The Future of Everything

About a year ago, the Future of Everything team was in New York taping a special episode on the innovation economy in front of a live audience, and today we're re-releasing it. We sat down with computer scientist Fei-Fei Li and economists Susan Athey and Neale Mahoney to dig into how AI is reshaping creativity, jobs, education, and public policy, and where it might take us next. It's a wide-ranging, energetic conversation. Whether you're thinking about how AI might reshape your own work, or you're just curious where some of the smartest people in tech and economics think this is all headed, this one's a great listen. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected]. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profiles: Fei-Fei Li | Neale Mahoney | Susan Athey Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces this re-release of a live episode featuring Fei-Fei Li, Susan Athey, and Neale Mahoney on the future of the innovation economy. (00:00:45) Defining the Innovation Economy How new ideas, technologies, and commercialization are reshaping economic growth. (00:02:13) AI as a General-Purpose Technology What past technologies like electricity and personal computing can teach us about AI adoption. (00:03:23) The Bottlenecks to Adoption Why digitization, software costs, training, and organizational change can slow the spread of new technology. (00:06:05) AI and the Labor Market Why uncertainty about which jobs AI will disrupt makes social safety nets especially important. (00:08:04) Augmenting Human Work Why Fei-Fei Li sees AI as a tool for enhancing human capabilities rather than simply replacing jobs. (00:11:17) Shaping Human-Centered Innovation How innovation can be designed to complement human skills, creativity, and purpose. (00:12:21) Universities and AI Innovation How universities can help develop human-centered technologies and lower barriers to adoption. (00:13:45) Government and the AI Transition How public investment and policy could help workers adapt while expanding services like healthcare and childcare. (00:15:50) Rethinking Education Why AI may force a fundamental rethink of what and how students learn. (00:17:18) Jobs, Adaptation, and Safety Nets What history suggests about how economies adjust to technological disruption—and when policy intervention matters. (00:18:33) AI Regulation and Innovation How policymakers might balance technological progress with appropriate guardrails. (00:21:57) Competition and Market Power Why competition, open models, and the cost of AI access matter for innovation and economic opportunity. (00:24:57) Economic Optimism Why confidence in the American economy has declined and what might help restore it. (00:26:40) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: hope for the future, education, robotics, AI accessibility, and the skills the panelists would learn next. (00:30:24) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Special Episode of Think Fast Talk Smart featuring Russ Altman as the Guest, exploring the future of communication in the AI era.

Microbiologist Justin Sonnenburg wants you to know that you – and all humans, really – are not alone. Inside each of us live uncountable bacteria without whom we could not survive. Nowhere is this symbiosis more vital, Sonnenburg says, than in the digestive tract – the gut – where trillions of bacterial collaborators help digest the foods that nourish us. Sonnenburg studies what makes this complex relationship work and how modern life is altering this important chemistry. He says the gut microbiome should be thought of as another organ. When it drifts out of balance, the effects ripple through our metabolism, our immune systems, and our nervous systems. Sonnenburg goes on to explain how dietary choices – like eating more fermented foods and fiber – can rebuild the microbiome, and why the field’s next frontier could help alleviate chronic disease. “It really is a full-body impact that our microbes are having,” Sonnenburg tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected]. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Justin Sonnenburg Learn more about the Sonnenburg Lab Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Justin Sonnenburg, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. (00:03:08) Path into Microbiome Research How Sonnenburg became interested in the friendly microbes that live in and on the body. (00:04:26) Bacteria as Partners What are gut bacteria and how do they function in our bodies? (00:06:23) Full-Body Effects How gut microbes affect metabolism, immunity, and the brain. (00:08:27) Industrialized Microbiomes What does it mean that the gut microbiome has been “industrialized”? (00:12:08) Feeding the Microbiome Why is fiber important for gut health? (00:15:59) Fiber Response Study results from Stanford reflecting individual responses to fiber. (00:17:14) Fermented Foods How foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha can support microbiome diversity. (00:20:36) Microbiome Therapeutics How diet and microbial interventions could improve health. (00:23:00) Food, Equity, and Access Why microbiome health may require practical tools that work beyond major diet changes. (00:24:02) Sharing Microbes How social environments, diet, and exposure may influence the microbes people acquire. (00:25:30) Precision Health How the microbiome could help tune immunity, metabolism, and disease treatment. (00:27:32) Women’s Health Why reproductive health and women’s health are promising areas for microbiome research. (00:28:33) Stanford Microbiome Research How Stanford researchers are building interdisciplinary tools, tests, and therapies for microbiome science. (00:30:36) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: microbiome health, daily decisions, and reversing Western disease trends. (00:33:04) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How children learn language across cultures and contexts — and what the “data gap” between kids and AI reveals about human language acquisition.

How urban research is revealing the forces reshaping American cities—and how better data can help create safer, more stable neighborhoods for all.