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

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 Intro 00:21 AI's exponential growth and speed of change 02:03 The expanding scientific frontier 03:19 Roger Bannister effect and AI inspiration 04:00 Societal vs. technological thresholds 06:00 The danger of low-resource bad actors 09:00 Psychopaths, crime, and the role of policy 12:00 Freedom vs. security 14:45 The risk of bias and broken justice systems 18:00 The role of AI in decision-making 20:00 Why we tolerate human error but not machine error 20:36 Breaking the fear cycle in a negative attention economy 22:12 Tech-driven optimism 23:55 Finding Happiness 25:32 Community, nature, and meaningful human connection 27:00 The problem with the “more is more” mindset 28:30 Narratives, new media, and information overload 31:09 The Power of local change and good news 33:06 Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and the next wave of innovation Connect with Zack: Website: https://zackkass.com/ X: ⁠https://x.com/iamthezack LinkedIn: ⁠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