Keen On

EPISODE 1641: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Michael Wooldridge, author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF AI, about the vast quantities of online data, especially social media content, that have trained ChatGPT to mimic human languageMichael John Wooldridge (born 26 August 1966) is a professor of computer science at the University of Oxford. His main research interests is in multi-agent systems, and in particular, in the computational theory aspects of rational action in systems composed of multiple self-interested agents.His work is characterised by the use of techniques from computational logic, game theory, and social choice theoryNamed as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO

EPISODE 1640: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the New York Times and Atlantic columnist Peter Wehner about why the 2024 election may present America with its greatest moral moment since the Civil WarPeter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum.His books include The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, which he co-wrote with Michael J. Gerson, and Wealth and Justice: The Morality of Democratic Capitalism. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of

EPISODE 1639: In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to the prolific futurist and tech critic, Douglas Rushkoff, about the false promises of social media and our need to engage with what he calls "reality reality"Named one of the “world’s ten most influential intellectuals” by MIT, Douglas Rushkoff is an author and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age. His twenty books include the just-published Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, as well as the recent Team Human, based on his podcast, and the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus. He also made the PBS Frontline documentaries Generation Like, The Persuaders, and Merchants of Cool. His book Coercion won the Marshall McLuhan Award, and the Media Ecology Association honored him with the first Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. Rushkoff’s work explores how different technological environments change

EPISODE 1638: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Tobias Rose-Stockwell, author of OUTRAGE MACHINE, about the checkered history of social mediaTobias Rose-Stockwell is a writer, designer, technologist and media researcher whose work has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED, NPR, the BBC, and on CNN. He is the author of the upcoming book Outrage Machine, which forcefully unpacks social media's influence on news, discourse and democracy. His research has been cited in the adoption of major interventions to reduce toxicity and polarization within tech platforms. He previously ran humanitarian projects in Southeast Asia focused on civil-war reconstruction efforts. He spent six years in Cambodia rebuilding communities overcome by violent conflict, work for which he was honored with an award from the 14th Dalai Lama. He lives in New York City.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON,

EPISODE 1637: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith describes a near apocalypse for Silicon Valley billion dollar valued start-ups ("unicorns") and the impact of this meltdown on the broader innovation economyKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and

EPISODE 1636: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Brooke Kroeger, author of UNDAUNTED, about how fearless women like Ida Wells, Martha Gellhorn and Joan Didion changed American journalismBrooke Kroeger is a journalist, professor emerita at NYU, and the author of six books, the latest of which is Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism, published by A.A. Knopf in May 2023. It explores how women have fared in American journalism’s most competitive and highly valued bastions, the ones men have dominated in the 180 years since mass media began. Her earlier books are Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist (1994, an NPR Best Books of the Year); Fannie: The Talent for Success of Writer Fannie Hurst (1998, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Books of the Year); Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are (2003, a Post-Dispatch Best Books of the Year); Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception (2012, finalist, Frank Luther Mott/Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award of the American Journalism Historians Associat

EPISODE 1634: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Aryeh Lightstone, author of LET MY PEOPLE KNOW, about what he believes was the "incredible story of Middle East peace" reflected by the 2020 deal between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab EmiratesARYEH LIGHTSTONE served as the Senior Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman from 2017 to 2021. He played a critical role in advancing bilateral U.S.-Israel relations with a focus on 5G implementation, infrastructure expansion, and economic development. Further, he was instrumental in facilitating the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem as well as its successful merger with the Jerusalem Consulate. Also, he was on the Peace to Prosperity team, led the inaugural Abraham Accord Business Summit, directed the Abraham Fund, and was the point person in the Middle East for the actualization of the Abraham Accords. Prior to joining the State Department in 2017, Lightstone worked as an educator, rabbi, management professional, entrepreneur, and issue a

EPISODE 1634: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick, prolific on social media as @TheBookMaven, about her memories of Twitter's glory years and what she calls the "dopamine hangover" after 2012Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital tec

EPISODE 1633: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Luke Nichter, author of THE YEAR THAT BROKE POLITICS, about 1968, the last year American politics got broken by economic, political and cultural upheavalLuke Nichter holds the H. Cavanaugh Endowed Chair in Presidential Studies at Chapman University. His area of specialty is the Cold War, the modern presidency, and U.S. political and diplomatic history, with a focus on the "long 1960s" from John F. Kennedy through Watergate. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Massachusetts Historical Society, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan's Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford's Rothermere American Institute, and a Hansard Research Scholar at the London School of Economics. He is a New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books, including, most recently, The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presi

EPISODE 1632: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Celeste Marcus, Managing Editor of Liberties Quarterly, about Greta Gerwig's complete failure  in BARBIE to make a serious movie about womenCeleste Marcus is the managing editor of Liberties. She is writing a biography of Chaim SoutineNamed as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1631: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jaroslav Anders, author of the Liberties essay "An Open Letter to an Enemy of Liberalism in my Native Land",  about why, in his opinion, so many smart people are turning against democracyJaroslaw Anders is a writer and translator specializing in Eastern European literature. He is the author of Between Fire and Sleep: Essays on Modern Polish Poetry and Prose. (June 2021)Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with ot

EPISODE 1630: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Laura Warrell, author of SWEET, SOFT, PLENTY RHYTHM, about writing, jazz, romance and whether novels are really schools for educating their  readers about love. LAURA WARRELL is a contributor to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Tin House Summer Workshop, and is a graduate of the creative writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has appeared in HuffPost, The Rumpus, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other publications. She has taught creative writing and literature at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and through the Emerging Voices Fellowship at PEN America in Los Angeles, where she lives.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITA

EPISODE 1629: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to MAIDENS OF THE CAVE author Lloyd Devereux Richards and his daughter Marguerite about the TikTok video that catapulted him from an unknown author to an overnight internet sensationLloyd Devereux Richards was born in New York City and traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and Central America before attending law school. He previously served as a senior law clerk for an Indiana Court of Appeals judge, researching and writing drafts for dozens of published opinions, including the appeal of a serial killer sentenced to death. A father of three, he lives with his wife, Cameron O’Connor, and their two dogs in Montpelier, Vermont. This is his second novel, after Stone Maidens. Marguerite Richards, a former teacher, also lives in Montpelier, Vermont.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix

EPISODE 1628: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to David Kamp, author of NATURE, DESIGN, AND HEALTH about How our despair about the environment should Be "clarifying" and why the job of the landscape architect is to make us intimate with natureDavid Kamp, FASLA, is the founding principal of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture, PC. His forty-year career involving practice, teaching, writing, and advocacy has been dedicated to promoting health through design with nature. A Harvard Loeb Fellow, MacDowell Colony Fellow, and member of the National Academy of Design, Kamp has been internationally recognized through awards, publications, and documentaries.  His latest book is NATURE, DESIGN AND HEALTH: EXPLORATIONS OF A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT (2023)Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient b

EPISODE 1627:  In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Miles Johnson, the author of CHASING SHADOWS, about a true story of drugs, war and the secret world of international crimeMiles Johnson is an investigative reporter for the FT. In over a decade working at the FT he has previously held roles as Rome Correspondent, Capital Markets Editor, Investment Editor and Hedge Fund Correspondent in London. He has also reported on the European debt crisis as Madrid Correspondent and on finance from New York. He is the author of CHASING SHADOWS:  A TRUE STORY OF DRUGS, WAR AND INTERNATIONAL CRIME (2023)Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Fra

EPISODE 1626: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith explains the  connection between the rise in the price of money and the viability of the traditional tech investment ecosystemKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to p

EPISODE 1625: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the LA Times book critic, Bethanne Patrick, who recommends five of the most interesting books published this weekBethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO

EPISODE 1624:  In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THE SLIP, Prudence Peiffer, about Coenties Slip, an obscure street on the lower tip of Manhattan and the remarkable modern artists who got their start therePrudence Peiffer is an art historian, writer, and editor, specializing in modern and contemporary art. She is Managing Editor of the Creative Team at MoMA, New York. She received her PhD from Harvard University. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University, she  was a SeniorEditor at Artforum magazine from 2012-2017, and Digital Content Director at David Zwirner in 2018. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, New York Review of Books, Artforum, and Bookforum, among other publications.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about di

EPISODE 1623: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Warren Zanes, author of DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE,  about the significance of the 1982 album both in Springsteen's career and the history of rock 'n rollWarren Zanes is the New York Times bestselling author of Petty: The Biography.  As a member of the Del Fuegos, he has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, and continues to write and record music. Zanes holds a PhD in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester and presently teaches at New York University. He is a Grammy-nominated producer of the PBS series Soundbreaking and was a consulting producer on the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. Zane’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone and the Oxford American, and he has served as a vice president at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-run

EPISODE 1622: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Tom Holm, the author of IRA HAYES, about the Akimel O'odham Warrior, World War II, and the Price of HeroismTom Holm is a professor emeritus of American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona. Professor Holm has published over fifty articles, books, pamphlets, government reports, book reviews and essays, editorials, and book chapters.  An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation with Muskogee Creek ancestry, Holm has served on numerous Native American organization boards, panels, and working groups.  He is a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War and has taken part in several programs dealing with veterans' affairs.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO,