Podcasts

Chris Miller, Tufts Professor and author,  explains how semiconductors—those tiny chips inside your phone, car, and coffee maker—have become the most critical technology in the world. Today’s global economy, military power, and AI breakthroughs all hinge on who makes the chips and where.

Cybersecurity expert and venture capitalist Andy Ellis breaks down why the smartest organizations are using AI to augment their workers, not replace them. Today’s AI systems are best used when they serve as “semi-pro” tools—fast, scalable, surprisingly effective, but still guided by some human oversight. In this conversation, he shares cautionary tales about hallucinations, prompt injections, unintended consequences, and outlines the common pitfalls he already sees companies falling into.

You’ll hear:

Can your phone make you a safer driver? Or is it part of the problem? 📱🚗

MIT CSAIL Professor Sam Madden shares the origin story of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a CSAIL spinout using smartphones and AI to prevent car crashes and save lives. In this episode, Professor Madden joins host Kara Miller to explore how accelerometers, algorithms, and well-timed incentives are transforming how we understand and improve driver behavior.

Finches, zebras, Darwin... and AI? 🧠🌍

Economist, NYT bestselling author, and MIT Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee unpacks how AI is transforming corporate strategy across fields and industries. He shares what execs are getting right (and wrong), why “The Geek Way” is winning, and what AI means for the future of work, education, and innovation. McAfee says AI is “doing for cognitive work what the Industrial Revolution did for manual labor."