Into the Impossible With Brian Keating AI That Helps, Schools That Don't, and How Not to Go Crazy on The James Altucher Show
Nov 24, 2025
Astrophysicist Brian Keating joins to share his insights on the evolving role of AI in education and research. He discusses the need for effective communication skills over traditional technical knowledge in academia. Keating and Altucher dive into how they use AI daily to enhance creativity and streamline tasks, while also highlighting the limitations of AI in science and writing. They tackle the challenges of higher education and promote a future where curiosity and prompt engineering take center stage.
01:04:26
Teach Students Responsible AI Use
- Allow students to use AI for homework but restrict exams to teach responsible usage and verification.
- Use AI to follow curiosity and have professors guide plateaus, not to punish exploration.
Rapid Geopolitical Research With AI
- James uses AI dozens of times daily to research geopolitics, like learning the Chavez era and current Venezuelan troop movements.
- AI compiles many sources so he can ask follow-ups and learn quickly without sifting through unreliable sites.
Use AI As Career Arbitrage
- Leverage AI now: anyone can gain a career edge simply by asking good questions to models like ChatGPT.
- Learn prompt skills and source-check outputs to avoid hallucinations and preserve credibility.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Altucher University & AI-guided Curiosity
01:02 • 38sec
Communication Skills Over Technical Knowledge
01:40 • 40sec
Using AI to Follow Curiosity
02:20 • 31sec
How We Use AI Daily
02:50 • 2min
AI in Professional Workflows
04:35 • 2min
Classroom Policies on AI
06:23 • 2min
Academic Bureaucracy & Pay Policies
08:19 • 2min
Career Arbitrage for AI Users
10:00 • 30sec
AI for Debate and Fact-Checking
10:31 • 1min
AI Hallucinations and Validation
11:45 • 12sec
AI’s Sycophancy Produces False Claims
11:57 • 1min
Managing Inbox Overload with Fees
12:58 • 2min
Do Any Theories Hold Up?
14:54 • 2min
Ad break
16:27 • 1min
AI as a Tool, Not a Panacea
17:54 • 1min
Estimating AI’s Economic Impact
19:02 • 2min
AI Automation vs. Job Creation
20:52 • 3min
AI Cuts Film VFX Costs
23:47 • 58sec
Corporate AI Adoption and Layoffs
24:45 • 2min
Ad break
27:02 • 2min
AI Coding Productivity Gains
28:56 • 60sec
Market Skepticism About Valuations
29:56 • 1min
Scale: AI Has Billions of Users
31:16 • 2min
AI Agreement and Leading Questions
33:10 • 1min
Teaching Prompt Engineering Early
34:24 • 2min
AI Book Recommendation Tools
36:03 • 4min
Concerns About AI-Generated Writing
39:51 • 2min
Limits of AI in Creativity and Science
41:57 • 4min
Examples Where AI Solved Hard Games
45:31 • 2min
AI’s Impact on Media & Niche Audiences
47:10 • 2min
Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing
49:33 • 3min
Value of Good Editors and Teams
52:16 • 3min
Science Communication vs Sensationalism
55:33 • 3min
Jim Simons: Scientist First
58:39 • 3min
Scheduling Future Conversations
01:02:06 • 34sec
Outro
01:02:40 • 1min
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Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner
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In 'Purple Cow,' Seth Godin argues that traditional marketing strategies no longer work in today's saturated market.
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James sits down with astrophysicist Brian Keating for a candid, useful tour through three hot zones: how to think about AI (and where it actually helps), what’s broken in higher ed and admissions right now, and why outsourcing your mood to politics is a losing strategy. You’ll hear first-hand stories (from UC San Diego classrooms to New York City politics), specific ways James and Brian really use AI daily, and a simple framework for protecting your attention and happiness—even when everything feels polarized.
What You’ll Learn:
- How universities can leverage AI-guided curiosity to revolutionize learning, according to James Altucher's vision for "Altucher University."
- Why mastering communication skills—writing, speaking, negotiating—is crucial for career success, and why these skills are often neglected in traditional education.
- Firsthand insights into how Brian Keating and James Altucher use AI daily for research, problem-solving, and creativity, along with practical examples from their personal and professional lives.
- The economic and philosophical debates around AI's actual impact on industries, jobs, and the broader GDP, including its use in coding, media, and even farming.
- The limitations of AI and large language models in science and creative work, and why critical thinking and prompt engineering remain essential—even as technology evolves.
Timestamped Chapters:
- 00:00 "AI Clarifies Venezuela Questions"
- 05:59 Venezuela News Omission
- 07:45 Frustrating Academia Raise Policy
- 11:54 Collaboration and Engagement Terms
- 14:23 "Ideas Overload Dilutes Impact"
- 19:11 Economic Efficiency Benefits All
- 19:49 Automation's Effect on Jobs
- 23:43 "Decentralized AI Competition"
- 27:09 "AI's Rapid Growth"
- 31:39 Copyright Limits Creativity
- 33:17 AI Book Recommendations
- 38:38 "AI Won't Replace Writers"
- 41:01 "Dumb Takes by Geniuses"
- 44:39 Content Overload Shift
- 47:47 Self-Publishing Outperforms Traditional
- 49:05 Dying Publishing Model
- 54:21 "Nobel Laureates' Impact Explained"
- 57:49 "Epstein, Trump, Wishcasting"
- 59:37 "Thrills Free on Pluto TV"
Additional resources:
📚 Target Earth by Govert Schilling: https://a.co/5uCEmZi
➡️ My new book:
📖 Into the Impossible Volume 2: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner: Lessons from Laureates to Concentrate Your Creativity and Ignite Your Career: https://a.co/d/hi50U9U
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
- ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
- 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
- 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
- ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
- 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
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