The Existential Hope Podcast

For years, the conversation about the long-term future has been dominated by a crucial question: how do we avoid extinction? But what if ensuring our survival is only half the battle? In this episode, Beatrice is joined by Fin Moorhouse, a researcher at Forethought and co-author with Will MacAskill of the Better Futures series, to make the case for focusing on the other half: flourishing. Or as we'd like to say in this podcast: Existential Hope!Fin challenges the idea that a great future will emerge automatically if we just avoid the worst-case scenarios. Using the analogy of a grand sailing expedition, he explores the complexities of navigating towards a truly optimal world, questioning whether our current moral compass is enough to guide us.The conversation dives into the concept of "moral catastrophes"—profound ethical failings, like industrial animal farming, that could persist even in technologically advanced futures. Fin also tackles the complex challenges posed by digital minds, from the risk of accidental suffering to the creation of "willing servants." He argues for the power of "moral trade" as a tool to build a more pluralistic and prosperous world, and explains why we should aim for a "Viatopia"—a stable and self-sustaining state that makes a great future highly likely.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Arbesman, a scientist and author at Lux Capital, argues for code as a transformative tool for thought in his enlightening discussion. He shares insights from his book, emphasizing coding as a humanistic art form rather than just a technical skill. Topics include the concept of 'vibe coding' and how democratizing software creation empowers individuals. Sam explores AI's potential to enhance scientific discovery and cautions against the growing incomprehensibility of technology, advocating for humility and adaptability in an ever-evolving landscape of knowledge.

The tech industry we read about every day accounts for only 2% of the global economy. So what about the other 98%? In this episode, host Beatrice Erkers talks to hacker, inventor, and author Pablos Holman about his new book, Deep Future, and why it’s time to look beyond software to solve the world’s biggest problems.Pablos argues that for decades, our brightest minds have been focused on apps and ads while ignoring the fundamental industries that civilization depends on: energy, manufacturing, shipping, and food. He makes the case for "deep tech"—everything but software—and explains why now is the perfect moment to deploy our "software toolkit" to reinvent these stagnant, trillion-dollar sectors.From computer-controlled sailing ships and factory-built nuclear reactors buried a mile underground, to the simple genius of a better milk jug that can double a farmer's income, Pablos shares mind-bending examples of technology that truly matters. He also offers a grounded take on AI, explaining why computational modeling for disease control is more impactful than AGI hype, and delivers a powerful vision for a future where energy abundance ends global conflict and automation frees humanity to focus on what makes us thrive: care, community, and connection.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if we could build an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but makes fundamental scientific discoveries on its own? That's the mission of Future House, and in this episode, host Allison Duettmann sits down with its co-founder, Andrew White.Andrew shares the incredible journey that led him from chemical engineering to the forefront of the AI for Science revolution. He gives us a look under the hood at Future House's flock of specialized AI agents, like Crow, Finch, and Owl, and reveals how they recently accomplished in just three weeks what could have taken years: identifying an existing drug as a potential new treatment for a common cause of blindness.But the conversation doesn't stop at the successes. Andrew offers a sharp critique of the current methods for evaluating AI, explaining what’s wrong with benchmarks like "Humanity's Last Exam" and why the ultimate test is real-world discovery. He also makes a compelling case for completely reinventing the slow and inefficient scientific publishing system for an era where machines are both the producers and consumers of research.Andrew is also fundraising for the Frontiers Society at IPAM to advance this work. If you’d like to support, you can donate here: IPAM Donation Page.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the most desirable AI future is made of powerful tools, not autonomous agents? Physicist and futurist Anthony Aguirre joins us to unpack the Tool AI pathway, how incentives, liability, and design choices could steer us toward AI that empowers people rather than replaces them. We also situate this episode in AI Pathways, our two-scenario project exploring Tool AI and d/acc futures. Explore the project: https://ai-pathways.existentialhope.com/On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-driving cars aren’t science fiction, they’re already here. But what kind of future are they steering us toward?In this episode, Beatrice speaks with Andrew Miller, mobility expert and author of The End of Driving, about the transformational promise, and very real risks, of autonomous vehicles. They explore why driverless tech isn’t just about hardware or software, but about regulation, land use, curb management, jobs, and values.From robo-taxis in San Francisco and driverless trucks in Texas, to curb chaos, job displacement, and how we reclaim space from parked cars, this episode goes far beyond the hype. On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we shape a future worth rooting for? In this episode, Beatrice Erkers talks with Jim O'Shaughnessy, founder of O'Shaughnessy Ventures and author of What Works on Wall Street, about his third act: backing creators, thinkers, and innovators across publishing, film, AI, and investment. They dive into the cultural power of storytelling, what it means to be “AI-first,” and why cognitive diversity and personal agency are key to navigating a rapidly changing world.Jim shares his existential hope for the next 30 years, explores how to make AI work for everyone, and offers a call to action for people with ideas: get in the arena. Along the way, we cover self-driving cars, tutoring AIs, philosophical simulations, and why beautiful books still matter.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we imagine, validate, and steer toward better futures?In this conversation, scientist and writer Michael Nielsen joins Beatrice Erkers to explore the idea of “hyper-entities”, future artifacts that reshape our capabilities and the verbs we use to describe them. They discuss how science fiction, public goods mechanisms, and open science feed into real-world innovation, and how imagination and design shape the trajectory of civilization.Michael reflects on dual-use technologies, from quantum physics to cryptography, and explains why deep truths about the universe often come bundled with both promise and peril. They also dive into "tools for thought," kindness as a moral technology, and why exploration, however illegible, is crucial for progress.‍On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the bulky, expensive machines that fill hospital radiology departments could be replaced by a wearable? In this episode, we speak with Mary Lou Jepsen — founder of Openwater and pioneering inventor — about how breakthroughs in light-based imaging could democratize access to brain and body scans.From her work at Google X and Facebook’s moonshot labs to her current mission at Openwater, Jepsen has spent decades at the frontier of tech and health. Now, she’s building a future where scanning the body for disease is as simple as putting on a hat — no radiation, no giant machines, no $1M price tag.We explore:Why light could be the key to affordable, real-time medical diagnosticsHow her device works — and what it might replaceWhat it takes to challenge the medical-industrial complexHer vision for global healthcare access and early detection‍On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Ed Finn, founding director of ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination, explores the impact of storytelling on our ability to envision and create better futures—and why we urgently need more hopeful narratives.Ed shares his journey from a generalist interested in how technology shapes culture to co-creating initiatives like "Project Hieroglyph" with celebrated sci-fi author Neal Stephenson. He argues that our collective imagination is often stuck in dystopian loops or unable to escape the status quo, hindering our capacity for large-scale, positive change. By bringing together storytellers, scientists, and artists, we can craft "technically grounded, hopeful stories about futures we might actually want to live in."In this conversation, we explore:The fundamental role of imagination and narrative in how we understand the world, make decisions, and even perceive reality.Why science fiction can be a powerful tool for foresight, societal deliberation, and inspiring innovation (the "hieroglyph" concept).The importance of moving beyond easy apocalypses to explore "protopian" futures where things are actively getting better, and the challenge of crafting compelling narratives of social change.How reflecting on classic tales like Frankenstein can inform our approach to scientific creativity, responsibility, and the societal implications of new technologies like AI.The potential resurgence of the humanities in an AI-driven world and why critical thinking and a rich self-imagination are crucial for collaborating with new technologies.On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures. Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcastsFollow on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.