Kenneth Cukier, senior editor at the Economist, and Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger, professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at the University of Oxford, argue that because AI systems have no causal model of the world, they lack the human capacity for imagination and decision-making. Azeem Azhar explores their contention that we should not rely on AI to provide solutions to our problems. Rather we should systematically challenge how we frame our problems in order to produce breakthrough insights and innovations — then use AI to help enact those solutions. They also discuss: How “reframing” old technologies unleashed advances for SpaceX, Apple, Spotify and others. How proper framing empowered New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to battle Covid-19 in her country. Why you should not think “outside the box,” but instead “switch boxes.” @kncukier @Viktor_MS @azeem @ExponentialView Further resources: “You Can Make Better Decisions by Placing Problems in a New Frame” (Bloomberg, 2021) “11 Myths About Decision-Making” (Harvard Business Review, 2021) “Beyond Deep Learning with Gary Marcus” (Exponential View podcast, 2019) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
Transcribed and ready to explore now
The method of invention, AI's new clock speed and why capital markets are confused
05 Dec 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
Why the AI productivity gains haven’t arrived - yet
21 Nov 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
Where did all the entry-level jobs go? (With Revelio CEO Ben Zweig)
14 Nov 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
The demand for infinite compute
07 Nov 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
Inside the US–China decoupling: What’s really at stake (AI, rare earths, Taiwan, trade)
23 Oct 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View
Inside the collapse of the internet economy (and what comes next)
08 Oct 2025
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View