07 | Matt Konwiser - Are You the Hidden Reason AI Wastes So Much?

What if the biggest source of AI waste is not the data centers, but the rest of us? Bob sits down with AI architect, technologist, and ethicist Matt Konwiser for a conversation about the gap between how loudly we argue about AI and how little we actually understand it. They get into why governance keeps falling behind, what the real water and energy numbers behind a data center actually say, and why the fights over slop, disinformation, and trust may come down to individual choices more than policy. It is a first-principles look at using a powerful technology wisely, from someone who builds with it every day. Listen now. ## **Timestamped Highlights** - \[00:04:53] Thirty years in tech, and the throughline that led Matt to AI governance. - \[00:06:16] Why Matt says almost no company is truly dealing with AI governance. - \[00:07:25] The schoolyard speed limit that explains what ethics really is. - \[00:09:12] How Matt turns a daily news habit into a public voice, with nothing scheduled. - \[00:11:57] The zero-trust lesson from cybersecurity. - \[00:13:23] AGI and RSI in plain terms, and why together they are new territory. - \[00:16:26] The February to September swing that split two allies. - \[00:19:51] Is everything AI now, and have people stopped caring? - \[00:24:43] The line between useful AI and the slop quietly draining resources. - \[00:37:13] The water math behind a single data center, and what the headline number hides. - \[00:42:11] Jensen Huang’s blunt rule for anyone building something that is not safe. - \[00:46:11] What if the smartest AI simply refused to do our wasteful work? - \[00:51:27] Matt’s closing case for hope about AI and humanity. ## **Mentioned Resources** - Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints ## **About the Guest** Matt Konwiser is a Field CTO at IBM and a longtime technologist whose work spans telecommunications, cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence. Over three decades he has advised executive teams on how to actually put new technology to work, and today he is one of the more direct public voices on AI governance and ethics. He also serves on the AI Advisory Council of the Global Technology Industry Association, advises a carbon-first marketing startup, and co-hosts the AI Diatribe podcast. The views he shares here are his own. 🔗 LinkedIn | AI Diatribe ## **Important Links** **Connect with Bob:** Website | LinkedIn **Book a Strategy Session with Bob:** Book a session **Learn More About What We Do:** What we do Curious Data is an original production hosted by Bob Lytle. Brought to you by Centri Analytics. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.