Episode 10: Mihir Shukla, Seth Cohen, Stephen Ezell

Today we continued our theme of innovators who have shifted our perspectives so that we can see things in a new way. Mihir Shukra introduced us to the notion that automation through AI was not only going to be everywhere, but that it would be increasingly democratized. We would feel its influence in a variety of B2C applications and the technology itself would become more accessible to us and not remain in the province of highly specialized engineers. Then Seth Cohen talked about the importance of bringing optimism into our lives, not as a mood or exhortation, but as a conscious practice. For him, it is our optimism that shapes our sense of possibility and enables us to align around common objectives in this era of the “missing middle.” Finally, Stephen Ezell from the Information Technology Innovation Foundation (ITIF) reflected on the need to expand our definition of innovation to include the innovation agenda of countries. This has implications for understanding the policy levers and stewardship models that enable robust national innovation strategies. It is an urgent priority in the United States, which would benefit from a refreshed national innovation agenda.

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