Modem Futura

Andrew Maynard, Sean Leahy, and special guest Mark Daly explore the rapid advancements in AI technology with a spotlight on OpenAI's 01 Pro model. They examine how AI is reshaping game development, creative industries, and research, and discuss the urgent need for academia to adapt to these changes. The panel also tackles ethical issues in education, emphasizing the importance of maintaining human values amid rapid technological progress.

Highlighting AI's transformative potential for Gen Z, the conversation explores experiential learning and the benefits of personalized AI tutors (evoking Neal Stephenson's 'The Diamond Age'). The discussion further explores the impact of open-source models like DeepSeek on AI safety and accessibility, and considers the broader geopolitical and regulatory challenges that come with AI's evolution. Finally, the speakers reflect on the philosophical and practical implications of a future where powerful, personalized AI tools become widely available, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to navigate this new landscape.

Links:

• Mark Daley [LinkedIn]
• Noetic engines [Mark's Substack]
• Frontier AI systems have surpassed the self-replicating red line - [Arxiv.org article]
• The Bitter Lesson (Rich Sutton)

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this conversation, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard discuss the rapid developments in AI technology, particularly focusing on the newly announced Stargate AI initiative. They explore the implications of the inauguration week, the political landscape surrounding AI regulation, and the potential economic impacts of this massive investment in AI infrastructure. The discussion also touches on historical parallels, public perception, and the ambitious claims made during the press conference announcing the initiative. Andrew and Sean also explore the transformative potential of AI and mRNA vaccines in medicine, the ethical implications of tech companies' responsibilities, and the societal risks associated with unchecked technological advancement. They discuss the concept of 'enshitification,' where companies prioritize profit over user experience, and emphasize the need for responsible development and regulation in the tech industry. In this conversation, the hosts explore the implications of corporate power in the context of AI development, the merging of corporate and governmental roles, and the potential dystopian futures that may arise. They discuss the responsibilities of society in shaping AI's trajectory, the energy demands of AI infrastructure, and the gamble of sacrificing current quality of life for future benefits. The conversation emphasizes the importance of quality control in innovation and ends on a note of optimism, urging individuals to engage in discussions about the future of AI and its impact on human flourishing.

Links:

• OpenAI's Stargate Announcement
• Cory Doctrow's 'Enshittification'
• CNN's Coverage of Project Stargate

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this engaging conversation, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard explore the rapid developments in technology as we enter 2025. They discuss the implications of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the potential for superintelligence, and the ethical considerations surrounding these advancements. The conversation also touches on the creation of synthetic personas in social media and the challenges of distinguishing between real and artificial interactions. The hosts explore the implications of synthetic personas and data, the concept of the dead internet, and the future of AI technology. They discusses the potential dangers of social media manipulation, the ethical considerations of using synthetic data for research, and the responsibilities that come with democratizing AI technology. The conversation emphasizes the need for critical thinking and ethical awareness as we navigate the evolving landscape of AI and digital interactions.

Links:

• Sam Altman's blog post on AGI
• AI Social Media Users Not Always a Totally Dumb Idea (Wired)
• Meta's AI-generated bot profiles are not being received well (The Verge)
• The 'dead internet theory' makes eerie claims about an AI-run web. The truth is more sinister (UNSW Sydney)
• NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super DEveloper Kit ($249)
• NVIDIA Project DIGITS A Grace Blackwell AI Supercomputer on your desk ($3k)

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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Sean and Andrew are joined by Brunno Moretti (President of ADAS Solutions, Ascential Technologies) for a conversation that explores the current state and futures of autonomous vehicles, particularly focusing on RoboTaxis, the challenges faced in their development, and the implications of public testing. We get Brunno's expert input on the differences between LIDAR and camera systems in autonomous driving technology, the levels of autonomy, and the role of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in enhancing vehicle safety. In this enlightening conversation, we discuss and emphasize the importance of designing systems that not only match human capabilities but exceed them, while also addressing the ethical considerations of testing these technologies in public spaces, and cover topics such as the complexities of automotive technology, focusing on the limitations of current systems, the importance of safety standards, and the challenges posed by cost and calibration. The discussion also highlights some eyebrow-raising challenges on the hidden dangers of sensor calibration, and the future of autonomous vehicles, particularly Tesla's ambitious robo-taxi plans.

Links:

• Brunno Moretti - connect on LinkedIn
• Brunno Moretti - Forbes Technology Council
• Automated Vehicles for Safety (NHSTA)

Special Acknowledgment
We'd like to acknowledge the partial funding support provided by the US Department of Transportation-sponsored Travel Behavior and Demand National University Transportation Center led by The University of Texas at Austin. The Center, of which Arizona State University is a consortium member, has helped make this podcast episode, and the research we're discussing, possible

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean L and Andrew M examine Apple TV+’s hit series Severance, using its mind-bending premise of surgically split consciousness to explore real-world questions around emerging science and technology, identity, and ethical responsibility. They unpack the show’s depiction of “innies” and “outies” as a metaphor for how modern workers often compartmentalize personal values from corporate expectations, and consider what brain-computer interfaces, memory editing, and AI welfare research might mean for the future of being human. Along the way they riff on Sam Altman’s tongue-in-cheek claim that polite prompts cost “tens of millions,” debate whether AI art could reveal machine self-expression, and ponder how free will, trauma, and societal power dynamics intertwine when technology can literally rewrite who we are. By the end, the hosts challenge listeners to ask: have we been metaphorically severed, and what does genuine human flourishing look like in an age of rapid technological innovation?

Links:

• Do we have free will? [Book and Interview with Robert Sapolsky]
• Severance TV show [Wikipedia]
• Real life "Split-Brain' - [Nature]
• HitchBOT the hitchhiking robot [Wikipedia]

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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