The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.

In this episode, The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson speaks with serial entrepreneur and Idealab founder Bill Gross about his latest venture, ProRata, a bold attempt to create a fair exchange of value between AI companies and the creators whose work helped train their models. From inventing search advertising to tackling one of AI’s most urgent ethical challenges, Gross explains how innovation and fair market dynamics can align—and how humans are still underestimating the transformative power of AI. (00:00) Introduction (06:32) How Bill invented paid search in the 1990s (13:29) NYT v. OpenAI as the “lightning strike moment” that inspired ProRata (16:16) Solving the “impossible problem” of AI attribution (21:36) ProRata’s plan for revenue sharing between creators and AI companies (24:13) How YouTube shows revenue sharing could make AI companies even stronger (28:20) When there will be a one-person company with a billion-dollar valuation (29:23) AI could be net positive for the climate in as little as five years (33:01) The most interesting way Bill has used AI recently Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when AI learns faster than its makers can control? In this episode, Nicholas talks with Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI, about how regulation could actually accelerate innovation of more responsible, transparent AI. Together, they dig into how governance can help the U.S. compete with China, prevent bias, and keep trust and transparency at the center of the AI revolution. (00:00) Introduction (04:09) What we learned from Microsoft’s Tay disaster (06:58) Why Navrina started Credo AI (11:12) Managing risk across the AI supply chain (12:43) Preventing bias in customer support chatbots (17:54) Is AI making the world less equal? (19:40) Ethics vs. speed in the AI race with China (21:40) How governance leads to better, faster products (28:04) Why there’s no perfect AI regulation right now (31:14) Preparing for a world where AI governs itself (34:15) The most interesting way Navrina has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The space race has gone private, and in this new world, efficiency is key. United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno explains how a legacy rocket maker remade itself to compete in an industry full of startups. From load analysis and low-earth-orbit satellite monitoring to rockets with autonomous flight systems, Bruno unpacks what happens when machine learning meets computational fluid dynamics in our atmosphere. Plus, why AI might be critical to landing a man on Mars—and getting them home alive. (00:00) Introduction (01:38) From backyard rockets to Boeing and Lockheed (Tory Bruno) (03:58) Transforming ULA for a new space race (06:09) The physics of launch: energy, precision, and peril (08:41) Reprogramming flight paths with AI (10:55) The coming age of autonomous and reusable rockets (16:27) When we'll really send humans to Mars—and bring them back (19:36) How AI could help us find, and talk to, alien life (29:20) AI in the space economy (Joe Schurman) (34:16) The $2 trillion future of space (37:51) The most interesting way Joe has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you digitize the physical world? In this episode, Nick talks with University of Glasgow chemistry professor Lee Cronin, founder of Chemify—a company that is using AI to turn molecules to code s—about his quest to create a programming language for chemistry, what it means to “print” molecules, and how his team is able to discover new drugs and materials through their “chemputer.” He also discusses how the work is offering new insights into the origins of life on Earth and how to identify it on other planets. (00:00) Introduction (01:45) From setting fires to studying life (05:00) Creating a programming language for chemistry (09:20) Designing and “printing” new molecules (10:45) How hype has distorted AI’s promise (14:17) From sand to cells: the origin of life (16:01) Assembly theory and the bridge from nonlife to life (19:15) What it would take for AI to come alive (23:48) The most interesting way Lee has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to succeed in the disruptive world of AI? In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson sits down with Matt Wood, PwC’s Global and U.S. Commercial Technology and Innovation Officer, to trace his path from medical school and protein folding research to Amazon Web Services and now PwC. They discuss the transformative power of AI; why, when disruptive forces emerge, companies may be better off doubling down on their core identity rather than reinventing themselves; and how the organizations of the future may be reshaped by autonomous agents working alongside humans. (00:00) Introduction (02:16) Matt's path from medicine to machine learning (05:47) The Human Genome Project and the data explosion (09:28) The AI inflection point (11:41) Why AI’s biggest impact will be organizational, not technical (13:30) How companies navigate disruption without losing identity (19:18) The coming flattening of organizations (22:02) Managing teams of humans and agents (25:41) The most interesting way Matt has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can AI unlock your full potential as an athlete? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of Whoop, about how wearable technology and AI are transforming health, performance, and longevity. From monitoring sleep and recovery to analyzing biomarkers and offering personal health insights, Ahmed shares how Whoop is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare in the age of AI. (00:00) Introduction (02:09) What WHOOP measures and how it works (09:20) What new metrics could reveal about the mind and body (15:25) How AI advances are changing WHOOP (18:16) Balancing personalization with privacy (24:00) Measuring health span and longevity (24:37) When performance and health diverge (27:31) The future of preventative, AI-driven health (30:39) The most interesting way Will has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson speaks with Ohad Elhelo, co-founder and CEO of AUI, about neuro-symbolic systems. Apollo-1, AUI's neuro-symbolic foundational model, promises both the fluency of generative models and the reliability of symbolic reasoning, an AI method that uses symbols and explicit rules to represent knowledge and perform logical inference. Could this hybrid architecture finally unlock task-oriented AI at scale? (00:00) Introduction (02:57) A rift in the AI community (04:59) Why neuro-symbolic AI could succeed where chatbots have failed (12:04) How AUI built its model (19:11) How to solve the hallucination problem (25:46) Business use cases for neuro-symbolic AI (30:48) What happens once Apollo One launches (35:03) The most interesting way Ohad has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of this technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens if we get AI right? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly about AI’s potential to positively impact the future of humanity. Featured Guest: Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How is AI shaping the future of healthcare? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Eli Lilly’s Diogo Rau about how AI is making it easier and faster to find life-saving drugs, and PwC Chief AI Officer Dan Priest about how the technology will transform healthcare experiences for patients in the next decade. Featured Guests: Diogo Rau, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer at Eli Lilly & Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer at PwC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is transforming the creative landscape, opening up possibilities for a new generation of artists. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with experimental musician and AI artist Holly Herndon about the intersection of human and machine creativity. Featured Guest: Holly Herndon, co-founder of Spawning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is reshaping not just what we think but how we think. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with neuroethicist and legal scholar Nita Farahany about AI's impact on human cognition. Featured Guest: Nita Farahany, Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke University and founding director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the right hands, AI can strengthen human collaboration and civic engagement. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Taiwanese politician and programmer Audrey Tang about how the technology can be used to enhance democratic structures. Featured Guest: Audrey Tang, Taiwan's Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Affairs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the rapid advancements, today’s LLMs are far from infallible. In this episode, Nicholas speaks with author, cognitive scientist, and entrepreneur Gary Marcus, about the ways in which current AI models fall short, and what Marcus believes is the better path forward. Featured Guest: Gary Marcus, Cognitive Scientist, Author, and AI Entrepreneur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A podcast series examining how AI is reshaping our world. Each episode features a conversation with a leading thinker who offers a fresh perspective on the far-reaching ethical, economic, and social implications of this technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While many in the creative world approach AI with hesitation or fear, others embrace it as a collaborator, using it to expand the possibilities of artistic expression. This episode examines how AI is reshaping creativity, from enhancing traditional methods to challenging conventional notions of authorship, offering a glimpse into a future where humans and machines create together. Featured Guest: Sougwen Chung, Artist and Founder of SCILICET Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The environmental cost of AI is significant, but so is the technology’s potential to help develop new sustainable solutions. This episode examines how AI may guide us to promising breakthroughs in energy creation, and how organizations can leverage the technology to track emissions, optimize resource usage, and support corporate ESG goals, offering insights into how businesses can embrace technology to drive meaningful environmental impact. Featured Guests: Scott Likens, Chief AI Engineering Officer for PwC US and Global, and Heather Horn, PwC National Office Sustainability and Thought Leader Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Some experts are convinced that the world as we know it will change dramatically, while others anticipate a more steady evolution. This episode dives into the debate, separating hype from realistic predictions about the future of AI. Featured Guest: Andrew Ng, Founder of DeepLearning.AI and Adjunct Professor at Stanford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is no longer just a tool for experimentation—it’s becoming a foundational technology that’s reshaping how businesses operate. This episode describes how companies are embedding AI into their products and services, exploring its potential to boost efficiency, to personalize customer experiences, and to potentially alter entire industries. From early adoption strategies to the rise of agent-based AI, the conversation highlights how leaders are leveraging AI to gain a competitive edge. Featured Guest: Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer for PwC US Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From voice-cloning scams to the creation of non-consensual nude imagery, the malevolent use of artificial intelligence poses myriad risks to truth, privacy, and personal safety. Cybersecurity expert Eva Galperin discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming digital threats, and how we need to work together to mitigate risk, preserve factual integrity, and shift social norms in the digital realm. Featured Guest: Eva Galperin, Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most advanced AI models could think and respond in a way that felt like a human consciousness? How might that transform our understanding of intelligence itself? Some of the leading AI scientists believe that a super-intelligent form of this technology is only five to ten years away. This episode explores the idea of AI consciousness and delves into how the act of dreaming is connected to neural networks in unexpected ways. Featured guest: Geoffrey Hinton, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices