Bold Names

Few people sit at the nexus of business and politics like Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. As head of a company that makes much of the infrastructure underlying the internet and artificial intelligence systems, and as chairman of the lobbying group Business Roundtable, Robbins has a unique perspective on the rapid changes facing both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. How is he navigating this moment? And what lessons did he learn from playing basketball with an all-time legend? Robbins speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.  Check Out Past Episodes: Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race? Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication  Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.  Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win  Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Aicha Evans took over robotaxi startup Zoox from its founders in 2019, she made two big moves: selling the company to Amazon for over $1.2 billion, and keeping Zoox’s radical design for a driverless car that looks like a lounge on wheels, with no steering wheel or brake pedal. Now, as the robotaxi industry drives toward a pivotal moment in public acceptance, Zoox is preparing to launch its commercial service later this year. How does the company fit in alongside rivals like Google’s Waymo and Elon Musk ’s Tesla? And why does Evans take inspiration from the early days of aviation? She speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in the latest episode of our interview series Bold Names. Check Out Past Episodes: Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication  Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.  Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win  Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card  Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palmer Luckey, the founder of weapons manufacturer Anduril, was part of a minority in the tech sector that supported President Trump during his first run at the White House. Now, Luckey wields influence in both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.–and he’s using it to secure U.S. military contracts while trying to remake the government’s approach to national security. Luckey speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in the latest episode of our interview series Bold Names. Check Out Past Episodes: Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.  Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win  Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card  The CEO Who Says Cheaper AI Could Actually Mean More Jobs  Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ayanna Howard is dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, an IEEE Senior Member, and a top expert on two of the most hyped fields in tech: humanoid robots and artificial intelligence. Combining these technologies could allow advanced bots to take on all sorts of tasks, from helping pack boxes at warehouses, to taking care of the elderly, or even doing the dishes. But what will it take to get there, and how close are we to getting everyday robot helpers? Howard speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast. Check Out Past Episodes: Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ But America Needs to Win  Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card  Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'  Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’  Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LinkedIn co-founder and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Reid Hoffman is cautiously optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence. In his new book, “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future,” he argues that the current state of AI is similar to the automobile at the start of the 20th century. What does that mean for what Hoffman calls the “cognitive Industrial Revolution” and its potential to create positive change, and who is best suited to regulate it? And what does he think of his old friend Elon Musk’s influence in the Trump administration? Hoffman speaks to WSJ’s Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast. Check Out Past Episodes: Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card  Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'  Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’  Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling  Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices