Kerry Washington on connection, identity and AI

How can technology change—and actually deepen—human connection? 

Kerry Washington is an Emmy-winning, SAG-and-Golden Globe-nominated actor. She’s also a director, and producer, and New-York-Times-bestselling author of the memoir Thicker Than Water. She joins the podcast to talk about how AI and other technology can transform our most important relationships. She, Reid, and Aria also discuss AI’s impact on the entertainment industry; her use of social media to elevate the hit TV show “Scandal;” and how a DNA test evolved her definition of family. Plus, Kerry reacts to an AI avatar of Reid, and to some Olivia-Pope-related brainstorming support from Inflection’s Pi. 

Read the transcript of this episode here.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.

Topics:

4:10 - Hellos and intros – travel memories

7:33 - Kerry explains the title of her memoir

9:43 - How technology transformed Kerry’s relationship with her parents

14:17 - Kerry’s found family from Scandal

16:44 - How technology made Scandal a hit

24:24 - Kerry meets Reid’s AI avatar

26:23 - Consent and compensation when using AI in Hollywood

29:58 - Why Kerry is excited about AI

32:34 - Pi’s lessons from Olivia Pope

35:35 - How AI can amplify creativity and connection

42:43 - Transparency and AI

45:38 - What a post-AI world means for a 9-year-old

48:22 - Rapid-fire questions

The award-winning Possible podcast is back with a new season that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. 

This season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger are speaking with a new set of ambitious builders and deep thinkers about everything from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion. 

Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard, Sara Schleede, and Paloma Moreno Jiménez. Jenny Kaplan is our executive Producer and editor. Special thanks to Katie Sanders, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, Rae Steward, Tamer Mokhtar, Nicole Butler, Katie Greenthal, Haley Asofsky, Braden Thole, Blair Nelson, Huy Q. Nguyen, Jon Giardiello, Hour One AI, and Little Monster Media Company.