Welcome to episode #1061 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

What happens when the most powerful technology humanity has ever created arrives at a moment when so many people are afraid of the future? Brett Hurt has spent his career at the forefront of major technological shifts. He’s the serial entrepreneur behind Coremetrics, Bazaarvoice, and data.world, three companies that helped reshape how businesses understand customers, use data, and build digital experiences. He’s also a longtime friend who first appeared on this podcast multiple times over the years, when we were talking about the early days of social commerce and the future of the internet. Nearly two decades later, we’re having a very different conversation. In his new book, Love Conquers Fear: Humanity, AI, And The Age Of Abundance For All, Brett argues that the convergence of artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies could create unprecedented prosperity… but only if humanity makes some very different choices. In this conversation, Brett and I explore the enormous gap between what AI promises and what people are actually experiencing. Why are we telling employees to embrace technology while simultaneously warning them that it might eliminate their jobs? Why do we keep talking about abundance when so much of the wealth and power generated by technology remains concentrated in so few hands? And what have we learned from the internet and social media about what happens when extraordinary technological possibilities collide with business models that reward manipulation and outrage? Brett brings an unusually optimistic perspective to these questions, and I push back on whether technological progress necessarily translates into human progress. We discuss the responsibility of business leaders, the importance of personal agency, the tension between capitalism and collective well-being, and why the future of AI may depend as much on our values as our engineering. At the heart of this conversation is a question that feels urgent… if we’re building machines to become more human while continuing to treat humans like machines, what kind of future are we actually creating? Enjoy the conversation…

• Running time: 58:21.
• Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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• Here is my conversation with Brett Hurt.
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Chapters:

0:00 – Revisiting the Past: A Journey Through Time
3:03 – The Evolution of E-commerce and Customer Engagement
5:57 – Brett Hurt’s Entrepreneurial Journey
8:55 – The Age of Abundance: Love Conquers Fear
12:03 – Navigating the AI Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges
14:57 – The Role of Technology in Shaping Humanity
17:55 – The Intersection of Fear and Love in Technology
20:54 – Finding Hope in a Complex World
29:11 – The Algorithmic Manipulation of Humanity
32:57 – The Promise of Abundance and Its Challenges
34:26 – Harnessing AI for Personal Growth
39:14 – Belief in Humanity’s Progress
45:51 – The Role of Intentionality in Technology
57:23 – The Vision of Love Conquers Fear

Download the Podcast here: #1061 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

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