Reid and Aria explore what the coming wave of AI IPOs could mean for the future of technology, investing, and the broader economy. They discuss why public ownership may become an important way for society to participate in AI’s upside, where Reid sees the strongest long-term opportunities across the AI landscape, and why the next generation of software engineers will be defined by managing AI agents. They end the episode examining the rise of AI-generated music, what it means for creativity and copyright, and why AI should be viewed as a tool that expands human expression rather than replaces it. 

To watch Reid’s Pi Day music video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV3-Pw8EZ7x/?hl=en 

Reid sits down with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella fresh off Microsoft Build 2026. The conversation goes wide: how AI is reshaping work, business, and society—and why the transformation sweeping through software development today is only a preview of what's coming for all knowledge work. Satya makes the case that human capital and "token capital" are now deeply intertwined, that companies—not just countries—must build their own AI capabilities, and that the organizations best positioned to thrive are those that can leverage their unique expertise inside intelligent systems. Reid and Satya also explore Microsoft's enterprise AI vision, Reid's work with Manas on AI-powered scientific discovery, lessons from past technological revolutions, and why demonstrating real, tangible benefits may be the most important thing the industry can do to earn—and keep—the public's trust.

Before Kanjun Qiu raised $200 million from NVIDIA and others to build reliable AI agents, she was writing high-frequency trading algorithms to pay her way through MIT. Today she leads Imbue, an AI lab unusually focused on power, agency, and what it would take to make AI systems trustworthy by design. In this episode, Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger sit down with Kanjun to explore what it means to truly own your AI tools, not just use them; how to build agents that are systemically trustworthy, not just convincingly so; and why the future of AI may depend as much on moral invention as technical innovation. From meditation and the amygdala to Adam Smith and open-source software, this is a conversation about the deeper architecture of the AI future.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

Reid and Aria dig into where AI is creating real, durable value—and where they see it heading to next. Reid shares an inside look at his AI-driven drug discovery work at Manas AI, making the case that medicine could be one of the biggest opportunities in the entire AI landscape. They also explore why AI will likely shift toward a mix of specialized agents and “front doors” rather than a single dominant assistant, how enterprise vs. consumer AI revenue will evolve, and what companies like Anthropic signal about where the real business of AI is taking shape. They also touch on the role of governments in delivering AI-powered public goods, before closing with a candid conversation on political corruption, institutional trust, and why civic courage still matters.

We all feel the urgency: learn to use AI, or risk falling behind at work. And we all know there’s upside: AI can reduce tedious tasks, streamline operations, and boost output. But knowing is half the battle (maybe even less) and implementing AI needs to happen across an entire organization. So what does it take to start?

Well, here at WaitWhat (the company behind this podcast!) we paused all operations for three days to find out. From editorial curation to visual design to event planning, we split into teams for an “AI Sprint.” And this Pioneers of AI episode takes you to the starting blocks on the track with us, as we test new tools, discover their limitations, and find where AI can deliver on its promise.

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai

At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!

Reid and Aria explore how an AI-native world is reshaping trust, money, and work. Reid breaks down why crypto could power identity and transactions in an agent-driven internet, and what recent layoffs at Coinbase and Cloudflare signal about the shift toward AI-native organizations. They also examine Anthropic’s push into finance, and what it means for accuracy, regulation, and fraud. Plus, Reid responds to listener questions on “AI slop,” and why human taste and judgment matter more than ever.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Beeple didn’t turn an 18-year daily JPEG habit into a $69 million Christie’s sale by waiting for permission. He posted, missed, learned, repeated, and inadvertently walked straight into the moment NFTs forced the art world to take digital work seriously. In this episode, Reid Hoffman talks with Mike Winkelmann (aka Beeple) about the real story behind the sale, why deadlines beat inspiration, how satire lets artists ask dangerous questions without preaching, and why AI is not a soul, a friend, or a shortcut. It is a tool that can—and should—make humans do more. From robot dogs with billionaire faces to AI-built sculptures shaped by strangers, Beeple argues the future is going to get much weirder, the bar for originality is rising fast, and artists who opt out may not like what happens next.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Reid and Aria unpack a pivotal turning point for AI as rapid advances in generative image tools, such as ChatGPT Images 2.0, lead to deeper questions on AI usage, culture, and habits. For example, they explore how these technologies could transform creative work and visual communication, before zooming out to a global debate where voices like Pope Leo’s weigh in on AI as a fundamentally human challenge. Reid argues that while risks like isolation and misinformation are real, the future of AI depends on how actively we steer it. The episode also examines a major economic shift: the move from selling software to delivering outcomes—and what that means for jobs, entrepreneurship, and entire industries.

This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings. Reed has seen technology rewrite the rules of entertainment before, but AI takes him back to his beginnings: he studied it at Stanford in the late '80s, decades before it became the only conversation in tech. Few people have watched this moment build from as many vantage points: he's served on the boards of Microsoft, Meta, Bloomberg, and, now, Anthropic.

With AI moving from apps into the devices we use every day, Reid and Aria explore where the real value will be created. From Google Gemini powering hundreds of millions of devices to ChatGPT entering cars, Reid argues that distribution alone won’t decide winners but that depth of use, iteration, and personalization will. They also examine the $650B race to build AI infrastructure, the hidden bottlenecks and geopolitical risks behind it, and why U.S. capital still provides a key edge. Finally, they highlight the Trust in American Institutions Challenge and its winner as a case for how AI can help rebuild trust by making institutions more transparent and accountable.