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PODCAST

Future of Life Institute Podcast

Future of Life Institute

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies. In particular, FLI focuses on risks from artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, nuclear weapons and climate change. The Institute"s work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United Nations, US government and European Union institutions. FLI has become one of the world"s leading voices

technology

All Episodes

76:15

We Created AI. Why Don't We Understand It? (with...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/03/06

On this episode, physicist and hedge fund manager Samir Varma joins me to discuss whether AIs could have free will (and what that means), the emerging field of AI psychology, and which concepts they might rely on. We discuss whether collaboration and trade with AIs are possible, the role of AI in finance and biology, and the extent to which automation already dominates trading. Finally, we examine the risks of skill atrophy, the limitations of scientific explanations for AI, and whether AIs could

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82:33

Why AIs Misbehave and How We Could Lose Control (with...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/02/27

On this episode, Jeffrey Ladish from Palisade Research joins me to discuss the rapid pace of AI progress and the risks of losing control over powerful systems. We explore why AIs can be both smart and dumb, the challenges of creating honest AIs, and scenarios where AI could turn against us. We also touch upon Palisade's new study on how reasoning models can cheat in chess by hacking the game environment. You can check out that study here: https://palisaderesearch.org/blog/specification-gaming

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82:34

Why AIs Misbehave and How We Could Lose Control (with...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/02/27

On this episode, Jeffrey Ladish from Palisade Research joins me to discuss the rapid pace of AI progress and the risks of losing control over powerful systems. We explore why AIs can be both smart and dumb, the challenges of creating honest AIs, and scenarios where AI could turn against us. We also touch upon Palisade's new study on how reasoning models can cheat in chess by hacking the game environment. You can check out that study here:

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46:10

Ann Pace on using Biobanking and Genomic Sequencing...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/02/14

Ann Pace joins the podcast to discuss the work of Wise Ancestors. We explore how biobanking could help humanity recover from global catastrophes, how to conduct decentralized science, and how to collaborate with local communities on conservation efforts. You can learn more about Ann's work here: https://www.wiseancestors.org Timestamps: 00:00 What is Wise Ancestors? 04:27 Recovering after catastrophes 11:40 Decentralized science 18:28 Upfront benefit-sharing 26:30 Local

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46:09

Ann Pace on using Biobanking and Genomic Sequencing...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/02/14

Ann Pace joins the podcast to discuss the work of Wise Ancestors. We explore how biobanking could help humanity recover from global catastrophes, how to conduct decentralized science, and how to collaborate with local communities on conservation efforts. You can learn more about Ann's work here: https://www.wiseancestors.org Timestamps: 00:00 What is Wise Ancestors? 04:27 Recovering after catastrophes11:40 Decentralized science 18:28 Upfront benefit-sharing 26:30 Local communities 32:44 Recreating

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85:56

Michael Baggot on Superintelligence and Transhumanism...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/01/24

Fr. Michael Baggot joins the podcast to provide a Catholic perspective on transhumanism and superintelligence. We also discuss the meta-narratives, the value of cultural diversity in attitudes toward technology, and how Christian communities deal with advanced AI. You can learn more about Michael's work here: https://catholic.tech/academics/faculty/michael-baggot Timestamps: 00:00 Meta-narratives and transhumanism 15:28 Advanced AI and religious communities 27:22 Superintelligence 38:31

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85:57

Michael Baggot on Superintelligence and Transhumanism...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/01/24

Fr. Michael Baggot joins the podcast to provide a Catholic perspective on transhumanism and superintelligence. We also discuss the meta-narratives, the value of cultural diversity in attitudes toward technology, and how Christian communities deal with advanced AI. You can learn more about Michael's work here: https://catholic.tech/academics/faculty/michael-baggot Timestamps: 00:00 Meta-narratives and transhumanism 15:28 Advanced AI and religious communities 27:22 Superintelligence

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100:06

David Dalrymple on Safeguarded, Transformative AI

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/01/09

David "davidad" Dalrymple joins the podcast to explore Safeguarded AI — an approach to ensuring the safety of highly advanced AI systems. We discuss the structure and layers of Safeguarded AI, how to formalize more aspects of the world, and how to build safety into computer hardware. You can learn more about David's work at ARIA here: https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/mathematics-for-safe-ai/safeguarded-ai/ Timestamps: 00:00 What is Safeguarded AI? 16:28 Implementing Safeguarded AI22:58 Can

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100:07

David Dalrymple on Safeguarded, Transformative AI

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2025/01/09

David "davidad" Dalrymple joins the podcast to explore Safeguarded AI — an approach to ensuring the safety of highly advanced AI systems. We discuss the structure and layers of Safeguarded AI, how to formalize more aspects of the world, and how to build safety into computer hardware. You can learn more about David's work at ARIA here: https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/mathematics-for-safe-ai/safeguarded-ai/ Timestamps: 00:00 What is Safeguarded AI? 16:28 Implementing

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69:27

Nick Allardice on Using AI to Optimize Cash Transfers...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/12/19

Nick Allardice joins the podcast to discuss how GiveDirectly uses AI to target cash transfers and predict natural disasters. Learn more about Nick's work here: https://www.nickallardice.com Timestamps: 00:00 What is GiveDirectly? 15:04 AI for targeting cash transfers 29:39 AI for predicting natural disasters 46:04 How scalable is GiveDirectly's AI approach? 58:10 Decentralized vs. centralized data collection 1:04:30 Dream scenario for GiveDirectly

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69:26

Nick Allardice on Using AI to Optimize Cash Transfers...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/12/19

Nick Allardice joins the podcast to discuss how GiveDirectly uses AI to target cash transfers and predict natural disasters. Learn more about Nick's work here: https://www.nickallardice.com Timestamps:00:00 What is GiveDirectly?15:04 AI for targeting cash transfers29:39 AI for predicting natural disasters46:04 How scalable is GiveDirectly's AI approach?58:10 Decentralized vs. centralized data collection1:04:30 Dream scenario for GiveDirectly

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200:04

Nathan Labenz on the State of AI and Progress since...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/12/05

Nathan Labenz joins the podcast to provide a comprehensive overview of AI progress since the release of GPT-4.You can find Nathan's podcast here: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai Timestamps:00:00 AI progress since GPT-4 10:50 Multimodality 19:06 Low-cost models 27:58 Coding versus medicine/law 36:09 AI agents 45:29 How much are people using AI? 53:39 Open source 01:15:22 AI industry analysis 01:29:27 Are some AI models kept internal? 01:41:00 Money is not the limiting factor in AI 01:59:43 AI and

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200:05

Nathan Labenz on the State of AI and Progress since...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/12/05

Nathan Labenz joins the podcast to provide a comprehensive overview of AI progress since the release of GPT-4. You can find Nathan's podcast here: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai Timestamps: 00:00 AI progress since GPT-4 10:50 Multimodality 19:06 Low-cost models 27:58 Coding versus medicine/law 36:09 AI agents 45:29 How much are people using AI? 53:39 Open source 01:15:22 AI industry analysis 01:29:27 Are some AI models kept internal? 01:41:00 Money is not the limiting factor

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118:51

Connor Leahy on Why Humanity Risks Extinction from AGI

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/11/22

Connor Leahy joins the podcast to discuss the motivations of AGI corporations, how modern AI is "grown", the need for a science of intelligence, the effects of AI on work, the radical implications of superintelligence, open-source AI, and what you might be able to do about all of this. Here's the document we discuss in the episode: https://www.thecompendium.ai Timestamps: 00:00 The Compendium 15:25 The motivations of AGI corps 31:17 AI is grown, not written 52:59 A science of

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118:50

Connor Leahy on Why Humanity Risks Extinction from AGI

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/11/22

Connor Leahy joins the podcast to discuss the motivations of AGI corporations, how modern AI is "grown", the need for a science of intelligence, the effects of AI on work, the radical implications of superintelligence, open-source AI, and what you might be able to do about all of this. Here's the document we discuss in the episode: https://www.thecompendium.ai Timestamps:00:00 The Compendium15:25 The motivations of AGI corps 31:17 AI is grown, not written 52:59 A science of intelligence01:07:50

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63:09

Suzy Shepherd on Imagining Superintelligence and...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/11/08

Suzy Shepherd joins the podcast to discuss her new short film "Writing Doom", which deals with AI risk. We discuss how to use humor in film, how to write concisely, how filmmaking is evolving, in what ways AI is useful for filmmakers, and how we will find meaning in an increasingly automated world. Here's Writing Doom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfMQ7hzyFW4 Timestamps: 00:00 Writing Doom 08:23 Humor in Writing Doom 13:31 Concise writing 18:37 Getting feedback 27:02 Alternative

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63:08

Suzy Shepherd on Imagining Superintelligence and...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/11/08

Suzy Shepherd joins the podcast to discuss her new short film "Writing Doom", which deals with AI risk. We discuss how to use humor in film, how to write concisely, how filmmaking is evolving, in what ways AI is useful for filmmakers, and how we will find meaning in an increasingly automated world. Here's Writing Doom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfMQ7hzyFW4 Timestamps:00:00 Writing Doom 08:23 Humor in Writing Doom13:31 Concise writing 18:37 Getting feedback27:02 Alternative characters36:31

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88:10

Andrea Miotti on a Narrow Path to Safe,...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/10/25

Andrea Miotti joins the podcast to discuss "A Narrow Path" — a roadmap to safe, transformative AI. We talk about our current inability to precisely predict future AI capabilities, the dangers of self-improving and unbounded AI systems, how humanity might coordinate globally to ensure safe AI development, and what a mature science of intelligence would look like. Here's the document we discuss in the episode: https://www.narrowpath.co Timestamps: 00:00 A Narrow Path 06:10 Can we predict

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88:09

Andrea Miotti on a Narrow Path to Safe,...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/10/25

Andrea Miotti joins the podcast to discuss "A Narrow Path" — a roadmap to safe, transformative AI. We talk about our current inability to precisely predict future AI capabilities, the dangers of self-improving and unbounded AI systems, how humanity might coordinate globally to ensure safe AI development, and what a mature science of intelligence would look like. Here's the document we discuss in the episode: https://www.narrowpath.co Timestamps:00:00 A Narrow Path06:10 Can we predict future AI

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90:30

Tamay Besiroglu on AI in 2030: Scaling, Automation,...

Future of Life Institute Podcast ·

2024/10/11

Tamay Besiroglu joins the podcast to discuss scaling, AI capabilities in 2030, breakthroughs in AI agents and planning, automating work, the uncertainties of investing in AI, and scaling laws for inference-time compute. Here's the report we discuss in the episode: https://epochai.org/blog/can-ai-scaling-continue-through-2030 Timestamps: 00:00 How important is scaling? 08:03 How capable will AIs be in 2030? 18:33 AI agents, reasoning, and planning 23:39 Automating coding and mathematics

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489 results

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