Intelligent Machines (Audio) IM 851: Intelligent Machines Best of 2025 - Our Favorite Interviews from 2025
19 snips
Dec 28, 2025 
Guest
Kevin Kelly
Guest
Pliny the Liberator
Guest
Alex Hanna
Guest
Emily M. Bender
Guest
Ray Kurzweil
Guest
Mike Masnick
Mike Masnick, founder of TechDirt, shares insights on personalized software creation and using AI as an editor. Ray Kurzweil delves into timelines for AGI, discussing human-AI merging and his visions for longevity. Emily Bender and Alex Hanna critique AI hype, highlighting its environmental impact and the importance of precise language. The anonymous Pliny the Liberator discusses jailbreaking for transparency, while Kevin Kelly creatively frames AIs as diverse entities, urging long-term optimism. A lively exploration of technology’s future unfolds!
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Exponential Growth Points To Nearer AGI
- Ray Kurzweil argues exponential hardware and software gains will deliver AGI by 2029 and a singularity by 2045.
- He emphasizes merging human cognition with AI (virtual/brain interfaces) to amplify intelligence, not replace humans.
Disaggregate 'AI' To Stop Hype
- Emily Bender and Alex Hanna urge disaggregating “AI” into specific tools and use-cases to avoid hype.
- They argue many harms come from hype and opaque claims, not from all automation methods equally.
Scrutinize AI Claims, Not Press Releases
- Journalists should probe claims critically and trace who benefits from AI products.
- Demand evaluation details, avoid reprinting press releases, and hold power to account in reporting.