The Promise and Perils of AI

Welcome to The Art of The Impossible, the weekly newsletter where I unearth five pieces of content which I hope will both inspire and embolden you.

When I was in the depths of working in startups, I always wished I could find some respite and inspiration on my weekends, and this newsletter is the thing I wish existed so I do hope you enjoy it.

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by the wonderful team at Descript - the product I use to edit all my podcast episodes with ease - sign up for FREE here.

PODCAST

“We break things in entirely new ways… constantly.”

I really enjoyed this conversation between Rick Rubin and Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark where they discuss the work of Anthropic as well as the promise and perils of AI.

Jack Clark is the co-founder of Anthropic, an AI research company founded by seven ex-OpenAI employees, focused on building reliable and interpretable artificial intelligence systems. Before Anthropic, Jack was a policy director at OpenAI, where he shaped strategy, communications, and policy.

With a background that spans journalism at Bloomberg, policy leadership, and deep involvement in AI governance, Clark has built a reputation for his expertise in AI safety, co-authoring influential research papers and launching the widely-read Import AI newsletter. At Anthropic, Clark guides the company’s work on creating safer and more understandable AI systems, while also engaging in discussions around AI ethics and regulation.

Listen to their fascinating conversation here.

QUOTE

"Investors bet on people more than they bet on ideas."

I wrote something this week which you might like - Why Now Is the Best Time to Be a Founder - read the full piece here (free to subscribers).

INTERVIEW

Software designer turned investor Soleio Cuervo interviews design legend, beloved by Steve Jobs, Susan Kare

In this interview from Indie VC, Soleio and Susan Kare discuss Susan’s early inspirations and influences, how she became a designer, finding her way in icon design, joining Apple and the Macintosh era, her design process, working with tech giants, and reflections on her legacy.

Susan is an absolute legend and rarely does interviews so this is a must watch!

Watch the interview here.

BOOK

The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple

I saw this book advertised at a train station in London this week and have immediately added it to my summer reading list.

A revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian ideas, from the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast, William Dalrymple.

Book blurb: India is the forgotten heart of the ancient world. In the millennium and a half from c. 250 BC to 1200 AD, Indian art, religion, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world - a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific. In this fascinating new book, author and historian William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to highlight India's oft-forgotten position as the heart of ancient Eurasia. For the first time, he gives a name to this spread of Indian ideas that transformed the culture and technology of not only its ancient world, but of the world as we know it today.

Buy the book here.

WATCH

A new documentary series from Rolex - celebrating the achievements of the exceptional individuals - from record-breaking athletes to inspiring artists and environmental pioneers, where they share stories of the passion and perseverance that have taken them from childhood dreams to incredible success.

As they recall their highs and lows in the face of daunting challenges, these remarkable people reveal what it takes to push the limits in their chosen field - from golfer Tiger Woods to tennis player Coco Gauff, and Brit sailor Hannah Mills.

Watch the series here. Trailer here.

As always, thank you so much for reading this newsletter and for listening to the podcast. If you have a minute spare, I would so appreciate a review of the pod or a heart on this newsletter - both help others to find it and my goal is to inspire as many people as possible with the stories I share.

Thank you and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Danielle

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by the wonderful team at Descript - the product I use to edit all my podcast episodes with ease - sign up for FREE here.