Azeem Azhar is one of the world’s most trusted voices in technological innovation. He has worked within the tech industry since the early 90s with companies like the BBC, The Guardian, and The Economist. More recently, Azeem has become an active startup investor and has advised organizations like the World Economic Forum. He is a contributor to publications including the Financial Times, Wired, and the MIT Technology Review. He's been producing the Exponential view newsletter— which looks at intersections between technology and business— for the last 7 years and has attracted a high-profile readership. Azeem’s new book, Exponential, looks at how technology has come to advance so rapidly, and the different ways we are struggling to keep up.    In this podcast we discuss: What are the characteristics of The Exponential Age Why the Metaverse is a bit meh Which technologies that have been getting exponentially cheaper How clean energy is being held back The ways big tech firms use your data Cyber security and the threat of misinformation  Russia’s cyber antics  How advanced does tech have to be for us to be suspicious of living in a simulation?    Azeem can be found on Twitter: @Azeem Or at Exponential View: https://www.exponentialview.co/  Support   The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter. You can also see my older newsletters with this link.   This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp, so if you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.   This podcast is also sponsored by Athletic Greens so you can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread    Get a Free audiobook with Audible!    Get in touch: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact