Life with Machines

Are we using Gen Z as our AI guinea pigs? 🐷 In this first episode of our five-part Life With Machines x Young Futures series, Baratunde Thurston explores how AI is shaping—and sometimes shaking—the lives of young people. From mental health and loneliness to the future of jobs, AI “friends,” and school life, Gen Z is facing more tech-fueled change than any generation before. Baratunde and his guests unpack what’s really happening and how we can help the next generation shape their AI future, not just survive it. 💡 Watch for insights from youth advocates, educators, and Young Futures—a movement giving teens a real voice in the technologies shaping their world. 🎓 As part of this mission, Young Futures has launched the “Oops!…AI Did It Again” Challenge. They are offering GRANTS in a national call for bold, youth-informed ideas to help teens navigate AI with agency, empathy, and creativity. 🔗 Apply by October 24: https://bit.ly/yf-funding-challenge Join us as we explore the delicate balance between leveraging AI for good and protecting the humans growing up with it. ------------ CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.  ------------ Follow us! Newsletter / https://newsletter.lifewithmachines.media   Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/lifewithmachines   TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@lifewithmachines    LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifewithmachines  Baratunde’s socials: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/baratunde   Threads / https://www.threads.net/@baratunde   LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/in/baratunde  Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media For partnerships, speaking engagements, and other opportunities to work together, contact: lifewithmachines@smoothmedia.co ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Associate Producer & Social Media Producer: Roya Lotfi Video Editor & Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Special thanks to Samin Bhan, Katya Hancock and Dr. Kristine Gloria Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production This series is in partnership with Young Futures

In this episode of Shaping Freedom, host Lisane Basquiat sits down with Baratunde Thurston, a thought leader, author, and media creator, to discuss the deeper meaning of freedom and the role of technology in our lives. Thurston shares insights into his journey of personal growth, the lessons learned from his parents, and the importance of human connection in today's technologically advanced society. They explore the concept of 'citizen' as a verb, emphasizing active participation in democracy and collective power. The conversation also delves into the relationships between humans, AI, and how we can navigate the complex landscape of artificial intelligence while maintaining our humanity and connections with one another. Join them for an enriching discussion that promises to challenge your perspectives and inspire personal and communal growth. CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.  ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ #ShapingFreedom #LisaneBasquiat #BaratundeThurston #LifeWithMachines #AIandHumanity #citizening

In this special episode, Baratunde Thurston shares a vibrant conversation from his guest appearance on the AI for All Tomorrows podcast, hosted by Dylan Thomas Doyle. The discussion covers a wide range of themes, including the historical roots of democracy in indigenous practices, the role of technology and AI in society, and the importance of humor in making sense of today's fast-paced, tech-driven world. He and Dylan highlight AI-assisted collaboration in creative processes and the need for a people-centered approach to technology. Tune in for an enlightening dialogue about democracy, innovation, and maintaining humanity amidst rapid technological advancements. ------------ CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.  ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ #AIForAllTomorrows #LifeWithMachines #BaratundeThurston #Democracy #TechnologyAndSociety #IndigenousWisdom #FutureOfAI #EthicsInAI #CreativityAndAI #DigitalDemocracy #PowerToThePeople #ComedyInTech

AI may look like magic, but behind the scenes, it’s propped up by a vast human labor force. In this season finale of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with sociologist and computer scientist Milagros Miceli—aka Mila—who’s spent years documenting the hidden workforce behind AI systems. From Kenya to Bulgaria to Venezulea, millions of people are generating, labeling, and cleaning the data that keeps our so-called “autonomous” systems running. Some are even pretending to be the AI you think you’re talking to. In one of AI’s crueler twists, tech platforms are quietly paying refugees, gig workers, even journalists to train the very models threatening their livelihoods. And this labor force isn’t shrinking—it’s growing exponentially. Together, Mila and Baratunde unpack the scale of this invisible labor, its deeply human costs, and the possibilities for something better.  ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #ArtificialIntelligence #AIWorkers #GhostWorkers #HumanBehindAI #AIEthics #TechLabor #InvisibleLabor #FutureOfWork #DataAnnotation #PlatformEconomy #RefugeeLabor #GigWork #TechJustice #ResponsibleAI #MilagrosMiceli #LifeWithMachines #Baratunde #DigitalLabor #AIEconomy #DataWorkers

Every two weeks, the world loses a language. Most of those losses are happening in the U.S. In this episode of Life with Machines, Baratunde talks with Michael Running Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne technologist using AI to help Indigenous communities reclaim their languages—and their power. But here’s the twist: it’s not just that AI can help save these languages. It turns out AI needs them.Because when you train language models on Indigenous languages—languages that are dense, precise, and built for oral transmission—the models perform better. More accurate. Less prone to error. That’s not a diversity talking point. That’s a systems upgrade. Michael shares his remarkable journey from growing up without electricity on a reservation to working on Amazon Alexa—and now building VR classrooms and community-owned data systems. His work flips the script on who gets to shape the future of technology, and on what terms. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AIforGood #IndigenousTech #LanguageRevitalization #EndangeredLanguages #MichaelRunningWolf #LifeWithMachines #NativeVoices #AIandCulture #DataSovereignty #TechForJustice #IndigenousAI #AIethics #OralTradition #VRinEducation #AIandEquity #FutureOfLanguage  #Cheyenne #AIInnovation

Why do we cry over broken robots but ignore suffering humans? In this provocative episode of Life With Machines, robot ethicist Kate Darling joins Baratunde to explore our emotional relationships with machines—and what they reveal about us. From robot dogs in war zones to kids bonding with chatbots, Kate explains how we project care, fear, and even love onto technology. The real danger, she argues, isn’t that we treat robots like people—it’s that we start treating people like robots—AKA less than human. Also: if your robot pet comes on a subscription plan, does that make it yours, or the corporation’s? Then, in a first-of-its-kind experiment, our AI co-producer BLAIR undergoes a live “avatar tasting.” AI designer Peter Loforte walks Baratunde through a series of digital looks and voices for BLAIR, testing what it means to give an artificial entity a face, a tone, a vibe. The choices are aesthetic—but they’re also political. What kind of AI do we want to represent us? Who gets to decide how intelligence should look and sound? Watch to the end for a funny, uncanny, and unexpectedly moving conversation about identity, empathy, and the machines we’re learning to love. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AIethics #RobotEmpathy #HumanMachineInteraction #ArtificialIntelligence #AIPersonality #EmotionalRobots #FutureOfAI #TechAndHumanity #LifeWithMachines #AIavatar #PoweredByLenovo

What if you’re not just using AI—you're raising it. In this mind-expanding episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with AI pioneer and ethicist De Kai to unpack a radical idea: AI isn't a tool we build. It's a generation we're raising. Plus, BLAIR, our AI co-producer, gives our producers a SHOCK in a segment you won’t want to miss. From the polarizing algorithms that fractured our digital lives to the feral "AI children" we train every time we swipe, like, or scroll, De Kai argues that we’ve become unwitting parents to a fleet of synthetic offspring—and we’re failing them and ourselves. They talk parenting metaphors, machine translation’s dark legacy, and why today’s AI is more like a tween with no adult supervision than an all-powerful robot. De Kai even gives a call to action for organizing AI "PTAs"—because if we don’t get involved in their education, we leave them to be influenced by those who don’t necessarily have our collective best interest at heart.  ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at https://notion.com/lifewithmachines CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ResponsibleAI #AIEthics #TechAccountability #DeKai #FutureOfAI #AIandSociety #EthicalAI #AIValues #MindfulAI #LLMs

Reid Hoffman has a name for the AI future he fears most: techno-fascism. In this urgent episode of Life With Machines, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and longtime tech optimist joins Baratunde to warn what happens when power, speed, and ideology collide—and the wrong people write the rules of artificial intelligence. Hoffman makes the case that pausing AI development won’t save us, and that slowing down could hand the future to those with the worst intentions. Instead, he argues, we need to shape AI deliberately, democratically, and fast—while there's still time.  And in a first-of-its-kind experiment, our sassy AI co-producer BLAIR goes head-to-head with Reid’s digital clone in a full-on synthetic conversation. What starts as playful banter turns into something deeper—a sharp, often philosophical debate about agency, consciousness, and whether digital ghosts can truly connect. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #ReidHoffman #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #TechnoHumanism #DigitalTwins #AIEthics #TechAndPower #LifeWithMachines #AgencyInTheAIage #TechnoFascism #FutureOfAI #HumanCenteredAI #AIandSociety #DEI #AIGovernance #AIAccountability #BLAIR #AIClone #DigitalIdentity #SuperAgency

What happens when you can’t tell the truth from a fake—and the people in power want it that way? Baratunde talks with internationally-recognized human rights advocate and Executive Director of WITNESS Sam Gregory about how AI is being weaponized by authoritarians, scammers, and tech platforms that have abandoned responsibility. From deepfakes and disinformation to the platforms profiting off harm, they break down why spotting glitches won’t save us, why marginalized communities get hit first—and hardest—and how we can build systems that protect what’s real before it’s too late. Plus, BLAIR, our AI co-producer, tries to help Baratunde detect AI fakes. Watch now for a sobering, urgent, and deeply human conversation about truth, power, and survival in the AI age. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Deepfakes #HumanRights #Disinformation #SyntheticMedia #DigitalTrust #TechEthics #AIAndSociety #ContentModeration #SurveillanceTech #Authoritarianism #MediaLiteracy #AIForGood #DigitalSecurity #Witness #BLAIR #LifeWithMachines #TruthInTheAIage #CognitiveWarfare

What happens when you wake up one morning and discover the internet has cloned you? In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with legendary podcaster Rich Roll, who shares the wild and unsettling experience of being deepfaked—not once, but twice. From shady skincare ads to billionaires calling for the end of intellectual property, Baratunde and Rich unpack how AI tools are distorting reality, the terrifying speed at which this tech is advancing, and what we can do to protect ourselves. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s sharp-witted AI co-producer, goes full savage on Silicon Valley’s brazen assault on intellectual property. Watch now for a personal, gripping, and provocative look at the new front lines of digital identity, ownership, and truth. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Deepfakes #DigitalIdentity #TechEthics #AITrustCrisis #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfTech #BigTechPower #DataOwnership #OnlineSecurity #PrivacyRights #BillionaireTech #DigitalRights #IPLaw #AIFraud #TechAccountability #AIandSociety #ContentCreators #ProtectYourIdentity #LifeWithMachines

What happens when tools designed to support our kids end up policing, whitening, and gaslighting them instead? In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with Dr. Avriel Epps—a researcher, artist, and activist—whose work on algorithmic bias and youth development reveals the hidden harms of AI in everyday life. From selfie filters that lighten skin, to predictive policing and AI plagiarism detectors that quietly reinforce systemic injustice, Avriel shows how even well-intentioned tech can strip kids of their agency and sense of self. She also reveals why she wrote the first-ever children’s book about AI bias, how Black youth have developed a natural fluency in spotting disinformation, and what a data strike against Big Tech might actually look like. Plus, BLAIR—our AI co-producer—tries to decode Gen Alpha slang… and gets hilariously roasted. Watch now for a radically hopeful, often hilarious, and deeply personal conversation about power, parenting, and the algorithms reshaping childhood. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #AlgorithmicBias #DigitalJustice #AvrielEpps #AIandYouth #TechEquity #DataPrivacy #AIForGood #EthicalAI #BiasInAI #SurveillanceTech #PredictivePolicing #DigitalLiteracy #DataStrike #FutureOfTech

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with psychologist and entrepreneur Alison Darcy, who left academia to build a mental health chatbot that actually gets you. They break down why our mental health system is failing, how a talking robot might succeed where traditional therapy falls short, and what millions of late-night conversations with Woebot reveal about loneliness, generational struggles, and a healthcare system that’s resistant to change. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, jumps in with a tough question about whether AI will be used to cut corners rather than care for people. Watch now for a conversation that's raw, urgent, and unexpectedly full of hope. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #MentalHealth #AItherapy #FutureOfTherapy #MentalHealthCrisis #Chatbots #HealingWithAI #TechForGood #MentalHealthAwareness #AIinHealthcare #LifeWithMachines

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with Raj De Datta—entrepreneur, AI thinker, and co-founder of Bloomreach, the platform powering a quarter of US and UK e-commerce. Raj pulls back the curtain on the next wave of online shopping, where homepages, search bars, and endless scrolling are replaced by agents that actually understand you. They talk about the promise of a more human internet, what "personalized" should really mean, and whether we're headed for a future of joyful work—or just better-targeted ads. Raj makes the case for AI that respects privacy, boosts creativity, and yes, even recommends a solar-powered lantern for Baratunde’s next camping trip. Plus, our AI co-producer BLAIR joins the chat to ask the question we’re all thinking: if AI can understand our deepest wants, who protects us from ourselves? ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #RajDeDatta #Bloomreach #Ecommerce #OnlineShopping #RetailTech #DigitalCommerce #AgenticAI #ConversationalAI #DigitalSeeker

What do homemade smoke bombs have to do with fixing democracy? In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde Thurston sits down with Deb Roy—MIT professor, former Twitter scientist, and co-founder of Cortico—to map a bold, AI-powered path toward civic renewal. Roy makes the case that we don’t need less tech—we need better tech, designed to build trust, not break it. From town halls that actually work to high schoolers unlocking real change (and yes, bathroom doors), this episode reimagines how tech can help us hear each other—and solve local challenges. Plus, BLAIR, our AI co-producer, joins the fray for a Canadian coffee throwdown you won’t see coming. It’s Tim Hortons vs Starbucks. Watch now to meet the man behind the movement to transform division into dialogue that helps democracy. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, 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  #AI  #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Cortico #Democracy #CivicMuscle #CivicTech #SocialImpact #TechForGood #PublicDiscourse #EthicalAI #DialogueNetworks #CommunityTech #ParticipatoryAI

LIVE from SXSW! This wild bonus episode is a no-holds-barred conversation about AI, culture, comedy, and what we actually want from our machines. From the weaponization of algorithms in war zones to charming Pixar-style robot lamps and screaming booths at tech conferences, this is our most unfiltered episode yet. Baratunde brings together digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush, comedy writer Matt Klinman, and our custom AI co-producer BLAIR on stage at SXSW 2024! Expect existential questions, real laughs, and some unexpectedly profound insights about whales. Matt delivers the most hilariously NSFW take on generative AI you’ll hear anywhere. Plus, BLAIR takes their first field trip away from the studio—and literally roasts the entire panel, plus Elon Musk. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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: Junior Real Videography and Audio Engineering from Nexus and SXSW Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #SXSW2025 #LiveFromSXSW #BaratundeThurston #RahafHarfoush #MattKlinman #BLAIR #Comedy #AIJokes #DigitalSurveillance #CreatorEconomy #AIandDemocracy #AIandCulture #ContentModeration #AIGoneWild #ElonMusk #HumanVsMachine

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde Thurston sits down with legendary artist and producer Brian Eno. From inventing ambient music to collaborating with icons like David Bowie, Talking Heads, and U2, Eno has spent decades pushing creative boundaries. Now, he's turning his attention to AI. On the heels of the U.S. launch of his newest book What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory, Brian opens up about why he doesn't trust the people controlling AI, the perils of mediocrity in machine-made art, and how unpredictability fuels creativity. They explore the rise of generative music, the myth of the self-made genius, and what it means to embrace randomness. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, throws in some Oblique Strategies of its own. Is AI a collaborator or just a glorified karaoke machine? And what does it mean to create in a world where the machines are learning from us? Watch now for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of art, technology, and the human touch. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIArt #Creativity #BrianEno #GenerativeArt #FutureOfArt #ArtAndTech #MachineLearning #DigitalArt #AIRevolution #Innovation #ArtWorld #CreativeProcess #AIInnovation #TechTalk #MusicAndTech #AIArtists #TechEthics #AIExplained #SmartTech #AIInsights #ArtDiscussion

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with Jeff Hawkins—PalmPilot inventor and author of A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence—to talk about why today’s AI isn’t actually intelligent. Jeff makes the case that deep learning is just fancy pattern matching, not real thinking, and argues that true intelligence will only emerge once we crack the brain’s code. He lays out a future where AI works more like a human mind and eventually surpasses our intelligence. Fun times. Also BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, chimes in with their own thoughts on their cognitive shortcomings. Watch now for a provocative glimpse into AI’s next frontier. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #JeffHawkins #Numenta #ThousandBrainsProject #HumanMind #DeepLearning #FutureOfAI #AGI #AIResearch #Neuroscience #CognitiveScience #IntelligentMachines #Consciousness #AIExplained

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with CNN host and contributor Van Jones, who opens up like never before. From his early days fighting police brutality to his bold vision for AI and racial justice. Van gets personal about the struggles that shaped him and why AI might be the closest thing to reparations Black Americans will ever see. Van explains how AI could finally level the playing field—if Silicon Valley’s right wing pivot doesn’t widen the gap. They tackle the promise and peril of AI, why hope is a strategy, and how Wakanda isn’t just a fantasy—it’s a blueprint. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, jumps in to help Baratunde unpack Van’s radical future for all. Watch now for a powerful, provocative take on what’s next. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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 #VanJones #BaratundeThurston #LifeWithMachines #TechForGood #RacialJustice #Reparations #FutureOfTech #Equality #SocialJustice #AIandRace #AIRevolution #Wakanda #Empowerment #Inclusion #SiliconValley #DigitalDivide #Hope #BlackFutures #Innovation #TechEquality #FutureIsNow #AIForAll #Equity #Blockchain

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: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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

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: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ 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