Future of Life Institute Podcast
The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies.
Future of Life Institute · Gus Docker
Show overview
Future of Life Institute Podcast has been publishing since 2015, and across the 11 years since has built a catalogue of 278 episodes. That works out to roughly 320 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 48 min and 1h 32m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Technology show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 24 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2019, with 55 episodes published. Published by Gus Docker.
From the publisher
The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies. In particular, FLI focuses on risks from artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, nuclear weapons and climate change. The Institute's work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United Nations, US government and European Union institutions. FLI has become one of the world's leading voices on the governance of AI having created one of the earliest and most influential sets of governance principles: the Asilomar AI Principles.
Latest Episodes
View all 278 episodesVisualizing Moloch: A Short Film About the AI Race (with Tom Cozens)
Can Humans Still Control AI-Assisted Kill Chains? (with Katrina Manson)
What Would a US-China AI Deal Look Like? (with Beatrice Fihn)
Why AI Hacking Is Becoming Hard to Control (with Benjamin Weinstein-Raun)
First 24 Hours of a Bioweapon Attack - Annie Jacobsen
How AI Shifts the Offense-Defense Balance in Biosecurity (with Paul-Enguerrand Fady)
Why AI Evaluations Are Broken and How to Fix Them (with David Manheim)
How AI Is Replacing Children's Ability to Think (with Randi Weingarten)
The Gulf Between AI Progress and Political Understanding (with Dex Hunter-Torricke)
How AI Companions Trap Users Through Addictive Design (with Claire Boine)
Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)
Why We Should Build AI Tools, Not AI Replacements (with Anthony Aguirre)
How to Govern AI When You Can't Predict the Future (with Charlie Bullock)
Why AI Is Not a Normal Technology (with Peter Wildeford)
Why AI Evaluation Science Can't Keep Up (with Carina Prunkl)
Defense in Depth: Layered Strategies Against AI Risk (with Li-Lian Ang)
Li-Lian Ang is a team member at Blue Dot Impact. She joins the podcast to discuss how society can build a workforce to protect humanity from AI risks. The conversation covers engineered pandemics, AI-enabled cyber attacks, job loss and disempowerment, and power concentration in firms or AI systems. We also examine Blue Dot's defense-in-depth framework and how individuals can navigate rapid, uncertain AI progress.LINKS:Li-Lian Ang personal siteBlue Dot Impact organization siteCHAPTERS:(00:00) Episode Preview(00:48) Blue dot beginnings(03:04) Evolving AI risk concerns(06:20) AI agents in cyber(15:52) Gradual disempowerment and jobs(23:26) Aligning AI with humans(29:08) Power concentration and misuse(34:52) Influencing frontier AI labs(43:05) Uncertain timelines and strategy(50:18) Writing, AI, and actionPRODUCED BY:https://aipodcast.ingSOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.orgTwitter (FLI): https://x.com/FLI_orgTwitter (Gus): https://x.com/gusdockerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP
What AI Companies Get Wrong About Curing Cancer (with Emilia Javorsky)
Emilia Javorsky is a physician-scientist and Director of the Futures Program at the Future of Life Institute. She joins the podcast to discuss her newly published essay on AI and cancer. She challenges tech claims that superintelligence will cure cancer, explaining why biology’s complexity, poor data, and misaligned incentives are bigger bottlenecks than raw intelligence. The conversation covers realistic roles for AI in drug discovery, clinical trials, and cutting unnecessary medical bureaucracy. You can read the full essay at: curecancer.aiCHAPTERS:(00:00) Episode Preview(01:10) Introduction and essay motivation(06:30) Intelligence vs data bottlenecks(19:03) Cancer's complexity and heterogeneity(29:05) Measurement, health, and homeostasis(41:41) AI in drug development(50:13) Regulation, FDA, and innovation(01:02:58) Practical paths toward curesPRODUCED BY:https://aipodcast.ingSOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.orgTwitter (FLI): https://x.com/FLI_orgTwitter (Gus): https://x.com/gusdockerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP
AI vs Cancer - How AI Can, and Can't, Cure Cancer (by Emilia Javorsky)
Tech executives have promised that AI will cure cancer. The reality is more complicated — and more hopeful. This essay examines where AI genuinely accelerates cancer research, where the promises fall short, and what researchers, policymakers, and funders need to do next.You can read the full essay at: curecancer.aiCHAPTERS:(00:00) Essay Preview(00:54) How AI Can, and Can't, Cure Cancer(17:05) Reckoning with Past Failures(35:23) Misguiding Myths and Errors(59:15) AI Solutions Derive from First Principles or Data(01:31:31) Systemic Bottlenecks & Misalignments(02:08:46) Conclusion(02:14:35) The Roadmap ForwardPRODUCED BY:https://aipodcast.ingSOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.orgTwitter (FLI): https://x.com/FLI_orgTwitter (Gus): https://x.com/gusdockerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP
How AI Hacks Your Brain's Attachment System (with Zak Stein)
Zak Stein is a researcher focused on child development, education, and existential risk. He joins the podcast to discuss the psychological harms of anthropomorphic AI. We examine attention and attachment hacking, AI companions for kids, loneliness, and cognitive atrophy. Our conversation also covers how we can preserve human relationships, redesign education, and build cognitive security tools that keep AI from undermining our humanity.LINKS:AI Psychological Harms Research CoalitionZak Stein official websiteCHAPTERS: (00:00) Episode Preview (00:56) Education to existential risk (03:03) Lessons from social media (08:41) Attachment systems and AI (18:42) AI companions and attachment (27:23) Anthropomorphism and user disempowerment (36:06) Cognitive atrophy and tools (45:54) Children, toys, and attachment (57:38) AI psychosis and selfhood (01:10:31) Cognitive security and parenting (01:26:15) Education, collapse, and speciation (01:36:40) Preserving humanity and values PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.org Twitter (FLI): https://x.com/FLI_org Twitter (Gus): https://x.com/gusdocker LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/ Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP
The Case for a Global Ban on Superintelligence (with Andrea Miotti)
Andrea Miotti is the founder and CEO of Control AI, a nonprofit. He joins the podcast to discuss efforts to prevent extreme risks from superintelligent AI. The conversation covers industry lobbying, comparisons with tobacco regulation, and why he advocates a global ban on AI systems that can outsmart and overpower humans. We also discuss informing lawmakers and the public, and concrete actions listeners can take.LINKS:Control AIControl AI global action pageControlAI's lawmaker contact toolsOpen roles at ControlAIControlAI's theory of changeCHAPTERS: (00:00) Episode Preview (00:52) Extinction risk and lobbying (08:59) Progress toward superintelligence (16:26) Building political awareness (24:27) Global regulation strategy (33:06) Race dynamics and public (42:36) Vision and key safeguards (51:18) Recursive self-improvement controls (58:13) Power concentration and action PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://podcast.futureoflife.org Twitter (FLI): https://x.com/FLI_org Twitter (Gus): https://x.com/gusdocker LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-rCCy3FQ-GItDimSR9lhzw/ Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1170991978 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Op1WO3gwVwCrYHg4eoGyP