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Building an Intelligent Internet: AI's Future is in Specialized Agents

The Brave Technologist

Release Date: 12/17/2025

Cybersecurity Is Moving to the Browser and Becoming the Attack Surface show art Cybersecurity Is Moving to the Browser and Becoming the Attack Surface

The Brave Technologist

Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO of LayerX Security, shares why the browser has become the most critical (and overlooked) security layer in modern work. He explains key browser risk areas including phishing, cookie theft, compromised extensions, and data exfiltration, and how AI now increases the urgency around these risks. He also provides examples of real-world breaches that are reshaping how organizations think about risk. Key Takeaways:  Security risks that are unique to the browser along with simple habits you can adopt to reduce browser-based risk How extensions like Grammarly use...

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The Human Layer in an AI-First World show art The Human Layer in an AI-First World

The Brave Technologist

Joseph Ng, Chief Strategy Officer of GeneGenius and author of The Hybrid Mind, discusses how institutions must redesign decision architectures as humans and intelligent machines operate together. His vision for the “hybrid mind” is one with supervised intelligence where humans set mission, values, and boundaries while AI participates in operational decisions. He also discusses his work at GeneGenius to transform raw genetic data into “biological intelligence” that can support precision medicine, early disease detection, and personalized treatments.  Key Takeaways:  His work...

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How Stablecoins with Built-In Yield Could Revolutionize Everyday Spending show art How Stablecoins with Built-In Yield Could Revolutionize Everyday Spending

The Brave Technologist

Anna Yuan, founder of Perena and former head of stablecoins at the Solana Foundation, discusses how Perena is designing new on-chain financial products, including USD*, a liquid yield token that earns continuously while remaining spendable. We also explore why trust remains one of crypto’s biggest challenges, how decentralized and traditional finance are converging, and what role AI agents may play in the future of payments and financial automation. Key Takeaways:  How Perena’s USD* token allows users to earn continuous yield while still being able to spend their assets Why...

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The CHRO Is the New CTO: Leading in the AI Era show art The CHRO Is the New CTO: Leading in the AI Era

The Brave Technologist

 Elise Neel, Global Head of Strategy & Strategic Partnerships at Panasonic Go, shares lessons from leading innovation within large legacy companies and the cultural challenges of driving transformation. She explains how organizations should rethink AI governance and talent, and why roles like the CHRO may become central in the AI era. Key Takeaways: Why leaders must move from simply using AI tools to actively collaborating with them to drive meaningful transformation How access to AI is leveling the playing field, making critical thinking the key differentiator for talent Ways...

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Bri Teresi: Digital Sovereignty and Protecting Creator Freedom show art Bri Teresi: Digital Sovereignty and Protecting Creator Freedom

The Brave Technologist

Bri Teresi, host of ‘’ and a prominent crypto influencer, shares the biggest misunderstandings about cryptocurrency in mainstream media and consumer behavior, along with the biggest challenges faced by content creators today. Topics include: the risks of platform dependency and censorship; the importance of self-custody and owning one’s own crypto keys; financial sovereignty and freedom from banks; and the need for better education in crypto to reduce scams and speculative investments. Key Takeaways:  Emerging laws in California, and how they’ll affect crypto asset custody Why...

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How SheFi is Onboarding More Women into Web3 show art How SheFi is Onboarding More Women into Web3

The Brave Technologist

Maggie Love, Founder and CEO of , discusses the critical role of the community in managing decentralized spaces and making crypto accessible and relatable for all. She delves into the importance of building technology that works for everyone (not just early insiders), and details the urgent mission she’s on with SheFi: to ensure women aren’t left behind in the next era of the Internet. Key Takeaways:  SheFi's collaboration with Brave, including scholarships offered for their next cohort What real crypto onboarding should look like: education beyond buzzwords Why community is the...

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AI That Acts: How Autonomous Agents Are Rewriting Org Charts show art AI That Acts: How Autonomous Agents Are Rewriting Org Charts

The Brave Technologist

Manoj Saxena, Founder and CEO of Trustwise, explains why agentic AI represents a major shift inside organizations: from AI as a tool to AI as an active participant. He addresses the operational challenges that organizations face today, including AI-to-AI interactions, opaque decision-making, regulatory pressure, and the growing need for continuous oversight as AI systems gain autonomy. Key Takeaways: The ways AI agents are already taking on roles once owned by humans How leaders should prepare for AI systems that negotiate, decide, and act independently The emerging risks of AI acting...

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When AI and Enterprise Tech Feel Like Magic [Live from AI Summit] show art When AI and Enterprise Tech Feel Like Magic [Live from AI Summit]

The Brave Technologist

Kapil Gupta, former Enterprise AI Product & Platform Leader at Cigna, shares insights from more than two decades of turning cutting-edge technology into enterprise-ready products. He unpacks the difference between generative AI and agentic AI, and why governance, user choice, and thoughtful design matter just as much as innovation. Learn how enterprises can scale responsibly and why the best technology often feels invisible to the people using it. Key Takeaways:  The tangible difference between generative AI and agent-based workflows Why adoption depends on fitting into existing...

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Is Digital Money Becoming a Surveillance Tool? [LIVE From AI Summit] show art Is Digital Money Becoming a Surveillance Tool? [LIVE From AI Summit]

The Brave Technologist

Chastity Murphy, former Senior Advisor at the U.S.Treasury and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, shares her experiences working on digital money legislation, including the Stable Act. She reflects on the transition from cash to digital payments along with her current research developing offline, anonymous public interest payment systems. Key Takeaways: How early stablecoin legislation shaped our understanding of digital money, privacy, and consumer protection The gap between technologists and policymakers in understanding digital money Real-world risks of...

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Accountability Requires Identity: AI Agents & the Future of Digital Trust show art Accountability Requires Identity: AI Agents & the Future of Digital Trust

The Brave Technologist

Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO of Billions Network, explores how identity for agents is going to unlock the next era of the Internet. She shares outcomes from collaborations with regulatory bodies and major companies (like HSBC and TikTok), along with their use of Zero Knowledge Proofs in proving you’re human without giving up privacy. Key Takeaways: How Billions Network plans to save the Internet, starting first with scaling trust (while balancing convenience and privacy) The critical importance of identity verification in an increasingly AI-dominated digital landscape, and the...

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Emad Mostaque, founder and CEO of Intelligent Internet, discusses his vision for an open and intelligent internet, along with the impact it can have on everyday users. He acknowledges the risks of AI surpassing human capabilities, but shares an optimistic view of where the true strength of a society lies. He also discusses the ways communities can withstand these disruptions and thrive in a changing world.

Key Takeaways: 

  • What problems AI agents are ready to solve today, and when we can expect future unlocks

  • The future of low-cost intellectual work, and how specialized AI agents can be designed to safely reduce cognitive friction

  • The implications of AI on a nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), and the importance of measuring community intelligence

  • Advice for parents raising the next generation of users

Guest Bio: Emad Mostaque is the founder of Intelligent Internet, and is dedicated to advancing distributed and accessible artificial intelligence systems. As founder of Stability AI, he influenced the widespread availability of generative AI tools for image, audio, and video, reaching over 300 million downloads. He contributes to the development of open source AI infrastructure, including as an advisor to Render Network.

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About this Show:

The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!

Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.

The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.

Music by: Ari Dvorin

Produced by: Sam Laliberte