Ex-OpenAI Lead Zack Kass Reveals the Societal Impact of AI

Listen to this episode from Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson on Spotify. As AI becomes more capable, how should our social systems evolve in response? Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined once again by Zack Kass, an AI futurist and former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI. As a leading expert in applied AI, he harnesses its capabilities to develop business strategies and applications that enhance human potential. Zack has been at the forefront of AI and played a key role in early efforts at commercializing AI and large language models, channeling OpenAI’s innovative research into tangible business solutions. Today, Zack is dedicated to guiding businesses, nonprofits, and governments through the fast-changing AI landscape. His expertise has been highlighted in leading publications, including Fortune, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider. Zack sits down with Geoff to explore the philosophical implications of AI and its impact on everything from nuclear war to society’s struggle with psychopaths and humanity itself. This conversation raises important questions about the evolving role of AI in shaping our world and the ethical considerations that come with it. Zack discusses how AI may empower low-resource bad actors, transform local communities, and influence future generations. The episode touches on a wide range of themes, including the meaning of life, AI’s role in global conflict, its effects on personal well-being, and the societal challenges it presents. This conversation isn’t just about AI, it’s about humanity’s ongoing exploration of fear, freedom, happiness, and the future. In this episode:00:00 Intro00:21 AI's exponential growth and speed of change02:03 The expanding scientific frontier03:19 Roger Bannister effect and AI inspiration04:00 Societal vs. technological thresholds06:00 The danger of low-resource bad actors09:00 Psychopaths, crime, and the role of policy12:00 Freedom vs. security14:45 The risk of bias and broken justice systems18:00 The role of AI in decision-making20:00 Why we tolerate human error but not machine error20:36 Breaking the fear cycle in a negative attention economy22:12 Tech-driven optimism23:55 Finding Happiness25:32 Community, nature, and meaningful human connection27:00 The problem with the “more is more” mindset28:30 Narratives, new media, and information overload31:09 The Power of local change and good news33:06 Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and the next wave of innovationConnect with Zack:Website: https://zackkass.com/X: ⁠https://x.com/iamthezackLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackkass/YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@ZackKassAI⁩ Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG