What's Your Problem?

Everybody’s worried about the risks of AI. So we called up one of the most insightful writers we know on the subject: Zvi Mowshowitz. Zvi writes about AI and AI risks at his substack, Don’t Worry About the Vase. Zvi’s problem is this: How do we prevent artificial intelligence from killing everyone?
In this episode, Zvi explains:
Why it’s often useful to anthropomorphize AI
What this summer’s Hugging Face attack tells us about the nature of AI
 What increasing AI capability means for cybersecurity risk
 Whether and when we should pause AI development
Why powerful pen-weight models may remove the last reliable points of control
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Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm
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Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History
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On this bonus episode of What’s Your Problem, Jacob talks to Christine Chase, a Vice President, Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments. Christine’s problem is this: How do you help clients build a plan to achieve their financial goals? Today’s show is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.
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The fish we eat usually die slowly, suffocating after they’re pulled out of the water. Saif Khawaja is the co-founder and CEO of a company called Shinkei. Saif's problem is this: Can he build a machine to efficiently kill fish in a way that is more humane?
In this episode, Saif explains:
How he came to believe that our current fishing practices are inhumane
How he adapted the Japanese technique of  ikijime for use at scale
Why Shinkei’s process results in better texture and longer shelf life than commodity fish.
Why Shinkei is doing its own technology development, fish processing, and consumer branding.
Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X
Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Nakalembe is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland and the head of the Africa program at NASA Harvest, which uses satellite images to track agriculture around the world. Catherine’s problem is this: How do you predict when a famine is coming – and how do you convince leaders to act in time?
In this episode, Catherine explains:
How satellite data can predict crop failure months in advance
Why phots can convince decision-makers faster than maps or statistics
Why imaging systems developed for US farmland often don’t work in Africa
Why a half-page memo moves food trucks faster than a scientific paper
Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X
Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Dr. Lara Jehi began treating epilepsy patients in the 2000s, critical surgical decisions were driven more by clinician intuition and expertise than data. Today, she is a leader of IBM and Cleveland Clinic’s Discovery Accelerator, using advanced AI and quantum computing to transform how researchers analyze data, simulate molecules, accelerate drug discovery, and develop more precise treatments. Malcolm Gladwell talks with Dr. Jehi about how quantum computing is changing biomedical research, and what these breakthroughs could mean for the future of healthcare and life sciences.

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