Robert Wright and Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, discuss links between the two wars—including how the Iran conflict has left Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian strikes—and what all this means for the future of American power.
Samuel Hammond of the Foundation for American Innovation joins Robert Wright to discuss the “Pacing the Frontier” letter in the context of the OpenAI “rogue” model escape and other signs of AI acceleration. Overtime: Sam and Bob debate the functionalist case for AI consciousness.
Robert Wright and Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, discuss the recent letter signed by AI elites urging the US government to prepare the ground for a possible international slowdown of AI. What the letter actually calls for, what it doesn’t, and whether it marks a real shift.
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether Ukraine’s strike on an Iranian ship may lead to WW3 and whether Ukraine’s drone incursions into Russia have really turned the tide.
Robert Wright and Connor Leahy, US executive director of ControlAI, discuss the history of AI culture and the influences that shaped it—from the hippies, to the rationalists, to Marx, to sci-fi stories, and more. Plus: Mythos as “digital nuke,” Dario’s real motivations, and Connor’s case against any and all attempts at building superintelligence.