Fireside Chats, Episode 97: The Future is Now
Added 2019-07-10 16:01:01 +0000 UTCMeet Jeremy Goldman, an expert in computer learning algorithms and AI who has worked for some of the world's biggest tech companies. And boy, does he have a ton of insight into what's going on with Google, Uber, and many others who rely a great deal on knowing and understanding you. Yes, you! For what may seem futuristic and still on the horizon is quickly drawing near at an unexpected and unsettling clip. But one thing's for sure: The likes of Facebook know you a whole lot better than almost anyone in your life. Are you unsettled? Good! Strap in for some real talk.
Comments
That's the issue, capitalism was designed to be adaptive to the market but if the job market just shrinks then what's capitalism's answer? Putting our head in the sand and saying "our system will deal with automation, it's fine" is a good way to let the problems pile up without doing anything. This time really is a bit different, the industries technology is bringing us (web development, programming, usability design etc) don't need very many people to fill the slots, while the industries that technology is moving people out of (driving jobs, most warhouse jobs, even some data entry jobs) need A LOT of people to operate smoothly. Automation can make life great for us but we need to adapt actively instead of passively.
Dennis Miller
2019-07-26 02:51:31 +0000 UTCHard to know, I think we can be too pessimistic about these things. History would indicate we will collectively be richer for it although a lot of people could be left behind if weโre not careful.
Jeremiah Lyne
2019-07-22 19:41:54 +0000 UTCThanks for taking the time to listen. =)
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-22 19:07:32 +0000 UTCThis was a very fascinating talk. I am genuinely of the mind that the true debate of the future is data and privacy, and the growing strength of AI and autonomous systems. It's great to hear some focus on this, and honesty too. Good stuff
JusticeSoulTuna
2019-07-22 16:58:51 +0000 UTCChange the world for better or for worse is the question, I think...
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-21 22:04:16 +0000 UTCThank you!
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-21 22:04:01 +0000 UTCAI and machine learning will change our world over the next 20 years. Even journalism and literature could be conquered by it. I think everyone needs to look at their own careers and pivot where they can to tasks which donโt lend themselves too easily to AI.
Jeremiah Lyne
2019-07-21 11:48:21 +0000 UTCGreat episode Colin.
Juan Pacho
2019-07-18 15:58:24 +0000 UTCI still don't really see the upcoming automation caused market disruption as a difference in kind, only scope. It is going to bring huge changes, but I think part of the beauty of capitalism is how adaptable it is. While a state of equilibrium is never achieved, there are always strong forces pulling towards it. I would argue a true capitalist economy doesn't really allow for chronic high unemployment. There really is no limit to the number of ways you can serve your fellow man, some ways disappear over time, but people are always figuring out new ways to serve others as well.
Matthew Cooper
2019-07-17 17:56:20 +0000 UTCBtw, excellent episode ESPECIALLY(!!!) the final 5-10 minutes or so. I would absolutely love to have an episode where there is a good discussion concerning the financial future planning and discussions like that. The last few minutes of the episode were so excellent!
Lou & Rei Loper
2019-07-17 17:09:38 +0000 UTCI and some others have had thoughts about whether or not driving will become similar to horse riding did once cars were invented. I enjoy racetracks and other driving events, so I'm all for that HOWEVER the issue with that is there simply aren't anywhere near enough racetracks to be able to use....and you'd have to drive (haha) to get to one which can be hours and hours away from your home. Private roads are an interesting idea, but I wonder how many there would be, and of course it would kill those of us that like to explore in our cars (for instance going coast to coast would be dead). It's going to be very interesting to see how things develop, but I also think that we are quite a ways away from a day where this could become a reality.
Lou & Rei Loper
2019-07-17 17:08:02 +0000 UTCThank you!
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-17 16:49:55 +0000 UTCI was just talking to my dad recently about this (he's a motorhead). I wonder how the inevitably autonomous future will accommodate people who want to drive. My assumption is that, in a few decades, you'll be going to a racetrack or private road or something. We shall see!
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-17 16:49:46 +0000 UTCThis was a great chat!
Kenny Gutzler
2019-07-17 14:13:00 +0000 UTCI'm still making my way through the episode, I'm about 30 minutes from finishing the episode. I'm currently at the meat of the autonomous car discussion which is interesting. We have driven (and love) a Tesla car, and we will likely buy one at some point in the future...HOWEVER, I am absolutely and never ever will be on board for a fully autonomous car world because I simply LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE driving more than any other activity in the world. I/we embrace the hell out of the autonomous technology, it was extremely cool to use autopilot on our honeymoon leaving the AMC theater in Farmington, MA taking us back to our hotel in Quincy, MA. I would absolutely LOVE to have a car with autonomous ability for the boring straight highway stuff, but I do not ever want to give up my ability to drive a car on anything else. I'd love to have an autonomous car for the flat boring highways in Delaware however haha. I wish that driver training were MUCH better than it currently is, but that doesn't usually seem to gain any traction and instead it seems more like a movement to sort of skirt the responsibility. (sorry for the poor wording) Excellent episode thus far though, just had to get that off my chest haha. ๐
Lou & Rei Loper
2019-07-17 14:03:55 +0000 UTCNice. You guys are in a fascinating field!
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:38:36 +0000 UTCI disagree. I think that this time really is different. It's not like the horse and carriage-versus-car, for instance. Henry Ford famously said that if he listened to the consumer, they'd want a faster horse. It's true, but at the same time, someone needed to ride the horse, or drive the carriage, or drive the car. No one needs to drive the automated truck.
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:38:22 +0000 UTCI'm sure the topic will be revisited in the future. Fear not!
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:37:26 +0000 UTCIt's gonna be massively impactful. Though I must admit that I'm likewise intrigued by the possibility of lower prices for consumer goods...
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:37:16 +0000 UTCThe best of both worlds, as it were.
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:36:50 +0000 UTCRoger that. I'm always looking for good investments, so I'll take a gander. =D
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-15 17:36:36 +0000 UTCThanks for doing this fire side chat Colin. I do Search Engine Optimization for a living, so it's interesting hearing from someone who works with Google on their Search Quality side.
Kenneth Oms
2019-07-15 13:30:48 +0000 UTCReally great episode, liked the discussion at the end about UBI and automation caused unemployment. I don't really buy the argument that automation or AI is going to cause chronic high unemployment. People have been making this argument, that technology will cause unemployment, for a long time now and it certainly hasn't come to fruition yet. When Edison invented the light bulb, he put so many candle and lamp makers out of business. The invention of the refrigerator put tons of ice houses out of business. The internet and Amazon put Sears out of business. Yet we still have almost no unemployment, because people move on to other jobs. Technology creates jobs just as it kills them. People do not have some right to have the same job throughout their whole life, there will always be market disruptions that come up, people have to adapt to them.
Matthew Cooper
2019-07-12 17:26:46 +0000 UTCExcellent discussion. Would love to hear a follow-up in a year or so to discuss improvements / changes in tech
Marc Elfering
2019-07-12 17:18:29 +0000 UTCFascinating episode. This future of autonomous vehicles is one of the main things that has interested me in Yangโs campaign. While Iโm not sold on his UBI plan, I think his call out that trucks going autonomous is going to have huge impacts on American towns is something that is closer than a lot of people thing.
Ryan Taylor
2019-07-12 03:49:57 +0000 UTCThis was awesome and scary at the same time lol.
Marcus Brown
2019-07-11 00:38:53 +0000 UTCExcellent episode Colin and Jeremy, as a data scientist this was music to my ears getting to talk about data. Colin another cool trucking/freight company, that will go public soon and is backed by Bill Gates is Convoy. They are also working on some really cool transportation stuff. I think if we are serious about privacy as a country the biggest step/policy we could make is opt-in rather than opt-out for sharing data. I am hoping at some point we get to hear your thoughts Colin on whether the solution to these large technology companies is breaking them up or having government backed competition.
Cameron O'Neill
2019-07-10 21:58:52 +0000 UTCI'll give it a listen! Thank you.
Colin Moriarty
2019-07-10 21:00:14 +0000 UTChttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/soho-forum-debate-martin-ford-vs-antony-sammeroff-tickets-55362132629 UBI is based on a Luddite view of progress. AI will make us all richer. The debate above is on the subject. Andrew Yang was originally supposed to argue the affirmative, but chickened out when Sammeroff dismantled his arguments on a few podcasts.
Keith W
2019-07-10 20:55:09 +0000 UTC
