“You can only design a system to the limit of what you can plan for”

Adam Russell, AI/nthropologist and Director of the AI Division at the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), is on a journey to help build a better world with AI. After launching AI/nsiders in 2023 where he interviewed the ISI humans behind our AI research, he expands his quest to the other disciplines researched at ISI. Networking, cybersecurity, computing, microelectronics, quantum, space, ISI scientists have a lot to say about the state of their fields, their research topics, and how AI fits into them.
Joe Barnes, a Senior Research Engineer at ISI, describes how thinking of concepts in terms of systems has extended to parts of his life outside of work. He explores the reasons why competition can be a driver of innovation. He explains why, if he could go back and give himself advice, he’d tell himself to build more. He shares his view of how humans will end up working with artificial intelligence in the future. Listen to his episode of ISI/nsiders below:
Read the transcript here.
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Published on April 30th, 2025
Last updated on April 30th, 2025