Best Nathan Labenz Podcasts (2025)

1
Nathan Labenz: AI's Cognitive Revolution, Waymark's Pivot & The Future We Face | Imagine AI Live 104 50:10

6d ago50:10

50:10

In this conversation, Chris Madden and Nathan Labenz explore the transformative impact of AI on society, marketing, and content creation. They discuss Waymark’s evolution into an AI-driven platform, the broader cognitive revolution, and the opportunities and risks of advanced AI—ranging from content saturation to ethical concerns and job displaceme…

1
Co-Founder of Centre For British Progress, Julia Willemyns | The Human Podcast 44:26

23h ago44:26

44:26

WATCH EPISODE HERE: https://youtu.be/w8OkYrWKBqM In this episode, I speak to Julia Willemyns, a co-founder of The Centre for British Progress, a new non-partisan think tank researching and producing concrete ideas for an era of British growth and progress. Julia is an entrepreneur and studied at the University of Oxford and LSE. The Human Podcast e…

1
Fiverr Goes All-In on AI: Empowering Creators, Not Replacing Them, with Micha Kaufman, CEO of Fiverr 1:43:05

1d ago1:43:05

1:43:05

In this episode of The Cognitive Revolution, host Nathan Labenz speaks with Micha Kaufman, founder and CEO of Fiverr, about the company's new AI suite called Fiverr Go. Kaufman shares his unique values-based approach to AI implementation, which aims to empower human creators rather than replace them in the freelance marketplace. The conversation ex…

1
E138: Palantir CEO Alex Karp & Rep. Ritchie Torres on Innovation & The West | Hill and Valley Forum 2024 34:02

2d ago34:02

34:02

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Congressman Richie Torres discuss higher education, Palantir's fearless culture, and the importance of contrarianism in driving innovation at the 2024 Hill and Valley Forum. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️…

1
Inside China's AI Strategy: Innovation, Diffusion, and US Relations (with Jeffrey Ding) 1:02:32

3d ago1:02:32

1:02:32

On this episode, Jeffrey Ding joins me to discuss diffusion of AI versus AI innovation, how US-China dynamics shape AI’s global trajectory, and whether there is an AI arms race between the two powers. We explore Chinese attitudes toward AI safety, the level of concentration of AI development, and lessons from historical technology diffusion. Jeffre…

1
E137: AI Safety vs Speed: Helen Toner Discusses OpenAI Board Experience, Regulatory Approaches, and Military AI [The Cognitive Revolution] 1:23:35

4d ago1:23:35

1:23:35

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode of The Cognitive Revolution. Nathan Labenz interviews Helen Toner, director at CSET, about her experiences with OpenAI, the concept of adaptation buffers for AI integration, and AI's role in military decision-making. They discuss the implications of AI development, the need for regulatory policies, …

1
Securing Superintelligence: National Security, Espionage & AI Control with Jeremie & Edouard Harris 2:09:51

5d ago2:09:51

2:09:51

In this thought-provoking episode of The Cognitive Revolution, host Nathan Labenz speaks with Jeremy and Edouard Harris, founders of Gladstone AI and authors of "America's Superintelligence Project." The conversation explores a critical dilemma facing US policymakers: balancing the race to develop advanced AI ahead of China against the risks of los…

1
Is OpenAI's o3 AGI? Zvi Mowshowitz on Early AI Takeoff, the Mechanize launch, Live Players, & Why p(doom) is Rising 3:08:19

7d ago3:08:19

3:08:19

In this episode of the Cognitive Revolution podcast, the host Nathan Labenz is joined for the record 9th time by Zvi Mowshowitz to discuss the state of AI advancements, focusing on recent developments such as OpenAI's O3 model and its implications for AGI and recursive self-improvement. They delve into the capabilities and limitations of current AI…

1
E136: Trump V2: Tariffs, American Dynamism, Higher Ed | Byrne Hobart 1:05:37

8d ago1:05:37

1:05:37

In this episode, Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss the economic consequences of Trump's tariffs, OpenAI's recent innovations, and their implications for white collar work. They also explore the potential market shifts, the resilience of the US dollar as a reserve currency, and the state of elite higher education institutions like Harvard in t…

1
AI News Crossover: A Candid Chat with Liron Shapira of Doom Debates 2:29:35

9d ago2:29:35

2:29:35

In this crossover episode of The Cognitive Revolution, Nathan Labenz joins Liron Shapira of Doom Debates, for a wide-ranging news and analysis discussion about recent AI developments. The conversation covers significant topics including GPT-4o image generation's implications for designers and businesses like Waymark, debates around learning to code…

1
E135: The Problem With Reserve Currencies and Switching to Crypto w/ Lyn Alden [From the Archives] 1:01:19

11d ago1:01:19

1:01:19

This week on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg’s 2024 interview with Lyn Alden. Lyn discusses her book 'Broken Money', the impact of the global reserve currency, inflation, interest rates, and provides advice for navigating an uncertain economic future. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/ex…

1
Helen Toner: OpenAI Reflections, Adaptation Buffers, and AI in Warfare 1:29:35

12d ago1:29:35

1:29:35

In this thought-provoking conversation, Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), discusses her perspectives on AI development, regulation, and international competition. Toner shares insights from her time on OpenAI's board, clarifying that reports about a "Q*" breakthrough influencing the board's…

1
How AI Voice Agents Are Transforming Business Call Centers w/ CEO Richard Lin of Anyreach AI | E103 35:15

13d ago35:15

35:15

In this episode of the Imagine AI Live podcast, host Chris Madden interviews Richard Lin, CEO and Co-Founder of Anyreach AI. Richard shares his journey from tech entrepreneur to building human-like AI voice agents. The conversation covers Anyreach’s mission, real-world use cases, and the data infrastructure challenges of scaling AI. Richard also di…

1
Conjecture Co-Founder & ControlAI Advisor, Gabe Alfour | AI SAFETY SERIES #4 44:14

15d ago44:14

44:14

WELCOME TO THE AI SAFETY SERIES, FEATURING FILMED INTERVIEWS WITH INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THE AI SAFETY FIELD, ABOUT THEIR LIVES & WORK. In this episode, I speak to Gabe Alfour, a co-founder and the CTO of Conjecture, and an advisor to ControlAI. Conjecture is an AI Safety organisation, based in London. ControlAI is a non-profit organisation that wo…

1
Is a US-China Thucydides Trap Unavoidable? With David C. Kang from the ChinaTalk Podcast 1:39:16

15d ago1:39:16

1:39:16

In this crossover episode from the China Talk podcast, Nathan Labenz shares a thought-provoking conversation between Jordan Schneider, Ilari Michaela, and Professor David C. Kang that challenges conventional Western perspectives on East Asian international relations. Professor Kang argues that studying East Asian history on its own terms reveals a …

1
#19 Gabe Alfour on why AI alignment is hard, what it would mean to solve it & what ordinary people can do about existential risk 1:36:40

15d ago1:36:40

1:36:40

Gabe Alfour is a co-founder of Conjecture and an advisor to Control AI, both organisations working to reduce risks from advanced AI. We discussed why AI poses an existential risk to humanity, what makes this problem very hard to solve, why Gabe believes we need to prevent the development of superintelligence for at least the next two decades, and m…

1
E134: Atheism’s Decline, Consciousness, and The New Right w/ Ross Douthat 58:48

15d ago58:48

58:48

Today on Upstream, Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' exploring the decline of new atheism, the intellectual defense of institutional religion, and the intersection between traditional Christianity, Silicon Valley, and modern materialism. This episode originally aired on Moment of …

1
How Will We Cooperate with AIs? (with Allison Duettmann) 1:36:02

17d ago1:36:02

1:36:02

On this episode, Allison Duettmann joins me to discuss centralized versus decentralized AI, how international governance could shape AI’s trajectory, how we might cooperate with future AIs, and the role of AI in improving human decision-making. We also explore which lessons from history apply to AI, the future of space law and property rights, whet…

1
E133: China’s Energy Problem w/ Samo Burja 58:49

17d ago58:49

58:49

Today on Upstream, we’re releasing a 2024 conversation between Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja. They discuss China's approach to energy security, exploring why China isn't pursuing energy independence despite significant oil production capability and the potential for further development. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication:…

1
New in Nature: Google Agents Beat Human Doctors, Make Scientific Discoveries – With Vivek Natarajan and Anil Palepu 1:27:57

18d ago1:27:57

1:27:57

In this episode, Nathan Labenz speaks with Vivek Natarajan and Anil Palepu from Google DeepMind about their groundbreaking work on AMIE (Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer) and Co-Scientist. The conversation reveals how these AI systems are already outperforming human physicians in diagnostic accuracy and treatment recommendations, with AMIE …

1
Exploring Limitless AI: The Wearable That Remembers Everything with CEO Dan Siroker | E102 24:52

20d ago24:52

24:52

In this episode of Imagine AI Live, host Chris Madden talks with Dan about the creation of the Limitless pendant—an AI-powered device that helps users remember and reflect by capturing real-world conversations and interactions. They dive into how this technology works, its practical use cases in business and healthcare, and the ethical implications…

1
Scaling "Thinking": Gemini 2.5 Tech Lead Jack Rae on Reasoning, Long Context, & the Path to AGI 1:16:28

23d ago1:16:28

1:16:28

In this illuminating episode of The Cognitive Revolution, host Nathan Labenz speaks with Jack Rae, principal research scientist at Google DeepMind and technical lead on Google's thinking and inference time scaling work. They explore the technical breakthroughs behind Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro model, discussing why reasoning techniques are suddenly wo…

1
E132: AI Managers, US vs China Analysis, and AI Art w/ Byrne Hobart 53:18

23d ago53:18

53:18

Today on Upstream, we’re sharing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on April 1, 2025). Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart explore the shifting dynamics of global trade between China and the US, the potential for AI to replace senior rather than junior roles in the workplace, and the economic structure of live entertainment markets like StubHub. …

1
Brain-like AGI and why it's Dangerous (with Steven Byrnes) 1:13:13

24d ago1:13:13

1:13:13

On this episode, Steven Byrnes joins me to discuss brain-like AGI safety. We discuss learning versus steering systems in the brain, the distinction between controlled AGI and social-instinct AGI, why brain-inspired approaches might be our most plausible route to AGI, and honesty in AI models. We also talk about how people can contribute to brain-li…

1
E131: Abundance Agenda, The New Right, and 2008 Retrospective w/ Noah Smith 1:09:57

25d ago1:09:57

1:09:57

Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith discuss the Abundance Agenda by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, the impact of the 2008 recession, Obama's presidency, and shifts in political ideology, focusing on the 'New Right' and its cultural and economic implications, while also touching upon the economic recovery strategies post-2008. This epis…

1
Reward Hacking by Reasoning Models & Loss of Control Scenarios w/ Jeffrey Ladish of Palisade Research, from FLI Podcast 1:32:17

26d ago1:32:17

1:32:17

On this cross-post episode, Jeffrey Ladish discusses the rapid pace of AI progress and the risks of losing control over powerful systems. We explore why AIs can be both smart and dumb, the challenges of creating honest AIs, and scenarios where AI could turn against us. Additionally, we delve into Palisade's new study on how reasoning models can che…

1
How Mimica AI is Revolutionizing Enterprise Automation with AI Agents | Imagine AI Live 29:33

27d ago29:33

29:33

Tuhin Chakraborty is the Co-founder and CEO of Mimica AI, a company dedicated to automating repetitive processes through AI-powered task mining and process simulation. With expertise in AI-driven enterprise automation, Tuhin helps organizations enhance efficiency by identifying and streamlining their workflows.In this episode of Imagine AI Live, ho…

1
Shortwave Rides the Tidal Wave: Inbox Agents, Hyper-Growth & Hiring AI Managers, with CEO Andrew Lee 1:51:39

30d ago1:51:39

1:51:39

In this episode of the Cognitive Revolution podcast, Andrew Lee, founder and CEO of Shortwave, returns to discuss the rapid advancements in AI over the past year and how they have significantly improved Shortwave, an AI email assistant. Andrew shares insights into the exponential growth of Shortwave's revenue and the enhanced capabilities of their …

1
E130: Elon Musk’s Network Effects and Checking in on Chinese AI w/ Byrne Hobart 1:02:20

1M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on March 25, 2025) where Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss Don Jr.'s leveraging of the Trump brand, Dustin Moskovitz's departure to address AI risks, economic impacts of various policies, and geopolitical considerations with a focus on AI and China's tech ambition…

1
How Close Are We to AGI? Inside Epoch's GATE Model (with Ege Erdil) 1:34:33

1M ago1:34:33

1:34:33

On this episode, Ege Erdil from Epoch AI joins me to discuss their new GATE model of AI development, what evolution and brain efficiency tell us about AGI requirements, how AI might impact wages and labor markets, and what it takes to train models with long-term planning. Toward the end, we dig into Moravec’s Paradox, which jobs are most at risk of…

1
Code Context is King: Augment’s AI Assistant for Professional Software Engineers, with Guy Gur-Ari 1:25:44

1M ago1:25:44

1:25:44

In this episode of the Cognitive Revolution, Guy Gur-Ari, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at Augment, explores the transformative impact of AI on the software industry. Highlighting Augment's unique approach, Gur-Ari discusses the challenges and solutions associated with integrating AI into large codebases, the nuances of maintaining context in AI-d…

1
E129: Dark Triad, Romantic Partner Selection, and Dating Advice w/ Rob Henderson 1:05:20

1M ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg interviews author Rob Henderson about modern romance, discussing evolutionary psychology, the attraction to dark triad men, dating apps, and practical advice for men seeking romantic partners. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our s…

1
Unlocking the Secrets of AI-enhanced Software with Matt Van Itallie | Imagine AI Live Podcast 35:04

1M ago35:04

35:04

Matt Van Itallie is the Founder and CEO of SEMA, a software company making software development transparent for non-technical executives. With expertise in AI-driven code inspection and product analysis, Matt helps organizations make smarter, data-driven decisions.In this episode of Imagine AI Live, host Chris Madden talks with Matt about how SEMA …

1
Host of 'Doom Debates' Podcast, Liron Shapira | AI SAFETY SERIES, Ep #3 44:02

1M ago44:02

44:02

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/0KmaotctziE WELCOME TO THE NEW AI SAFETY SERIES, FEATURING FILMED CONVERSATIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN THE AI SAFETY FIELD, ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND WORK. In this episode, I speak to Liron Shapira,host of the 'Doom Debates' Podcast. Doom Debates' Mission is to raise mainstream awareness of imminent extinction fr…

1
E128: US-Europe Relations, How Japan Can Strengthen The Yen, and Predicting AI’s Growth Effects w/ Noah Smith 55:36

1M ago55:36

55:36

Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith analyze America's European withdrawal, China's selective globalization strategy, and tempers expectations about AI's economic impact while considering GDP measurement challenges. — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏Help shape our sh…

1
Unlocking Cells' Secrets: Diffusion, Deconvolution, & Discovery with Siyu He, author of Squidiff & CORAL 1:46:17

1M ago1:46:17

1:46:17

In this episode of the Cognitive Revolution, we hear from Siyu He, a postdoc at Stanford specializing in biomedical data science. Siyu discusses the implications and methods behind their recent AI-driven biological research papers, Squidiff and CORAL. The conversation explores the use of AI models to analyze complex cellular systems and disease mec…

1
Special: Defeating AI Defenses (with Nicholas Carlini and Nathan Labenz) 2:23:12

1M ago2:23:12

2:23:12

In this special episode, we feature Nathan Labenz interviewing Nicholas Carlini on the Cognitive Revolution podcast. Nicholas Carlini works as a security researcher at Google DeepMind, and has published extensively on adversarial machine learning and cybersecurity. Carlini discusses his pioneering work on adversarial attacks against image classifie…

1
E127: The Tech Right and How The Left Can Fix Itself w/ Jon Askonas 48:10

1M ago48:10

48:10

Today on Upstream, we’re airing Erik Torenberg’s conversation with Jon Askonas. They explore the emerging coalition between MAGA supporters and Silicon Valley tech leaders, examines the underlying political realignment, the tensions and fault lines within this coalition, and the potential future conflicts surrounding issues like immigration and tra…

1
a16z on AI Voices: Call Centers, Coaches, and Companions with Olivia Moore & Anish Acharya 1:07:35

1M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

In this episode of The Cognitive Revolution, host Nathan Labenz speaks with Andreessen Horowitz partners Olivia Moore and Anish Acharya about the rapid evolution of voice AI technology and its real-world applications. The conversation explores how multimodal models, reduced latency, and improved emotional intelligence are enabling more natural voic…

1
Digital Legacy: How Life’s Echo Keeps Your Story Alive | Steve Endacott on Imagine AI Live E100 33:04

1M ago33:04

33:04

In this episode, Chris Madden sits down with Steve Endacott to explore how AI is reshaping personal legacies and politics. They dive into the innovative role of AI in autobiographies, digital legacies, and even AI-driven funerals, discussing trust, data security, and the concept of a "big red book" through a thought-provoking Marmite analogy. Shift…

1
Life Stories: World's Most Fun Psychologist & Magician, Professor Richard Wiseman 40:46

1M ago40:46

40:46

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/VTGBHcPnJXo Meet the world's most fun psychologist & magician, Professor Richard Wiseman, Britain's only Professor in the Public Understanding of Psychology. He's consulted for top magicians like Derren Brown, published a dozen influential books and over 100 papers, amassed an astonishing 800+ million YouTube view…

1
Agency over AI? Allan Dafoe on Technological Determinism & DeepMind's Safety Plans, from 80000 Hours 3:02:28

1M ago3:02:28

3:02:28

Join us in a deep dive with Allan Dafoe, Director of Frontier Safety and Governance at Google DeepMind. Allan sheds light on the challenges of evaluating AI capabilities, structural risks, and the future of AI governance. Discover how AI technologies can transform sectors like education, healthcare, and sustainability, alongside the potential risks…

1
E126: Data Center Economics and AI Energy Requirements w/ Patrick McKenzie and Azeem Azhar 1:17:05

1M ago1:17:05

1:17:05

Today on Upstream, we’re releasing Patrick MacKenzie's interview with Azeem Azhar which originally aired in February 2025 on Complex Systems. They discuss the economics and infrastructure of data centers, comparing historical infrastructure rollouts to modern AI-driven data center needs, and explore the implications of exponential power demands, in…

1
Keep the Future Human (with Anthony Aguirre) 1:21:03

2M ago1:21:03

1:21:03

On this episode, I interview Anthony Aguirre, Executive Director of the Future of Life Institute, about his new essay Keep the Future Human: https://keepthefuturehuman.ai AI companies are explicitly working toward AGI and are likely to succeed soon, possibly within years. Keep the Future Human explains how unchecked development of smarter-than-huma…

1
E125: Palantir’s Politics, Elon’s Approach to DOGE, and AI’s Effects on Writing w/ Byrne Hobart 58:51

2M ago58:51

58:51

Today on Upstream, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg dive into the wide-ranging effects of technological change on media and society. They cover the AI debate, blogging's social impact, AI's influence on search and data, the changing news industry, foreign aid cuts, and the rise of new tech elites. This episode originally aired on The Riff (March 11,…

1
China's Tech Tightrope: Power, Regulation, and the AI Race with Angela Zhang 1:31:56

2M ago1:31:56

1:31:56

In this intriguing episode, Professor Angela Zhang discusses the complex landscape of China's technology sector and regulation. The conversation explores China's approach to AI, the evolution of its tech giants, and the interplay between government and private enterprises. Zhang emphasizes the importance of firsthand experience in understanding Chi…

1
The Hottest AI Conference of 2025 🔥 REVEALED 🔥 with Co-Founders Steve Metcalf & Chris Madden 56:30

2M ago56:30

56:30

The countdown is on for Imagine AI Live 2025, happening May 28th-30th in Las Vegas at the stunning Fontainebleau Hotel! 🎉In this special episode, co-founders Steve Metcalf & Chris Madden break down everything you need to know about this game-changing AI event:✅ Who’s speaking? Some of the biggest names in AI, from top founders to leading AI educato…

1
E124: How to Have A Philosophical Marriage w/ Agnes Callard and Arnold Brooks 1:12:09

2M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Today on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode from Modern Relationships which originally aired on February 28, 2025 where Erik Torenberg interviews philosophy professors Agnes Callard and Arnold Brooks about their unconventional marriage, the role of philosophy in their relationship, the impact of their public profile, and how they balance personal…

1
Historic AI Developments & the Emerging Shape of Superintelligence, from the Consistently Candid Podcast 1:57:36

2M ago1:57:36

1:57:36

In this episode, we discuss the significant advancements and challenges in the field of artificial intelligence over the past year. From breakthroughs in reinforcement learning to unexpected behaviors in fine-tuned models, we cover a wide range of topics that are shaping the AI landscape. Key discussions include the rapid progress of reasoning mode…

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Nathan Labenz Podcasts

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