Why do the technologies we build at small scale create unforeseen dangers at massive scale?
In this behind-the-scenes moment from Threat Vector, Carey Frey, Chief Security Officer at TELUS, shares a powerful book recommendation that every technologist should read: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. The conversation reveals how social media platforms—designed with good intentions—created devastating mental health impacts once they reached billions of users.
Key insights from this clip:
* Why "The Anxious Generation" shaped smartphone bans in schools across Canada
* Scott Galloway’s principle: "Anything that reaches scale has negative externalities"
* How parents and siblings are struggling to guide kids through toxic online environments
* What Canadian barbecuing and 10 months of winter teach us about adapting to extremes
Host David Moulton connects the dots between technological scale, unintended consequences, and our responsibility as builders to anticipate negative societal outcomes—before they happen.
This clip matters if you’re:
Building AI systems that will eventually reach massive scale
* A parent navigating how to protect kids in digital environments
* A technologist wondering about the second and third-order effects of your work
Plus: Carey’s book recommendations span politics, cooking, and philosophy—including Wood Fire and Smoke by Michael Smith for Canadian barbecue wisdom, and a teaser about Scott Galloway’s Notes on Being a Man.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: The Kill Switch for AI Agents
https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/podcasts/threat-vector-the-kill-switch-for-ai-agents
Threat Vector is Palo Alto Networks’ podcast exploring cybersecurity, AI safety, and the human side of technology.
LINKS:
Carey Frey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carey-frey-1645943/
David Moulton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmoulton/
Timestamps
0:00 – Book recommendations: Politics, cooking, and technology
0:05 – The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
0:24 – How social media created unintended mental health consequences
1:12 – Scott Galloway on scale and negative externalities
1:33 – Parents struggling to guide kids through toxic online spaces
2:00 – Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway
2:08 – Canadian barbecue wisdom: Wood Fire and Smoke
2:30 – Best time to visit Canada (spoiler: July)
2:51 – "10 months of winter, 2 months of bad snowmobiling"
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About Threat Vector
Threat Vector is Palo Alto Networks podcast for people who want to understand what’s really happening in cybersecurity. Every episode brings you inside the latest threats, smarter protection strategies, and the trends shaping the field.
You’ll hear from industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and real customers. The goal is simple. Give security teams and decision-makers the insights they need to stay ahead.
About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks helps organizations prevent cyberattacks across cloud, network, and mobile with an automated, unified approach to security. Learn more at http://paloaltonetworks.com
