80,000 Hours Podcast

Rob Wiblin on human nature, new technology, and living a happy, healthy & ethical life

May 13, 2019

Chad Grylls, a thinker on technology and existential risks, and Andrew Leigh, Australia’s Shadow Assistant Treasurer, dive into a variety of thought-provoking topics. They explore the implications of new technologies on society and the challenges of government versus business careers. Rob shares personal reflections on ethical living, coping mechanisms for life's frustrations, and what he would tell his teenage self. The conversation also touches on the importance of altruism, social connections, and humor in achieving happiness and well-being.

02:18:25

Creator website

Episode guests

Andrew Leigh

Chad Grylls

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Navigating Nonprofit Management and Impact Measurement

5min

Addressing Existential Risks for Future Generations

6min

Aligning AI with Human Intentions: Challenges and Solutions

3min

Navigating AI, Politics, and Communication

46min

Navigating the Tall Poppy Syndrome

22min

Navigating Impactful Careers

15min

Bridging Cultures and Ethics in Altruism

20min

Coping with Life's Challenges

6min

10.

Evolving Career Strategies and AI Insights

7min

11.

Humor, Health, and Happiness

4min

12.

Influence of Classic Philosophers on Ethical Living

2min

This is a cross-post of some interviews Rob did recently on two other podcasts — Mission Daily (from 2m) and The Good Life (from 1h13m).

Some of the content will be familiar to regular listeners — but if you’re at all interested in Rob’s personal thoughts, there should be quite a lot of new material to make listening worthwhile.

The first interview is with Chad Grills. They focused largely on new technologies and existential risks, but also discuss topics like:

• Why Rob is wary of fiction
• Egalitarianism in the evolution of hunter gatherers
• How to stop social media screwing up politics
• Careers in government versus business

The second interview is with Prof Andrew Leigh - the Shadow Assistant Treasurer in Australia. This one gets into more personal topics than we usually cover on the show, like:

• What advice would Rob give to his teenage self?
• Which person has most shaped Rob’s view of living an ethical life?
• Rob’s approach to giving to the homeless
• What does Rob do to maximise his own happiness?

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The 80,000 Hours Podcast is produced by Keiran Harris.

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