A Song Called Life Osi Atikpoh

As AI systems continue evolving at lightning speed and changing our world, we must consider the potential for job displacement, the use of deep fake videos that can spread misinformation, and the reliance on AI to identify potential criminals, among many other concerns. Reid Blackman, author of Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent, and Respectful AI joins the podcast to discuss some of the complex ethical challenges that come with the widespread adoption of AI, and the necessity to address these concerns as we navigate the future of technology. 

Reid Blackman, Ph.D., is the author of “Ethical Machines” (Harvard Business Review Press), Founder and CEO of Virtue, an AI ethical risk consultancy, volunteer Chief Ethics Officer for the non-profit Government Blockchain Association, and an advisor to the Canadian government on their federal AI regulations. He was also a founding member of EY’s AI Advisory Board and a Senior Advisor to the Deloitte AI Institute. His work, which includes advising and speaking to organizations including AWS, US Bank, the FBI, NASA, and the World Economic Forum, has been profiled by The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and Forbes. His written work appears in The Harvard Business Review and The New York Times. Prior to founding Virtue, Reid was a professor of philosophy at Colgate University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Learn more at reidblackman.com.

Cort sits down with Osi to talk about his latest book, "Not Your Father's America: An Adventure Raising Triplets in a Country Being Changed by Greed". The book explores Cort's personal journey, including the challenges he and his wife faced with infertility, the loss of a child, and a high-risk triplet pregnancy. They reflect on the America his father and brothers experienced versus the America his triplets are growing up in, exploring how economic injustice, deregulation, and greed are shaping and undermining the American experience.
Cort Casady is an American television & documentary writer-producer, author, and playwright. Born in McAllen, Texas, he grew up in San Diego, California, and graduated from Harvard University prior to making his home in Los Angeles. Casady has won two Emmy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards for his work as a television and documentary writer-producer. He won his first Emmy for New York at Night Starring Clint Holmes, a daily, live, prime time variety-talk series he created for Superstation WWOR-New York (1992). He won his second Emmy for the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks (2014). Cort is the coauthor of two previously published books: The Singing Entertainer (with John Davidson, Alfred Publishing), a handbook for professionals, and You Oughta Be Me: How to Be a Lounge Singer and Live Like One by the Fabulous Bud E. Luv (with Ned Claflin, St. Martin’s Press), a humorous faux autobiography

Margaux Avedisian joins Osi to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and how she became an expert in cryptocurrency. Additionally, we explore the FTX scandal and how Sam Bankman-Fried was able to deceive several experienced investors. 

Margaux Avedisian, whom the Wall Street Journal called "The Queen of Bitcoin," is Co-Founder and CEO  at Beyond the Runway, a revolutionary online shopping platform that empowers consumers to try on clothes with a custom-fit virtual avatar. Margaux has more than a decade of experience as an entrepreneur on the ground floor of innovative technology. In her work, Margaux has connected hundreds of entrepreneurs with business leaders, technologists, policymakers, and creatives to promote tech startups and cryptocurrency. She has spoken at numerous conferences and had a podcast, Burning Bridges with Margaux. She has a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MFA in Fashion Merchandising from the Academy of Art University. She is also a standup comedian who performed in the Mike Tyson mansion from The Hangover, SXSW, Carolines on Broadway, NY Comedy Club, Greenwich Comedy Club, and many others. 
 

Many of you may have heard of the dark net and some of its notorious sites, such as Silk Road and AlphaBay, which sell all kinds of illegal items and services. Julia Norgaard, an economist and professor at Pepperdine University, joins the podcast to share her research on the topic and discuss various aspects of the dark net, including the shocking amount of money exchanged on the markets, the history of its creation, legitimate/legal reasons to use the dark net, the process of building trust as a seller, and much more.

Economist Julia R. Norgaard is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Pepperdine University, where she runs the PEP Talks Research Seminar and the Economics Reading Group. She is affiliated with the Sudreau Global Justice Institute and serves on the External Advisory Council for the International Justice Mission's Center to End Online Sexual Exploitation of Children. Norgaard received her Ph.D from George Mason University in 2017 and her Master's degree in economics in 2015. She also holds a B.A. in economics with a minor in mathematics from The University of San Diego, which she completed in 2012.

In this special episode, the podcast welcomes USC Professor Steve Swerdlow and several of his insightful students to delve into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. Kamila Fomin, a Ukrainian student, and Mané Berikyan, an Armenian student,  offer their personal perspectives on these complex and pressing issues, adding a unique and valuable layer to the conversation. Join us as we explore the current status of these conflicts and gain a deeper understanding of the human impact they have on those directly affected.

Steve Swerdlow is Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights in the Department of Political and International Relations at the University of Southern California. A human rights lawyer and expert on the former Soviet region, Swerdlow was Senior Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, heading the organization’s work on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and founding its Kyrgyzstan field office. Swerdlow has worked as a consultant with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Earlier Swerdlow was a fellow in the U.S. State Department’s Young Leaders for Public Service program in Russia and worked as a human rights monitor for the Union of Council for Soviet Jews (UCSJ) as their Caucasus monitor in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia as well as with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Russia.

Hana Katana is a musician, author, action actress, & content creator from Austin, Texas.



Hana sits down with Osi to share her journey in the music industry, the inspiration behind her becoming a stunt performer, dealing with controversy as a content creator, and more.