On this week's Riffs, Reid and Aria unpack last week’s conversation with Yuval Noah Harari, discussing AI's rapid advancements, its potential impacts on humanity, and the meaning of consciousness. Reid and Aria also discuss who will be responsible for making sure AI is aligned with human values –– no matter what the future looks like. 

00:00 Introduction and overview

00:16 Reflecting on the conversation with Yuval 

05:14 The role of AI labs and accountability

11:45 Philosophical questions on AI and consciousness

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

What will it take to create AI that is as trustworthy, if not more trustworthy than humans? 

This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and best-selling author of several books including Nexus, Sapiens and Homo Deus. When it comes to outlook on AI, Yuval, Reid, and Aria agree on the importance of building both human trust in AI and AI that is genuinely truth-seeking, but they differ on how possible it is to achieve. 

Together, they dig into their diverging opinions on the outcomes of the AI revolution, global cooperation, and how AI will learn from humans. They also discuss the differences between intelligence and consciousness, and whether conscious AI is a goal worth pursuing. 

Yuval turns to history to ground his warnings about AI. Even though he’s cautious about technology, he is critical of cynicism. Yuval shares his philosophy on human compassion as a guiding principle that can allow us to steer away from collapse and ultimately, build a better AI future. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Topics:

3:38 - Hellos and intros

3:58 - Questions for the Buddha

5:48 - Yuval’s relationship with technology

8:57 - Technologies that help humans share stories and myths

10:37 - Is AI the most significant invention after writing

13:02 - How AI will transform society

20:12 - Guidance for a successful AI revolution

24:24 - Using AI to support humanity's self-correcting mechanisms

26:13 - Midroll

26:45 - How to build self-correcting mechanisms for a better future

31:28 - Humans as parents of AI

36:33 - What political leaders need to do to create a positive AI future

39:11 - Artificial intelligence v.s. artificial consciousness

42:35 - AI as a tool for rebuilding trust

44:50 - Rapid-fire Questions

Select mentions: 

History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours

Heartstopper

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

On this week’s Riff, Reid reacts to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s suggestion that AIs can help address the loneliness epidemic and function as friends. He and Aria discuss why AIs can be great companions but not great friends, along with how to protect against agent misuse and deception. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

How do we build products and platforms that support a healthy, prosperous future? What will it take to “make the internet fun again?” Should kids be using AI? This week, serial entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian—who co-founded Reddit two decades ago and is currently working to reinvent the social news aggregator Digg—joins Reid and Aria to talk about (re)building online and offline communities in the age of AI. They hear from Alexis on his recent bid for U.S. TikTok, the startups and women’s sports ventures he’s backing through his VC firm Seven Seven Six, and his approach to raising AI-forward daughters with his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Topics:

03:03 - Hellos and intros

03:24 - Being a “Daddy Caddy” for Olympia

04:36 - Inspiration behind 776

08:26 - Making the internet “fun” again

12:25 - Internet culture vs. the platform

17:49 - Bid for Tiktok

21:47 - AI and online communities

27:01 - AI in women’s sports

30:16 - Hardware vs. software

31:46 - Midroll

32:00 - Kids, parenting, and learning in the age of AI

34:55 - Physical products in a digital world

40:46 - Tech optimism 

41:56 - Alexis’s collectibles

44:29 - Rapid-fire questions

Select mentions:

Seven Seven Six

Teenage Engineering

Art For Kids Hub

Synthesis Tutor

Monumental Labs

Mantel

Unreasonable Hospitality

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

Reid breaks down OpenAI’s shift to a public benefit corporation—what it really means, why it matters, and why some critics are missing the point. Aria asks whether all frontier AI companies should follow suit. Reid and Aria discuss how educators can navigate the “messy middle” of AI in the classroom. They also dig into the future of assessment, what students (and job seekers) should be learning now to prepare for an AI future, and whether AI-intensive fields are worth the bet.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Select mentions: 

Public Benefit Corporation

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College by James D. Walsh 

Something Alarming Is Happening to the Job Market by Derek Thompson

Shopify memo

Duolingo memo 

Ethan Mollick 

Our Possible episode with Ethan Mollick

Opportunity at Work

What would it look like to keep all living creatures in the loop on the development of new technology?

Reid sat down for a wide-ranging solo discussion with Jane Goodall on that very subject – and more. They talked about how to maintain hope and focus on local impact in today’s often chaotic world, how technology – and AI in particular – might be helpful for conservation, and Jane’s global youth program, Roots & Shoots. Plus, the Jane Goodall institute shared audio from a cutting edge acoustic array that helped them discover a brand new species in Gombe National Park in Tanzania! Jane reflected on her legacy and shared stories about bridging unlikely divides, defying the scientific community early in her career, young people opening their eyes to the natural world for the first time, and so much more.

Thank you to the incredible team at the Jane Goodall Institute and WildMon (L. Pintea, B. Wallauer, K. Harmon, M. Campos, Gabriel Leite, Tomaz Melo, Guilherme Melo, D. A. Collins, D. C. Mjungu) that, with funding from Google, utilized an acoustic array to discover brand new species in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, including Thomas’s Dwarf Galago (Galagoides thomasi).

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Topics:

03:38 - Hellos and intros

03:45 - “Name that baby” game

05:34 - How Jane has used technology in her work

09:13 - Discovering a new species with an acoustic array

11:57 - How AI can help conservation

16:55 - AI as an animal translator

19:58 - Essential lesson for research

22:30 - Similarities between humans and chimpanzees

26:42 - Bridging divides between unlikely groups

30:32 - “We must either redefine man, redefine tool, or…”

32:20 - Government funding cut from Jane Goodall Institute

36:26 - Youth program Roots and Shoots

39:57 - How to maintain hope

42:53 - What we can learn from kids

44:33 - Global impact of the Roots and Shoots program

46:18 - Jane’s ideal AI tool

48:22 - Jane asks Reid: Can AI become sentient?

51:27 - AI’s impact on the brain

54:55 - Rapid-fire Questions

Select mentions: 

APOPO’s “Amazing Rats” | How It Works

Regeneration by Paul Hawken

TACARE Program

Roots & Shoots

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

Reid weighs in on the U.S. government’s latest antitrust action against Google and what it could mean for competition, innovation, and America’s tech edge. Aria also asks about the rise of Chinese electric vehicles and why BYD might be “the Tesla of tomorrow;” the geopolitical costs of tariffs; and whether saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT is worth it.  

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Why can the United States government help make a vaccine in a year but not build a high-speed train in a reasonable timeframe? What if our biggest problems—affordable housing shortages, energy limits, and scientific slowdowns—aren’t inevitable, but chosen?

This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Derek Thompson—staff writer at The Atlantic and host of the podcast Plain English—to explore how a scarcity mindset is holding American society back. They cover how AI can revolutionize scientific discovery; what Operation Warp Speed got right; and why real progress depends on bold policy, not just better technology. Plus, Reid joins Derek in the hotseat for some “Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right?”—a game co-created with ChatGPT to discuss ideas in Derek’s new best-selling book, Abundance. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Select mentions: 

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

“The Anti-Social Century” 

Every Cure co-founder Dr. David Fajgenbaum 

Topics:

1:06 – Episode introduction

2:34 – What year would Derek choose to be born and why?

7:14 – What can AI do as a co-author that Ezra Klein can't, and what are Ezra's irreplaceable strengths?

9:08 – AI's impact on the future of work — what AI can and can't do — and what the enduring role of humans will be.

12:00 – The situation with current tariffs, and the potential fixes or silver linings.

14:28 – Operation Warp Speed and other examples of abundance in the U.S. and beyond.

19:39 – What specific government policies could effectively leverage AI to speed up the creation of abundance?

22:40 – Midroll

22:49 – Derek and Reid play a fun game based on Abundance: “Too much, too little, or just right?” 

30:46 – What's needed to better incentivize scientific progress and foster innovation?

39:22 – How could society and our relationship with technology be reframed to combat the loneliness epidemic?

45:08 – Derek identifies specific policies that currently hinder abundance and suggests new ones that could promote it.

49:45 – Rapid-fire Questions

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

After Tobi Lütke, the CEO of Shopify, put out a memo stating all his employees should be expected to use AI every day, Reid offers his thoughts on AI in the workplace. He also talks about the interplay between AI, social media, mis/disinformation, and the importance of shaping technology instead of restricting technology. Plus, Reid speculates on how AI can be just as groundbreaking in the world of play as it can be in the world of work. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

How can AI help us understand and master deeply complex systems—from the game Go, which has 10 to the power 170 possible positions a player could pursue, or proteins, which, on average, can fold in 10 to the power 300 possible ways? This week, Reid and Aria are joined by Demis Hassabis. Demis is a British artificial intelligence researcher, co-founder, and CEO of the AI company, DeepMind. Under his leadership, DeepMind developed Alpha Go, the first AI to defeat a human world champion in Go and later created AlphaFold, which solved the 50-year-old protein folding problem. He's considered one of the most influential figures in AI. Demis, Reid, and Aria discuss game theory, medicine, multimodality, and the nature of innovation and creativity.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Select mentions: 

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

AlphaGo documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK6gekU1Y

Nash equilibrium & US mathematician John Forbes Nash

Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga

Veo 2, an advanced, AI-powered video creation platform from Google DeepMind

The Culture series by Iain Banks

Hartmut Neven, German-American computer scientist

Topics:

3:11 - Hellos and intros

5:20 - Brute force vs. self-learning systems

8:24 - How a learning approach helped develop new AI systems

11:29 - AlphaGo’s Move 37

16:16 - What will the next Move 37 be?

19:42 - What makes an AI that can play the video game StarCraft impressive

22:32 - The importance of the act of play

26:24 - Data and synthetic data

28:33 - Midroll ad

28:39 - Is it important to have AI embedded in the world?

33:44 - The trade-off between thinking time and output quality

36:03 - Computer languages designed for AI

40:22 - The future of multimodality 

43:27 - AI and geographic diversity 

48:24 - AlphaFold and the future of medicine

51:18 - Rapid-fire Questions

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

In the wake of Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg’s accidental inclusion in senior government officials’ Signal group chat discussing war plans, Reid weighs in on how the U.S. government should—and shouldn’t—use encrypted messaging apps. He and Aria also discuss AI-powered breakthroughs in cancer detection and medical diagnostics, along with NVIDIA’s newly announced Superchip and OpenAI’s latest image generation capabilities. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/