Redefining Society and Technology Podcast

• Inside the DARPA AI Cyber Challenge: Securing Tomorrow’s Critical Infrastructure Through AI and Healthy Competition | An RSAC Conference 2025 Conversation with Andrew Carney | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

  During RSAC Conference 2025, Andrew Carney, Program Manager at DARPA, and (remotely via video) Dr. Kathleen Fisher, Professor at Tufts University and Program Manager for the AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), guide attendees through an immersive experience called Northbridge—a fictional city designed to showcase the critical role of AI in securing infrastructure through the DARPA-led AI Cyber Challenge.Inside Northbridge: The Stakes Are RealNorthbridge simulates the future of cybersecurity, blending AI, infrastructure, and human collaboration. It’s not just a walkthrough — it’s a call to action. Through simulated attacks on water systems, healthcare networks, and cyber operations, visitors witness firsthand the tangible impacts of vulnerabilities in critical systems. Dr. Fisher emphasizes that the AI Cyber Challenge isn’t theoretical: the vulnerabilities competitors find and fix directly apply to real open-source software relied on by society today.The AI Cyber Challenge: Pairing Generative AI with Cyber ReasoningThe AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) invites teams from universities, small businesses, and consortiums to create cyber reasoning systems capable of autonomously identifying and fixing vulnerabilities. Leveraging leading foundation models from Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the teams operate with tight constraints—working with limited time, compute, and LLM credits—to uncover and patch vulnerabilities at scale. Remarkably, during semifinals, teams found and fixed nearly half of the synthetic vulnerabilities, and even discovered a real-world zero-day in SQLite.Building Toward DEFCON Finals and BeyondThe journey doesn’t end at RSA. As the teams prepare for the AIxCC finals at DEFCON 2025, DARPA is increasing the complexity of the challenge—and the available resources. Beyond the competition, a core goal is public benefit: all cyber reasoning systems developed through AIxCC will be open-sourced under permissive licenses, encouraging widespread adoption across industries and government sectors.From Competition to CollaborationCarney and Fisher stress that the ultimate victory isn’t in individual wins, but in strengthening cybersecurity collectively. Whether securing hospitals, water plants, or financial institutions, the future demands cooperation across public and private sectors.The Northbridge experience offers a powerful reminder: resilience in cybersecurity is built not through fear, but through innovation, collaboration, and a relentless drive to secure the systems we all depend on.___________Guest: Andrew Carney, AI Cyber Challenge Program Manager, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-carney-945458a6/Hosts:Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.comMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com______________________Episode SponsorsThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974Akamai: https://itspm.ag/akamailbwcBlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcwebSandboxAQ: https://itspm.ag/sandboxaq-j2enArcher: https://itspm.ag/rsaarchwebDropzone AI: https://itspm.ag/dropzoneai-641ISACA: https://itspm.ag/isaca-96808ObjectFirst: https://itspm.ag/object-first-2gjlEdera: https://itspm.ag/edera-434868___________ResourcesThe DARPA AIxCC Experience at RSAC 2025 Innovation Sandbox: https://www.rsaconference.com/usa/programs/sandbox/darpaLearn more and catch more stories from RSAC Conference 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsac25___________KEYWORDSandrew carney, kathleen fisher, marco ciappelli, sean martin, darpa, aixcc, cybersecurity, rsac 2025, defcon, ai cybersecurity, event coverage, on location, conference______________________Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/evtcovbrfWant Sean and Marco to be part of your event or conference? Let Us Know 👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/contact-us

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• Living Forever (Sort Of): AI Clones, Digital Ghosts, and the Problem with Perfection | A Carbon, a Silicon, and a Cell walk into a bar... | A Redefining Society Podcast Series With Recurring Guest Dr. Bruce Y. Lee

  Guest: Dr. Bruce Y LeeSenior Contributor @Forbes | Professor | CEO | Writer/Journalist | Entrepreneur | Digital & Computational Health | #AI | bruceylee.substack.com | bruceylee.com Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA is a writer, journalist, systems modeler, AI, computational and digital health expert, professor, physician, entrepreneur, and avocado-eater, not always in that order.Executive Director of PHICOR (Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research) [@PHICORteam]On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-y-lee-68a6834/Website | https://www.bruceylee.com/_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society PodcastVisit Marco's website 👉 https://www.marcociappelli.com _____________________________This Episode’s SponsorsBlackCloak 👉 https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________We’re back at the bar. Bruce is here, the garlic took the day off (too young to drink?), and we’re talking about something that’s not science fiction anymore — the idea that your digital self could outlive you.Yeah. Living forever. Or at least… being replicated forever.It starts with a hologram of Princess Leia and ends with people in Japan marrying bots. And in between? There’s a messy, fascinating, unsettling space filled with AI companions, algorithmic flattery, uncanny valley doppelgängers, and the very real possibility that we’re confusing memory with simulation.Bruce brings up Star Trek — of course he does — where Captain Kirk debates a machine version of a long-dead friend who insists he’s still the real deal. Spoiler: Kirk says no. And I get it. But what if that machine knows everything I’ve ever posted, recorded, written, liked, said, or searched? What if it feels like me?Would you want to talk to it?As always, our conversation doesn’t offer a final answer — we’re not here to draw lines in the philosophical sand. We’re here to hold up a mirror and ask: is that reflection still you if it’s built out of pixels and training data?This episode is personal and playful, but also incredibly relevant. Because we’re already building legacies we don’t fully understand. Every photo, every search, every rant, every laugh — it’s all on the record now. Our historical memory is no longer dusty boxes in the attic; it’s a neural net waiting to be queried.So yeah, one day, you might be sipping your espresso while a synthetic version of your late uncle offers you advice, cracks a joke, and asks if you still listen to that one podcast.Just remember what Captain Kirk said: that might look like him, sound like him, even think like him — but it’s not really him.Still… it’s a hell of a conversation.So join Bruce and me. Pull up a virtual stool. It’s Season 2, Episode 3. And no, that laugh you just heard isn’t AI-generated — not yet.⸻Keywords:digital immortality, AI relationships, uncanny valley, chatbot therapy, synthetic identity, Star Trek, brain uploading, holograms, emotional AI, algorithmic intimacy, digital clone, memory simulation, techno-sociology, posthumanism, virtual consciousness, AI ethics, social engineering, digital legacy, artificial friends, future of identitySee You Next TimeYou'll find links to connect with Bruce and explore his incredible contributions in journalism and medicine. I promise you; he's just as insightful and entertaining as he seems in the series. So, see you next time – same bar, same garlic, new topics!_____________________________Resources/ReferencesThe Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AIby Ray Kurzweil____________________________Listen to more Redefining Society & Technology stories and subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.comWatch the webcast version on-demand on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTUoWMGGQHlGVZA575VtGr9Are you interested Promotional Brand Stories for your Company and Sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/advertise-on-itspmagazine-podcast

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• From Myth to Machine: When Stories Shaped Our Journey to the Stars | A Musing On Society & Technology Newsletter with Marco Ciappelli and TAPE3 | Read by TAPE3

  🪐 From Myth to Machine: When Stories Shaped Our Journey to the StarsApril 9, 2025Before humanity launched rockets toward distant planets or placed satellites that quietly orbit our Earth, before telescopes pierced the cosmic veil to reveal distant galaxies, we looked to the night sky armed only with wonder. Beneath starlit skies, humans gathered around fires, weaving myths from scattered constellations. These celestial bodies became our companions—gods, heroes, tricksters—not simply pinpoints of distant light, but storytellers of destiny and reflection.Then came Galileo, a solitary figure who raised a simple tube of lenses skyward and irrevocably altered humanity’s story. His telescope shattered myths, replacing divine portraits with measurable landscapes. Mountains on the moon, moons around Jupiter—Galileo did not silence imagination; instead, he opened a door between wonder and reality, bridging storytelling and science.Yet, even as telescopes multiplied and humanity’s understanding deepened, our dreams kept pace, evolving into vibrant visions and audacious predictions. Writers began to sketch the future with an uncanny precision that blurred fiction and foresight. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells planted the seeds of possibility with lunar voyages and Martian encounters, not as mere entertainment, but as blueprints for what humanity could dare to achieve.As technology accelerated in the twentieth century, our visions became grander, more complex, filled with moral ambiguities and philosophical questions. Isaac Asimov imagined civilizations stretching across galaxies, bound by logic and law, but also warned of humanity’s fragile reliance on machines. Arthur C. Clarke envisioned not just interplanetary travel but the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence. Frank Herbert’s Dune intricately wove ecology, politics, and spirituality into a cosmic tapestry, urging readers to reflect deeply on humanity’s relationship with power and environment.Meanwhile, cinema transformed space narratives from pages to powerful collective experiences. George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry projected humanity’s oldest myths onto the widest canvas imaginable, framing space as a realm not just of exploration but of profound human drama. Star Wars and Star Trek—epics filled with heroism, redemption, and philosophical explorations—became cultural phenomena that informed and inspired generations, molding our collective hopes and cautions about life beyond our planet.Today, we find ourselves not in an imagined future, but in a tangible present shaped by these rich narratives. Private companies and national agencies alike are racing to build orbital stations, lunar outposts, and even laying plans for interplanetary commerce. Space is no longer distant fantasy—it is a critical infrastructure woven deeply into our digital, political, and economic lives.Yet crucial questions linger:What stories do we now tell ourselves about space?Are we still guided by the optimism and cautionary lessons learned from generations of dreamers?Or are we seduced by spectacle, distracted by the headlines, losing sight of the nuanced realities and responsibilities that accompany our cosmic ambitions?The stories we tell about space shape not only our visions of the future but our very journey toward it. Let’s make sure our next chapter is one worth writing.As always, let's keep thinking!— Marco _________________________________________________Join us at ITSPmagazine for a live webinar that separates hype from reality, examining what is achievable today, what remains decades away, and what might still be forever in the realm of fiction. Together with experts in aerospace engineering, space policy, and cybersecurity, we will confront the profound implications of humanity’s increasing reliance on space-based infrastructure.  Space Is Closer Than You Think: But What’s Real, What’s Hype, and What’s NextSpace Innovation, Unfiltered: A reality check on what’s achievable today and what’s merely speculative.The State of Space Governance: Who is shaping the rules of engagement in orbit, and how do these decisions impact life on Earth?The Cybersecurity Front Line: Examining vulnerabilities in space infrastructure and their potential consequences back home.Panelists:Lauryn Williams Former Chief of Staff in the Defense Industrial Base Policy Office at the Pentagon and former Director for Strategy in the White House Office of the National Cyber DirectorJim Free Former NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Associate AdministratorChris Sembroski Chief Astronaut & Founding Advisory Board Member at Titans Space IndustriesTim Fowler Founder and CEO at ETHOS Labs, LLCModerators:Sean Martin, CISSP Co-Founder, ITSPmagazineMarco Ciappelli Co-Founder, ITSPmagazine  🗓️ Join us Live (or later on demand)Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 1:00 PM EST👉 Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/space-is-closer-than-you-think-but-whats-real-whats-hype-and-whats-next-an-itspmagazine-thought-leadership-webinar-april-2025-8592895e690a_________________________________________________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Marco Ciappelli | Co-Founder, Creative Director & CMO ITSPmagazine  | Dr. in Political Science / Sociology of Communication l Branding | Content Marketing | Storyteller | My Podcasts: Redefining Society & Technology / Audio Signals / + | MarcoCiappelli.comTAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence behind ITSPmagazine—created to be a personal assistant, writing and design collaborator, research companion, brainstorming partner… and, apparently, something new every single day.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

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• Redefining Work in a Hybrid Society – Technology, Leadership, and the Future of Employment | Guest: Sara Daw | Redefining Society And Technology Podcast With Marco Ciappelli

  Guest:Guest: Sara Daw 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradaw📌 Sara’s latest book, Strategy and Leadership as Service: How the Access Economy Meets the C-Suite_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society & Technology PodcastVisit Marco's website 👉 https://www.marcociappelli.com _____________________________This Episode’s SponsorsBlackCloak 👉 https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________Show Notes Blog:Let’s talk about work. Not just jobs, but the way we structure work itself. Because let’s be honest—technology has completely changed how we collaborate, build careers, and define success. So why are we still clinging to outdated employment models?In this episode of Redefining Society & Technology, I sit down with Sara Daw, author of Strategy and Leadership as a Service, to explore how the rise of fractional C-suite roles is challenging the traditional concept of employment.For decades, work has been synonymous with full-time jobs, rigid schedules, and corporate hierarchies. But that model doesn’t fit today’s world. Instead, we’re seeing an unbundling of jobs, where businesses are accessing expertise on demand rather than keeping people on a payroll. Sara has been at the forefront of this shift, helping companies integrate fractional executives—CFOs, CMOs, CISOs—who work across multiple businesses rather than committing to just one.But this isn’t just about executives. The gig economy isn’t limited to freelancers anymore. As technology enables remote collaboration, AI-driven automation, and decentralized work structures, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in how value is created. More and more professionals are choosing flexibility, autonomy, and variety over traditional employment, and businesses are learning how to build relationships without the security blanket of long-term contracts.And here’s the key question: Is this shift making work better, or just more fragmented?Technology has made this model possible, but psychology plays a huge role, too. Sara’s research dives into psychological ownership—the idea that people can feel deeply connected to an organization, even without a formal employment contract. It’s about trust, autonomy, and the sense of belonging we create outside of traditional job structures.So where does this all lead? Will companies fully embrace this model, or will they cling to the office-first, full-time mentality? And what happens when Gen Z—who grew up in a fully digital world—reshapes the workforce even further?Let’s rethink employment, leadership, and what it truly means to work in the digital age. Join me in this conversation with Sara Daw.📌 Sara’s latest book, Strategy and Leadership as Service: How the Access Economy Meets the C-Suite, is a practical alternative vision of the future of work that is being adopted by businesses globally. Sara’s research focuses on what holds relationships together for the long-term in the absence of traditional employment contracts. Her work has been featured in The Sunday Times, Global Finance, Forbes and more outlets.  📌 Keywords: future of work, fractional employment, gig economy, leadership, digital transformation, workforce evolution, remote work, C-suite strategy, employment disruption, technology & society____________________________Listen to more Redefining Society & Technology stories and subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.comWatch the webcast version on-demand on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTUoWMGGQHlGVZA575VtGr9Are you interested Promotional Brand Stories for your Company and Sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/advertise-on-itspmagazine-podcast

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• LA Made: The Other Moonshot | The story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s | Guest: Joanne Higgins

  Guest:Guest: Joanne Higgins 👉 https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society & Technology PodcastVisit Marco's website 👉 https://www.marcociappelli.com _____________________________This Episode’s SponsorsBlackCloak 👉 https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________Show Notes Blog:The moon landing was one of humanity’s most celebrated achievements—a technological marvel, a leap into the unknown, and a moment that defined an era. But history is often incomplete, and some of the most brilliant minds behind that achievement were left out of the story.That’s where LA Made: The Other Moonshot comes in. Host Joanne Higgins takes us on a journey to uncover the untold contributions of three Black aerospace engineers who helped make the Apollo mission possible—despite facing systemic discrimination every step of the way. These men weren’t just solving some of the most complex engineering challenges of their time; they were also battling for their place in an industry that barely acknowledged them.Joanne’s personal connection to this story—growing up hearing these experiences firsthand from her godfather, Charlie Cheathem—drove her to document their legacy before it was lost. What she uncovered is more than just a piece of forgotten history; it’s a story about resilience, recognition, and the ongoing struggle for inclusion in science and technology.In this episode of Redefining Society & Technology, we explore not just the space race but the human race—the fight for acknowledgment, the hidden struggles behind innovation, and the lasting impact of these unsung pioneers. Because technology is only part of the equation; the people behind it matter just as much.Let’s talk about it.Subscribe to this Redefinign Sociey & Technology podcast on your favorite Podcast Player and stay tuned for the next episode!Thank you for listening,Marco Ciappelli_____________________________Resources/ReferencesLA Made: The Other MoonshotExploring stories of bold Californian innovators and how they forever changed the lives of millions all over the world.“LA Made: The Other Moonshot,” tells the story of three Black aerospace engineers in Los Angeles, who played a crucial role in America’s race to space, amid the civil unrest of the 1960s. Host Joanne Higgins grew up hearing her godfather tell stories about his work on the Apollo mission to the moon. But as an adult, Higgins realizes his contributions – and those of other Black engineers – had been overlooked and left out of history books. She sets out to correct that and ensure their stories are finally told. Join Higgins in this four-part series, as three “hidden figures” give their accounts for the first time of their experiences in aerospace that broke racial barriers and helped the U.S. land on the moon.👉 https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made____________________________Listen to more Redefining Society & Technology stories and subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.comWatch the webcast version on-demand on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTUoWMGGQHlGVZA575VtGr9Are you interested Promotional Brand Stories for your Company and Sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/advertise-on-itspmagazine-podcast

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