Why 9/11 Inspired Trae Stephens to Work on the Future of Defense Tech
Trae Stephens is a co-founder of Anduril. It’s a defense tech company valued at around a billion dollars. But what inspires a man to work on technologies that could shape the future of defense — and war — for years to come? Trae tells Laurie Segall it can all be traced back to a single day in his childhood — 9/11. Read an edited transcript … Continue reading Why 9/11 Inspired Trae Stephens to Work on the Future of Defense Tech
AI: To Kill or Not to Kill?
Anduril is a company focused on building technologies for the future of defense — and war. Tech like covert drones that could bring medical supplies to a battlefield, or a virtual wall that could be used to monitor the US’s southern border. But adding AI to the equation creates increasingly complicated ethical dilemmas. You can start to imagine scenarios where computers are making decisions more … Continue reading AI: To Kill or Not to Kill?
Episode 14: AI: To Kill or Not to Kill?
First Contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Laurie Segall: I guess, I come back to this line, maybe it’s a little dramatic, but it’s like AI to kill or not to kill, right? Like this idea that you guys could be building out autonomous systems that can make the decision to, to kill. Um, will you … Continue reading Episode 14: AI: To Kill or Not to Kill?
"Let's not break into jail": Why Alex Stamos Says Facebook Was Afraid to Create Controversy
Alex Stamos spent three years as Facebook’s chief security officer. He oversaw a counterterrorism team that, he says, prevented multiple terrorist attacks without taking public credit. He also says that this approach to communications may have added to the criticism of the company following the Russian interference scandal in 2016. Read an edited transcript below, or listen to the full interview on the First Contact podcast. … Continue reading "Let's not break into jail": Why Alex Stamos Says Facebook Was Afraid to Create Controversy
What Kept Alex Stamos Up at Night as Facebook’s Security Chief
Alex Stamos spent three years as Facebook’s chief security officer. In addition to information security issues, he also oversaw the company’s Child Safety Investigations team. During that time he had to deal with some of the darkest the Internet has to offer. He tells Laurie Segall how that darkness sometimes followed him home. And how he’s changed since leaving Facebook. Read an edited transcript below, … Continue reading What Kept Alex Stamos Up at Night as Facebook’s Security Chief
Episode 13: Ex-Facebook Security Chief Speaks Out on Russia & Spies in Silicon Valley
First Contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Alex Stamos: I expect that every major US tech company has at least several people that have been turned by at least China, maybe Russia, probably Israel, and a couple other US allies. Laurie Segall: Did you ever uncover anybody that had been turned? Alex Stamos: I’m not gonna … Continue reading Episode 13: Ex-Facebook Security Chief Speaks Out on Russia & Spies in Silicon Valley
Former CIA Analyst: Facebook is Playing ‘Whack-A-Mole’
Yael Eisenstat spent six months as Facebook’s global head of elections integrity operations. But before that, she spent more than a decade in the CIA. She also served as a national security advisor to Vice President Biden. During her time working for the government, she was frequently in hostile situations. Sometimes she found herself sipping tea across the table from suspected extremists. Her job was … Continue reading Former CIA Analyst: Facebook is Playing ‘Whack-A-Mole’
Episode 12: She Spent 10+ Years at the CIA. It Didn’t Prepare Her for Life at Facebook.
First Contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Yael Eisenstat: When I left the CIA, it’s you can’t talk about anything classified, which is essentially an NDA. They never said you can’t say anything negative about us. The non disparagement at Facebook was so strong, I would have never been able to talk about even why I … Continue reading Episode 12: She Spent 10+ Years at the CIA. It Didn’t Prepare Her for Life at Facebook.
Sam Altman: The Tech Revolution Was Just a ‘Warm Up’ For What’s Next
Sam Altman is known for seeing into the future. For years he led Y Combinator — one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent incubators. He’s invested in companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. When he makes a prediction, you listen. Sam spoke to Laurie Segall about why he thinks the next ten years in tech could be even more disruptive than the last… Read an edited … Continue reading Sam Altman: The Tech Revolution Was Just a ‘Warm Up’ For What’s Next
Are Human/AI Hybrids the Future Of Humanity?
Sam Altman is known for seeing into the future. For years he led Y Combinator — one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent incubators. He’s invested in companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. When Sam makes a prediction, you listen. And he has plenty of predictions to go around. Here’s what he thinks might be coming down the pike… Read an edited transcript below, or listen … Continue reading Are Human/AI Hybrids the Future Of Humanity?