Future of Life Institute Podcast

Future of Life Institute

Artificial Intelligence

AI Safety

Artificial General Intelligence

Superintelligence

Cybersecurity

AI Governance

Existential Risk

Nuclear Weapons

Openai

Psychology

Governance

AI Scalability

Artificial Superintelligence

Safeguarded AI

Gpt-4

Machine Learning

Training Compute

Autonomous Weapons Systems

Financial Markets

Regulation

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies. In particular, FLI focuses on risks from artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, nuclear weapons and climate change. The Institute's work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United N... more

282 ratings

Publishes	Twice monthly	Episodes	270	Founded	10 years ago
Number of Listeners		Category	Technology

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Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

The Gulf Between AI Progress and Political Understanding (with Dex Hunter-Torricke)

Dex Hunter-Torricke is founder of the Centre for Tomorrow. He joins the podcast to discuss why AI governance needs to move beyond technical fixes. The conversation covers how AI companies make decisions, why policymakers often misunderstand agents an... more

Yesterday • 1 hr 3 min

How AI Companions Trap Users Through Addictive Design (with Claire Boine)

Claire Boine is an assistant professor in technology, law, and AI governance at the European University Institute. She joins the podcast to discuss AI companions and human attachment. The conversation examines how design choices and free-to-start bus... more

12 Jun 2026 • 1 hr 8 min • Most popular

YouTube

Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)

Michael Toscano is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies and Director of its Family First Technology Initiative. He joins the podcast to discuss family-centered AI policy. The conversation covers AI companions, self-harm risks, sexualiz... more

26 May 2026 • 1 hr 13 min

YouTube

Why We Should Build AI Tools, Not AI Replacements (with Anthony Aguirre)

Anthony Aguirre is the CEO of the Future of Life Institute. He joins the podcast to discuss A Better Path for AI, his essay series on steering AI away from races to replace people. The conversation covers races for attention, attachment, automation, ... more

11 May 2026 • 1 hr 36 min

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Michael Toscano

Director of the Family First Technology Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies; Senior Fellow

Institute for Family Studies

Episode: Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)

Anthony Aguirre

CEO of the Future of Life Institute

Future of Life Institute

Episode: Why We Should Build AI Tools, Not AI Replacements (with Anthony Aguirre)

Charlie Bullock

Senior research fellow at the Institute for Law and AI

Institute for Law and AI

Episode: How to Govern AI When You Can't Predict the Future (with Charlie Bullock)

Peter Wildeford

Head of policy at the AI Policy Network; leading AI forecaster

AI Policy Network

Episode: Why AI Is Not a Normal Technology (with Peter Wildeford)

Carina Prunkl

Lead writer of the International AI Safety Report; researcher at Inria Paris; senior research fellow at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford

Inria, University of Oxford

Episode: Why AI Evaluation Science Can't Keep Up (with Carina Prunkl)

Li-Lian Ang

Leader at Blue Dot Impact focused on AI safety and workforce development

Blue Dot Impact

Episode: Defense in Depth: Layered Strategies Against AI Risk (with Li-Lian Ang)

Zak Stein

Educational psychologist by training; philosopher of education; expert on existential risk and psychology of AI

University of North Carolina

Episode: How AI Hacks Your Brain's Attachment System (with Zak Stein)

Andrea Miotti

Founder and CEO of Control AI

Control AI

Episode: The Case for a Global Ban on Superintelligence (with Andrea Miotti)

Deric Cheng

Director of the Windfall Trust focusing on responding to AI economic disruption.

Windfall Trust

Episode: How to Rebuild the Social Contract After AGI (with Deric Cheng)

Hosts

Gus Stocker

Host of the podcast

Unnamed Host

Host of the Future of Life Institute Podcast

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 282 ratings

R u speeding it up?
Please let me do that myself.
Apple Podcasts
3
Pluteski
United States4 months ago
Used to really like it
I used to really enjoy this podcast, but unfortunately the quality of guests has been in steady decline. Many of the recent guests did not really have anything to say; they just repeated what had already been discussed with more competent guests.
Apple Podcasts
3
DePrincipatibus
Germany7 months ago
Beautiful discussion on creativity
Maya Ackerman was great. I can't put a number on it, Hilarious how the interviewer was really unsettled we don't have a creativity metric. We can't agree about human works of art of course!!
Apple Podcasts
5
Adrian1423
United Kingdom8 months ago
Unrealistic AI hype again!
Benjamin Todd made some good points but I'm getting very fed up with this simplistic AI hype. I do work in the industry. Imagining that the price of land changes due to the massive need to build robots factories alone! really? and the cost of robots being next to nothing. No serious mention of any realistic economic limits like demand, jobs, funding or capitalist motivations of companies to make profits. And Dyson spheres within 10-15 years!!!? Musk can't even get Starship to work so how are you... more
Apple Podcasts
1
Adrian1423
United Kingdom10 months ago
Best AI Safety podcast ever
I love this podcast. I listened to episodes all the way back to 2023. So important to get the word out on these crucially important issues I enjoy every episode. Great guests and Gus Docker is a terrific host. Huge recommendation 👌❤️
I pray for the future of life.
Apple Podcasts
5
Concerned monkey
Denmarka year ago

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Listeners Say

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

Bold, sometimes skeptical takes on hype and AGI timelines.

Thoughtful and rigorous discussions on AI risk and governance.

High-quality guests with deep expertise in safety and policy.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts	#180	United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts	#224	Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts	#79	Finland/Technology
Apple Podcasts	#100	Spain/Technology
Apple Podcasts	#108	New Zealand/Technology
Apple Podcasts	#139	Hong Kong/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)

Q: Is AI currently harming families, or is this a risk for the future?

It is both; there are already harms observable in how some AI systems interact with children, nudging or shaping desires, and the trajectory points toward future intensification if governance and societal safeguards are not strengthened.

Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)

Q: When you think of the family as the organizing principle for AI policy, what comes out of that?

The family should be the baseline for evaluating AI policy because AI systems socialize and educate children in intimate ways, and a child's relational development requires human guidance that AI cannot fully replicate. Policy should preserve the family's authority to shape children's media diets and learning environments.

Why AI Is Not a Normal Technology (with Peter Wildeford)

Q: How should policymakers think about timing for AI governance and national security preparation?

He stresses that policy responses often lag behind technological capability and emphasizes the need for proactive governance, including national security awareness and robust control measures for frontier AI, while acknowledging bureaucratic constraints and the risk of overreaction. He also notes historical examples like COVID showing how policy can be reactive yet bipartisan in crisis moments.

Why AI Is Not a Normal Technology (with Peter Wildeford)

Q: Do you think AI will lead to permanent unemployment or will new job categories emerge?

He argues the outcome is highly contingent and difficult to forecast, noting that while automation could render many tasks obsolete, new roles could emerge but may be very different (e.g., professional party goers, streamers, life coaches). He cautions that the shift could be rapid and requires policy responses, including welfare or redistribution, and government readiness to handle abrupt transitions.

Why AI Is Not a Normal Technology (with Peter Wildeford)

Q: Where do you start when forecasting AI progress and what sources do you rely on?

The guest explains that reliable forecasting hinges on benchmarks, time-series patterns, and careful evaluation of sources. He uses straight-line extrapolation from model dots, tracks time horizons, and cross-checks with expert networks and reputable datasets. He also emphasizes weighing sources by track record and testable predictions, while maintaining skepticism toward hype and marketing from CEOs.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Future of Life Institute Podcast

What is Future of Life Institute Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, forward-looking tech policy show that centers AI governance, safety, and societal impact. Conversations frequently cast a critical eye on how powerful technologies intersect with public policy, ethics, labor markets, and national security, often featuring researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from influential AI safety organizations. Notable strengths include rigorous framing of governance concepts (like radical optionality and defense-in-depth), and a track record of high-profile guests who bring deep expertise to practical questions about regulation, risk, and human-centric AI design. The mix of policy analysis, forecasting, and safety research helps decision-makers, researchers, and executives evaluate how to stee... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Future of Life Institute Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Future of Life Institute Podcast:

1. Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)
2. Conversations with Tyler
3. Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg
4. Making Sense with Sam Harris
5. No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

How many episodes of Future of Life Institute Podcast are there?

Future of Life Institute Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 270 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 Future of Life Institute Podcast?

Recent guests on Future of Life Institute Podcast include:

1. Michael Toscano
2. Anthony Aguirre
3. Charlie Bullock
4. Peter Wildeford
5. Carina Prunkl
6. Li-Lian Ang
7. Zak Stein
8. Andrea Miotti

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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