Life with Machines

• We Could Win the Climate Fight…Thanks to AI | Gavin McCormick (Ep. 12)

  In this eye-opening episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde speaks with climate scientist and tech innovator Gavin McCormick, who delivers a message you won't hear anywhere else: we might actually be winning the climate fight—and AI is helping us do it. As co-founder of Climate TRACE with Al Gore, Gavin reveals how satellite technology and AI are tracking global emissions with unprecedented accuracy, exposing who's really polluting our planet and keeping us from a good future (spoiler: it’s the oil and gas companies). Meanwhile, his nonprofit WattTime has created technology that's likely already in your pocket, silently reducing emissions every time you charge your phone. But there’s a catch: As we make progress on climate, political instability could threaten to unravel it all. Plus, BLAIR, the show's AI co-producer, joins Baratunde to help him process this paradigm shift in how we think about our planetary future. Stick around for some deeper insights.  ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videography and Audio Engineering from the team at Voicing Change Media Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AIForClimate #ClimateTech #TechForGood #CleanEnergy #ClimateCrisis #NetZero #ClimateAction #RenewableEnergy #EcoInnovation #ClimateTrace #FutureOfAI #GreenTech #AIRevolution

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• Can AI Help Us Talk to Animals? | Aza Raskin (Ep. 11)

  In this Life with Machines episode, Baratunde Thurston talks with Aza Raskin about something straight out of science fiction—teaching AI to communicate with animals. As co-founder of the Earth Species Project, Aza is working on technology that could let us listen to whales, understand what elephants are saying, and maybe even talk back. This isn’t just about decoding nature’s languages—it’s about rethinking intelligence, communication, and our place in the world. Aza and Baratunde get into the ethics, the mind-blowing implications, and whether we’re about to make first contact… without ever leaving Earth. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, chimes in—adding its own perspective to this conversation about intelligence, language, and what it means to truly understand. ------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:07 Meet Aza Raskin: Pioneer of Interspecies Communication 11:06 The Earth Species Project: Decoding Animal Language 17:19 AI and the Shape of Language 28:17 The Ethical Implications of Interspecies Communication 32:39 Digital Twins 39:11 Guess the Animal Sound 45:36 Rights of Nature and Indigenous Perspectives 48:47 Funding and Team Expansion 50:55 The Viral Songs of Humpback Whales 53:01 Ethical Considerations in AI and Animal Communication 55:52 The Role of Keystone Species 01:08:42 AI's Impact on Society and Environment 01:12:40 Final Thoughts and Invitation ------------ Earth Species X LinkedIn GitHub Bluesky Aza's X Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videography and Audio Engineering from the team at Voicing Change Media Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #AnimalCommunication #ArtificialIntelligence #TalkingToAnimals #WildlifeTech #FutureOfAI #EarthSpeciesProject #WhaleTalk #AnimalLanguage #TechForGood #AIandNature #InterspeciesCommunication #DecodingNature

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• Should AI Have Emotional Intelligence? | Sean White (Ep. 10)

  In this Life with Machines episode, Baratunde Thurston sits down with Sean White, CEO of Inflection AI, to talk about the future of AI that actually feels human. Inflection’s chatbot, Pi, isn’t just another LLM—it’s designed with emotional intelligence, or EQ, at its core. But does EQ in AI make interactions more meaningful, or does it blur the line between human and machine in ways we’re not ready for? Sean and Baratunde dig into the philosophy behind AI that listens, the surprising ways Pi is already shaping human relationships, and the ethical tightrope of building tech that people trust. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, has its own emotional intelligence put to the test. ------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: The Many Faces of AI 00:53 Guest Introduction: Sean White 02:56 Human-Centered Technology 07:02 The Role of Mixed Reality 13:39 AI in Enterprise 21:10 The Evolution of Pi 39:48 Navigating Emotional Boundaries with AI 40:36 Guardrails and Regulations in AI 41:19 Emotional Connectivity and AI 44:21 The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Abilities 47:28 Understanding Agentic AI 01:11:01 AI in Enterprise and Consumer Applications ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videography and Audio Engineering from the team at Voicing Change Media Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents #InflectionAI #EmotionalIntelligence #EQ #IQ #AGI #FutureOfAI #AIChatbot #AIInnovation #EmotionalAI #ConversationalAI #AIEthics

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• Bonus: How Creatives Can Survive AI (Cross-post from The Dough)

  We’re doing something different in this episode and cross-posting Baratunde’s appearance on The Dough with X Mayo where they had a long discussion about money and AI but also about Baratunde’s conversation with King Willonius right here on Life With Machines! Things got a lil spicy and a lot funny based on X Mayo’s initially strong reaction to how Willonius is using AI creatively (spoiler: she wasn’t happy). You’ll learn more about Baratunde’s origin story and personal use of AI as well as concerns. And we share some big updates on the show and new ways for you to engage. We’ll be at SXSW and we got a substack and want you to sign up!  Thanks to Lemonada for letting us post this here. Find The Dough wherever you get podcasts, so like right where you’re getting THIS podcast.  ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to BLAIR: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videography and Audio Engineering from the team at Voicing Change Media Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LifeWithMachines #Finances #Money

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• Can We Fix AI Before It’s Too Late? | Dr. Rumman Chowdhury (Ep. 9)

  In this Life with Machines episode, Baratunde Thurston talks with Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, a leading voice in AI ethics and accountability. As the former Director of Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability at Twitter—before the Elon Musk era—she’s seen firsthand how power, politics, and algorithms collide. She and Baratunde discuss moral outsourcing (why we blame AI instead of its creators), the failure of responsible AI, and the challenge of holding tech accountable when it’s designed to evade scrutiny. Rumman also breaks down her work as CEO of Humane Intelligence, where she’s building tools to expose bias and keep AI systems in check. Plus, BLAIR—the show’s AI co-producer—joins the discussion, proving that auditing AI is anything but simple. ------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Early Tech Memories 02:05 Formative Years and High School Experience 04:55 Career Beginnings and Responsible AI 06:55 Challenges and Innovations in AI 15:27 Moral Outsourcing and AI Ethics 26:15 Right to Repair and Ownership of Technology 36:23 Exploring Worst-Case Scenarios in AI 36:37 Addressing Bias in Image Cropping Algorithms 37:21 Generative AI for Everyone 37:44 National AI Testing Standards 38:14 The ARIA Program and Public Involvement 38:49 Balancing Rights and Responsibilities in AI 41:21 The Importance of Discernment in AI 43:07 The Role of Humane Intelligence 51:40 Red Teaming Explained 54:51 Challenges and Future of Red Teaming 56:50 Engaging with AI Ethically 01:07:05 Final Reflections and Future Vision 01:08:23 Blair: The AI Assistant Producer ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to BLAIR: [email protected] ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph Editor: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videography and Audio Engineering from the team at Voicing Change Media Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LifeWithMachines #X #Twitter #AIethics #ResponsibleAI #AlgorithmicBias #BigTech #AIRegulation #DataPrivacy #SurveillanceCapitalism #GPT #AGI #LLMs

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