The Brave Technologist

Pat Walshe, Data Protection Officer at Brave, discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence, privacy, and data protection…and how these elements intertwine with fundamental human rights in the digital realm. He also scrutinizes tech industry giants, questioning the authenticity of their privacy claims and the efficacy of their data protection measures.

Key Takeaways: 

The current state of regulation and global data protection laws, and how well those laws are working

The heightened public awareness of issues like geolocation tracking and data minimization

Why tech companies have more influence and power than the...

Greg Jizmagian, CoFounder and CTO at Exponential, shares how trust is being rebuilt in the financial sector through blockchain technology, and ways users are regaining financial autonomy. He also explains the intricacies of making complex DeFi platforms approachable, striking the balance between detail-rich data and a seamless user experience.

Key Takeaways: 

Why DeFi matters, how to use it safely, and why it’s poised to shake up the world of traditional banking

The importance of asset diversification, ways smart contracts can be leveraged in securing investments, and the challenges of transaction costs on the...

Paul Barron, Founder of the Paul Barron Network, examines power, corruption, and the technology war he expects to see over the next 20 years. He also discusses why gaming is the gateway to Web3 growth, and will lead to a steep adoption curve.

Key Takeaways: 

How people underestimate AI's ability to scale, despite its speed and the latest advancement in compute requirements. 

Why AI will have a negative impact on the blockchain.

Challenges facing the U.S. dollar, and regulatory frontiers shaping the future of finance.

Guest Bio: 

Pau...

Adam Zarazinski, CEO of Inca Digital and former intelligence analyst, shares his journey from the front lines of international security to leading the charge in harnessing AI for financial innovation. He discusses how Inca Digital’s technology is helping to monitor dark web activity, and gives examples of how they’ve been able to track terrorist financing, including Hamas’ use of cryptocurrency.

Key Takeaways: 

Using natural language processing and large language models to tackle challenges like risk management and dark web surveillance.

How trad-fi risk management is changing with Web3, and the big trends...

Naomi Brockwell, Founder of NBTV Media, discusses the true cost of “free tools,” and why we need a major mindset shift when it comes to trading value for value. She also discusses the illusion of privacy versus the reality that data brokers are working in, and how AI may make the data broker’s job obsolete.

Key Takeaways: 

The easiest ways to reduce your digital footprint, and unpacking the switching costs of transitioning to privacy respecting alternatives.

How AI can democratize the playing field between data brokers and everyday users.

What to look...

David Kanter, Executive Director at MLCommons, discusses the work they’re doing with MLPerf Benchmarks, creating the world’s first industry standard approach to measuring AI speed and safety. He also shares ways they’re testing AI and LLMs for harm, to measure—and, over time, reduce—the potential harms of AI.

Key Takeaways: 

How they’re using research to help build public confidence in AI and emerging technologies

The types of questions enterprise customers should ask their system providers

AI safety, and the ways MLCommons is using benchmarks to offer standardized...

Carissa Véliz, Associate Professor at the Institute for AI at the University of Oxford, discusses how our personal data is the currency of power for tech giants, and ways the balance can be tipped back in favor of individual rights. We also address the privacy implications of large language models, and consider whether OpenAI and tools like ChatGPT are complying with the GDPR.

Key Takeaways: 

How the erosion of privacy poses a real threat to our fundamental values of democracy

Why she advocates an end to the data economy, some alternative, and th...

Ryan Brown (Filterset Engineer at Brave) and Peter Snyder (Senior Privacy Researcher at Brave) discuss the latest advancements in ad-blocking technology, and how Brave's control over its browser stack plays a crucial role in maintaining a private yet fully operational Web experience. They also reflect on the resilience of the ad-blocking community, especially in response to the looming changes of Manifest V3, and its potential to reshape the extension landscape.

Key Takeaways: 

How privacy tools have evolved over time as users have gotten more familiar with these tools, and more sophisticated in their usage.

Josh Swihart, CEO at Electric Coin Co., discusses public perception of pseudonymity versus privacy, and how this impacts adoption of privacy preserving products. He also explores the increasing challenge of crypto wars—which impacts cryptographic and privacy rights worldwide—and why he believes encryption should be mandated for US citizens.

Key Takeaways:

Why physical cash should be treated/regulated differently than digital money

Examples of regulation and policy overreach, and how this slows progress and innovation 

Why user experience and ease of use needs to catch up with protocol 

The im...

Andy Yen, Founder & CEO at Proton, discusses how big tech is presenting a false sense of privacy to its users—and why this is dangerous. He also unpacks the confusion between privacy and anonymity, and how where you live impacts your right to each. 

Key Takeaways:

How Proton has attracted users and early adopters while sticking to a privacy-first marketing strategy.

What we can learn from the cultural shift to environmental responsibility as it relates to privacy, and to the future rules of the Internet.

Why being in control of your pri...