logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
39m 16s

#385 — AI Utopia

SAM HARRIS
About this episode

Sam Harris speaks with Nick Bostrom about ongoing progress in artificial intelligence. They discuss the twin concerns about the failure of alignment and the failure to make progress, why smart people don't perceive the risk of superintelligent AI, the governance risk, path dependence and "knotty problems," the idea of a solved world, Keynes's predictions about human productivity, the uncanny valley of utopia, the replacement of human labor and other activities, meaning and purpose, digital isolation and plugging into something like the Matrix, pure hedonism, the asymmetry between pleasure and pain, increasingly subtle distinctions in experience, artificial purpose, altering human values at the level of the brain, ethical changes in the absence of extreme suffering, our cosmic endowment, longtermism, problems with consequentialism, the ethical conundrum of dealing with small probabilities of large outcomes, and other topics.

If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.


Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Up next
Nov 17
#444 — America's Zombie Democracy
<p>Sam Harris speaks with George Packer about American democracy and authoritarianism. They discuss Packer's article "<a href= "https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/america-authoritarian-regime-ai-suicide/684350/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's Zombie Democ ... Show More
20m 54s
Nov 10
#443 — What Is Christian Nationalism?
Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Wilson about his book Frequently Shouted Questions about Christian Nationalism. They discuss Wilson's debates with Christopher Hitchens, the landscape of American evangelicalism, young-earth creationism, pre- vs. post-millennialism, the concept of d ... Show More
1h 59m
Nov 3
#442 — More From Sam: Public Speaking, Nuclear War, & Christian Nationalism
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss how Sam overcame his fear of public speaking, the ongoing threat of nuclear war and the new Netflix movie A Hou ... Show More
17m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
#81 Nick Bostrom - How To Prevent AI Catastrophe
<p>Nick Bostrom is a philosopher known for his work on existential risk, the anthropic principle, human enhancement ethics, whole brain emulation, and superintelligence risks. His recent book, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/4g1lyrn">Deep Utopia</a></em>, explores what might happen ... Show More
1h 1m
Jan 2025
Family Estrangement, Spiritual Harm & the Ethics of AI in Therapy with Matthias Barker (255)
Ann and Sue, alongside psychotherapist Matthias Barker, unpack the complexities of parent-child estrangement and the often-overlooked generational gaps that shape how families navigate conflict. Matthias discusses the deep wounds that spiritual harm can leave behind, and also exp ... Show More
1 h
Oct 31
Jane G. Goldberg, "Wired for Why: How We Think, Feel, and Make Meaning" (2025)
WIRED FOR WHY: How We Think, Feel and Make Meaning. (Self-Published 2025) spans eighteen chapters exploring everything from how we manage to stay alive against all odds, to why language separates us from other species, to whether death might be a metaphor. It's a journey through ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 23
Ask Us Anything 2025
It's been another big year in AI. The AI race has accelerated to breakneck speed, with frontier labs pouring hundreds of billions into increasingly powerful models—each one smarter, faster, and more unpredictable than the last. We’re starting to see disruptions in the workforce a ... Show More
40m 53s
Apr 2025
Deepak Chopra: How to Ask AI The RIGHT Questions To Grow, Heal, and Live a More Fulfilled Life
Do you ever feel like you're just going through the motions? Do you ever feel lonely even when you're around people? Today, Jay welcomes back the legendary Deepak Chopra after six years, to discuss the unexpected intersection of spirituality and artificial intelligence. Together ... Show More
1h 4m
Oct 2024
How artificial intelligence can help to keep us safe
Growing up in the last years of the Cold War motivated Gabriele Jacobs to enter academia and play her part in building peaceful societies.  Jacobs works at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where she researches the role artificial intelligence (AI) can play in publ ... Show More
30m 44s
Aug 19
Why Taking Life Less Seriously Could Be the Productivity Boost You Need
The art of making work not suck; how playing helps you stress less (and achieve more). In today’s episode, we challenge the architecture of adulthood, built brick by brick with “shoulds”. Using stories of ancient ancestors and modern cubicles, we’ll ask: Why do we surrender to se ... Show More
25m 8s
May 2024
Shifting Individual & Corporate Values in an Age of Corporate Malfeasance & Forever Chemicals
<p><strong>Ep. 128 (Part 1 of 2) | </strong>Environmental philosopher, public health scientist, and corporate malfeasance researcher&nbsp;<strong>Dr. Yogi Hendlin</strong>&nbsp;is dedicated to understanding, communicating, and addressing the psychological, social, political, and ... Show More
44m 10s
Feb 2025
#64 Ex-Google Exec Reveals The Shocking Truth About AI with Mo Gawdat
Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer at Google X, an AI expert, and a best-selling author. He has been recognized for his early whistleblowing on AI's unregulated development and has become one of the most globally consulted experts on the topic. With years of experienc ... Show More
2h 9m