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The Most Interesting Thing in AI

Atlantic Re:think
Artificial Intelligence
Pwc
Generative AI
Ethics
AI In Art
Cybersecurity
Scaling Laws
Brainwave Data
Human Agency In Art
Economics
Social Implications
Atlantic Rethink
Ethical Questions
Preventative Health
Rethink
Neuro-Symbolic AI
Agentic Workflows
Human-Ai Collaboration
Mechanical Creativity
Sustainability

A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Hosted by Nicholas Thompson, each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of this technology.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes27Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Latest Episodes

Can AI predict a person’s future? It’s a promise often made by sales teams, but the technology’s record is far from spotless. Even if it did achieve perfect foresight, a practically-clairvoyant AI might be incompatible with democracy, says Oxford phi... more

Will AI destroy the world, or transform it into one of abundance? Across two books and several papers, philosopher Nick Bostrom has envisioned a range of AI futures. He joins Nicholas Thompson to discuss the ethics of how we treat AI, whether AI has ... more

Why does AI answer the way it does? Even as models cite their sources, the question of “why” remains one of the most confounding in the industry, with huge implications for users and builders alike. Mozilla CTO Raffi Krikorian says much of the answer... more

OpenAI’s Sam Altman sits for an interview with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, to discuss AI’s trustworthiness, its dangers, and its impact on young people. Altman also discusses his company’s pledge to “stop competing and start assisting” ri... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Carissa Véliz
Oxford professor; author of Privacy is Power
University of Oxford
Episode: The Limits of Predictive AI - Carissa Véliz with Nicholas Thompson
Nick Bostrom
Philosopher, author of Superintelligence
University of Oxford
Episode: AI Utopia or Catastrophe? Nick Bostrom with Nicholas Thompson
Sam Altman
CEO of OpenAI
OpenAI
Episode: Sam Altman on Where AI Models Go Next, with Nicholas Thompson
Ariel Ekblaw
Space architect; CEO of Aurelia Institute; founder of Rendezvous Robotics
Aurelia Institute
Episode: Data Centers in Space - with Nicholas Thompson and Ariel Ekblaw
Bill Gross
A serial entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of ProRata, focusing on fair compensation for creators in the age of AI.
ProRata
Episode: The Copyright Wars - with Nicholas Thompson and Bill Gross
Navrina Singh
CEO of Credo AI, a company focused on AI governance.
Credo AI
Episode: Building Trustworthy AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Navrina Singh
Lee Cronin
Regis Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and founder of Chemify, focused on digitizing chemistry.
Chemify
Episode: Artificial Life - with Nicholas Thompson and Lee Cronin
Matt Wood
Global and US Commercial Technology and Innovation Officer at PwC
PwC
Episode: The Future of AI at Work - with Nicholas Thompson and Matt Wood
Will Ahmed
CEO and founder of Whoop
Whoop
Episode: The AI Athlete - with Nicholas Thompson and Will Ahmed

Host

Nicholas Thompson
CEO of The Atlantic, host of The Most Interesting Thing in AI.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 100 ratings
  • Not to be missed

    The people that are interviewed on the show are each and every one of them someone I need to hear from. Nina Farahany’s podcast was fantastic and very thought-provoking. I’m sharing this podcast with friends. I followed it up with the interaction with Bill Gross. Wow that’s all I have to say about his brain. Thank you for your podcast channel and of course your magazine, very longtime subscriber here

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JoelieJoelie
    United Statesa month ago
  • Superb

    Excellent podcast. Great hub of info for current and future AI. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NinJoe29
    United States7 months ago
  • Intelligent and Informative

    Expertly hosted, interesting guests and discussions. Learned a bunch.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Emilia Jack
    United States8 months ago
  • Meh

    The notion that LLMs have ethical values is laughable. Sentient word prediction? What a joke. Not worth your time.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    FrannkyG
    United Statesa year ago
  • the topic drives but the show fails

    the best episode was the first one - the topic itself is absolutely fascinating and poinent and timely. The show simply bringing up the subject week in, week out has value. A decent host, good guests. Unfortunately the massive and obvious participation of the sponsor (PWC) kills the conversation and heavily slants the show's optimistism and clearly edits the deeper discussion: an entire "business" episode that never exposes the euphemism of "efficiency" as really meaning less employees; a gree... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    yeheshua
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests are diverse and the conversations feel thoughtful and well-researched.
Listeners appreciate the mix of high-level AI governance and practical industry insights.
Some listeners feel sponsorships influence the tone or bias of certain episodes.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#97
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#55
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#79
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#138
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#208
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#17
Brazil/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Limits of Predictive AI - Carissa Véliz with Nicholas Thompson
Q: Why do you think we should resist surveillance and rely on privacy-preserving approaches?
Because surveillance feeds the machinery of prediction in ways that can influence behavior and undermine autonomy and democracy, so privacy decisions matter for freedom and fair outcomes.
The Limits of Predictive AI - Carissa Véliz with Nicholas Thompson
Q: What were you trying to convey to the audience?
The guest contrasted drones and surveillance with a world without crime, emphasizing that surrendering privacy does not create a crime-free world but enables social control and the erosion of freedom.
Data Centers in Space - with Nicholas Thompson and Ariel Ekblaw
Q: How would AI and robotics operate in a space habitat to support a data center, and what does 'digital nativity' mean here?
AI and robotics would be embedded in the architecture itself with modular, self-assembling components and a robot-maintained infrastructure. 'Digital nativity' means integrating AI directly into the habitat's systems from the ground up, with upgradable models and human-in-the-loop governance to ensure safe and beneficial behavior.
Data Centers in Space - with Nicholas Thompson and Ariel Ekblaw
Q: Explain why one would want to put a Data Center in Space, and what are the main trade-offs?
There are two main drivers: first, access to unfiltered solar energy for power, which could be far more efficient than terrestrial sources; second, the major challenges are radiation, cooling in vacuum, ongoing maintenance, and interconnection latency. The balance involves high upfront cost and risk against potential long-term energy and efficiency gains.
Building Trustworthy AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Navrina Singh
Q: What is Credo AI and how does it work?
Credo AI is an AI governance SaaS platform helping companies manage risks, compliance, and governance throughout the AI lifecycle.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Most Interesting Thing in AI

What is The Most Interesting Thing in AI about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently centers on how AI reshapes business, policy, science, and daily life through intimate conversations with leading thinkers and practitioners. Standout episodes tackle creators' rights and compensation in AI systems, trustworthy AI governance, and the real-world applications and risks of AI across industries like aerospace, pharma, and health tech. A standout trait is the breadth of guests—from CEOs and researchers to policymakers—paired with a thoughtful, sometimes provocative take on ethics, regulation, and human implications. Listeners can expect forward-looking discussions that balance optimism about AI with caution about unintended consequences, making it appealing to executives, researchers, and policy-minded prof... more

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1. Hard Fork
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Radio Atlantic
4. Galaxy Brain
5. The Last Invention

How many episodes of The Most Interesting Thing in AI are there?

The Most Interesting Thing in AI launched a year ago and published 27 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 The Most Interesting Thing in AI?

Recent guests on The Most Interesting Thing in AI include:

1. Carissa Véliz
2. Nick Bostrom
3. Sam Altman
4. Ariel Ekblaw
5. Bill Gross
6. Navrina Singh
7. Lee Cronin
8. Matt Wood

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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