reviewing it on my new technology and society Substack, The Egg.

https://open.substack.com/pub/egghutt

Expand full comment
Autumn Buss's avatar

So interesting and helpful! I will definitely be sharing this. Thank you!

Expand full comment
Madeleine's avatar

There is just no avoiding the way that AI depends upon huge destruction and THEFT of land and resources. Our pleasure and convenience of using it is built (like so many other things) upon raping the land of minerals, and upon dangerous work done in mining, and theft of land from peoples around the world. Just so ugly.

Expand full comment
Naima  (NM)'s avatar

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL.

Expand full comment
Stephanie Eldringhoff's avatar

OMG - as a marriage and family therapist this conversation is frightening. I am glad I am 75 years old and won’t see humanity come to these future possibilities. My work is supporting people find solutions relationally with empathy for all.

Expand full comment
Mary Fifield's avatar

Wow. What an incredible conversation with Karen Hao. Her research and analysis are such a necessary countercurrent to the onslaught of confusion, noise, and manipulation of the public discourse around AI. Her examples of where AI can be helpful and productive for society (Maori language preservation, medical diagnoses, etc.) were instructive: these are not the kind of applications that will generate massive profits from millions of consumers. This urgent push to build datacenters everywhere and the claim that this level of AI development is necessary for America's economic dominance sure seem like a cover for yet another wealth and power grab by tech oligarchs. Hao spoke a lot about resource use and the climate crisis, and I'm curious about the links among AI, crypto (both the resource sapping and financial scam aspects), and the fossil fuel industry, which is a textbook example of corruption and which has gotten a lifeline in just the last two years as a result of these technologies. I hope Hao's arguments start ringing from the rooftops till they force a public conversation and build pressure on Congress to do its job and regulate.

Expand full comment
Patrick Knight's avatar

I think it is critical to have Karen's book as the next Book Club selection! AI is going to do more damage and move faster than MAGA Project2025 and we can't focus on it soon enough!!! PLEASE!!!

Expand full comment