The Beer Driven Devs

Return of the Mac: Part 1

Listen Later

In this episode — the first half of a special two-part chat — Matt and Liam welcome back Ulysses Maclaren (aka “Mac”) from SSW.

We dive deep into the state of AI today: the hype, the breakthroughs, and the very real existential questions it raises. Uly shares insights from his recent talk on AI agents, self-improving systems, and the accelerating pace of change — plus the personal anxieties and excitement that come with trying to keep up.

We discuss:

  • Why even AI advocates get overwhelmed by the pace of change
  • The difference between AI hype and actual value — and why it’s so easy to get them confused
  • Synthetic data, agentic AI, and recursive self-improvement
  • What happens when AIs start training each other (and what could go wrong)
  • The future of jobs, education, and learning in an AI-driven world
  • Longevity escape velocity, societal shifts, and the importance of “taste” in an AI-heavy future

    • As always, it’s equal parts thoughtful and silly — including Uly’s worries about becoming obsolete on his 4-month road trip, Liam’s bottle of wine, and Matt’s philosophical rabbit holes.

    🎤 Talks & Links Mentioned

    • Link to Uly’s AI agents talk
    • Liquid Reign by Tim Reutemann and Dr Karl-Heinz Häsliprinz
    • afrAId (film) link Note: title doesn’t actually appear like that, but Uly said it does and, well, this is better
    • The Status Game by Will Storr
    • You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney
    • Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr

      • 🍻 Tonight’s Drinks

      Matt — Sunday Road - Blackwoods pale Ale

      Liam — Polishing off the bottle of Glandore Hunter Valley Shiraz from the previous episode

      Any 👍 Likes, 📣 Shares, 🔔 Subscriptions, and ❤️ Love go a long way to helping us keep this fun project going.

      Cheers! 🍻

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Beer Driven DevsBy Matt Goldman & Liam Elliott