Recode Decode, Hosted By Kara Swisher

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about bringing legitimate financial institutions into the formerly-sketchy world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. In this episode: Garlinghouse's background at Excite@Home, Dialpad, and Yahoo; the "peanut butter manifesto" memo he wrote at Yahoo; moving on to Silver Lake Partners, AOL, and then becoming CEO of Hightail; being recruited to Ripple; the appeal of blockchain and cryptocurrency; working with the banks, not against them; the coming revolution in cross-border transactions; why bitcoin speculators were actually "forward progress"; will there be one cryptocurrency to rule them all?; the "unbanked" people of the world; potential problems facing cryptocurrency; convincing regulators and established banks; why should a big bank like Citi work with Ripple?; who will disrupt the incumbents?; the actual uses of crypto for consumers; and Facebook and tech's responsibility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim Collins, the author of business books such as Built to Last and Good to Great, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest work, Turning the Flywheel. In this episode: Collins’ background in business education; his mentor and Stanford colleague Jerry Porras; his past books, including Built to Last and How the Mighty Fall; why he left Stanford and moved to Boulder, Colorado; teaching Jeff Bezos and Amazon how to save the company; how to be a “level-five” leader; what Bill Hewlett and David Packard understood about corporate responsibility; who today is a level-five leader?; the difference between your practices and the core of your beliefs; does tech even have a core?; why the innovators don’t always win; how important is luck?; how is the 2019 bubble different from 1999?; and how Jack Bogle and Steve Jobs stayed young until they died.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and host of the podcast Stay Tuned With Preet, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher. In this episode: Bharara’s background; digital crime and the “ticking time bomb” of hacking threats; why Bharara was fired by President Trump; what he did post-firing; his Twitter fatigue; the public’s newfound interest in the law; his new book, "Doing Justice"; the "first principles" of law that the entire country could benefit from; the Mueller report; how the Southern District of New York thinks about its work; Nancy Pelosi's declaration of a “constitutional crisis”; did social media undermine the Mueller report?; the problem with tech and whether companies will be held criminally liable; how tech will change the practice of law; and should we be optimistic about the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live conversation recorded at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Recode's Kara Swisher talks with Ash Carter, the former Secretary of Defense under President Obama who now runs the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In this episode: Government regulation vs. self-regulation in tech; CDA Section 230; privacy laws and the potential for new regulations around the world; antitrust action that doesn't require a breakup; does regulation ruin innovation?; Mark Zuckerberg's plea for regulation; the problems with automated algorithms; AI ethics in lethal warfare and beyond; can we keep AI in check with norms?; tech workers who don't want their companies partnering with the Defense Department; China's AI and surveillance habits; what Carter worries about in tech; Edward Snowden; encryption and the US intelligence agencies; is Congress savvy enough to regulate?; are the tech giants ready for attempt meddling in the 2020 elections?; what tech has done to journalism; and what will

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his recent New York Times op-ed, "It's Time to Break Up Facebook." In this episode: Why Hughes wrote the column; how he met Mark Zuckerberg; how the 2016 election changed his view of Facebook; Hughes' role in the early days of Facebook; the company's "missionary zeal"; Zuckerberg’s “unchecked power” and reactions to the column; "He cannot fix this"; how the FTC screwed up; Facebook Live; Zuckerberg’s interest in Roman emperors; why has Facebook continually failed to fix itself?; the backlash to Hughes' column; how a government-ordered breakup would work; Instagram and WhatsApp; Should Zuckerberg step down?; the FTC’s $3-5 billion fine; the case for a new digital regulatory agency; Tristan Harris' "human downgrading" theory; and will Zuckerberg listen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and journalism educator Esther Wojcicki, Silicon Valley’s “mother of dragons,” talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results. In this episode: Why Wojcicki became a journalism educator and why she threw out her curriculum in the mid-1980s; how she became “the Woj” to her students; embracing the internet and news literacy; the state of journalism in 2019; the power of giving kids independence; how Esther raised her own daughters: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki and epidemiologist Janet Wojcicki; persisting in the face of gender discrimination; why she wasn’t surprised by the college admissions cheating scandal; why relationships, not wealth, lead to happiness; being surrounded by the extreme wealth of Silicon Valley; is the internet corrosive to kids?; how to fix the internet; and how to train and prepare children for the digital age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Writer and podcaster Sam Harris talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his views on Islam, social media, and President Trump. In this episode: Harris’ background; why he wrote his first book; the controversy around his books about religion and why Harris didn’t initially call himself an “atheist"; Islamophobia and Harris’ enemies; Christopher Hitchens and the performance of public debate; identity politics; feminism and hijabs; white supremacists online; the terror attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand; the Trump effect; Should Jack Dorsey delete Twitter?; Harris and Swisher’s Twitter history; free speech online; what should tech companies do and what should be done to them?; the “moral panic” side of #MeToo; and keeping focused on the right problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tristan Harris, the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the latest problem he and his peers are trying to solve: "Human downgrading." In this episode: Harris’ background as a design ethicist Google; how his previous movement, Time Well Spent, was co-opted by the tech industry; how are Apple and Google's "digital well-being" features doing?; the utopian promise of tech; why Harris shifted to focus on “downgrading”; what the Center for Humane Technology does; has Harris gotten through to tech's leaders?; why Facebook and YouTube are worse than Shell and Exxon; digital platforms as cities; what we need to do now; techlash; the (sort of) good news; are CEOs just hoping this goes away on its own?; and why removing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is "critical." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NYU professor and Pivot co-host Scott Galloway talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Algebra of Happiness. In this episode: Galloway’s past books; why the new book is about happiness; don’t listen to people who say “follow your passion”; the number one piece of advice that older people give to younger people; the happiness you get from stuff vs. experience; social media addiction; how algorithms encourage outrage; the small things you can do to have meaningful relationships; how Galloway really defines “happiness”; why people who care for others live longer; the algebra of unhappiness; the importance of picking the right partner and taking risks; crying and mourning; will drugs be able to make us happy all the time?; and Kara’s plans for a viking funeral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

San Francisco Mayor London Breed talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at Manny's in the Mission District. In this episode: How does Breed feel about being mayor?; her biggest priority, the homelessness epidemic; how San Francisco has changed since her childhood; mental health reform; the public image of SF; civic irresponsibility and the "poop patrol"; affordable housing, NIMBYs and the Embarcadero homeless shelter; building housing near transit centers; how to remove delays on new construction; Breed’s relationship with the tech community; why she's still uneasy about the voter-approved big business tax, Proposition C; what she wants from Big Tech; the impact of Airbnb, Uber and scooters; could San Francisco go car-less?; how millennials in tech can make a difference; gun control; and does Breed want to run for governor or president? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, talks with four TED Fellows at the 2019 TED Conference in Vancouver. In this collection of mini-interviews, you'll hear from biologist Danielle Lee, space environmentalist Moriba Jah, astrophysicist Erika Hamden and Good Food Institute founder Bruce Friedrich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Angwin, the former editor-in-chief of The Markup, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live podcast recorded in Washington, DC. In this episode: How Angwin got into journalism; why weren’t people always angry about tech privacy?; ProPublica’s investigations into tech companies; the "ungovernable" tech giants; leaving ProPublica to co-found The Markup; Angwin’s co-founders, Jeff Larson and Sue Gardner; what the hell happened?; what part of it was Angwin’s fault?; the difference between being skeptical and negative; Larson’s Medium post and Craig Newmark’s reaction; is it easier to raise money for advocacy news?; media literacy for young people; "scientific journalism"; and what Angwin will do next. This special episode of Recode Decode with Kara Swisher was taped in front of a live audience at The LINE DC to celebrate Vox’s fifth anniversary. If you enjoyed it, we think you’ll also enjoy this live taping of The Weeds, and this special episode of The Ezra Klein Show featuring Vox’s co-founders Ezra Kl

WeCroak co-founder Hansa Bergwall talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his mobile app, which reminds users of death five times a day.  In this episode: Why thinking about death is good for you; how WeCroak got started; the “Emily Dickinson test”; why it’s called WeCroak; why Bergwall and his co-founder avoided ads and social media hooks; you’re going to die, but "do whatever you want” with that information; Steve Jobs’ speech about death; how the misguided ways we think about death affect our whole lives; Silicon Valley’s deluded attempts to cheat death; why almost every form of meditation can be “abused”; Kara’s favorite death quotes; and why WeCroak doesn’t talk about the afterlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Venture capitalist and prominent activist Freada Kapor Klein, the founder of Kapor Capital, talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about diversity in tech and impact investing. In this episode: In this episode: Kapor Klein’s background; her first forays into activism; why the term “sexual coercion” is more meaningful in the workplace than “sexual harassment”; holding managers accountable when they don’t live a company’s values; why did Kapor Klein and her husband Mitch Kapor become impact investors?; how to have values as a VC; being an Uber investor during the company’s discrimination scandal; how is Dara Khosrowshahi doing?; why the venture capital industry is “flunking” the diversity test; startups that widen inequality; the problem with how All Raise measures diversity; Kapor Klein’s publicly quiet supporters; what does impact investing really mean?; Bill McGlashan and the college admissions scandal; making college admissions more equitable; why Kapor Klein is optimistic about the world; and the 2020 preside

Ford CTO Ken Washington talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about AI and autonomous vehicles in this live interview recorded at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. In this episode: The current state of autonomous vehicles; where Ford is testing its self-driving cars and why it picked those cities; 3-D printing and other AI-enabled engineering tools; mapping the whole world, again; Ford’s history in self-driving and the DARPA challenge; the difference between a human car collision and an AI one; when will we see the first fully self-driving cars?; is Ford still a "car company?"; the medium- and long-term vision of AI-enabled vehicles; how AI could fix wrinkly seats (and make driving safer); the creepy side of AI; data privacy and ethics; how Ford works with the big tech companies getting into the car business; the weirdest, scariest, and coolest things Washington has seen from AI; the cool side of deepfakes; hovercrafts, VTOL vehicles and scooters; the impact of self-driving cars on jobs; and equity of access t

Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of public media as President Trump is trying to cut its federal funding. In this episode: How Kerger got to PBS 13 years ago; why running it is more like running a co-op than a normal company; the decline of local media; how public media is funded; bringing PBS into the digital age; why it’s backed off of Netflix in favor of competitors like Amazon; YouTube isn’t just a stepping-stone to TV; the commercial cable channels that gave up on PBS-style content; how important is broadcast for PBS’ future?; how it builds for mobile streaming; investigative journalism in VR; has content changed in the digital era?; kids’ shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; Trump’s proposal to close the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; why that would hurt rural communities the most; why PBS is not “liberal”; and where will PBS be in 20 years? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about breaking up Big Tech, immigration, hate speech, and more. In this episode: Foreign influence on the 2016 election; protecting future elections; Silicon Valley's days of self-regulation are "probably" numbered; state and federal privacy legislation; net neutrality; hate speech online and how "haters" make themselves victims; should Washington break up Big Tech?; Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act "could be a question mark and in jeopardy"; Democrats' relationship with tech; illegal immigration and startup founders; education and job automation; how Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez use Twitter; Trump's tweets "have cheapened the presidency"; the media's complicity; should there be no political ads on the internet?; and how Pelosi's coat became a meme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist David Wallace-Wells talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming. In this episode: How Wallace-Wells got to writing about climate change; common misconceptions about it; “we’ve made no progress at all” on clean energy use; his first story about global warming; the ripple effects and “all-encompassing threat” of warming around the world; today’s storms are literally unprecedented; why Silicon Valley has invested little into solutions; apocalypse bunkers and escaping to space; theoretical solutions on Earth that we could undertake right now; Bill Gates and Elon Musk; “we need a million solutions,” not one; the immediate political implications; how the US and China are contributing to the problem; “we’re not in this situation because of the Republican Party”; the problem with the Paris accords; and why technology won’t magically save us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI Now Institute founders Meredith Whittaker and Kate Crawford talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about artificial intelligence in this live interview recorded at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. In this episode: What is the AI Now Institute?; how "dirty data" can lead to faulty AI conclusions; how machine learning works; the “whack-a-mole” problem of biased search results; the politics of AI; diversity in computer science; what systems should not be run by humans?; Amazon's résumé-scanning AI failure; how the industry is trying to regulate itself and “ethics theater”; which federal agency should monitor AI in the US?; China’s creepy “social credit score”; the ways facial recognition and other invasions of privacy are creeping into the US, too; the Google walkout and protecting whistleblowers inside tech companies; and why Elon Musk is wrong about AI’s dangers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Valerie Jarrett, who was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward. In this episode: What Jarrett did in the Obama White House; her early childhood in Iran; why she became a lawyer, but gave up practicing law to get into politics; why Jarrett never ran for office herself, and what she looks for in the candidates she helps; the aftermath of the 2016 election; why today's Republicans are "delighted" when people don't vote; could the Obama administration have done anything differently?; Roseanne Barr's tweets and the big question: Can we "disagree without being disagreeable?"; why Jarrett joined the board of Lyft; why everyone has to vote, and the big topics for Democrats in 2020; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and what Jarrett has learned about finding her voice that she wants to pass on to others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices