“The Ring Writer” podcast returns, this time revealing how many of the players in the A.I. revolution have a deep fascination with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. His cautionary tales about the dangers of technological power have influenced how they contemplate both the promise and pitfalls of a brave new world, with differing interpretations of its emerging facets.
It’s a story of ambition, pride and fear that resonates through the ages. A master of the archetypal and psychological struggle at the heart of history and the human story, Tolkien provides a map for examining and understanding what we all now face. His tale of the One Ring and its kind, also finds rich overtones in Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power TV series, a thematic focus growing in its real potential and prospects this second season.
Our second episode is almost four hours as a result. Not only do we dive into the power dynamics of the OpenAI drama, but we also explore Tolkien’s more personal writings about the nature of power in the form of what he described as “sub-creation” — Machines and Magic.
We also take a closer look at Elon Musk’s love of The Lord of the Rings and his own meta-invocation of Tolkien’s masterpiece in his grappling with the implications of A.I.’s rise — an instinct rich with many ironies.
After taking a new look at Season One of Rings of Power through the lens of what we think is its best episode, Episode 8 — “Alloyed” — we illuminate the terra incognita and dimensional magic of The Silmarillion.
Connecting the dots between Tolkien’s tales of the Jewels and the Rings, we close with some thoughts on what’s ahead for Season Two of Rings of Power, returning to Tolkien’s own powerful poetic spell…
* Chapter One: Introduction
* Chapter Two: The Big A.I. Picture (1:32)
* Chapter Three: The A.I. Race and Drama (13:13)
* Chapter Four: Musk and the Ring of Power (27:40)
* Chapter Five: The Shadow of Sauron in the Unconscious (54:39)
* Chapter Six: The Spirit of Fire and the Flame of Darkness (1:04:20)
* Chapter Seven: Letter 131 and Tolkien’s Machine and Magic (1:18:10)
* Chapter Eight: Takeaways from The Rings of Power’s “Alloyed” (1:27:35)
* Chapter Nine: Keep It Universal, Tolkien’s Light and Shadow (2:07:15)
* Chapter Ten: The Power of Story and the Poem of the Ring (2:19:05)
* Chapter Eleven: Musk’s Species and Tolkien’s Spirits (2:35:18)
* Chapter Twelve: The Music of the Ainur and Melkor (2:40:30)
* Chapter Thirteen: The Substance of Tolkien’s Magic (2:49:24)
* Chapter Fourteen: Fëanor and the Fairy Tale Legacy (3:16:57)
* Chapter Fifteen: The Silmarils and Celebrimbor (3:16:57)
* Chapter Sixteen: SDCC and Season Two Buzz (3:35:20)
* Chapter Seventeen: The Spell of the Ring (3:45:35)
The New York Times’ Ego, Fear and Money: How the A.I. Fuse Was Lit
The New York Times DealBook Summit - Elon Musk Interview
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition
Theme Song: Eastern Sun & John Kelley’s “Days Gone By”
Email us at [email protected]
Hosts: T.Q. Kelley & S.T. Levine (Olorindil)
Get full access to Wraith Land at wraithland.substack.com/subscribe
