??Algorithms powering scientific discovery

Hi, I’m Azeem Azhar. I convene Exponential View to help us understand how our societies and political economy will change under the force of rapidly accelerating technologies. Follow me on Linkedin to receive these insights into the near future every week. 

??? JOIN ME LIVE ON LINKEDIN On Friday, 30 October, 1pm UK time (8am EST; 8pm HKT), I am hosting a live chat with Yale’s Nicholas Christakis whose latest book Apollo’s Arrow looks into the long-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ll stream live on Linkedin.

The near future

??????? “We’re almost at the point where we have powerful enough algorithms to accelerate scientific discovery itself. And I think in the next ten years there are going to be a lot of major, perhaps Nobel-Prize level type, breakthroughs, in all sorts of domains,” says Demis Hassabis, the founder and CEO of DeepMind, in our conversation. Demis doesn’t do many interviews, so it was a huge honour to have him on the podcast. He is brilliant and fun, and this conversation is a real treat, I promise. (This would also be a superb way to get into podcasts if you aren’t already.) Premium members of my Exponential View newsletter have access to the transcripts of my podcast discussions. Become a member here

?? A new paper suggests that systemic risk extends beyond the financial sector. Firms such as Amazon and Apple are systemically important and actually quite vulnerable to shocks. (One weird result, and Americans will understand this, is that Comcast is viewed as the second-most systemically important firm in the US. Chortle.) 

?? How Apple Innovates. Morten Hansen and Joel Podonly (head of Apple University) detail how Steve Jobs’ return to Apple led to a complete restructuring of the organisation – from separate business units into one organisation, firing all of the general managers in a single day. 

?? Is the Internet a technology of centralisation? The recent furore over a New York Post story being censored by Twitter and conversations around data regulation in various countries provide compelling arguments for both sides of the debate. 

?? The rise of low code technology is changing how ordinary people use tech. Think Airtable and Roblox. I discussed low code with Howie Liu, Airtable’s CEO, earlier this year.

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