The GeoPolitical Implications of A.I. - a chat with Sean Gourley
Stuck @Om
The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and its wide-ranging impact is inescapable. But beyond industry disruption, what significant effects does this groundbreaking technology hold for geopolitical dynamics and conflicts? Joining me in this episode is Sean Gourley, a renowned scientist and founder of data and machine learning-focused startups Quid and Primer. Sean will share his profound insights on AI, exploring its potential to both benefit and harm humanity. He draws parallels between the rapid 'automation' at the turn of the last century, which was weaponized, leading to wars,...
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Reality of Self-Driving Dreams w/ Trucks.VC Reilly Brennan
Stuck @Om
This conversation with my friend Reilly Brennan - a VC expert for the automotive industry, roams across a broad landscape of topics, from the beginning of Reilly’s interest in the car industry, to his assessment of the auto industry’s progress in 2023, to Reilley’s predictions for 2024, and more — but all of those topics are tied together along the theme of technology. A.I. in particular is making the opportunities in the automotive industry bigger and bolder than we’ve seen for a very long time. Listen to learn what’s going on, what may be coming down the tube, and to learn...
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Future of Search: A candid conversation with Sridhar Ramaswamy, an ex-Googler fighting his former employer with a new approach to search!
Stuck @Om
Search is changing. You won’t hear Google talking heads talk about it very much because the types of things that are happening will fundamentally change the model the search engine giant has used to build its search and ad infrastructure. Sridhar Ramaswamy knows; he’s the man who led teams inside Google to build the ad technology that exists today. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what is happening in the search industry, how large language models and the use of A.I. will change everything in the next few years, and explore why Sridhar and his co-founder believe that Neeva,...
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Stuck@Om with Maria Konnikova
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om, I’m talking with an old friend, Maria Konnikova. Maria holds a Ph.D. in Psychology, is the author of multiple best-selling books, and is also a professional poker player. We immediately dive into her book “The Confidence Game” about how con artists convince people of unbelievable things. We dissect how movies and TV glamorize the con artists while placing blame on those who were conned. We even touch on our shared love for Sherlock Holmes. We enter into a much deeper discussion about Maria’s most recent book “The Biggest Bluff”, which was...
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Stuck@Om with Ophir Gottlieb
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om, I chat with my friend Ophir Gottlieb, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Capital Market Laboratories. We talk about the importance of proper perspective. Ophir likens perspective to a superpower — with it, we are the best investors in the world. Yet the increase of access to and influx of information has only served to create more confusion. Ophir emphasizes that we are totally overwhelmed with data and underwhelmed with information. With that proliferation comes the competition to be profitable. The news media doesn’t just provide news — it’s become...
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Stuck@Om with Jeffrey Sachs
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om, I’m joined by world-renowned economist, professor, and best-selling author Jeffrey Sachs. A central topic in our conversation is Jeff’s newest book The Age of Globalization and the impact of digitalization on our culture and economy. We dissect how COVID-19 has clearly changed office culture — and how it won’t be the same after this. The Coronavirus has taught us that 80% of our work can be done anywhere. We are recognizing that we can function with a decentralized workforce. How will that impact how people live and function in society? ...
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Stuck@Om with Barry Ritholtz
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om my friend Barry Ritholtz joins me to discuss our current existence. Barry is the CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, an avid blogger, and prolific author. His voice is well-recognized in the stock market and investing universe. Barry and I have a conversation about how the pandemic has served to amplify the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. We acknowledge it can be a catalyst for necessary change on a governmental level. Barry and I also chat about the state of the economy and its influence on the stock market using the analogy of a rubber band:...
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Stuck@Om with Nick Thompson
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om I chat with one of the great human beings on the planet — Nicholas Thompson. He’s the Editor in Chief at WIRED Magazine, an avid marathoner, and has penned one of the best essays I’ve read in recent times. In this conversation, Nick and I talk about how media outlets have to shift how they write stories to generate ‘clicks’ over ‘subscriptions’. We also converse about the reputation of the media and how it hasn’t improved during the Coronavirus crisis. We postulate that social media is a double-edged sword—as much as it gives, it takes...
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Stuck@Om with Herman Narula
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om, Herman Narula joins me in a conversation about our future. Herman is the CEO of Improbable — a company that is obsessed with multiplayer games. They build the underlying technology to support new gaming experiences. He strives to be able to create a “virtual environment that is as representative and complex as the real world.” A virtual world that improves upon the real word — that doesn’t replicate it. With the uncertainty of the future of travel, the ability to experience the world without leaving our homes would be astounding. What about...
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Stuck@Om with Scott Belsky
Stuck @Om
In this episode of Stuck@Om my friend Scott Belsky—CPO of Adobe and founder of Behance—joins me to have a conversation about the state of our world. He shares how his family is keeping safe and what they’re doing to keep their children occupied. We chat about our love/hate relationship with Twitter, and how their engagement-driven algorithm is being overwhelmingly driven by the fear-filled masses. An algorithm that curates topics you’re passionate about would better suit them. We worry they are too focused on keeping the lights on that they aren’t thinking about long-term...
info_outlineIn this episode of Stuck@Om, I’m talking with an old friend, Maria Konnikova. Maria holds a Ph.D. in Psychology, is the author of multiple best-selling books, and is also a professional poker player. We immediately dive into her book “The Confidence Game” about how con artists convince people of unbelievable things. We dissect how movies and TV glamorize the con artists while placing blame on those who were conned. We even touch on our shared love for Sherlock Holmes.
We enter into a much deeper discussion about Maria’s most recent book “The Biggest Bluff”, which was released June 23rd. When Maria wrote the book, she set out to write about luck and the things we can and can’t control. After reading John Von Neumann’s book on game theory, she realized poker was the perfect medium for her exploration into chance. Erik Seidel — a renowned poker player — agreed to let Maria shadow him to learn more about poker. Maria never thought this opportunity would lead to becoming a professional poker player.
We talk about what poker has taught her about emotional control and how you have to learn to identify your emotions to become an expert poker player. The goal isn’t to move away from being emotional — because it’s human nature. But you must identify your emotions and learn to remove them from the equation. You must also identify your triggers: What types of people make you mad? What interactions make you upset? What excites you or makes you happy?
We further delve into the psychology of poker and the topics of psychological distancing, physical distancing, and how to prevent emotions before you’re triggered. We chat about how emotions can be essential to decision-making. Maria also shares about her experience as a professional poker player and what she learned about herself throughout her journey. Our conversation travels deep into psychology, emotion, self-awareness, and the uncertainty of life. Please listen — Maria’s captivating story cannot be missed.
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Outline of This Episode
- We talk about Maria’s three books
- What does TV get right about con artists?
- How Maria landed on writing a book about poker
- Making decisions because of and in spite of emotion
- How emotional control impacts the game of poker — and life
- Maria’s journey to becoming a best-selling author
- Maria’s time as a professional poker player
- What Maria learned about herself from poker
- The uncertainty of mortality that’s part of our being
- How epidemiologists use poker as a model for disease spread
Resources & People Mentioned
- Theory of Games and Economic Behavior by John von Neumann
- Erik Seidel