The IQT Podcast

The Intersection: Espionage Threats, Tech, and Algorithms

The history of the intelligence community is long and complex. As the world becomes increasingly digital, open communication is more important than ever. Today, intelligence agencies rely heavily on algorithms to analyze data and predict future events. But this approach has its drawbacks. For example, algorithms can be biased and easily manipulated by those in power. This history lesson is just the beginning of a much larger conversation about the future of American intelligence.

In this IQT Podcast episode we discuss this important topic with Dr. Amy Zegart, the Morris Arnold and Nona Jean Cox Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, professor of Political Science by courtesy at Stanford University, and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. She joins Steve Bowsher to discuss how technology is changing the nature of intelligence and explores the issues of traitors, congressional oversight, and covert action. Listen in to hear about the challenges and opportunities facing the intelligence community as it adapts to a world where emerging technologies are rapidly changing. 

What Does the Future Hold for the U.S. Bioeconomy?

On September 12, 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy. The EO aims to sustain and broaden U.S. competitiveness and leadership in biotechnology and extend the impact of biotechnology across industrial areas including health, agriculture, energy, and beyond. What does this mean for the future of the U.S. bioeconomy? In this episode, Dr. Kevin O'Connell, Dr. Tara O'Toole, and Eugene Chiu explore key takeaways from the EO, including the importance of biomanufacturing regarding climate change, bioeconomy international collaborations on supply chains and national security, and how the overall economy will be impacted by the development of biotechnology.

The Intersection: Nuclear power is en vogue?

Energy fuels so many things in our daily lives, including the device you are reading this on right now, but do you ever pause to wonder: where exactly does this energy come from? In this episode of The Intersection, Steve Bowsher is joined by Dr. Scott Hsu, Senior Advisor, and Lead Fusion Coordinator in the Office of the Undersecretary for Science and Innovation at the US DOE. Listen to learn more about nuclear fusion and its difference from the current fission technology, why it’s being pursued as an alternative energy source, and what the status of this technology around the world currently looks like.

Takeaways:

• Difference between nuclear fission and fusion energy

• The obstacles to making nuclear fusion a reality

• Definition of fusion breakeven and the Lawson Criterion

• Legislation regarding public safety and security on nuclear fusion energy

• The timetable for nuclear fusion energy in the coming years

 

Featured in this Episode:

• Scott Hsu, Senior Advisor and Lead Fusion Coordinator, DOE

• Profile: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/about/team-directory/dr-scott-hsu

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottchsu/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottchsu

The Intersection: Who Charges Your Batteries?

In this episode of The Intersection series, we are joined by battery and electric vehicles expert Steve LeVine, author and editor of The Electric, to explore how important batteries are and their supply chain. How does this affect the world in the future and who are the big players in the battery industry?

Key Takeaways:

- The current status of the battery supply chain and E-vehicle industry

- Top players in the battery supply chain around the world

- Lithium Ion and how will it shape the future

- Actions and laws to regulate the increasing demand for raw battery materials

The Intersection: Taking Calculated Venture Capital Risks and Navigating Market Downturns

In this episode of The Intersection, Steve Bowsher is joined by Bilal Zuberi, co-founder and partner at Lux Capital. Recorded at an event held in May, this discussion draws from Bilal's experience in the world of venture capital, sharing insights on taking calculated risks, predicting which industries will rise to prominence, and coping with business cycles on a personal and company level. Listen to learn more about investors’ biggest considerations and how you can make the best out of economic downturns.

Key Takeaways:

• Evaluating investment risk
• Why deep technology is a growing industry
• How to take advantage of contractions in the market
• Impact of cryptocurrency

The Intersection: Over the Horizon Technologies to Help Shape a Better World

This episode of The Intersection shares a discussion between In-Q-Tel's Dr. Megan Anderson and Dr. Sarah Sewall recorded at an event held back in May. Tune in to hear them explore innovative solutions to energy independence and over-the-horizon technologies to help shape a better world, including:

• A U.S.-based ecosystem for battery production
• Addressing vulnerabilities in critical minerals for energy production
• Public and private efforts to achieve fusion
• And more!

You can learn more about this topic and others on the IQT blog at www.iqt.org/blog.

The Intersection: Diversity & the Workplace

In this episode, Steve Bowsher is joined by John Rice, Founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a national non-profit organization that empowers a new generation of diverse leaders to combat racial and economic inequality. Listen in as the two explore how the diversity of talents inside organizations is critical to attaining organizational objectives and developing the most innovative companies. The two explore best ways to obtain diverse talents, as well as how to build and nurture talents in an ideal setting that satisfies people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

IQT Explains: Climate Tech

The climate technology sector is a mature asset class that provides investors with considerable financial returns as well as the potential for outsized environmental and social impact. In this episode, we are joined by Victoria Chernow, A Technology Architect, who works on innovation in the next generation of nuclear energy and engineered biology for energy and materials manufacture, and Steve Taub, a recovering mechanical engineer with 10+ years' experience as a corporate venture capitalist. Listen in to learn more about climate technology, including what it is, why it's essential, and how we might utilize it to help design a brighter future for us all.

For more information, check out Steve and Victoria's Climate Tech blog at iqt.org/blog.

IQT Explains: The Importance of Bias Testing in AI Assurance

The rising use of artificial intelligence in sensitive industries such as recruitment, criminal justice, and healthcare has raised debate about bias and impartiality. However, human decision-making in these and other disciplines might be incorrect due to unconscious individual and social biases. In this IQT Podcast episode we are joined by Andrea Brennen, VP of Design and Visualization at IQT labs, Andrew Burt, Managing partner at BNH.AI and chief legal officer at Immuta, and Patrick Hall, a principal scientist in BNH.AI, visiting professor in the Dept. of Decision Sciences at George Washington University. They will share insights and knowledge on how we test and assess AI technology to minimize unwanted biases and also consider legalities and ethics. Listen to this episode if you're interested in AI technology and want to discover how it's being evaluated from a legal and ethical stance.

IQT Explains: AI Assurance

When it comes to software, one thing we know for sure is that sometimes our tools are going to fail, and introducing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into software tools creates additional vulnerabilities. In Part 1 of our two-part series discussing AI Assurance, we detail methods and findings from a recent audit that IQT Labs conducted on FakeFinder, an open source deep learning tool that predicts whether or not a video is a deepfake. Tune in to learn about our audit approach and overall findings from our IQT Labs experts Andrea Brennen and Ryan Ashley.