Life with Machines

• AI Wants to Shop for You—Should You Let It? | Raj De Datta (Ep. 17)

  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? ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ 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

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• From Division to Dialogue—How AI Can Save Democracy | Deb Roy (Ep. 16)

  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. ------------ Sign up for our newsletter!  Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ 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

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• Our AI Brutally Roasts Elon Musk—Live at SXSW (Ep 15.5)

  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: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ 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

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• Is AI the Death of Creativity? | Brian Eno (Ep. 15)

  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: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ 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

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• AI Isn’t Intelligent—Here’s What’s Missing | Jeff Hawkins (Ep. 14)

  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: [email protected] Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected] Write to Blair: [email protected] ------------ 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

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