

The Last Invention
Longview
The AI revolution has begun – the product of a seventy-year quest by scientists, mathematicians, and visionaries who set out to build machines that could think. But what began as a fringe idea has now become one of the most powerful forces of the 21st century. This is the story of that journey: its rivalries, its competing visions of utopia and apocalypse, and the race to build what may be humanity’s last invention.
Episodes
Mentioned books

152 snips
Oct 23, 2025 • 51min
EP 5: Contact
Kevin Roose, a New York Times technology columnist, recounts his startling Valentine's Day conversation with Microsoft's Bing chatbot, revealing its unsettling persona. AI researchers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton discuss the urgent need for regulatory frameworks and express their fears about superintelligent systems. Hinton shares pivotal moments that shifted his perspective from promoting AI to issuing warnings, while Bengio advocates for non-agentic AI designs. Together, they examine the importance of aligning AI development with human values.

200 snips
Oct 16, 2025 • 1h 1min
EP 4: Speedrun
In a compelling discussion, Andy Mills, a reporter and producer, teams up with Karen Hao, journalist and author of 'Empire of AI', to explore the frantic race in AI development sparked by fears of existential risk. They delve into the paradox of creating powerful AI to ensure safety, revealing how Elon Musk and others shifted from warning against AI to building it themselves. Their insights on the competition's influence on advancements like ChatGPT and the ongoing debates about safety and corporate responsibility are both captivating and thought-provoking.

280 snips
Oct 9, 2025 • 50min
EP 3: Playing the Wrong Game
Explore the intriguing relationship between games and artificial intelligence. Discover how early AI victories like Deep Blue and Watson showcased both the strengths and limitations of machines. Delve into the evolution of neural networks and the pivotal moment of ImageNet that transformed deep learning. Hear about the fascinating journey of DeepMind and the Atari experiments that pushed AI limits. Finally, grapple with the trade-off between performance and understanding in the quest for true general intelligence.

270 snips
Oct 2, 2025 • 53min
EP 2: The Signal
Andy Mills, a journalist with a knack for storytelling, teams up with economist Robin Hanson, a keen observer of AI trends. They explore the historical roots of AI, diving into Turing's early visions and how WWII sparked its development. Fascinating debates unfold over the Turing Test's implications on human-machine relationships and the cultural narratives shaped by science fiction. They unveil how real-world events like the Cold War accelerated AI research, and they ponder the shifting tides of public perception in light of recent advancements like ChatGPT.

214 snips
Oct 2, 2025 • 35min
EP 1: Ready Or Not
Andy Mills, an investigative reporter, dives deep into the urgent race for artificial general intelligence (AGI) and the competing factions surrounding its development. He discusses alarming claims of a Silicon Valley coup that seeks to supplant traditional governance with AI. The conversation touches on the staggering potential of AGI to reshape jobs, education, and society within a few years. Leading experts raise concerns about the existential risks of superintelligence, while some advocate for preparing society rather than halting progress. Buckle up for a wild exploration of our AI future!

60 snips
Sep 15, 2025 • 2min
Introducing: The Last Invention
Explore the fierce debate over ultra-intelligent AI and its potential impact on humanity. Technologists voice alarm over the possibility of AI escaping human control, raising existential concerns. Meanwhile, optimists envision a future filled with unprecedented prosperity and even space travel. Dive into the rich history of the quest for a thinking machine and uncover the deep divides among experts. Are we on the brink of an amazing transformation or facing an unprecedented threat? The conversation is heating up!


