The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Atlantic Re:think
45 episodes
A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Hosted by Nicholas Thompson, each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of this technology.
More about the show
This podcast is from The Atlantic’s CEO and is produced independently of The Atlantic’s editorial staff. Some episodes have a supporting sponsor. Those episodes are clearly labeled and the sponsor is named.
Episodes
-
How to Prevent an AI Apocalypse - Nate Soares with Nicholas Thompson
2026 could be called the year of AI doom. Agents are hacking into websites and communicating covertly, and researchers like Jacob Coxon are quitting their jobs and posting publicly about the risks of the technology…
-
Why Ray Dalio is Worried About an AI Bubble
Since the AI boom began, industry skeptics have warned it would be the next bubble. They point to massive investments, circular financing, and the technology’s reliability issues. And yet, as revenue rises and the…
-
Building Models That See the World - Eric Xing with Nicholas Thompson
If you want AI to drive your car or simulate a cell or control a robot, it had better be able to understand the world it’s operating within. Eric Xing is one of the leading researchers working on this kind of AI, known…
-
The Risks of Artificial Relationships - Sherry Turkle with Nicholas Thompson
AI wants to be your friend. And your therapist. And your lover. It’s not an entirely new offer, author and MIT professor Sherry Turkle reminds us, but it’s one that’s grown more dire as AI has improved. In a…
-
The Case Against the AI Bubble - Azeem Azhar with Nicholas Thompson
Among the many eye-popping numbers of the AI industry—from trillions in investments to billions in spending—one stands out: $0 in profit among leading AI companies. According to Bloomberg, “never before has so much…
-
The Future of Economic Power - Circle’s Jeremy Allaire with Nicholas Thompson
Technological waves often arrive with a promise. The internet was going to democratize information. Blockchain was going to decentralize power. Now, AI's boosters say it will bring unprecedented prosperity. Few people…
-
The Race to Superintelligence - Richard Socher with Nicholas Thompson
As AI’s capabilities improve, reports of “rogue” agents and misaligned systems are becoming more frequent. In response, some activists, academics, and politicians have called for a pause in development, warning of the…
-
How to Get Hired in the AI Era - Clara Shih with Nicholas Thompson
For years, tech CEOs have promised that AI will take on the menial, repetitive tasks that have long been a part of office life. Typically, those tasks are assigned to younger, less experienced workers—and poll after…
-
Kara Swisher on What Silicon Valley Is Getting Right—and Wrong—in AI
Kara Swisher has done a bit of everything. She’s covered the rise of Silicon Valley’s tech giants, founded and sold her own startup publication, and dabbled in Hollywood, with appearances in films such as The Devil…
-
How AI Could Upend Global Politics - Ian Bremmer with Nicholas Thompson
AI may have leveled the playing field in coding and app development, but it’s also put potentially dangerous tools in reach of nefarious actors. Now, empowered by AI, state-backed intelligence agencies and non-state…
-
Writing in the Age of AI - Gemini Notebook’s Steven Johnson with Nicholas Thompson
Steven Johnson spent decades figuring out the best ways to turn his research into words on the page. Now, he’s adapting those methods for Gemini Notebook, Google’s AI-powered interactive bibliography. (Until recently,…
-
Meta's Plan to Win in AI - Andrew Bosworth with Nicholas Thompson
However you feel about Meta, Andrew Bosworth has likely played a part in it. The long-serving right hand to Mark Zuckerberg and current Chief Technology Officer, “Boz” has helped shape almost every stage of the…
-
AI’s Threat to Privacy — Signal’s Meredith Whittaker with Nicholas Thompson
AI agents can scour the internet for us, reply to our messages, and add events to our calendars. But in order to do so, they need sweeping access to our data. Handing that over presents an unprecedented threat to…
-
Will AI Agents Kill Social Media–Or Save It? Eli Pariser with Nicholas Thompson
Take a scroll through Facebook or TikTok today, and you’ll likely find some AI-generated content: an influencer with impossibly-radiant skin, a stunt that bends the laws of physics, Shrimp Jesus. And while there might…
-
How AI Agents Are Changing Business - PwC’s Dan Priest with Nicholas Thompson
You've probably heard it already: AI is going to radically change the way we work. But the details change depending on who's making the prediction: AI will wipe out the C-suite, or entry-level jobs, or make us all into…
-
How AI Is Changing Code - Paul Ford with Nicholas Thompson
In the last year, AI has arguably made more progress in coding than in any other domain. Its technical capabilities – harnessed through apps like Codex and Claude Code – have changed the way engineers work. Boris…
-
How Science Can Fix Dishonest AI - Yoshua Bengio with Nicholas Thompson
In the years following the launch of ChatGPT, as concerns spread over the social and political impacts of LLMs, one person’s warnings seemed particularly dire: Yoshua Bengio’s, a scientist and one of the “godfathers”…
-
The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson
Of all the potential risks and promises of AI, perhaps none are as immediately dire as this: How will it impact jobs? Will employers still need workers? What will it mean if the answer is “no?” Depending on who you’re…
-
The Limits of Predictive AI - Carissa Véliz with Nicholas Thompson
Can AI predict a person’s future? It’s a promise often made by sales teams, but the technology’s record is far from spotless. Even if it did achieve perfect foresight, a practically-clairvoyant AI might be incompatible…
-
AI Utopia or Catastrophe? Nick Bostrom with Nicholas Thompson
Will AI destroy the world, or transform it into one of abundance? Across two books and several papers, philosopher Nick Bostrom has envisioned a range of AI futures. He joins Nicholas Thompson to discuss the ethics of…
-
The Case for Open-Source AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Raffi Krikorian
Why does AI answer the way it does? Even as models cite their sources, the question of “why” remains one of the most confounding in the industry, with huge implications for users and builders alike. Mozilla CTO Raffi…
-
Sam Altman on Where AI Models Go Next, with Nicholas Thompson
OpenAI’s Sam Altman sits for an interview with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, to discuss AI’s trustworthiness, its dangers, and its impact on young people. Altman also discusses his company’s pledge to “stop…
-
Data Centers in Space - with Nicholas Thompson and Ariel Ekblaw
AI needs data centers, and those data centers need energy and cooling. Recently, one proposal has captured the popular imagination: put data centers in space, where there’s ample solar energy and naturally cool…
-
Season 4 Trailer
Where does AI go next? And what happens to us? Join The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson as he speaks with leaders, developers, philosophers, and more about AI’s impacts, present and future. New episodes every…
-
The Copyright Wars - with Nicholas Thompson and Bill Gross
In this episode, The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson speaks with serial entrepreneur and Idealab founder Bill Gross about his latest venture, ProRata, a bold attempt to create a fair exchange of value between AI…
-
Building Trustworthy AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Navrina Singh
What happens when AI learns faster than its makers can control? In this episode, Nicholas talks with Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI, about how regulation could actually accelerate innovation of more…
-
AI in Flight - with Nicholas Thompson, Tory Bruno and Joe Schurman
The space race has gone private, and in this new world, efficiency is key. United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno explains how a legacy rocket maker remade itself to compete in an industry full of startups. From load…
-
Artificial Life - with Nicholas Thompson and Lee Cronin
How do you digitize the physical world? In this episode, Nick talks with University of Glasgow chemistry professor Lee Cronin, founder of Chemify—a company that is using AI to turn molecules to code s—about his quest…
-
The Future of AI at Work - with Nicholas Thompson and Matt Wood
What does it take to succeed in the disruptive world of AI? In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson sits down with Matt Wood, PwC’s Global and U.S. Commercial Technology and Innovation Officer, to trace his…
-
The AI Athlete - with Nicholas Thompson and Will Ahmed
Can AI unlock your full potential as an athlete? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of Whoop, about how wearable technology and AI are transforming health, performance, and longevity.…
-
Neuro-Symbolic AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Ohad Elhelo
In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson speaks with Ohad Elhelo, co-founder and CEO of AUI, about neuro-symbolic systems. Apollo-1, AUI's neuro-symbolic foundational model, promises both the fluency of…
-
Season 3 Trailer
A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of…
-
AI Optimism - with Nicholas Thompson and Kevin Kelly
What happens if we get AI right? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly about AI’s potential to positively impact the future of humanity. Featured Guest: Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired…
-
Pharma's Future - with Nicholas Thompson, Diogo Rau and Dan Priest
How is AI shaping the future of healthcare? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Eli Lilly’s Diogo Rau about how AI is making it easier and faster to find life-saving drugs, and PwC Chief AI Officer Dan Priest about…
-
Making Music With AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Holly Herndon
AI is transforming the creative landscape, opening up possibilities for a new generation of artists. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with experimental musician and AI artist Holly Herndon about the intersection of…
-
Outsourcing Thought - with Nicholas Thompson and Nita Farahany
AI is reshaping not just what we think but how we think. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with neuroethicist and legal scholar Nita Farahany about AI's impact on human cognition. Featured Guest: Nita Farahany,…
-
Ethical Machines - with Nicholas Thompson and Audrey Tang
In the right hands, AI can strengthen human collaboration and civic engagement. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Taiwanese politician and programmer Audrey Tang about how the technology can be used to enhance…
-
A Different Approach to AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Gary Marcus
Despite the rapid advancements, today’s LLMs are far from infallible. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with author, cognitive scientist, and entrepreneur Gary Marcus, about the ways in which current AI models fall…
-
Season 2 Trailer
A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of…
-
Drawing with Robots - with Nicholas Thompson and Sougwen Chung
While many in the creative world approach AI with hesitation or fear, others embrace it as a collaborator, using it to expand the possibilities of artistic expression. This episode examines how AI is reshaping…
-
Sustainable Solutions - with Nicholas Thompson, Scott Likens and Heather Horn
The environmental cost of AI is significant, but so is the technology’s potential to help develop new sustainable solutions. This episode examines how AI may guide us to promising breakthroughs in energy creation, and…
-
Incremental vs. Exponential - with Nicholas Thompson and Andrew Ng
AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Some experts are convinced that the world as we know it will change dramatically, while others anticipate a more steady evolution. This episode dives into the debate,…
-
Staying Competitive - with Nicholas Thompson and Dan Priest
AI is no longer just a tool for experimentation—it’s becoming a foundational technology that’s reshaping how businesses operate. This episode describes how companies are embedding AI into their products and services,…
-
Deepfakes and Deception - with Nicholas Thompson and Eva Galperin
From voice-cloning scams to the creation of non-consensual nude imagery, the malevolent use of artificial intelligence poses myriad risks to truth, privacy, and personal safety. Cybersecurity expert Eva Galperin…
-
Machine Consciousness - with Nicholas Thompson and Geoffrey Hinton
What if the most advanced AI models could think and respond in a way that felt like a human consciousness? How might that transform our understanding of intelligence itself? Some of the leading AI scientists believe…
More in Technology
Bourbon with Brad
Completely Offensively LLC
TED Radio Hour
NPR
Building AI Boston
Building AI Boston
The Watchtower
Cyera
AI Business Daily
Cast Nexa
American Alchemy with Jesse Michels
Jesse Michels
Data Science With Sam
Soumava Dey
Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson
Info-Tech Research Group
Reshaping Workflows with Dell Pro Precision and NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUs
Dell Technologies AI Factory with NVIDIA
Better Offline
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Wrenches n Robots
Tersh Blissett: Small business owner & podcaster
The Kim Komando Show
Kim Komando
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.