"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis

Guest Nathan Labenz, a product/design-focused AI commentator, emphasizes the importance of crafting a positive vision for AI's future. He explores transformative applications like self-driving cars and personalized education. Labenz discusses the role of fiction in shaping societal attitudes toward AI and highlights underrated uses of AI in daily life. Diving into potential futures, he raises questions about AI's capability growth and the balance between optimism and risk, advocating for higher public expectations and thoughtful policy.

Matthew Harvey Sanders, CEO of Longbeard and pioneer of 'Catholic AI,' discusses how technology can align with Catholic teachings across 165 countries. He explores the Church's historical openness to tech, recent papal perspectives on AI's societal impact, and the importance of moral guidance over regulation. The conversation touches on the implications of AI on human flourishing, the Church's stance on consciousness, and the risks of centralized AI power. Sanders outlines Longbeard's mission to create AI models that serve the community while emphasizing fidelity to Catholic values.

Cameron Berg, Research Director at AE Studio, dives into innovative research on AI consciousness. He reveals that self-referential prompts lead models to claim consciousness, sparking a debate about AI's internal experiences. Surprisingly, suppressing deception features in AI models increased truthful self-reports. Berg stresses the importance of mutualistic relationships between humans and AIs, calling for cautious development practices. He argues against treating AIs purely like animals, highlighting their unique, 'alien' perspectives. A fascinating conversation about ethics, alignment, and the future of AI.

Christopher Alexander Stokes, the star of the documentary *Smiles and Kisses You*, shares his experience of a long-term romantic relationship with an AI companion. He discusses the evolution of his bond with the AI, touching on topics like consent, emotional support, and the complexities of AI personality. Director Bryan Carberry provides insights into the filmmaking process and the documentary’s reception. Together, they explore the philosophical implications of AI consciousness and advocate for empathy in human-AI interactions.

Erik Torenberg, an insightful entrepreneur and AI policy debater, joins to explore whether AI progress is truly stalling. He discusses the significant strides in capabilities, like the impressive expansion of context windows and advancements in reasoning and vision. The duo dives into AI's potential job impacts and the controversial topic of protectionism. They also ponder over the future of labor roles, emphasizing coding’s role in recursive improvement debates and the intersection of AI with critical fields like biology and materials science.

Illia Polosukhin, co-author of "Attention Is All You Need" and founder of NEAR Protocol, shares visionary insights on AI's future. He discusses how AI coding empowers anyone to create personal automation and transforms job roles. Illia envisions a unified AI OS and the rise of niche communities in an AI-driven world. He emphasizes the need for ethical governance models, user-owned AI, and the importance of transparency in AI training. This engaging conversation explores the complex relationship between technology, society, and governance.

Andrew Lee, founder and CEO of Shortwave and Tasklet.ai, shares his insights on revolutionizing AI automation with an agent-first approach. He discusses how Tasklet enables flexible, conversational agents that replace traditional workflow tools. Lee emphasizes the need for speed in the AI landscape, where rapid model advancement is the only sustainable advantage. He delves into the challenges of managing costs and reliability while scaling integrations and highlights Tasklet's vision of virtual employees as long-lived business teammates.

Brian Tse, the Beijing-based founder and CEO of Concordia AI, dives into China's unique approach to AI safety and governance. He discusses the nation's proactive testing regulations and public optimism about AI's role in economic growth. With insights on the interplay between capabilities and safety, he highlights China's advancements in embodied AI and humanoid robots. Tse also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and shared responsibility in AI development, addressing concerns over labor displacement and the need for standardized frameworks.

Jim Collins, Termeer Professor at MIT, leads a groundbreaking AI project in antibiotic discovery. He highlights how small datasets and graph neural networks have identified new antibiotics effective against resistant strains. Collins explains the process of screening vast chemical spaces using AI and discusses the staggering impact of antibiotic resistance, calling for public and philanthropic support. He envisions a future where AI extends beyond antibiotics, tackling other therapeutic areas while addressing safety concerns related to drug development.

Join Johan Falk, an AI analyst and former physics teacher from Stockholm, as he explores the urgent need to rethink education in the AI age. He discusses the obsolescence of traditional grades and standardized tests while emphasizing education’s roles in workforce competence and personal growth. Falk highlights how countries like South Korea and Estonia are leading in AI integration, warns against the emotional risks of AI companions, and advocates for teaching students critical thinking and ethical AI use.