Hosts Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss host U.K-based Bloomberg Opinion columnist Parmy Olson in an eye-opening discussion of her new book, "Supremacy AI: ChatGPT and the Race that Will Change the World." Parmy explains the history of the intense rivalry between Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of DeepMind—two of the earliest AI innovators—as they compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence and our world as we know it. This episode offers a thought-provoking look at the intersection of technology, ethics, and regulation, with Parmy urging listeners to consider both the potential and the pitfalls of AI in our society.

The conversation also explores some of the ethical challenges with AI, including how OpenAI and DeepMind's alignment with tech giants like Microsoft and Google, respectively, has compromised their original nonprofit ideals. Parmy explains the dominance of big tech companies in AI research and development, and the challenges this poses for smaller startups and independent academic research. She also emphasizes the critical need for unbiased data in AI models and advocates for stronger regulations to guide AI's development, highlighting the significant influence of big tech on this rapidly evolving field.

“That's where I see generative AI going is that, maybe it won't displace as many people as we think. It will just create a lot more noise in our information ecosystem. We're just going to have to get better at filtering it out.” —Parmy Olson

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Parmy Olson:

Parmy Olson is a technology columnist with Bloomberg covering artificial intelligence, social media and technology regulation. She’s been writing about the growth of AI systems since around 2016, when she worked in Silicon Valley as a reporter for Forbes and covered the early rise of chatbot technology. She continued covering AI as a tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal, publishing multiple exclusive stories and investigations on surveillance, facial recognition and Google’s AI work, including an investigation into how Google stifled DeepMind’s secret efforts to spin out as a non-profit organization to protect its AI from corporate interests.

Parmy has received two honourable mentions for the SABEW business journalism awards for her reporting on Facebook and WhatsApp, and was the first recipient of the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Cannon Awards for her book “We Are Anonymous.” She was also named by Business Insider as one the "Top 100 People in UK Tech" in 2019 and was described as “tech journalism’s deep diver.” Parmy was recently nominated as Digital Journalist of the Year 2023 by PRCA, the world’s largest PR professional body.

Resources:

• We Are Anonymous by Parmy Olson
• Supremacy: AI, Chat GPT, and the Race that Will Change the World by Parmy Olson
• Chat GPT
• Google DeepMind

–

Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:

Becky Buckman hosts David Krane, CEO and Managing Partner of the venture capital firm GV, formerly known as Google Ventures, for a discussion about the importance of thoughtful communications in the launch of any new tech company. Despite the tectonic changes in the media landscape, great comms still neesd to come directly from the founder, in his or her authentic voice, according to David. He should know: David formerly led Google’s global communications and public affairs group and served on the company’s senior leadership team before moving to GV. His insights demonstrate how useful his “Act One” career was to his success in “Act Two,” when he moved into venture capital. Storytelling has never been more important to a company’s success, and David explains why.

David goes into detail about the importance of what he calls the “Hello, world” moment for any new enterprise: The moment a founder explains “Here’s who we are, and here’s why you should care.” He talks through his experience helping iconic companies like Nest manage these moments and offers advice for founders navigating their own launches. Finally, David offers anecdotes from his days in Google’s comms and public affairs group, when he lured reporters to the Google cafeteria to celebrate the launch of the company’s first international interfaces (with international breakfasts!), and also the broader importance of internal communications to companies today. Keeping focus on the mission and purpose of a company internally is expensive but vital, according to David. David shares his comms and storytelling wisdom with the companies in which GV invests today.

“When the product kicks ass, the story kicks ass.” - David Krane

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About David Krane:

David is the CEO & managing partner at GV and oversees the fund’s global activities. He invests in a wide range of technology companies including Uber, StockX, Nest, and Blue Bottle Coffee. David’s Google career began more than 20 years ago, as director of Global Communications and Public Affairs. In this role, David served as a member of the senior leadership team to grow Google from a small startup to a multibillion-dollar global enterprise.

David’s prior career experience spanned both startup and public companies, including Apple, QUALCOMM, Four11 (now Yahoo! Mail), and two computer security software developers.

David is also on the board of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM), a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO), and a long-time advisor to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. David received his Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Indiana University Bloomington. As a proud Hoosier alumnus, he has served on the Dean’s advisory board for the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. David resides in the Bay Area with his wife, three children, and their two labradoodles.

—

Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:

• Rebecca on LinkedIn
• Rebecca on X
• Keyana on Linkedin
• Keyana on X

Contact David...

Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome veteran technology-comms executive and founder of communications coaching practice poseycorp, Lisa Poulson, to the show. Lisa shares stories and insight from decades of work in the comms industry, weighing in on issues like getting nerdy engineers to stay on message; how much interview prep is too much prep; and how the current AI boom, PR-wise, is similar to the dawn on the Internet. Join Keyana and Becky as they learn about everything from executive “Simba moments” to “the river of money”--the key to getting reporters to actually cover your news–from Lisa.

Lisa Poulson likens today’s tech-PR landscape to the period between 1995 to 2008, when the Internet first came on the scene and software like Java fundamentally changed how people could work and live online. But now, as then, most reporters aren’t as interested in technology products as they are about how those products will make or lose companies money and impact the overall market. Lisa offers tips for getting executives to relay those higher-level, market-oriented messages in interviews–and finding alternate communications outlets (whitepapers, podcasts) for those who can’t. She says many PR pros over-coach their executives and give them overly long briefing documents that they’ll never read, which is why it’s important to keep it brief and coach executives on a handful of pithy sound bites. Lisa admires executives like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai for their communications discipline, and in this humorous and detailed episode, she has lots of advice for helping your spokespeople refine their PR skills as well.

“But you know what I would say to a certain person, depending on how old they are and how sophisticated they are, I would say, look, the only reason people cared to write about Java, it wasn't because it was an object-oriented programming language, it's because it blew up Microsoft's monopoly in software. It was not a technology story. It was a business story. Because it changed where money was being spent. … and right now with generative AI, what are half the stories about? Who's going to lose jobs. What new companies are going to be incredibly successful every time Anthropic gets more money thrown at them out of a t-shirt cannon by Amazon or Google, that's a news story. So the money is what matters.” - Lisa Poulson

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Lisa Poulson:

Lisa Poulson, poseycorp’s principal, helps innovators scale by becoming great communicators, because great communicators create the change they want to see in the world.

Lisa, who has shepherded fundamental innovations from the incubator to the global stage, loves working with leaders who must scale fast and publicly. With incisive, actionable advice, she will help you build the skills to connect, persuade and lead. Because every effective leader must become a great communicator.

Lisa pairs the principles and practices of executive coaching with 30 years of experience in technology communications – a rare and powerful combination. Lisa brings empathy, candor, vision and grit to helping her clients become effective leader/communicators and fluent evangelists.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• The River of Money by Lisa Poulson

—

Contact Rebecca Buckman...

Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome Stanford University School of Business lecturer, communications expert, and author Matt Abrahams to Just Checking In. Host of the podcast ‘Think Fast, Talk Smart’, Matt Abrahams just released his new book, “Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot”. In the business world, communication doesn’t just happen in planned presentations and pitches, but also in spontaneous interaction, and Matt holds the keys for unlocking that ability in everyone.

The first barriers speakers need to overcome are anxiety and mindset, which Matt assures listeners is not as daunting as it sounds. It’s the little steps that count towards making us comfortable in the moment. Matt shares one of his warm-up tongue twisters with Keyana before emphasizing that internal-facing communication is just as important as the external speaking we constantly prepare for. From lessons imparted by a Lego executive to the wins Matt has seen companies achieve with communication guidance, this episode reveals the key takeaways that communications professionals should adopt for greater success.

“Many of us feel threatened when we're put on the spot and that makes us defensive. We get tighter, our answers are shorter, our tone is more curt. Yet if we see [speaking situations] as opportunities, it fundamentally changes the way we interact. It actually brings us forward. We're more big in our body posture and our gestures. Our answers are more in-depth and our tone is more collaborative.” Matt Abrahams

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Matt Abrahams:

Matt Abrahams is a leading expert in communication with decades of experience as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. As a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, he teaches popular classes in strategic communication and effective virtual presenting. He received Stanford GSB’s Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his teaching students around the world.

When he isn’t teaching, Matt is a sought-after keynote speaker and communication consultant. He has helped countless presenters improve and hone their communication, including some who have delivered IPO road shows as well as TED, World Economic Forum, and Nobel Prize presentations. His online talks garner millions of views and he hosts the popular, award-winning podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast. He is the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot. His previous book Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting has helped thousands of people manage speaking anxiety and present more confidently and authentically.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Think Fast, Talk Smart the Podcast
• “Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot” by Matt Abrahams
• “Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50...

Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman host Mixing Board member and Axios journalist Eleanor Hawkins in today’s episode for a conversation on getting the comms perspective in news reporting. Eleanor worked as the senior director of corporate communications for PBS in Washington prior to arriving at Axios, and previously worked in politics as a press secretary. Eleanor, who authors the weekly Axios Communications Newsletter, also discusses Axios’s unusual journalism model and the impact AI could have on both comms and reporting.

Becky Buckman points out that journalists frequently go into comms, but it’s rare for comms pros to go into journalism. Eleanor’s career pivot highlights Axios’s larger strategy of teaching subject-matter experts across fields how to be journalists. Eleanor writes in real-time, working to get comms people behind stories to speak about a story’s impact–which isn’t easy, given comms pros’ traditional role behind the scenes. Discussing topics ranging from AI to the future of online events to the value of old-fashioned press releases, Keyana and Becky leverage their combined knowledge of comms and journalism to get Eleanor talking.

“I try to do like real-time case studies of what's going on and how it impacts the business and kind of how they're responding to it. And sometimes it can be really tricky to get people to peel back the curtain and talk to you about it. … that's been surprising because I thought for sure comms people would love to be on stage and love to see their name. But then I immediately think back to my own experience and it was like if my name was ever in a news story, something went wrong, right? … you should not be quoted, there should be no fingerprints. So I'm navigating that on the other side of things, which has been really interesting.” - Eleanor Hawkins

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Eleanor Hawkins:

Eleanor Hawkins is a communications strategist and writer at Axios. She authors the weekly Axios Communicators newsletter and covers topics and trends that impact how leaders, brands and employers communicate.

—

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Sara Fischer at Axios
• Edelman’s 2023 Future of Corporate Communications Study
• Axios Pro

—

Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:

• Rebecca on LinkedIn
• Rebecca on X
• Keyana on Linkedin
• Keyana on X

Contact Eleanor Hawkins:

• LinkedIn
• Mixing Board

Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome Mosheh Oinounou, an Emmy, Murrow, and Webby award-winning producer who led teams at Fox News, Bloomberg, CNBC, and CBS before launching Mo News, a groundbreaking new online news service. Mosheh launched Mo News as a way to keep family and friends informed about the pandemic on Instagram, and it quickly exploded into a pioneering go-to site for nonpartisan news mainly delivered via social media, newsletters and podcasts. He talks with Keyana and Becky about the state of news, digital media, and even the Jonas Brothers in today’s episode.

Mosheh feels Mo News is carving out a unique, non-partisan path as journalism has evolved and cable news has become increasingly politicized. His audience, mainly on Instagram, also skews younger–a sharp contrast with the aging audience of television news. He says he’s “going where the people are.” Mosheh, Keyana and Becky also discuss the problem of “news deserts” across the U.S. as most news becomes nationalized and Washington-centric. This means most people find it harder than ever to get quality information about local topics that affect them directly, ranging from city councils to school boards to environmental issues. Mosheh’s news model is becoming increasingly high-profile; he was recently invited to Washington as part of a contingent of new-media figures to interview U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken.

Mosheh speaks at length about why news has become so politicized:

“I think the problem that we've encountered in social media and frankly, now, unfortunately, in the real world is people live in bubbles. Literally, people are moving away from areas so they don't have to talk to people who disagree with them politically. You see this among Gen Zers who, like, they won't even have a college roommate who they disagree with politically anymore. They can't stand it. Frankly, you see it more on the left than the right… if you look at the survey data. Either way, you know, people… on social media, see something, oh, what do you mean my side is losing? And everything is turned into, you know, for and against with no shades of gray.” Mosheh Oinounou

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Mosheh Oinounou:

Mosheh Oinounou (Wah-noo-noo) is an Emmy, Murrow and Webby Award-winning Executive Producer with roles leading teams at Fox News, Bloomberg TV, CNBC and CBS News. In 2020, he launched Mo News — devoted to curating verified and balanced news. Mosheh has quickly built a highly engaged following on the @Mosheh Instagram and the daily Mo News Podcast and Newsletter.

Previously, Mosheh was the youngest-ever executive producer of the "CBS Evening News" in 2018 and 2019, where he led more than 150 personnel and coverage of everything from the war on ISIS to natural disasters, mass shootings and presidential interviews. He also developed and ran the CBS News streaming news channel and ran Washington coverage for CBS This Morning. Prior to that he worked as a political reporter for Fox News Channel and ran international news coverage for Bloomberg TV.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• The Information
• Punchbowl News

Keyana Corliss and Becky Buckman welcome guest Alex Konrad, Senior Editor at Forbes, to Just Checking In. The group opens the conversation with a discussion of IPOs, AI and the state of the tech markets before Alex shares the work that went into writing his recent story on Garry Tan and Y Combinator. It begs asking what stories “pop” in an online market and how journalists grab the attention of readers.

Alex weighs in on why adversity commands headlines which is part of a response to the noise and apathy surrounding journalistic articles and stories. There is a struggle to find what will compel readers and what unique or controversial facts will combat the ennui of hearing only success stories. Beyond print media decline and attention-grabbing headlines, Becky and Keyana really want a glimpse into 2024’s Midas List, but Alex keeps things close to his chest while giving just enough way to spark discussion and address questions surrounding the process.

“... there's an old adage, right? Your success is not my story. That's something true. You know, there's a reason that founders, even when they go direct and kind of talk directly to mass audiences when they're showing vulnerability or talking about struggles they had or being really controversial, unfortunately, that's what resonates.” Alex Konrad

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

About Alex Konrad:

Alex is a senior editor at Forbes covering venture capital and startups, especially in cloud and AI, out of New York. He edits the Midas List and Under 30 for VC, and created the Midas List Europe and Cloud 100 lists. He’s written more than a dozen cover stories on business leaders including Marc Benioff, Patrick Collison and Melanie Perkins. Previously, he worked at Fortune and WNYC, and studied medieval history and archaeology at Harvard University.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• “Inside y Combinator’s ‘Boom Loop’: The Startup Factory Goes Brasher, Leaner And Meaner” by Alex Konrad
• VCs Congratulating Themselves on X
• TrueBridge
• The Midas List: 2023
• Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor of Sierra
• Sean Mendy

—

Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:

• Rebecca on LinkedIn
• Rebecca on X
• Keyana on Linkedin
• Keyana on X

Contact Alex Konrad:

• Website:

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech, corporate-communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry—with plenty of humor and irony thrown in—they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won't hear anywhere else!

—

Contact Rebecca Buckman and Keyana Corliss:

• Rebecca on LinkedIn
• Rebecca on X
• Keyana on Linkedin
• Keyana on X