The Future of AI and The Nature of Consciousness

There are more potential moves on a Go board than there are atoms in the universe; the game is universally considered to be one of the most complex played by humans. And, yet, an AI computer program can play it perfectly. What does that mean for humanity? Terry Sejnowski is the Frances Crick Chair at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a Distinguished Professor at the University of San Diego, and author of the book “ChatGPT and The Future of AI.” Ricky Mulvey caught up with Sejnowski for a conversation about: - How chatbots work. - Mapping large neural models. - What a self-aware parrot can teach us about human consciousness. Premium Motley Fool members can catch replays from this week’s AI Summit here: https://www.fool.com/premium/4056/coverage/2025/01/15/ai-summit-replay To become a premium Motley Fool member, go to www.fool.com/signup Host: Ricky Mulvey Guest: Terrence Sejnowski Producer: Mary Long Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

170 million TikTok users in the U.S. might be up for sale. What are they worth? (00:42) Matt Argersinger and Bill Mann discuss: - The looming TikTok ban, why Apple and Google are the real gatekeepers, and what a standalone TikTok U.S. might look like. - Apple’s other problem in China: smartphone sales and rising competition from Huawei and Vivo. - Bank earnings showing 2024 was a stellar year for banks, and how the macro environment and policy outlook are settling them up for good times to continue in 2025. (19:03) Where will the stock market be at the end of 2025? Motley Fool co-Founder David Gardner and Ricky Mulvey have a guess and some guidance on how to keep the short-term noise out of the way of your long-term returns. Catch Ricky and David’s full conversation here: https://www.fool.com/podcasts/motley-fool-money/2025-01-11-david-gardner-the-case-for-rational/ (33:10) Matt and Bill break down two stocks on their radar: Invitation Homes and Duolingo. Stocks discussed: AAPL, GOOG, GOOGL, META, GS, MS, JPM, WFC, PM, INVH, DUOL. Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Bill Mann, Matt Argersinger, David Gardner, Ricky Mulvey Engineers: RIck Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2024 was a good – very good – year to be a bank. Wall Street thinks 2025 may be even better. (00:14) Matt Frankel and Mary Long break down big bank earnings. They also discuss: - Why comparisons to 2023 give banks more credit than they may deserve. - The split between JP Morgan’s investment banking and consumer businesses. - Growing interest in private credit markets. Then, (18:10), Kirsten Guerra joins to spotlight a data storage company that, while boring, is worth investors’ attention. Companies mentioned: JPM, MS, GS, WFC, PSTG, NVDA Host: Mary Long Guests: Matt Frankel, Kirsten Guerra Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abercrombie and Fitch and Lululemon’s strong holiday previews weren’t good enough to keep the market happy. But long-term both brands are on track. (00:14) Nick Sciple and Dylan Lewis discuss: - Why Wall Street wasn’t keen on strong holiday updates from Abercrombie and Fitch and Lululemon, and where these brands sit in their market opportunity. - Aritzia’s continued expansion into the U.S. and how the everyday luxury retailer is appealing to the key shopping demo. - The dominant theme in physical retail right now: in-store experiences matter, especially for Gen Z shoppers. (15:10) Asit Sharma and Mary Long discuss the changing reality for homeowners and insurers in light of increasingly common natural disasters. Companies discussed: ANF, LULU, ATZAF, ALL. Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Nick Sciple, Mary Long, Asit Sharma Engineers: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fights are unfolding for companies in two very different industries: Steel and social media. (00:21) Jason Moser and Mary Long discuss: - Why so many companies want in on U.S. Steel. - How to factor CEO personality into potential investments - TikTok’s potential buyers. Then, (15:47), Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp tackle the listener mailbag and answer your questions about finding flat-fee financial advisors, trimming in-the-red stocks, and more. Companies mentioned: X, NPSC.Y, CLF, NUE, META, GOOG, GOOGL, RIVN Host: Mary Long Guests: Jason Moser, Alison Southwick, Robert “Bro” Brokamp Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonos, Moderna, and Shake Shack are all staring at some near-term headwinds – can they work through them? (00:14) David Meier and Dylan Lewis discuss: - Why Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is on his way out, and how the company can restore its status as a premium brand in audio… and maybe more. - Moderna’s massive revenue adjustment, and how it highlights the company’s need to diversify revenue streams. - Shake Shack’s new plans to open up 1500 company-owned locations. (16:53) When an insider at an undervalued company starts buying a bunch of stock should you follow suit? Senior Fool analyst Alicia Alfiere and Ricky Mulvey, look at Progyny, the fertility benefits manager with a notable amount of recent insider activity. Companies discussed: SONO, MRNA, SHAK, PGNY Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: David Meier, Alicia Alfiere, Ricky Mulvey Producer: Mary Long Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t have to look far to find a lot to worry about. But, a long-term bet on negativity is a bet against history. David Gardner is a co-founder and Chief Rule Breaker at The Motley Fool. Ricky Mulvey caught up with David for a conversation about: - Why buying and holding works. - Rational optimism. - The future of space travel. Check out David’s weekly show Rule Breaker Investing at the link below, or wherever you listen to podcasts: https://www.fool.com/podcasts/rule-breaker-investing/ Companies discussed: NVDA, SPOT, AMC, META, RKLB Host: Ricky Mulvey Guest: David Gardner Producer: Mary Long Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney’s streaming numbers show ad-supported tiers are a hit with consumers, and Amazon takes aim at the approach that made Google’s ad business ubiquitous online. (00:39) Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss: - What the December Fed minutes, latest jobs numbers, and final holiday shopping figures say about the big picture. - The first look at Disney’s ad-supported streaming numbers, Amazon’s plans to come after Google’s ad turf, and Meta’s changes to its content moderation policies. (19:03) Dave Meyer – head of real estate investing at Bigger Pockets – talks Matt Argersinger through the state of real estate and the markets he’s watching in 2025. (33:43) Ron and Jason break down two stocks on their radar: Paylocity and Gannett. Listeners, you can become a member of Stock Advisor at Fool.com/signup Stocks discussed: DAL, DIS, META, GOOG, GOOGL, AMZN, ADBE, GCI, PCTY Host: Dylan Lewis Guests: Jason Moser, Ron Gross, Dave Meyer, Matt Argersinger Engineers: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Nvidia’s world, and we’re just living in it. (00:14) David Meier and Mary Long discuss Jensen Huang’s CES keynote, plus: - All “the cool stuff that’s coming,” from personal supercomputers to self-driving trucks and AI-rendered worlds. - The rollout of a digital workforce. - Why Wall Street shrugged at Nvidia’s announcements. Then, (16:09) Fool analyst Jason Moser joins for a closer look at PayPal, how the payments processor fell from recent highs, and why still-new CEO Alex Chriss is returning the company to what it does best. Companies mentioned: NVDA, PYPL Check out Think Fast, Talk Smart at: https://www.fastersmarter.io/ Host: Mary Long Guests: David Meier, Jason Moser Engineer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, Netflix reportedly spent more than $5 billion for a 10 year rights agreement with the WWE. Last night was the first chapter for viewers. (00:14) Nick Sciple and Ricky Mulvey discuss - The buzz around Monday Night Raw’s debut on Netflix. - What’s allowed in Tribal Combat and why wrestlers don’t respect the boundaries of an announcer's table. - The new “100% margin” opportunities for the WWE. - Why TKO Group Holdings is one of Nick’s largest personal stock investments. Then, (17:58) Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp discuss some fundamental ways to prepare your portfolio for 2025. Companies discussed: TKO, NFLX Sign up for Stock Advisor and access our members only podcast Stock Advisor Roundtable at www.fool.com/signup Host: “The Cincinnati Cobra” Ricky Mulvey Guests: “Cash Money” Nick Sciple, Alison “Swagger” Southwick, “Hulk Bro-gan” Robert Brokamp Producer: “The Virginia Kid” Mary Long Engineer: Rick “The Answer” Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices