On today's episode of Me, Myself, and AI, host Sam Ransbotham talks with Alice Xiang, global head of AI governance at Sony and lead research scientist for AI ethics at Sony AI, about what it actually takes to put responsible artificial intelligence into practice at scale. Alice shares how Sony moved early on AI ethics and why governance, not just principles, is now the real challenge as AI spreads across products and workflows. The conversation dives into FHIBE, Sony's publicly available and ethically sourced benchmark for evaluating bias in computer vision, and why measuring fairness is often harder than fixing it. Along the way, they tackle data consent, 'data nihilism,' and the very real risks of deploying biased systems in everyday and high-stakes contexts. As the global head of AI governance at Sony, Alice Xiang leads the team guiding the establishment of AI governance policies and governance frameworks across the company's business units. She's also the lead research scientist for AI ethics at Sony AI, which is working on cutting-edge sociotechnical research to enable the development of more responsible AI solutions. Xiang holds a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, a master's in development economics from Oxford University, and a master's in statistics and bachelor's in economics from Harvard University....
Charlie Warzel talks with Atlantic film critic David Sims about Netflix's strange, sweeping arc: from red DVD envelopes to a streaming colossus with 325 million subscribers. Sims explains how Hollywood initially shrugged off streaming as a novelty, only to watch Netflix reshape both distribution and the aesthetics and economics of entertainment itself. Together, they discuss the rise of binge culture, data-driven green-lighting, and the tension between prestige projects and 'second screen' slop built for distracted viewers. The conversation also examines Netflix's stance toward theaters, its aborted bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and the deeper question haunting the industry: Has Netflix simply exploited technological inevitabilities'or has it rewired our expectations of what movies and television are supposed to be' David Sims: When Hulu and HBO and all the other streamers start to crop up later in the game, it's kind of like: You have Netflix, and then maybe you try another one. But you're not gonna let go of Netflix. Netflix had just already won the war....
According to Cass, we are now allies. I am as willing to argue with my allies as with my opponents, perhaps more willing; allies are more likely to have enough in common with me to be willing to be listen to my arguments. Cass does not mention Coase, also a colleague of ours at the University of Chicago Law School and arguably a classical liberal, who would have agreed. He thought economists should spend more time looking at real world economic institutions in order to better understand them. As evidence for Coase's position, I learned quite a lot relevant to the economic analysis of law in the process of researching a book on real world legal systems, past and present. The criticism is a legitimate one but Cass, unlike Coase, is not in a good position to make it. One of the ideas he is known for is 'libertarian paternalism,' structuring the choices presented to people in a way that sets the default at what the choice architect believes they should choose while leaving them free to choose something else if they wish....
Unsurprisingly, considering her involvement in so many significant fintech deals, Sakach followed a fairly traditional path into finance. She started in the technology, media and telecom investment banking group at Goldman Sachs before moving into investing roles. Sakach began her investing career at TPG, focusing mainly on software and fintech businesses across buyouts and minority investments. Over time, she transitioned more toward growth and venture investing, joining Coatue in 2021. Crunchbase News recently spoke with Sakach to find out more about her investment thesis, her thoughts on what defines winning fintech and AI companies, how AI is affecting traditional software businesses, and how she determines what truly is a large opportunity. The best fintech companies share several characteristics: trust-based customer relationships because once customers trust a financial platform switching becomes difficult; expansion economics because over time, companies can upsell and cross-sell additional products; and a core infrastructure role, which allows them to become embedded in essential financial workflows....
