In this inaugural episode, we dive into what is perhaps the most pressing question of our time: How do we ensure artificial intelligence remains beneficial as it becomes more powerful? We explore the technical challenges of AI alignment - making sure advanced AI systems do what we actually want them to do, rather than optimizing for unintended goals. The conversation also covers the role of government, the recent uptick in public awareness of AI progress, and societal implications of smarter-than-human intelligence. In a time when leading AI researchers are increasingly concerned, it's vital to consider how AI safety could very well be the most important challenge facing humanity.