AI Conspiracies, PowerPoint Selling & Co-Intelligence - Shikoli Makatiani | Coffee Pump (E128)

Konnichiwa, Shikoli Makatiani was Africa Online's first employee. He ran the servers that carried Kenya's first emails from under his bed in Boston, dropped out of college at 20 to go set up the internet in Abidjan, and came back to build the security monitoring that sat on KIXP watching people try to hack their way into the country. Now he's founding CTO at Akili AI putting AI agents inside Kenyan banks and hospitals. We start with the Anthropic resignation tweet and go from there. We talk about: – The Anthropic tweet, and whether the doom talk is really a play for regulation – His conspiracy theory: an AI escape, wiped savings, and digital IDs – Quantum computers, and what happens to your Bitcoin when the key breaks – Kakamega to Boston at 18, and the deodorant his brother's friend bought him – The Next computer he thought he had killed, and the Unix book that changed everything – Selling Nairobi newspaper summaries to Kenyan students in the US by modem – How that became Africa Online, and the servers under his bed calling Kenya at midnight – Dropping out at 20 to set up the internet in Abidjan, and the war that followed – Waking up at 25 to find his share options had matured – The Lagos insurance deal they won overnight while everyone else brought PowerPoints – Monitoring KIXP, and watching the hackers come for Kenya – Why AI hallucinating in your finance department should scare you – Shadow judgment, and the new hire whose emails read like a PhD – Getting AI to answer like it's on drugs, and why that gets you better ideas – The Kenyan bank that blocked AI completely, and why he says they're early – Why AI removes bias faster than humans ever will – Why driving your own car might be illegal in 25 years Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Order Our Coffee and Wallpapers: https://wa.me/c/254707696969 Our Coffee and Tea Is live! Order from our website: https://coffeepumppodcast.com/shop Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Support The Channel: MPESA: 0707 69 69 69 Pay Bill: 542 542 Account Number: 069 420 Find Shikoli Makatiani: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shikoli-makatiani/ - X: https://x.com/smakatiani - Akili AI: https://akili-ai.com Equipment supplied by Cameras Africa: - Website: https://www.camerasafrica.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerasafrica_ Find our host Sajid Vayani: - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayani Coffee Pump Spotify, Apple and Socials: - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayani Disclaimer: The content of The Coffee Pump Podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coffee Pump Podcast, its affiliates, or any associated entities. Nothing discussed in this podcast should be construed as professional advice in any field, including but not limited to legal, financial, medical, or business matters. Any statements made about businesses, products, or individuals are based on personal experiences and opinions and are not meant to be taken as fact or a definitive review. The Coffee Pump Podcast does not assume any liability for the accuracy, completeness, or consequences of using the information discussed. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions, conduct their own research, and seek professional guidance where appropriate. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that The Coffee Pump Podcast is not responsible for any actions or decisions made based on the content provided. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:25 - AI Conspiracies, What AI Can Do & The Anthropic Resignation 9:01 - Crypto, AI & Quantum Computers 11:55 - Moving To Boston & His First Encounter With Computers 18:22 - His First Job In The US 21:54 - The Birth Of Africa Online, Moving To Abidjan & The Civil War 28:07 - Share Options, Going Back To School & Corporate Technologies 34:55 - Work Fulfilment, Moving Back To Kenya & Building Billing Software 39:30 - How Africa Online Ran Back In The Day 41:23 - Managing Servers, Moving To Lagos & Working With Insurers 48:24 - Security Monitoring At KIXP & Cybercrime 55:01 - The Pivot To Akili AI, Its Work & Data Residency 1:02:15 - AI Agents, Co-pilots & What AI Can Actually Do 1:10:00 - Government Use Of AI, Risks, Dangers & Hallucinations 1:14:14 - Surviving And Coexisting In The Age Of AI 1:21:45 - Prompting & DSPy 1:23:50 - Meta's Muse & Ray-Ban Glasses 1:24:39 - AI In Banking, Choosing The Right Models & Routers 1:35:20 - AI In Government Systems & AI vs Human Bias 1:40:21 - How Akili AI Implements Projects 1:43:58 - AI Regulation, Data Protection, PII & Board Training 1:51:03 - Local AI Models, RAM & Hardware Bottlenecks 1:57:16 - Basketball 1:58:11 - Where To Find Shikoli 1:58:49 - Outro