Deepak Chopra: 'Technology is Neutral, It's Up to Us How We Use It'
*By Chloe Aiello*
The internet can be a toxic place ー but it doesn't have to be, according to Deepak Chopra.
The bestselling author and new age advocate is helping to build a healthier internet through a new Amazon ($AMZN) Alexa skill that delivers his daily "intentions." The skill is a result of a partnership with A.I.-provider LivePerson's innovation lab, LivePerson Studios.
"Technology right now is the global brain. If you want to see the human condition, just go on the internet. Divine, diabolical, sinner, saint ー it is all there. We can rewire the global brain if we want for a more peaceful, just sustainable, healthier and joyful world," Chopra told Cheddar on Friday.
"Alexa, Open Deepak's reflections." That's all enthusiasts of Amazon's assistant need to say to access 30 seconds of Chopra's private shower thoughts, and just maybe kick off the day on a more mindful note. And these are no canned responses. Deepak actually records them daily himself, according to LivePerson.
"I just shoot the breeze and people seem to enjoy. I don't have any conscious intention, other than, you know, we should all have ... joyful, energetic body; loving, compassionate heart; clear mind; lightness of being," Chopra said. "It's like I'm singing in the bathroom and people like the song."
"Now it's on Amazon Alexa," he chuckled.
LivePerson CEO and founder Robert Locascio says the new skill is one way of taking back technology for good ー of connecting and engaging users, rather than targeting them.
"I think we gotta take it back. I've been in technology for 20 years, we went off a road. And technology companies ー even what we see with social ー it's hurting our society in many ways," he said.
"It's about connectivity, it \[should never have been\] about influencing people and corrupting their brains," he added.
This is LivePerson's innovation lab LivePerson Studios' first partnership with an influencer, but Locascio said he plans to do more in the future. He also hopes to expand to other platforms, like Facebook ($FB) Messenger, iMessage and more.
"Technology is neutral, its up to us how we use it," Chopra added.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/now-you-can-hear-deepak-chopra-any-time-on-amazon-alexa).
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a private-public fund backed by Bill Gates, is planning to invest up to $15 billion in clean technology initiatives across the U.S., UK, and European Union. It will target four key areas and help fund large projects that otherwise would not be financially possible. Bobby Hollis, Director of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
An economic development agency, the Northwest Arkansas Council, is looking to draw technology professionals to their region of the Southern state with incentives like $10,000 worth of Bitcoin and a new bicycle. Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the private nonprofit made up of companies like Walmart and Tyson Foods, joined Cheddar to talk about the program to further power his local economy. "By offering the payment in Bitcoin, we're looking to identify those people with interest and expertise in the underlying technologies, the blockchain technologies," he said.
After months of investors turning to crypto as a hedge against inflation, instead of the traditional hedge of gold, one crypto exchange is working with a token creator to launch a digital coin backed by a physical asset. GCOIN gives customers a digital title of ownership to 99.99% pure physical gold which is stored in a secured vault. Brent de Jong, GCoin's founder and Kristin Boggiano, Co-Founder and President of CrossTower, a cryptocurrency exchange, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the GCOIN rollout, customer interest, why crypto is used as an inflation hedge, and more.
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot,
raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The January 6 committee has subpoenaed four tech giants for more information on what they did and didn't do leading up to last year's deadly Capitol insurrection. Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit were asked to assist the investigation in August, but the committee says their responses have been 'inadequate.' Craig Timberg, a national technology reporter at the Washington Post, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more details about the subpoenas, why this is happening now, and how it might impact social media companies moving forward.
As Meta and Microsoft ramp up their AR and VR tech futures, analysts have been waiting on word from Apple, but the consumer tech giant is reportedly delaying such an announcement. Doug Astrop, a managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joined Cheddar to dive into the rumors about the possibilities of a foray into the metaverse by Tim Cook's megacorp sometime in 2022 or 2023. "We can't really predict with a great deal of certainty how it's going to play out, but I'm confident Apple's going to be a big player and do very well in any scenario that unfolds," said Astrop.
