Episode Details

Most AI conversations start with the technology. Bryan Reimer thinks that's exactly the problem. A research scientist at MIT and global expert on AI, human behavior, mobility, and public policy, Bryan joins us to talk about his new book, How to Make AI Useful, and the thesis that cuts through the noise: the technology was never the point. We are. In this episode of Building AI Boston, we get into autonomous vehicles as a live case study in what happens when deployment outpaces policy, trust, and common sense — and what that tells us about where generative AI is headed next. We dig into: * Why 80% of today's generative AI advancements may already be beyond what businesses can actually use * What autonomous vehicles reveal about what happens when technology outruns policy — and why the next major incident isn't an if, it's a when * How to think about AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot — and what gets lost when we confuse the two * The difference between the "wow" and the "whoa" in AI adoption * Why Bryan is betting on the wet computer — the brain between your ears — for a long time to come * What AI2030 is building to make sure the responsible side of this conversation doesn't get drowned out Bryan has advised transportation leaders at the federal level, including serving as vice chair of the AI subcommittee under Secretary Pete Buttigieg. But this conversation stays grounded — in the practical, the personal, and the question of whether we are going to let AI change us.