Lex Fridman Podcast

By Lex Fridman

Conversations that explore technology, history, philosophy, physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, engineering, AI, robotics, programming, music, film, art, sports, psychology, neuroscience, geopol... more

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The podcast currently has 559 episodes available.

Lex Fridman Podcast episodes:

June 30, 2026 #498 – Anthony Kaldellis: Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Rise & Fall of Empires
Anthony Kaldellis is a historian of the Roman Empire and author of “The New Roman Empire”, a comprehensive history of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep498-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/anthony-kaldellis-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Anthony’s Books: https://amzn.to/49AX7Q1
Anthony’s Publications: https://kaldellispublications.weebly.com
Anthony’s University of Chicago page: https://classics.uchicago.edu/people/anthony-kaldellis
The New Roman Empire (book): https://amzn.to/3PTFTqk
Streams of Gold (book): https://amzn.to/4fgRMRq
Byzantium & Friends Podcast: https://byzantiumandfriends.podbean.com/
The History of Byzantium Podcast: https://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Upwork: Platform for hiring freelancers.
Go to https://upwork.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:11) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(08:45) – The Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire
(12:42) – 2,200 Years of Roman History
(33:06) – Power, violence, and civil war
(54:20) – Edict of Caracalla
(1:07:17) – Crisis of the Third Century
(1:21:45) – Constantine and the new Roman Empire
(1:33:46) – Christianity in the Roman Empire
(1:59:14) – Fall of the Western Roman Empire
(2:12:11) – Eunuchs, Taxes, and Power
(2:37:17) – Emperor Justinian and wars of conquest
(2:54:19) – The Arab conquests
(3:13:55) – Why the Roman empire survived so long
(3:40:01) – Lessons from history
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
0min
May 29, 2026 #497 – Biggest Mysteries in Physics: Antimatter, Dark Energy & ToE – Don Lincoln
Don Lincoln is a particle physicist at Fermilab who has spent decades working at the frontiers of high energy physics.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep497-sc
See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Don’s Facebook: https://facebook.com/Dr.Don.Lincoln/
Don’s Website: https://drdonlincoln.com/
Don’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4nHeNiF
Don’s YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3PCIW67
Don’s X: https://x.com/DrDonLincoln
Don’s Books: https://amzn.to/4uYbkOZ
Don’s Great Courses: https://shop.thegreatcourses.com/don-lincoln
Don’s Audible: https://adbl.co/4wGioRV
Fermilab’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/fermilab
Fermilab’s Website: https://www.fnal.gov/
Fermilab’s X: https://x.com/fermilab
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Upwork: Platform for hiring freelancers.
Go to https://upwork.com/lex
Larridin: Measure AI adoption in your business.
Go to https://larridin.com
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:34) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(08:52) – Unifying the laws of nature
(23:23) – Einstein, special relativity, and general relativity
(40:31) – Electroweak force
(52:13) – How particle colliders work
(1:10:16) – Higgs boson discovery
(1:20:35) – Theory of everything
(1:50:20) – Physics of empty space
(1:57:45) – Antimatter
(2:18:35) – Dark energy
(2:22:23) – Dark matter
(2:50:59) – Future of physics
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
3h 2min
May 06, 2026 #496 – FFmpeg: The Incredible Technology Behind Video on the Internet
Jean-Baptiste Kempf is lead developer of VLC and president of VideoLAN. Kieran Kunhya is a longtime FFmpeg contributor, codec engineer, and the person behind the now-infamous FFmpeg account on X.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep496-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/ffmpeg-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
FFmpeg on X: https://x.com/FFmpeg
FFmpeg: https://ffmpeg.org/
VideoLAN (VLC): https://www.videolan.org/
VideoLAN on X: https://x.com/videolan
Jean-Baptiste’s Website: https://jbkempf.com/
Jean-Baptiste’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbkempf/
Jean-Baptiste’s GitHub: https://github.com/jbkempf
Kieran’s X: https://x.com/kierank_
Kieran’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3OORhmC
Kieran’s GitHub: https://github.com/kierank
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Larridin: Measure AI adoption in your business.
Go to https://larridin.com
Blitzy: AI agent for large enterprise codebases.
Go to https://blitzy.com/lex
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(03:00) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(10:48) – Weirdest things VLC opens
(15:12) – How video playback works
(24:33) – Video codecs and containers
(35:20) – FFmpeg explained
(56:20) – Linus Torvalds
(1:00:59) – Turning down millions to keep VLC ad-free
(1:15:17) – FFmpeg & Google drama
(1:34:31) – FFmpeg developers
(1:41:08) – VLC and FFmpeg
(1:45:42) – History of FFmpeg
(1:48:59) – Reverse engineering codecs
(2:02:14) – FFmpeg testing
(2:06:21) – Assembly code (handwritten)
(2:30:39) – Rust programming language
(2:39:55) – FFmpeg and Libav fork
(2:48:17) – Open source burnout
(2:56:04) – x264 and internet video
(3:09:20) – Video compression basics
(3:16:17) – CIA and fake VLC
(3:26:52) – Ultra low latency streaming
(3:44:20) – AV2 codec and video patents
(3:54:12) – VLC backdoors
(4:04:27) – Video archiving
(4:11:04) – Future of FFmpeg and VLC
...more
4h 24min
April 09, 2026 #495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age
Lars Brownworth is a historian, teacher, podcaster, and author specializing in Viking history, medieval Europe, and the Byzantine Empire.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep495-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/lars-brownworth-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Lars’s Website: https://larsbrownworth.com/
The Sea Wolves (book): https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Wolves-History-Vikings/dp/1909979120
Lars’s Books: https://amzn.to/4sHY0xw
12 Byzantine Rulers Podcast : https://12byzantinerulers.com/
Norman Centuries Podcast: https://apple.co/4sgSxNi
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Larridin: Measure AI adoption in your business.
Go to https://larridin.com
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(01:03) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(08:57) – The start of the Viking Age
(18:50) – Viking military strategy, tactics & technology
(32:33) – Ragnar Lothbrok
(42:00) – The Great Heathen Army
(46:42) – Rollo and Normandy
(56:54) – Viking religion and Valhalla
(1:07:25) – Viking explorers
(1:12:33) – Vikings in North America
(1:25:55) – Vikings in the East
(1:45:33) – Byzantine Empire
(1:54:17) – History and human nature
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
2h 10min
March 23, 2026 #494 – Jensen Huang: NVIDIA – The $4 Trillion Company & the AI Revolution
Jensen Huang is the co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA, the world’s most valuable company and the engine powering the AI computing revolution.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep494-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/jensen-huang-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
NVIDIA: https://nvidia.com
NVIDIA on X: https://x.com/nvidia
NVIDIA AI on X: https://x.com/NVIDIAAI
NVIDIA on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nvidia
NVIDIA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nvidia/
NVIDIA on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nvidia/
NVIDIA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NVIDIA/
NVIDIA on GitHub: https://github.com/NVIDIA
Nemotron: https://developer.nvidia.com/nemotron
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Quo: Phone system (calls, texts, contacts) for businesses.
Go to https://quo.com/lex
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:26) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(06:34) – Extreme co-design and rack-scale engineering
(09:20) – How Jensen runs NVIDIA
(28:41) – AI scaling laws
(43:41) – Biggest blockers to AI scaling laws
(45:25) – Supply chain
(47:20) – Memory
(53:25) – Power
(58:45) – Elon and Colossus
(1:02:13) – Jensen’s approach to engineering and leadership
(1:07:38) – China
(1:15:51) – TSMC and Taiwan
(1:21:06) – NVIDIA’s moat
(1:26:43) – AI data centers in space
(1:30:31) – Will NVIDIA be worth $10 trillion?
(1:40:40) – Leadership under pressure
(1:54:26) – Video games
(2:01:18) – AGI timeline
(2:03:31) – Future of programming
(2:17:02) – Consciousness
(2:23:23) – Mortality
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
2h 33min
March 11, 2026 #493 – Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming
Jeff Kaplan is a legendary Blizzard game designer of World of Warcraft and Overwatch, now preparing to launch a new game, The Legend of California, from his new studio Kintsugiyama – available to wishlist on Steam today, with alpha later in March.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep493-sc
See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
The Legend of California (Steam Page): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2550530/The_Legend_of_California
Jeff’s Game Studio: https://www.kintsugiyama.com/
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Blitzy: AI agent for large enterprise codebases.
Go to https://blitzy.com/lex
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews.
Go to https://coderabbit.ai/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(02:24) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(10:47) – Early games: Pac-Man, Zork, Doom, Quake
(25:12) – Writing career – 170 rejection letters
(40:45) – EverQuest obsession
(53:43) – Getting hired at Blizzard
(1:09:11) – Lowest point in Jeff’s life
(1:15:16) – One of Us
(1:19:33) – Early Blizzard culture
(1:39:15) – Building World of Warcraft
(1:56:59) – How WoW changed video games
(2:14:21) – Single-player vs Multi-player
(2:35:15) – How Blizzard made great video games
(3:01:04) – Online toxicity
(3:08:38) – Why Titan failed
(3:25:48) – Overwatch in six weeks
(3:52:46) – Best Overwatch heroes
(4:01:16) – The challenge of matchmaking
(4:04:40) – Rust
(4:15:01) – Why Jeff left Blizzard
(4:37:14) – Diablo IV
(4:38:42) – Getting back to making video games
(4:47:38) – The Legend of California
(5:01:23) – Greatest video game of all time
(5:09:30) – AI and future of video games
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
5h 17min
March 01, 2026 #492 – Rick Beato: Greatest Guitarists of All Time, History & Future of Music
Rick Beato is a music educator, interviewer, producer, songwriter, and a true multi-instrument musician, playing guitar, bass, cello & piano. His incredible YouTube channel celebrates great musicians & musical ideas, and helps millions of people fall in love with great music all over again.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep492-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/rick-beato-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Rick’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/RickBeato
Rick’s X: https://x.com/rickbeato
Rick’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/rickbeato1
Rick’s Website: https://rickbeato.com
Rick’s Ear Training: https://beatoeartraining.com
The Beato Book: https://beatobook.com
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.
Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:28) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(09:17) – Guitar solos
(13:16) – Gypsy jazz and Django Reinhardt
(14:48) – Bebop jazz
(19:00) – Perfect pitch vs relative pitch
(23:37) – Learning to play guitar
(47:08) – Miles Davis
(52:34) – Bass guitar
(53:41) – Greatest guitar solos of all time
(1:22:56) – 27 Club
(1:27:37) – Elton John
(1:30:51) – Metallica
(1:35:21) – Tom Waits
(1:41:12) – Greatest rock stars
(1:44:35) – Beethoven
(1:51:10) – Bach
(1:54:01) – AI in music
(2:07:52) – Sabrina Carpenter
(2:11:23) – YouTube copyright strikes
(2:16:59) – Spotify
(2:27:51) – Guitars
(2:32:13) – Advice
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
2h 43min
February 12, 2026 #491 – OpenClaw: The Viral AI Agent that Broke the Internet – Peter Steinberger
Peter Steinberger is the creator of OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent framework that’s the fastest-growing project in GitHub history.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep491-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/peter-steinberger-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Peter’s X: https://x.com/steipete
Peter’s GitHub: https://github.com/steipete
Peter’s Website: https://steipete.com
Peter’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steipete
OpenClaw Website: https://openclaw.ai
OpenClaw GitHub: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Discord: https://discord.gg/openclaw
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
Quo: Phone system (calls, texts, contacts) for businesses.
Go to https://quo.com/lex
CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews.
Go to https://coderabbit.ai/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Blitzy: AI agent for large enterprise codebases.
Go to https://blitzy.com/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(03:51) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(15:29) – OpenClaw origin story
(18:48) – Mind-blowing moment
(28:15) – Why OpenClaw went viral
(32:12) – Self-modifying AI agent
(36:57) – Name-change drama
(54:07) – Moltbook saga
(1:02:26) – OpenClaw security concerns
(1:11:07) – How to code with AI agents
(1:42:02) – Programming setup
(1:48:45) – GPT Codex 5.3 vs Claude Opus 4.6
(1:57:52) – Best AI agent for programming
(2:19:52) – Life story and career advice
(2:23:49) – Money and happiness
(2:27:41) – Acquisition offers from OpenAI and Meta
(2:44:51) – How OpenClaw works
(2:56:09) – AI slop
(3:02:13) – AI agents will replace 80% of apps
(3:10:50) – Will AI replace programmers?
(3:22:50) – Future of OpenClaw community
...more
3h 26min
February 01, 2026 #490 – State of AI in 2026: LLMs, Coding, Scaling Laws, China, Agents, GPUs, AGI
Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka are machine learning researchers, engineers, and educators. Nathan is the post-training lead at the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) and the author of The RLHF Book. Sebastian Raschka is the author of Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch) and Build a Reasoning Model (From Scratch).
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep490-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/ai-sota-2026-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Box: Intelligent content management platform.
Go to https://box.com/ai
Quo: Phone system (calls, texts, contacts) for businesses.
Go to https://quo.com/lex
UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.
Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
Shopify: Sell stuff online.
Go to https://shopify.com/lex
CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews.
Go to https://coderabbit.ai/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
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Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(01:39) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(16:29) – China vs US: Who wins the AI race?
(25:11) – ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Grok: Who is winning?
(36:11) – Best AI for coding
(43:02) – Open Source vs Closed Source LLMs
(54:41) – Transformers: Evolution of LLMs since 2019
(1:02:38) – AI Scaling Laws: Are they dead or still holding?
(1:18:45) – How AI is trained: Pre-training, Mid-training, and Post-training
(1:51:51) – Post-training explained: Exciting new research directions in LLMs
(2:12:43) – Advice for beginners on how to get into AI development & research
(2:35:36) – Work culture in AI (72+ hour weeks)
(2:39:22) – Silicon Valley bubble
(2:43:19) – Text diffusion models and other new research directions
(2:49:01) – Tool use
(2:53:17) – Continual learning
(2:58:39) – Long context
(3:04:54) – Robotics
(3:14:04) – Timeline to AGI
(3:21:20) – Will AI replace programmers?
(3:39:51) – Is the dream of AGI dying?
(3:46:40) – How AI will make money?
(3:51:02) – Big acquisitions in 2026
(3:55:34) – Future of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI, Meta
(4:08:08) – Manhattan Project for AI
(4:14:42) – Future of NVIDIA, GPUs, and AI compute clusters
(4:22:48) – Future of human civilization
...more
4h 40min
January 13, 2026 #489 – Paul Rosolie: Uncontacted Tribes in the Amazon Jungle
Paul Rosolie is a naturalist, explorer, author of a new book titled Junglekeeper, and is someone who has dedicated his life to protecting the Amazon rainforest.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep489-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/paul-rosolie-3-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
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Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Junglekeeper (new book): https://amzn.to/4q7vpAp
Paul’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/paulrosolie
Junglekeepers Website: https://junglekeepers.org
Paul’s Website: https://paulrosolie.com
Mother of God (book): https://amzn.to/3ww2ob1
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.
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Shopify: Sell stuff online.
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Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.
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MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts.
Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(02:34) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(12:00) – Uncontacted tribes in the Amazon Jungle
(19:46) – Intense new encounter
(42:52) – Never-before-seen footage of tribe warriors
(56:08) – The mysteries of the jungle
(1:10:43) – Tribe’s diet: Monkeys, turtles, and turtle eggs
(1:20:19) – Jane Goodall
(1:26:31) – Advice for young people
(1:35:45) – Cartel, Narco-traffickers & assassination attempts
(1:57:45) – Climbing the giant tree
(2:08:43) – Giant anaconda
(2:26:01) – Rescuing a spider monkey
(2:32:05) – Dangerous animal encounters
(2:42:13) – Writing, journaling, and great writer inspirations
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips
...more
3h 15min

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