Podcast · 125 episodes
Pioneers of AI, page 2
by WaitWhat · English
Pioneers of AI is your guide to the latest technological frontier. Each week, host Rana el Kaliouby (AI scientist, investor, author, co-founder of Affectiva) is joined by the leading creators, critics, and thinkers behind mind-blowing technology and asks the important questions about how artificial intelligence is changing the way we live. As we venture together into the unknown, Pioneers is your tool to understanding and anticipating what comes next.
All episodes, page 2
Rapid Response: Duolingo’s battle for learning in an AI world, with Luis von AhnDuolingo CEO Luis von Ahn discusses how AI should be used to improve learning, the fallout from an internal AI memo, and why Duolingo is shifting toward user growth in 2026 (even though ~90% of users…1 Jun 2026 · 32 min · 12 chapters
What it means to be raised by AIWhether humans should be “raised by AI” and how to ensure AI safety and guardrails as AI becomes more capable and widely accessible; includes analogies to nuclear safety, seatbelts, and sandwich-shop…27 May 2026 · 26 min · 11 chapters
How fast can you upskill in AI? We did a sprint to find out.Wait What (Masters of Scale / Rapid Response) runs a 3-day “AI sprint” to speed up upskilling and test how AI can transform media work, then shares lessons, prototypes, and rollout hurdles (security,…20 May 2026 · 34 min · 24 chapters
Possible: Should we give AI a bank account?The episode argues that the future of commerce is agent-to-agent: every transaction will be executed by AI agents, but only if “guardrails” exist for identity, permissions, auditability, compliance,…18 May 2026 · 57 min · 31 chapters
I gave AI a year of my life: tech journalist Joanna SternJoanna Stern (ex-Wall Street Journal) describes her year-long “try every AI consumer product” experiment, captured in her book I Am Not a Robot, and discusses AI’s effects on jobs, trust in medical…13 May 2026 · 40 min · 18 chapters
John Deere's AI vision for future farmsJohn Deere CTO Jamie Heineman explains how AI and sensors power “plant-level management,” autonomous/vision-guided machinery, and data-to-decision workflows to improve efficiency and reduce chemical…6 May 2026 · 37 min · 20 chapters
ChatGPT doesn’t want you to email your exRana El-Khalyubi interviews Sinan Eral (MIT Sloan professor, entrepreneur, VC) about “human-centric AI”: augmenting people, not replacing them; risks of AI becoming a boys club; and how AI will…29 Apr 2026 · 48 min · 17 chapters
Mining the minerals to power AIHow Kobold Metals uses AI and multimodal geoscience data to find copper, lithium, and other critical minerals needed for AI, batteries, EVs, robotics, semiconductors, and data-center power; also…22 Apr 2026 · 33 min · 19 chapters
What is agentic commerce? Stripe’s CRO of AI explains.Agentic commerce—AI-enabled shopping where (1) autonomous agents complete purchases and (2) humans buy inside AI chat interfaces.15 Apr 2026 · 31 min · 16 chapters
SXSW Keynote: Humanize AI before it dehumanizes us, with Dr. Rana el KalioubyHuman-centric AI—why AI must prioritize emotional/social intelligence, safety guardrails, and gender diversity; plus a “fact or fiction” game debunking AI myths (bubble, robot takeover, creator harm,…8 Apr 2026 · 44 min · 26 chapters
How AI is reshaping Wall StreetHow AI agents are reshaping Wall Street—moving from research to real decision-making systems, handling messy real-world evaluation, and keeping humans in the loop for judgment and accountability.1 Apr 2026 · 35 min · 22 chapters
AI Roundup: Anthropic, OpenClaw, layoffs, and moreThe episode surveys major AI developments and policy/business fallout: Anthropic’s legal fight with the Pentagon over a “supply chain risk” label, OpenAI’s separate DoD deal and its “red lines,”…25 Mar 2026 · 30 min · 18 chapters
Could a robot fix the loneliness epidemic?Social humanoid robots for the loneliness epidemic in aging care, arguing that robots must be emotionally intelligent and non-threatening—not “Terminator-like”—and should personalize interaction…18 Mar 2026 · 30 min · 21 chapters
We have a power grid problem. Can AI fix it?Priya Danti argues AI can help climate change but is not a “platinum bullet.” She focuses on power-grid applications where “engineering-informed AI” uses physics/constraints to optimize faster and…11 Mar 2026 · 36 min · 18 chapters
Possible: R.I.P. Computer Keyboard (1964 – 2025)The “post-keyboard” future of computing, arguing voice input reduces cognitive load, improves accessibility, and enables richer AI workflows.4 Mar 2026 · 43 min · 25 chapters
Can an AI agent be your CEO?Whether an AI agent can serve as a company CEO and what hybrid human-AI workplaces require (memory, timekeeping, autonomy, accountability, culture).25 Feb 2026 · 45 min · 22 chapters
Hey Siri, who made you?The evolution of Siri and “knowing vs doing” in AI assistants, plus how voice is generated and how entrepreneurs should found/exit companies.18 Feb 2026 · 45 min · 22 chapters
Replay: Love in the age of AIHow AI is reshaping dating and couples therapy, plus a personal story of bonding with an AI companion.14 Feb 2026 · 46 min · 21 chapters
The “ChatGPT moment” for agentic AIThe “ChatGPT moment” for agentic AI, focusing on OpenClaw’s viral consumer adoption, multi-agent interaction/network effects, and enterprise implications for safety, privacy, benchmarking, openness,…11 Feb 2026 · 37 min · 17 chapters
How AI is powering Olympic-level wellnessJennifer Heil (Olympic freestyle skier turned entrepreneur) discusses how AI can deliver “Olympic-level” wellness via sport-style performance data, and how her startup Revel uses digital twins of…4 Feb 2026 · 44 min · 24 chapters
How to network in a ‘non-icky way’Caroline Dell, co-founder and CEO of GoodWord28 Jan 2026 · 36 min · 14 chapters
Meet the robots and drones working in warehousesIn this episode, host Rana el Kaliouby interviews Raffaello D’Andrea, a pioneer in robotics and AI, discussing the challenges of building effective robots and the transformative impact of AI in…21 Jan 2026 · 31 min · 18 chapters
How SaaS can survive the AI revolution, with Aaron LevieAaron Levie, CEO and Co-founder of Box14 Jan 2026 · 41 min · 16 chapters
Can AI cure doctor burnout?Rana el Kaliouby (AI scientist, investor, author, co-founder of Affectiva)7 Jan 2026 · 33 min · 21 chapters