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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
Economics
Social Implications
Atlantic Rethink
Ethical Questions
Brainwave Data
Preventative Health
Rethink
Human Agency In Art
Neuro-Symbolic AI
Agentic Workflows
Sustainability
Human-Ai Collaboration
Digital Democracy

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes31Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Latest Episodes

You've probably heard it already: AI is going to radically change the way we work. But the details change depending on who's making the prediction: AI will wipe out the C-suite, or entry-level jobs, or make us all into prompt engineers. Those scenari... more

In the last year, AI has arguably made more progress in coding than in any other domain. Its technical capabilities – harnessed through apps like Codex and Claude Code – have changed the way engineers work. Boris Cherny, Anthropic’s head of Claude Co... more

In the years following the launch of ChatGPT, as concerns spread over the social and political impacts of LLMs, one person’s warnings seemed particularly dire: Yoshua Bengio’s, a scientist  and one of the “godfathers” of AI. The potential negative im... more

Of all the potential risks and promises of AI, perhaps none are as immediately dire as this: How will it impact jobs? Will employers still need workers? What will it mean if the answer is “no?” Depending on who you’re talking to, the prospect of a fu... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Yoshua Bengio
Pioneer in neural networks and founder of Law Zero and Scientist AI
Law Zero / Scientist AI
Episode: How Science Can Fix Dishonest AI - Yoshua Bengio with Nicholas Thompson
Erik Brynjolfsson
Professor and economist renowned for work on AI, productivity, and inequality
Stanford University
Episode: The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson
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

Host

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

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 106 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 States2 months ago
  • Superb

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NinJoe29
    United States8 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
#105
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#97
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#121
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#145
Italy/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#178
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#21
New Zealand/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson
Q: What are the four pieces of evidence Brynjolfsson cites for productivity gains, and can you summarize the overall outlook?
He cites (1) observed productivity gains from phased AI rollouts, (2) early signals in the labor market, (3) case studies like call centers and software, and (4) improving aggregate productivity despite noise, tariffs, and recessions, suggesting a likely productivity uptick with cautious optimism.
The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson
Q: What does the GDP-B metric capture, and why is it needed?
GDP-B accounts for the value of free digital services and the time people spend with screens, which GDP omits, helping to measure where value is created in a digital economy beyond traditional transactions.
The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson
Q: Explain the methodology and explain what you found in your recent paper on how valuable AI is to consumers.
We asked people how much they'd pay to stop using generative AI like ChatGPT for a month, conducted broad surveys across business and consumer use, and found substantial consumer surplus that implies AI is creating large value even when pricing appears free.
How Science Can Fix Dishonest AI - Yoshua Bengio with Nicholas Thompson
Q: How do you envision governance and international collaboration shaping the development of AI to avoid a two-country monopoly on power?
Through sovereign AI concepts, middle powers collaborating, and global governance mechanisms that ensure shared steering, transparency, and accountability, so no single nation or corporation can dictate terms to the world.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

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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. Possible
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3. The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
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How many episodes of The Most Interesting Thing in AI are there?

The Most Interesting Thing in AI launched 2 years ago and published 31 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. Yoshua Bengio
2. Erik Brynjolfsson
3. Carissa Véliz
4. Nick Bostrom
5. Sam Altman
6. Ariel Ekblaw
7. Bill Gross
8. Navrina Singh

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