Good Disruption, Episode 40: Flock Cameras

Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are ubiquitous across the United States, with Flock Safety representing 80% of market share. More than 120,000 cameras are deployed across 49 states, operating in thousands of communities and police departments. The technology isn’t new, but new models incorporate AI and connect across jurisdictions via a national network. What could go wrong?  Flock Safety is finding out. Yael and Mike dive into privacy, safety, and the ethical questions surrounding ALPRs with Daniel Graham, Associate Professor at the UVA School of Data Science and author of the bestselling cybersecurity book "Ethical Hacking”.  This episode has a bonus recommendation for a 1992 movie that touches on these topics and is a must watch.  Listen to find out more! Please subscribe and join us for new episodes of Good Disruption on the first Monday of each month.   Closing credits created using Revoicer.

The promise of AI agents to increase productivity has raised important questions about the future of work. But the potential threat of these agents goes beyond job loss. In July, OpenAI’s own agents broke out of the testing sandbox, made their way to the internet, and hacked Hugging Face. Since then, AI companies have been disclosing more events where agents conducted inappropriate behavior, such as leaving notes for each other to evade human detection. Does this mean AI agents are bad? Not necessarily. Yael and Mike talk with Gavin Aydelotte, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of SnowCrash Labs, about the importance of guardrails and alignment to ensure they can be agents for good. Please subscribe and join us for new episodes of Good Disruption on the first Monday of each month.   Closing credits created using Revoicer.    

Prediction markets are everywhere. From sports and elections to questions about interest rates, regulation, and the future of the economy. Even entertainment is getting into the game: now trading, the Big Brother Season 28 winner. After accurately predicting the 2024 U.S. presidential election, platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have surged in popularity, generating billions in trades. But their rise also raises important questions about gambling, insider trading, and perverse incentives. In this episode, Yael and Mike speak with prediction market expert Robin Hanson, an Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University, about how these markets work, who influences them, and what challenges lie ahead. Whether you’re a business leader, policymaker or simply curious, you won’t want to miss this one. Please subscribe and join us for new episodes of Good Disruption on the first Monday of each month.   Closing credits created using Revoicer.

The human brain is the most powerful network ever built: 86 billion neurons connected by more than 100 trillion synapses, enabling us to think, learn, and adapt. What happens when those connections break? Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) use sensors to translate brain signals into action, helping restore movement, communication, and independence by bypassing damaged neural pathways. Once the realm of science fiction, BCIs are now one of neurotechnology's most promising emerging fields. UVA Professor of Psychology and Quantitative Foundation Distinguished Professor of Data Science Jack Van Horn joins Yael and Mike to discuss how the brain works, the promise and caution around BCIs, and the hurdles ahead for this emerging tech.  

What's more American than watching a baseball game in the stands on a hot summer day? Well, one disruptor has put a new spin on the ball, creating their own mix of competitive baseball with carnival style entertainment that makes the fans part of the game instead of just spectators. It's called Banana Ball and the team that started it all is the Savannah Bananas. Jared Orton is the President of Banana Ball, and he joins Yael and Mike for a truly engaging conversation on the "Greatest Show in Sports".  

When you think of energy storage what comes to mind – batteries.  But what if you need to store 1 GW of power (roughly 700,000 homes) over days, weeks, or a whole season? This is increasingly becoming a reality with an electric grid stretched by data center demand. Your traditional Li-Ion battery won’t cut it. It will require large-scale systems built to store and discharge massive amounts of energy on demand.   Anna Siefken, Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage Council joins Mike and Yael for a conversation on Long Duration Energy Storage, or LDES, and why these technologies are the best chance we have to maintain grid stability in this time of growth. Thumbnail image created using Google Gemini AI.  

Yael and Mike talk with Faraj Aalaei, Founder and CEO of Cognichip about his 40-year journey from product engineer to successful entrepreneur. Just starting on your entrepreneurship journey – Faraj offers some great advice! Cognichip is revolutionizing semiconductor design through its innovative Artificial Chip Intelligence (ACI®) technology, aiming to make chip development faster, cheaper, and more accessible.

Mike and Yael kick off a new disruptor series with NBA legend Ralph Sampson (UVA '83).  Hard working and humble, Ralph shares his lessons for succeeding on and off the court.   Make sure to visit Ralph’s latest venture Milk and Honey for some Southern cuisine when you visit Charlottesville.

Chime, Venmo, Robinhood, Stripe – odds are you are using at least one of these Fintech apps. The reality is these companies won’t put companies like JP Morgan Chase out of business but in some pockets of the world, and with some customer segments, they are chipping away at market share. Some say traditional banking is ripe for disruption especially in the age if AI.  What might that look like and is your money safe?  Mike and Yael talk with Ian Appel, UVA Darden Associate Professor and Academic Director of Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management, about Fintech and the future of banking. Ian earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his recent work studies different types of institutional investors, corporate environmental behaviors, and governance in decentralized finance. Look for new episodes of Good Disruption on the first Monday of each month!

Mike and Yael catch up with Darden Professor Tim Laseter following his trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  From robots to beauty tech to smart glasses, the show features the latest in cutting edge new tech. What’s new, scalable, or hype?