28 August 2025
The MAGA Case Against AI Accelerationism
Robert Wright and Joe Allen, tech editor on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, discuss AI, transhumanism, Palantir, the noosphere, China, and more.
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In this video:
- Joe’s notable background
- Is most of the MAGA coalition accelerationist?
- Transhumanism, big tech, Klaus Schwab, and the noosphere
- How the pandemic sparked a MAGA tech backlash
- Palantir as bipartisan bête noire
- The conservative case for AI regulation
- Should fear of China trump fear of AI?
- Heading to Overtime
Will Putin dupe Trump into a bad deal?
George Beebe of the Quincy Institute slams the view that Putin is a “master manipulator,” in a conversation with Connor Echols.
The Open Source AI Question
Nathan Lambert of the Allen Institute for AI and Robert Wright cover the waterfront on open source AI—including its pros and cons and the implications for US-China dynamics and, btw, the meaning(s) of ‘open source AI’.
Epstein Explained
Mickey Kaus makes his long-awaited NonZero podcast return to talk all things Epstein—including the Trump connection—with Robert Wright.
Does America’s “China consensus” make sense?
Jordan Schneider of the ChinaTalk podcast and Robert Wright debate whether the US’s prevailing hawkish strategy is the right way to engage with China.
Anatomy of a Man-Made Famine
Alex de Waal of the World Peace Foundation explains to Connor Echols how the famine in Gaza has become the world’s “most intense” hunger crisis in decades.
Trump’s Plan for Global AI Dominance
Robert Wright and Connor Echols discuss Trump’s contradictory strategy for winning an AI arms race with China.
Jeffrey Epstein, MechaHitler, and Other Ills
Robert Wright and psychologist Paul Bloom discuss the Epstein files, Bob’s AI-guided (and misguided?) cancer journey, Grok’s Nazi-pornbot turn, AI companions, and more.
Why China Won’t Invade Taiwan
Connor Echols and Dan Grazier discuss the horrible difficulty of invading Taiwan—and the reasons why Washington keeps playing up the threat to Taipei.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Trump’s Failures in Israel and Ukraine
Robert Wright and Connor Echols discuss Israel’s escalations in Gaza and the West Bank, Trump’s seemingly aborted attempt to make peace in Ukraine, and more!
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Feeling the GPT-5
Psychologist Paul Bloom and Robert Wright discuss the alleged GPT-5 ‘flop,’ the psychological and social challenges of advancing AI, the MSNBC rebranding, the Billy Joel documentary, etc.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Must We Discuss Sydney Sweeney?
Robert Wright and psychologist Paul Bloom discuss the American Eagle ad controversy. Plus: How real is IQ? Billy Joel’s burnout. A Bayesian Epstein analysis. And more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
It’s Gaza Awareness Week!
Robert Wright and American Prestige podcast hosts Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner discuss the shift in discourse on Gaza—and what it could mean for Israel and for US politics.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Is the New Syria Unravelling?
Robert Wright and Middle East expert Joshua Landis discuss the mounting challenges facing the new regime, what’s really behind Israel’s recent attacks, what grounds for hope remain, and more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
An American Scholar in China
