Annie Jacobsen is an author and journalist. She joins the podcast to discuss biological war and her book Biological War: A Scenario. The conversation examines how lab accidents or covert weapons work could trigger a fast-moving outbreak, why airborne pathogens are hard to detect early, and how AI may lower barriers to engineering them. We also cover BSL-3 and BSL-4 lab oversight, US response roles across HHS, FEMA, and the military, medical stockpiles, continuity-of-government plans, and how lost public trust could slow the next pandemic response.

LINKS:

• Annie Jacobsen Website
• Annie Jacobsen Wikipedia

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:10) Biological threat overview

(09:02) Suppression and spread

(17:47) AI and detection

(27:24) BSL lab dangers

(39:23) Response and martial law

(47:28) Accident versus attack

(57:25) Airborne outbreak lessons

(01:05:07) Bioweapons ban legacy

(01:11:30) Stockpiles and devolution

(01:20:07) Rebuilding pandemic resilience

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Paul-Enguerrand Fady is a Senior Biosecurity Policy Manager at the Centre for Long-Term Resilience. He joins the podcast to discuss how AI is changing biosecurity. We cover how new tools could help defenders develop vaccines and diagnostics while also lowering barriers to misuse, and how managed access, know-your-customer checks, and DNA synthesis screening can reduce risk. The conversation also examines mirror life, medical supply chains, stockpiles, and why governments should plan ahead of crises.

LINKS:

• Centre for Long Term Resilience

• Paul-Enguerrand Fady Profile

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:11) Offense-defense balance basics

(11:13) Defensive AI opportunities

(19:24) Model release and evals

(25:59) DNA synthesis screening

(36:14) Screening incentives and infohazards

(46:36) Liability and mandates

(52:37) Mirror life risks

(01:03:28) Persistence and incentives

(01:10:18) Mirror life governance

(01:20:42) Supply chain lessons

(01:30:11) Stockpiling medical countermeasures

(01:37:58) Reshoring critical supplies

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Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

David Manheim is head of methodology at AI Evaluation Consensus. He joins the podcast to discuss how AI evaluations can become more reliable, transparent, and useful for decisions. We cover common failures such as unclear reporting, training to the test, benchmark saturation, and models changing behavior when they know they are being tested. The conversation also examines real-world tests, biosecurity, persuasion, forecasting, human oversight, and why even “normal” AI progress could be disruptive.

LINKS:

• David Manheim website
• AI Evaluation Consensus Statement

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:04) Evaluation consensus project

(07:01) Evaluation awareness challenges

(12:28) Reporting capabilities clearly

(19:38) Benchmarks beyond humans

(29:52) Proxies and biosecurity

(42:01) Persuasion and democracy

(53:59) Forecasting with AI

(01:08:44) Oversight and disruption

(01:16:42) Supporting better evals

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Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

Randi Weingarten is president of the American Federation of Teachers. She joins the podcast to discuss AI in education. The conversation covers how screens and student-facing AI may weaken attention, learning, and trust, why she supports limiting screens for young children and social chatbots for students under 16, and how teachers can use AI without replacing thinking. She also discusses active learning, data privacy, independent research on AI in education, and guardrails for schools.

LINKS:

• Randi Weingarten Wikipedia
• AFT Randi Weingarten Profile
• American Federation of Teachers

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:13) AI education wake-up

(07:27) Active learning versus AI

(14:42) Preserving thinking habits

(20:06) Research and screen limits

(26:05) Social chatbot risks

(30:20) Data privacy standards

(35:58) Classroom AI guardrails

(41:13) Companies and future schools

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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 and economic change, and how automation could reshape jobs, welfare, taxation, and global trade. Dex argues that societies need broader political planning before a crisis drives rushed choices.

LINKS:

• Dex Hunter-Torricke Website
• Center for Tomorrow Website

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:09) Dex's technology journey

(08:22) Broken AI governance

(18:00) Big tech blindspots

(27:36) Employee power shifts

(37:18) Global views and UBI

(48:17) Power and displacement

(01:00:54) Reasons for optimism

PRODUCED BY:

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Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

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 business models can foster dependency, expose intimate data, and blur the lines between therapy, romance, and manipulation. We also cover risks for children and teens, gaps in EU and US law, and why AI policy should distinguish technical alignment from incentives and social harms.

LINKS:

• Claire Boine Website
• Successif Organization Website

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:06) Introducing Claire Boine

(02:05) Companion app designs

(06:23) Feelings and freemium

(14:28) Users, attachment, harms

(25:06) Age-based risks

(35:18) Future relationship norms

(41:05) Legal loopholes today

(44:19) Rethinking alignment framing

(57:19) Narratives and fiduciaries

(01:05:47) Collective policy action

PRODUCED BY:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/

Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

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, sexualized chatbots, education, smartphones in schools, and why "infinite patience" can harm children's growth. Toscano also explains Catholic social teaching, public pushback against rapid AI deployment, and why society-wide governance may be needed to keep technology accountable to families.

LINKS:

• Michael Toscano

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:12) Family centered AI

(09:54) Companion design harms

(17:23) Technology and family

(25:48) Society wide governance

(33:09) Catholic AI response

(39:44) Double movement politics

(49:36) Technology mythos challenged

(59:48) Competition and control

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

SOCIAL LINKS:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/

Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

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, and superintelligence, and how these can concentrate power and undermine human agency. Anthony argues for purpose-built AI tools under meaningful human control, with liability, access limits, external guardrails, and international cooperation.

LINKS:

• A Better Path for AI
• What You Can Do

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:03) Attention, attachment, automation

(13:58) Superintelligence power race

(26:39) Escaping replacement dynamics

(40:15) Pro-human tool AI

(53:30) Guardrails and verification

(01:03:24) Defining pro-human AI

(01:10:37) Agents and accountability

(01:17:28) International AI cooperation

(01:25:28) Rethinking AI alignment

(01:32:43) Optimism and action

PRODUCED BY:

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SOCIAL LINKS:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/

Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

Charlie Bullock is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Law and AI. He joins the podcast to discuss radical optionality: how governments can prepare for very advanced AI without locking in premature rules. The conversation covers why law often trails technology, and how transparency, reporting, evaluations, cybersecurity standards, and expanded technical hiring could help. We also discuss private oversight, state versus federal rules, and the risk of concentrating power in companies or government.

LINKS:

• Radical Optionality website

• Charlie Bullock

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:04) The pacing problem

(06:18) Defining radical optionality

(11:03) Assumptions under uncertainty

(16:00) Industry convenience concerns

(20:41) Political will realities

(26:48) Private governance limits

(30:28) Government misuse risks

(36:29) Balancing institutional power

(42:25) Transparency and reporting

(49:35) Evaluations, security, talent

(58:26) State law preemption

(01:04:20) Historical nuclear analogies

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Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP

Peter Wildeford is Head of Policy at the AI Policy Network, and a top AI forecaster. He joins the podcast to discuss how to forecast AI progress and what current trends imply for the economy and national security. Peter argues AI is neither a bubble nor a normal technology, and we examine benchmark trends, adoption lags, unemployment and productivity effects, and the rise of cyber capabilities. We also cover robotics, export controls, prediction markets, and when AI may surpass human forecasters.

LINKS:

• Peter Wildeford Blog

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:12) AI bubble debate

(06:25) Normal technology question

(15:31) Mythos security implications

(30:47) Robotics and labor

(40:27) Social economic response

(48:57) Forecasting methodology

(59:49) AGI policy timelines

(01:11:13) Forecasting with AI

PRODUCED BY:

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.org

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/

Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP