How AI Is Creating a World Without Choices & How to Fight Back w/ JACOB WARD - Highlights

We’re undergoing a massive upgrade moment. This conversation focuses on one of the most immediate and profound challenges to humanity: the ways technology is engineered to exploit our vulnerabilities and slowly erase our ability to make original, conscious choices. Our guest is Jacob Ward, a journalist who has spent over 20 years covering the breakthroughs and powerful forces that determine the course of history. Jacob is a Reporter-in-Residence at The Omidyar Network and the founding editor and host of The Rip Current, a newsletter and podcast that examines technology, politics, and the fight to protect the future.He’s the author of the book, The Loop: How AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. He served as the editor-in-chief of Popular Science and was a correspondent for NBC, The TODAY Show, and Al Jazeera. His PBS documentary series, Hacking Your Mindpredicted the rise of Donald Trump. We discussed creativity in the age of AI, the importance of emotional and intuitive intelligence, and the need to reclaim the aspects of life—like connection and nature—that algorithms cannot commodify.“As a worried parent of teenagers, I'm caught between wanting regulation because, right now in the United States, there are no data privacy laws and no regulation whatsoever. So, I definitely want something, but do I want a random four-year executive making those choices? Do I want it to be as top-down a system of control as China has implemented? I don't think so, but there's something in between no rules, which is what we are currently living in, and the rules that are out there in the world.”Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“Civilization is really a very new and very glitchy thing. If you talk to evolutionary psychologists and people who've looked at how our brains have developed over hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years, they'll tell you that our sense of wonder and creativity, as well as our ability to be cautious and rational, and to trust people we've never met to govern us, all of that kind of stuff—the vast majority of our decision-making actually rests on a much older, much more ancient system. We are so much more like primates than we like to think. Certainly, that's been the lesson of the last sort of 50 years of behavioral science.My worry with AI, of course, is that as we automate decision-making more and more, we use automated systems not only to entertain ourselves but to decide who gets a job, who gets a loan, and who gets bail. I worry that we're going to be in a position in 20 years where we don't have the internal compass we once did. We may have slid away from that higher human functioning—the creativity, the rationality, and all that stuff—and back toward a more primitive version of ourselves, because that's the part that gets played on by this kind of technology. And that's how all these companies wind up making money.”We’re undergoing a massive upgrade moment. This conversation focuses on one of the most immediate and profound challenges to humanity: the ways technology is engineered to exploit our vulnerabilities and slowly erase our ability to make original, conscious choices. Our guest is Jacob Ward, a journalist who has spent over 20 years covering the breakthroughs and powerful forces that determine the course of history. Jacob is a Reporter-in-Residence atThe Omidyar Networkand the founding editor and host of The Rip Current, a newsletter and podcast that examines technology, politics, and the fight to protect the future.He’s the author of the book, The Loop: How AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. He served as the editor-in-chief of Popular Science and was a correspondent for NBC, The TODAY Show, and Al Jazeera. His PBS documentary series, Hacking Your Mind,predicted the rise of Donald Trump. We discussed creativity in the age of AI, the importance of emotional and intuitive intelligence, and the need to reclaim the aspects of life—like connection and nature—that algorithms cannot commodify.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“People today are so used to Basquiat's prices being extraordinarily high and rising that it's almost hard for people to understand that wasn't always the case. In the year he died, 1988, a terrific painting by Basquiat might have sold for $30,000. Relative to his other artistic peers, like a great Julian Schnabel painting that cost $800,000. After Basquiat died, some speculative capital entered his market, and his prices did pop, but in the early 1990s, his prices fell apart, and for much of the first half of the 1990s, his work was selling for 80% off what it had been selling before. Auction houses didn't want to include him in their auctions. There was a really good chance he was going to be remembered, but certainly not become a great star. Three key figures believed in him and proceeded to buy almost every available Basquiat in the first half of the 1990s. They were also just passionate believers in his work. But for those three people, it would have taken much longer for Basquiat to achieve acclaim, if ever.”Today, we’re joined by someone uniquely positioned to unpack the art world’s inner workings and to help us understand one of its most mythic figures — Jean-Michel Basquiat. Doug Woodham is the author of the new biography, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon, the first major life study of Basquiat in over twenty-five years. Drawing on more than a hundred interviews — from family and friends to collectors and curators — Doug traces the rise, fall, and resurrection of an artist who redefined what it means to be a cultural icon. Before turning to writing, Doug served as President of the Americas for Christie’s, one of the world’s leading auction houses. That role gave him an insider’s perspective on how value is created — and mythologized — in the modern art market. In this conversation, we’ll explore not just the man behind the legend, but the powerful machinery that turned Jean-Michel Basquiat into one of the most recognized and commercially successful artists in the world.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Doug Woodham and Thames & Hudson. For image credits, see Episode Website.

“All of the great artists are there for a reason: because they rebelled in some way. They created a visual vocabulary that felt fresh and new, which excited people. So, the great artists are not built on sort of anthills of sand. They're built on things of substance and of meaning. Though this is not a sufficient condition to become an icon, it's a necessary but not sufficient condition. I think you have to have an interesting and vivid personality or personal narrative that makes you interesting for people to talk about and want to learn about. I think you also have to have a support network of galleries, curators, and collectors who are excited about your work and want to push it forward, not wanting it to be forgotten. Basquiat's visual vocabulary is distinctive and stands out relative to what was being done in the 1980s. That's the sort of strong hill on which his reputation is built. Basquiat benefited from being the first black artist of note who got pushed forward. As in many things, the first benefits.”Today, we’re joined by someone uniquely positioned to unpack the art world’s inner workings and to help us understand one of its most mythic figures — Jean-Michel Basquiat. Doug Woodham is the author of the new biography, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon, the first major life study of Basquiat in over twenty-five years. Drawing on more than a hundred interviews — from family and friends to collectors and curators — Doug traces the rise, fall, and resurrection of an artist who redefined what it means to be a cultural icon. Before turning to writing, Doug served as President of the Americas for Christie’s, one of the world’s leading auction houses. That role gave him an insider’s perspective on how value is created — and mythologized — in the modern art market. In this conversation, we’ll explore not just the man behind the legend, but the powerful machinery that turned Jean-Michel Basquiat into one of the most recognized and commercially successful artists in the world.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“I grew up in colonial Hong Kong, where we were not taught about Chinese culture. When I went back to China, I thought the art in the West was superior to the Chinese, not understanding the Chinese culture. I remember when I first went to China, I told people I'm a Hong Kongese. I'm not Chinese. It took me ten years to go back and tell people that I'm Chinese because then I started to be very proud of Chinese culture. The first exhibition I mounted, during the process, made me feel completely alive again. Every cell in my body became so exhilarated. I knew this is what I should be doing, and this is what I want. I was very lucky because I then realized my passion. Before that, I didn't know what I wanted to do. At that moment, I knew this is what I wanted to do in my life. I think art is about communication; it's about exchange. I believe it's very important that we have different voices that talk about different things.”My guest today is Pearl Lam, and if you follow the international art market, you know her name. She is a collector-turned-gallerist who has made it her life's mission to challenge our assumptions about what constitutes contemporary art, especially between Asia and the West. But her journey began in a very personal place: a fierce independence that saw her defying her family to pursue art and immersing herself in Shanghai in the early 90s, where she had to shed her own 'West is Best' colonial mindset. She became captivated by abstract art and artists whose work was embedded in ancient philosophies like Daoism and Buddhism—a tradition extending back thousands of years. Now, through Pearl Lam Galleries and her own podcast. where she expands her dialogue on creativity, the art market, and the world. She continues to champion her belief in art that transcends borders. We're going to talk about what it takes to have the instinct of a visionary in a constantly changing market, and why she believes the art of real conversation is so critical today.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast@pearltheworld@pearllamgalleries

“Today, the world is very divided, lots of fractures. It is the time for art and culture to come into play because art is about soft power. If we want to resolve misunderstandings, art is the best, best, best way to communicate. So use this.”My guest today is Pearl Lam, and if you follow the international art market, you know her name. She is a collector-turned-gallerist who has made it her life's mission to challenge our assumptions about what constitutes contemporary art, especially between Asia and the West. But her journey began in a very personal place: a fierce independence that saw her defying her family to pursue art and immersing herself in Shanghai in the early 90s, where she had to shed her own 'West is Best' colonial mindset. She became captivated by abstract art and artists whose work was embedded in ancient philosophies like Daoism and Buddhism—a tradition extending back thousands of years. Now, through Pearl Lam Galleries and her own podcast. where she expands her dialogue on creativity, the art market, and the world. She continues to champion her belief in art that transcends borders. We're going to talk about what it takes to have the instinct of a visionary in a constantly changing market, and why she believes the art of real conversation is so critical today.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInsta :@creativeprocesspodcast@pearltheworld@pearllamgalleries

“We're at times where a lot of the arts are really suffering in multiple countries with funding and cost of living. Understandably, people come for the arts, but our job is at times to hold a mirror to society. We can learn a huge amount. It can really change everyone's perspective. So look, it could be escapism, and we all need that at times, but it also can have something that fundamentally can't be enacted just through journalism at times. I think when you dramatize something, it can reach the very core of an audience.”Today, we'll be talking about the intense emotional toll of modern life, and how the deepest secrets often hide behind the most polished facades. My guests have dedicated their careers to crafting psychological dramas. Nigel Marchant is the Managing Director and an Executive Producer at Carnival Films, the powerhouse behind some of television's most beloved and intricate dramas, from Downton Abbey to the television adaptation of The Day of Jackal. Megan Gallagheris a writer who understands the delicate mechanics of suspense and the human heart. She created and wrote the critically acclaimed series Borderliner, and most recently, the BBC thriller Wolf.They’ve joined forces for the new limited series, All Her Fault (now streaming on Peacock). It’s an anxiety-inducing thriller adapted from Andrea Mara's novel and the show plunges us into the frantic world of a wealthy working mother, Marissa Irvine, after her five-year-old son disappears. Starring Sarah Snook in her first television role since Succession, the series starts with a rupture when Marissa’s son Milo is kidnapped and ripples into many lives, exploring momshaming, the guilt, blame, and sacrifice of motherhood. And what happens when domestic bliss turns to domestic misery.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast@carnivalfilms X: @carnival_films Facebook: Carnival Films

“The people that we choose to love and the ones we choose to rely on and trust… Marissa and Jenny's relationship and that female friendship, that's what we watch happen in the series in real time. Whereas the marriages and the relationships that they're already in maybe aren't so perfect, the one we watch them choose is the one that's rewarding. It's so nice to listen to people's reactions to that relationship and how real that relationship feels. These two women, from a character perspective, have every reason to not get along or to hate each other or to yell at each other. That's the opposite of what each one of them does, and that just feels true and honest. I know a lot of women who I feel would act that way, be the best version of themselves in such an awful situation.”Today, we'll be talking about the intense emotional toll of modern life, and how the deepest secrets often hide behind the most polished facades. My guests have dedicated their careers to crafting psychological dramas. Nigel Marchant is the Managing Director and an Executive Producer at Carnival Films, the powerhouse behind some of television's most beloved and intricate dramas, from Downton Abbey to the television adaptation of The Day of Jackal. Megan Gallagher is a writer who understands the delicate mechanics of suspense and the human heart. She created and wrote the critically acclaimed series Borderliner, and most recently, the BBC thriller Wolf.They’ve joined forces for the new limited series, All Her Fault (now streaming on Peacock). It’s an anxiety-inducing thriller adapted from Andrea Mara's novel and the show plunges us into the frantic world of a wealthy working mother, Marissa Irvine, after her five-year-old son disappears. Starring Sarah Snook in her first television role since Succession, the series starts with a rupture when Marissa’s son Milo is kidnapped and ripples into many lives, exploring momshaming, the guilt, blame, and sacrifice of motherhood. And what happens when domestic bliss turns to domestic misery.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast@carnivalfilms X: @carnival_films Facebook: Carnival Films

“How do you render something interior filmically? How do you communicate the details of the lost child, of the amount of time of the stuck creative process, and even the exterior, or the externalization of the house as a kind of hellish thing that's barely staying together—literally flooding with waste—and that you can't afford? So those are the details that we had to carefully figure out how to weave. But, you know, when you look at the first 10 minutes, it could be a horror movie. From that moment, a lot can happen. But what's important about it is that it sets the table for what does happen.” -Howard GordonToday, we explore the dark psychology of obsession, guilt, and the thin line between predator and victim. Our guests are two of television's most accomplished architects of high-stakes drama and moral ambiguity: Howard Gordon, the showrunner and executive producer whose work defined a generation of thrillers with 24 and the multi-award-winning Homeland; and Daniel Pearle, an executive producer and writer who brings a distinct, penetrating depth from his background as a celebrated playwright and his work on series like Accused and American Crime Story.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“And I think there's also just something about an unfettered or uncensored id that is so captivating. We all have that fantasy of doing exactly what we want with no consequences and sort of letting that go. I think when you see an athlete at the peak of their game, doing that embodied thing and living that dream, or when someone has actually done horrible things that you would never allow yourself to do, there is a fascination there. I had one teacher who said, "Anyone who drives you crazy or that you just cannot stand in life, put them in a play or put them in a scene, and the audience will love them." If someone has really gotten under your skin and you just cannot stand them, and you have a visceral reaction—like, "I just hate this person"—make them a character, and the audience will make them everyone's favorite character. There is something to that.”Today, we explore the dark psychology of obsession, guilt, and the thin line between predator and victim. Our guests are two of television's most accomplished architects of high-stakes drama and moral ambiguity: Howard Gordon, the showrunner and executive producer whose work defined a generation of thrillers with 24 and the multi-award-winning Homeland; and Daniel Pearle, an executive producer and writer who brings a distinct, penetrating depth from his background as a celebrated playwright and his work on series like Accused and American Crime Story..Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast