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First Contact

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

Jack Regan
Gray Matters

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?

Jack Regan
First Contact

"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

Jack Regan
First Contact Transcript

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

Jack Regan
First Contact

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’

Jack Regan
First Contact

Yael Eisenstat: There Was No Way I Was Going to Let Facebook Silence My Voice

For a long time, Facebook’s motto was “Move Fast and Break Things.” And although the company has ditched that tagline after years of public scrutiny, one former employee says the company may still be moving too fast. Yael Eisenstat spent more than a decade as an analyst for the CIA. She also served as a national security advisor to Vice President Biden. But one of … Continue reading Yael Eisenstat: There Was No Way I Was Going to Let Facebook Silence My Voice

Jack Regan
First Contact Transcript

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.

Jack Regan
Gray Matters

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

Jack Regan
Gray Matters

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?

Jack Regan
First Contact

How Silicon Valley’s Wunderkind Came Out in a Midwest High School

You may know Sam Altman as the entrepreneur who led the Silicon Valley incubator, Y Combinator. Or as the guy who founded OpenAI with Elon Musk. But before his successful career in tech, he was just a high school student navigating the complicated process of coming out in St. Louis in the early 2000s. Read an edited transcript below, or listen to the full interview … Continue reading How Silicon Valley’s Wunderkind Came Out in a Midwest High School

Jack Regan