Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future

Verity Harding: How to Build Trust in AI

When the world of AI feels so dramatically new, it’s hard to look anywhere except toward the future. But previous examples of technological innovation can teach us a lot about building public trust and collaboration.  This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Verity Harding, one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in AI. Her debut book is AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI's Future and Save Our Own. She points to moments like the Space Race, the development of IVF, and the internet as inspiration for today’s potential regulatory framework for AI.  Verity is the Director of the AI and Geopolitics Project at the Bennett Institute of Public Policy at Cambridge. She also runs the tech consultancy Formation Advisory. She previously directed policy for Google DeepMind and worked for Deputy Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg. Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Verity Harding (01:36) Verity Harding's Transition from Politics to Google DeepMind (08:28) AI Needs You: Unpacking the Book's Message (11:43) Building Public Trust and Engagement in a Polarized Environment (20:34) Advice for Builders Who Don’t Want to Decelerate  (24:11) Who are the Stakeholders of AI Governance?  (36:06) AI and the Future: Optimism, Challenges, and the Path Forward (41:18) Closing Thoughts and Where to Find the Book Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

Alan Cowen: Creating Empathic AI with Hume

What if AI could understand what we, humans, are feeling? This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Alan Cowen, CEO & Chief Scientist of Hume AI. Hume creates empathic AI that learns our preferences from our vocal and facial expressions. Their goal is to maximize our happiness and quality of life. Hume is now announcing their API for EVI, Hume’s Empathic Voice Interface.  The conversation covers Cowen's journey from being a researcher to founding Hume AI, the importance of emotional intelligence in AI for quality human interaction, and the potential to transform user experiences across various apps and devices. Plus, we ask how empathic AI could impact the road to AGI. Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Alan Cowen & Hume Demo  (01:38) The Genesis of Hume AI: From Research to Startup (04:01) Affective Computing and Its Impact (10:55) Hume AI: Bridging Human Emotions and Technology (15:37) The Future of AI: Beyond Text to Empathic Interactions (20:37) Introducing EVI: Empathic Voice Interface (21:46) Real-World Applications of Empathic AI  (31:19) The Potential Role of Empathic AI in Achieving AGI (36:53) Trust and Privacy (40:02) Opportunities with Hume AI (41:18) Closing Thoughts  Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Alex Heath: Tech Journalism in the AI Era

AI news moves fast. But reporters covering AI move faster. This week on the podcast, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to journalist Alex Heath about predictions for independent model companies, the conversation around training data, and how journalists are adapting to AI disruptions. Alex Heath is the Deputy Editor of The Verge and the author of Command Line, a weekly newsletter about the tech industry’s inside conversation. Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Alex Heath (1:20) Inside the AI News Cycle  (6:41) Covering OpenAI and Meta Rebrand Breaking News (10:14) Top of Mind Trends: Databricks, Perplexity, Meta  (13:35) Google’s AI Strategy and Gemini Fallout  (20:25) Second Order Effects of Microsoft’s Inflection Deal (24:02) Journalism Adapting to AI & Future of Industry (32:08) What’s Beyond SEO? (36:19) The Value of Content in Training (38:10) Elon Musk’s X and Grok (41:11) Closing Thoughts Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Jordan Singer: Building AI Design Tools at Figma

Imagination becomes a reality when building the design tools of the future. This week on Generative Now, we’re talking with someone who has been tinkering with AI and design for about ten years. Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Jordan Singer, Product Designer at Figma, about how Figma acquired his startup Diagram, what it’s like building AI tools at Figma, and how the role of designers is evolving.  Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Jordan Singer (01:19) Jordan Singer's Journey from Coder to Designer (09:27) Creating the Experiment that Became a Startup (14:10) Leaving Square to be CEO & Founder of Diagram (22:09) Figma's Acquisition of Diagram  (30:24) Designers as Creative Directors in the AI Era (37:14) Other Areas of Interest in AI (40:41) Closing Thoughts  Stay in touch: ⁠www.lsvp.com⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠ Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

Semil Shah: Venture Capital Trends in the Age of AI

Semil Shah, General Partner at Haystack and Venture Partner at Lightspeed, is known for at least two things: his insightful Twitter presence and his smart investments at Haystack VC. Semil joins Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano to talk venture capital insights and the unpredictable nature of startup success. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape of AI investments, the unique nature of Reddit's IPO, and the future of unique user-generated content. Additionally, they discuss the dynamics between LPs, venture funds, and startups in the current market environment. Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Semil Shah  (03:31) Semil Shah’s Twitter Presence  (05:46) Navigating the AI Investment Landscape: Insights and Predictions (10:19) The Role of Acquisitions and Talent in Shaping AI's Future (18:57) Venture Capital Strategies (19:33) Capital as a Weapon in Venture Capital (23:27) The Art of Investment Decisions (25:45) How AI has Changed the  Venture Landscape (27:52) The Venture Ecosystem: LPs, Funds, and Startups (32:22) The Future of AI and Open Source (36:26) The Reddit IPO: A Market Turning Point? (41:21) Closing Thoughts Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.