Rephonic
Artwork for Machine Learning Street Talk

Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)

Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Deep Learning
Large Language Models
Neural Networks
Artificial General Intelligence
Transformers
AI Safety
Cognitive Science
Language Models
Reinforcement Learning
AI Ethics
Consciousness
Free Energy Principle
Cohere
Intelligence
Neuroscience
Active Inference
ARC Challenge
Agency

Welcome! We engage in fascinating discussions with pre-eminent figures in the AI field. Our flagship show covers current affairs in AI, cognitive science, neuroscience and philosophy of mind with in-depth analysis. Our approach is unrivalled in terms of scope and rigour – we believe in intellectual diversity in AI, and we touch on all of the main ideas in the field with the hype surgically removed... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes255Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for Machine Learning Street Talk

Latest Episodes

Tim Scarfe travels to Zurich to sit down with the Tufa Labs ARC-AGI-3 team — founder Benjamin Crouzier, with Jeroen Cottaar, Dries Smit, Stefano Viel and Michal Tesnar — to work out what their leaderboard-topping system does and what the benchmark is... more

Thomas Ahle wants Normal Computing to be the Lovable for chip design: type your intent, and a swarm of agents carries it from design through optimisation, formalisation and verification to tape-out. To get there, his team at wrote their own open-sour... more

This episode is sponsored by Notion. Learn more about Notion's Developer Platform today at notion.com/mlstProtein folding stalled biology for fifty years. A sequence of amino acids dictates a three-dimensional shape, but reading that shape me... more

Brad Carson was the Army's General Counsel, served two terms in Congress and was Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. He now heads Americans for Responsible Innovation, the AI-policy advocacy group he co-founded. Keith Dugga... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Thomas Ahle
Chip designer focusing on probabilistic machine learning, formal verification, and hardware design
Normal Computing (as context in the episode)
Episode: The Thermodynamic AI Computing Chip - Thomas Ahle
John Jumper
Leader in AlphaFold project; previously at DeepMind, moving to Anthropic
DeepMind / Anthropic
Episode: He won a Nobel here for AlphaFold. Then he left. - John Jumper
Emmanuel Nji
Structural biologist focused on Africa-based capacity building
Isomorphic Labs / African research collaborators
Episode: He won a Nobel here for AlphaFold. Then he left. - John Jumper
Anthony Aguirre
Physicist at University of California system, invited to an AI conference
University of California
Episode: When AI Decides You're a Threat — Brad Carson
Michael I. Jordan
Professor, UC Berkeley / INRIA
UC Berkeley / INRIA
Episode: Intelligence is collective, not artificial — Prof. Michael I. Jordan (UC Berkeley / Inria)
Beth Barnes
Ex-OpenAI alignment researcher, founder of ARCHIVALS and METR
METR / ARCHIVALS
Episode: The AI Models Smart Enough to Know They're Cheating — Beth Barnes & David Rein [METR]
David Rein
Creator of GPQA benchmark, co-author on Hcast and Time Horizons
METR / GPQA
Episode: The AI Models Smart Enough to Know They're Cheating — Beth Barnes & David Rein [METR]
Robert Lange
Founding researcher at Sakana AI
Sakana AI
Episode: When AI Discovers The Next Transformer - Robert Lange (Sakana)
Jeremy Howard
Deep learning pioneer, Kaggle Grandmaster; advocate for interactive, hands-on problem solving in AI
Episode: "Vibe Coding is a Slot Machine" - Jeremy Howard

Host

Tim Scarfe
Host of Machine Learning Street Talk; regular host with deep involvement in shaping show direction.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 735 ratings
  • Great

    This podcast is a gem. It is much more than ml

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tosvarsan
    Sweden20 days ago
  • You let this happen?!

    The person who moderated (or failed to) the Wolfram and Yudkowsy conversation wasted both guests and the audience’s time

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Leopold P Bloom
    United States6 months ago
  • quantum mechanics

    I really enjoy Machine Learning Street Talk, even when I don’t agree with every opinion.

    I’m curious what happens when we add quantum mechanics to the discussion.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Boaz Kaizman, artist, Cologne

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bzeev
    Germany6 months ago
  • 😎😎

    норм подкастик. много свежих инсайтов

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Вода Природная
    Russia6 months ago
  • Once-excellent podcast

    It used to be one of my favourite ML podcasts, with genuinely in-depth discussions and fascinating guests. Over time, though, it became increasingly clear that its primary goal had shifted to revenue generation, and the quality of the interviews declined accordingly. At its worst, entire episodes felt like thinly veiled sponsored ads for overhyped startups. It’s genuinely disappointing to watch such a once-excellent podcast lose its way.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    DePrincipatibus
    Germany8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Generally delivers deep, technical AI discussions with strong guest lineups.
A number of listeners praise the rigorous, thoughtful exploration of AI governance and philosophy, while a subset criticizes production choices and pacing.
Some listeners feel sponsorship and promotional content have crept into episodes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#130
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#69
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#127
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#85
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#113
France/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#16
South Africa/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When AI Discovers The Next Transformer - Robert Lange (Sakana)
Q: What are your thoughts on ARC and how ARC challenges push open-ended systems?
They discuss ARC as a benchmarking context that emphasizes abstract building blocks and low data contamination, highlighting the need for systems to generalize from fundamental concepts rather than memorized solutions, thus driving adaptive, scalable AI research.
When AI Discovers The Next Transformer - Robert Lange (Sakana)
Q: Tell me about the Shinka Evolve paper and how it compares to AlphaEvolve.
Lange explains Shinka Evolve builds on AlphaEvolve by enabling broader, multi-step, co-evolution of programs with LLMs, using a richer mutation space, model ensembles, and a meta scratch pad to diffuse insights, aiming for sample efficiency and open-ended discovery.
When AI Discovers The Next Transformer - Robert Lange (Sakana)
Q: So you're working for Sakana. Tell us about that.
Robert Lange describes Sakana as a Japanese AI startup focused on AI for Japan and ambitious research ideas; he discusses being a founding researcher and the company's early days and evolution.
Bayesian Brain, Scientific Method, and Models [Dr. Jeff Beck]
Q: What do you think about these broad sort of metaphorical idealizations?
The brain is a prediction machine; the nature of our explanations for how the brain works will align with the most sophisticated technology available.
AI Agents Can Code 10,000 Lines of Hacking Tools In Seconds - Dr. Ilia Shumailov (ex-GDM)
Q: What do you think about the open source thing?
While there might be benefits from openly available platforms, Shumailov expresses concerns about security risks associated with uncontrolled access to diverse AI models.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Machine Learning Street Talk

What is Machine Learning Street Talk about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A highly technical, cross-disciplinary AI podcast that blends machine learning, cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. Episodes typically center on how social, economic, and governance structures shape AI development, with deep dives into evaluation benchmarks, data markets, and the ethics of automation. Guests span leading researchers, philosophers, and industry thinkers, resulting in rigorous conversations that challenge hype with careful reasoning, practical examples, and nuanced takes on long-term societal implications. A standout trait is the willingness to explore foundational questions—what intelligence is, how to measure it, and how humans should steer powerful technologies—while maintaining accessibility for techn... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Machine Learning Street Talk?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Machine Learning Street Talk:

1. The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence)
2. Dwarkesh Podcast
3. No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups
4. Training Data
5. Practical AI

How many episodes of Machine Learning Street Talk are there?

Machine Learning Street Talk launched 6 years ago and published 255 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Machine Learning Street Talk?

Recent guests on Machine Learning Street Talk include:

1. Thomas Ahle
2. John Jumper
3. Emmanuel Nji
4. Anthony Aguirre
5. Michael I. Jordan
6. Beth Barnes
7. David Rein
8. Robert Lange

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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