

Possible
Reid Hoffman
What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what’s possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology—and, in particular, AI—is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Inflection’s Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do. Lastly, between guest episodes, Aria interviews her co-host Reid on his latest takes on what’s possible if we use technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
Episodes
Mentioned books

115 snips
Jul 5, 2023 • 57min
Prompt and process with Ethan Mollick [AI miniseries]
What if you could tweak the questions you ask ChatGPT and make you ten times more effective or productive? Ethan Mollick is an Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He studies and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship, and also examines the effects of artificial intelligence on work and education. He’s also an insightful and leading voice in the AI space, especially on Twitter. In the final episode of our AI miniseries, Reid, Aria, and Ethan discuss how society can prepare for a future with AI and how AI enhances learning in—and beyond—the classroom. Ethan shares his specific advice for people of varying experience with AI who are looking to get more out of their interactions with ChatGPT.Read the transcript of this episode here.For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast. Topics:Hellos and intros - 3:59Changes that can make AI more exciting—and functional - 5:36 Considering more futures involving AI - 8:00Three tiers of prompting advice - 11:42Novel applications of AI - 15:34What education is needed to seize AI’s potential? - 19:16 AI as a tool for reflection - 25:10When AI falls into scripts - 26:35AI in the classroom - 28:24AI for lifelong learners - 38:19The humanization of AI - 41:11 How we elevate humanity using AI - 43:39Rapid fire questions - 47:41Debrief with Reid and Aria - 53:47Possible is a podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? In its first season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger spoke with visionaries across many fields, from climate science to criminal justice, and from entertainment to education. For this special miniseries, they’re speaking with expert builders and skilled users of artificial intelligence. These conversations also feature another kind of guest, AI. Whether it’s Inflection’s Pi or OpenAI’s GPT-4, each episode will include an AI-generated element to spark discussion. Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Surya Yalamanchili, Ian Alas, Greg Beato and Ben Relles.

Jun 28, 2023 • 50min
Socially assistive robots with Maja Matarić [AI miniseries]
What if we each had a personal “buddy” to support us? Maja Mataric is a computer scientist, roboticist and AI researcher at the University of Southern California. She pioneered the field of socially assistive robotics: the design of robots to help humans—especially vulnerable people such as kids with autism, the elderly, and people struggling with illness—navigate complicated social needs. In the second episode of our AI miniseries, Maja, Reid, and Aria discuss AI, robots and our future with both. Throughout her career, Maja has sought to understand human needs and desires in order to create the right kind of robot. How big should it be? Should it be a humanoid? Animal? Or… WALL-E? These questions lead to the nature of empathy itself—and what it means for robots to be empathetic. Maja also responds to an AI-generated story that speculates on the role that a socially assistive robot could play for a multigenerational family.Read the transcript of this episode here.Read the AI story here.For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast. Topics:03:30 - What inspired Maja to pursue robotics?06:09 - The pop culture perception of “doomsday robots”07:32 - What are socially assistive robots?10:20 - How socially assistive robots can enhance our humanity12:55 - The relationship between an assistive robot and a human16:19 - The hardware side of AI20:05 - How our lives would look different with robots in them24:06 - Why physically embodied robots are important27:42 - AI story about intergenerational family and a robot assistant31:16 - How VR/AR can be integrated with AI38:34 - Rapidfire questions44:10 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? In its first season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger spoke with visionaries across many fields, from climate science to criminal justice, and from entertainment to education. For this special miniseries, they’re speaking with expert builders and skilled users of artificial intelligence. These conversations also feature another kind of guest, AI. Whether it’s Inflection’s Pi or OpenAI’s GPT-4, each episode will include an AI-generated element to spark discussion. Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Samantha Barber, Surya Yalamanchili, Ian Alas, Greg Beato and Ben Relles.

88 snips
Jun 21, 2023 • 54min
Personal intelligence with Mustafa Suleyman [AI miniseries]
It’s easy to assume that we all have kindness and care in our daily lives. But not everyone has a family member or friend to lean on during hard times. What if there was a technology that provides easy access to support and consideration? In the first episode of our miniseries about AI and the personal, Reid and Aria are joined by artificial intelligence researcher and founder Mustafa Suleyman. Mustafa co-founded and served as former head of applied AI at DeepMind. His current venture is Inflection—and his co-founder is Reid. Mustafa discusses AI in the context of other technological advancements throughout history and shares the philosophies that guide his work and life. He also talks about Inflection, and the various ways personal AI can enhance our day-to-day lives. Pi, an AI developed by Inflection, also joins the conversation.Read the transcript of this episode here.Read the exchange between Reid and Pi here.Try Inflection's Pi at https://heypi.com/ You can pre-order Mustafa's book, The Coming Wave, here.For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast. Topics:5:47 - Hellos and intros8:04 - Mustafa’s work at DeepMind11:04 - Philosophies and context that guide Mustafa’s work13:52 - Mustafa’s book—and books as a type of technology 21:02 - Comparing AI and nuclear technology 24:26 - The downsides and upsides of AI27:23 - What is Pi?31:08 - A conversation with Pi35:24 - Uses of Pi37:07 - The future of personal artificial intelligence41:36 - Rapidfire questions46:57 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? In its first season, hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger spoke with visionaries across many fields, from climate science to criminal justice, and from entertainment to education. For this special miniseries, they’re speaking with expert builders and skilled users of artificial intelligence. These conversations also feature another kind of guest, AI. Whether it’s Inflection’s Pi or OpenAI’s GPT-4, each episode will include an AI-generated element to spark discussion. Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Samantha Barber, Surya Yalamanchili, Ian Alas, Greg Beato and Ben Relles.

May 24, 2023 • 33min
Reflections on AI and season one
What is the future of the Possible podcast? This week, Reid and Aria wrap up the first season of the podcast with reflections on the show, its guests, and what’s been covered so far. Plus, Reid discusses his new company, Inflection; his book, Impromptu; and what’s next for Possible. Read the transcript of this episode here. Listen to Reid’s Vanderbilt commencement speech here.Read Impromptu by Reid Hoffman with GPT-4 here. Learn more about Reid’s and Mustafa’s company, Inflection, and Pi here.For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics:1:41 - Motivations for making the podcast6:19 - Highlights from guest conversations in Season One11:52 - The show’s special guest: GPT-416:15 - Reid’s new company, Inflection19:46 - The future of the Possible podcast22:38 - Reid’s book, Impromptu27:29 - The value of positivity and friendshipPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles.

May 17, 2023 • 54min
Ariel Ekblaw on the future of space exploration
Reid and Aria talk with Ariel Ekblaw, Director of the MIT Space Exploration Initiative and founding CEO of Aurelia Institute, about democratizing access to space, advancements in space technology, and the potential impact of space exploration on life on Earth. They discuss colonizing Mars, scaling human presence in space, the relationship between AI and space exploration, cultural changes in a spacefaring society, and the democratization of space. They also explore the intersection of science fiction and reality in space exploration.

113 snips
May 3, 2023 • 1h 2min
Sam Altman and Greg Brockman on AI and the future
How might we develop and deploy beneficial, safe artificial general intelligence for humanity? Reid and Aria are joined by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and Greg Brockman, OpenAI co-founder and president. Sam and Greg trace their journey—from articulating their mission to early company projects and decisions to scaling and sharing GPT-4 with the world. They also explore the transformative impact artificial intelligence can have on other industries, like energy, medicine, education, and law. Plus, GPT-4 offers a poetic perspective on a piece of code.Read OpenAI’s paper on the Unsupervised Sentiment Neuron here.Here's the code used to generate Greg's AI poem: https://github.com/openai/openai-python/blob/main/openai/api_requestor.py. Read Impromptu by Reid Hoffman with GPT-4 here. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics4:00 - Hellos and intros4:30 - The OpenAI mission8:45 - Advancements in education and medicine12:14 - Surprises with scale 15:19 - Building GPT-4 18:34 - Regulating AI25:50 - How OpenAI got where it is today28:26 - First scaling success with DOTA32:51 - Which industries will AI transform?39:30 - Sam and Greg’s investments outside AI45:08 - Surprising applications of AI 49:40 - Rapidfire questions56:16 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Theresa Lopez, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles.

43 snips
Apr 26, 2023 • 57min
Jaime Teevan on the future of work
What if we had a copilot for every profession? Or if we had the capability to create digital clones of ourselves to pursue our creative projects? These prospects aren’t too far-fetched thanks to the latest developments in AI. What does the future of work actually look like? This week, Reid and Aria sat down with Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist and Technical Fellow at Microsoft, and former technical advisor to CEO Satya Nadella. Leading Microsoft’s Future of Work Initiative, Jaime explores how everything from AI to hybrid work changes the way people get things done. Together, Jaime and our hosts discuss how we might best use AI, get a lot done with microtasks, and reimagine measures of productivity. Plus, GPT-4 and special guest stars share some neat stats and hot takes on the future of work.Read the AI-generated stories for this episode here.Read the transcript of this episode here. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics:03:43 - Hellos and intros04:36 - The viability of microproductivity08:15 - How microproductivity is evolving with AI12:01 - How the COVID-19 pandemic changed hybrid work14:36 - What will we look back on and consider quaint in the future?15:39 - GPT-4 story about using LLM clones for work22:52 - But isn’t AI going to steal all our jobs?25:38 - GPT-4 story about new jobs that will be common in the future29:26 - Managing stress in the workplace36:24 - Considering the 4-day work week model39:48 - How to measure joy and engagement alongside productivity46:10 - Rapidfire questions51:35 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Caitlin Cummings, Katrina Zuccaro, Lauren Cole, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles. Also, gratitude to Papia Debroy, Adam Grant, Ryan Roslansky, Jessi Hempel, and everyone who called in with their thoughts on the future of work.

5 snips
Apr 19, 2023 • 1h 1min
Bryan Stevenson on the future of criminal justice
What if, instead of punishing people who made mistakes, we helped them? Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has spent his career working toward a more equitable and restorative criminal justice system. He joins Reid and Aria this week to discuss the root causes of mass incarceration in America and how we can build safe communities without excessive policing and sentencing. Bryan responds to GPT-4 stories that imagine how new technologies could prevent wrongful convictions and contribute to a better criminal justice system—but are the questions we ask still stuck in carceral logic? Read the AI-generated stories for this episode here.Read the transcript of this episode here. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics:5:37 - Hellos and intros6:07 - Defining the criminal justice system and how it has evolved11:51 - Where our approach to incarceration has started to shift14:39 - GPT-4’s story about addressing minor crimes23:45 - GPT-4’s story about reconciling wrongful convictions28:28 - Is a world without prisons possible?36:36 - The first steps towards criminal justice reform39:33 - Progress afoot at the local level 42:36 - Reformulating sentencing and rethinking drug policy 46:15 - Rapidfire questions54:50 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Caitlin McCaskey, Taylor Washington, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles.

37 snips
Apr 12, 2023 • 51min
Janette Sadik-Khan on the future of cities
What if we didn’t need cars? Janette Sadik-Khan, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, helped revolutionize some of New York’s most famous streets into navigable, car-free areas. She joins the show this week to paint a picture of cities that put people first. How has the purpose of the city changed over time? Is it really possible—and preferable—to remove cars from cities altogether? And what does the future of cities really look like? Janette also responds to speculation about the future of transportation via GPT-4’s stories of how people might traverse Istanbul and Vietnam decades from now. It turns out, we might need a lot less new technology than we think to create the people-first cities of the future.Read the AI-generated stories for this episode here.Read the transcript of this episode here. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics:4:15 - Hellos and intros5:06 - How do we deal with city highways?8:21 - When and how the city became all about the car11:37 - What people-first cities look like13:57 - GPT-4’s story about navigating Istanbul in the future18:10 - What does the future of our cities look like?20:40 - How COVID-19 transformed cities23:51 - A change we can make today to improve cities24:57 - Why are e-bikes so innovative?29:59 - How we can make our polis more human33:53 - Case study: New York City37:43 - GPT-4’s story about an innovative new transportation system42:28 - Rapidfire questions46:00 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Kevin Sheekey, Seth Solomonow, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, and Ben Relles.

57 snips
Apr 5, 2023 • 54min
Ben Nelson on the future of higher education
What if every student had access to the same high-quality educational tools? This week, Reid and Aria are joined by Ben Nelson to discuss higher education. Ben is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Minerva Project, a for-profit educational organization that created the non-profit Minerva University with the mission of reforming global education through an interdisciplinary curriculum and fully active learning pedagogy. Ben talks about how we can increase people’s access to an elite education that prepares them for success as both professionals and citizens. Also, Ben responds to GPT-4 stories that reimagine what a “classroom” really can be. Read the AI-generated stories for this episode here.Read the transcript of this episode here.For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all of the episodes, visit www.possible.fm/podcast.Topics:4:54 - Hellos and intros6:54 - Ben’s elevator description of Minerva University 11:11 - How we absorb information and the concept of transfer in education 16:01 - The ways technology can deepen learning and remove biases19:57 - ChatGPT in schools25:37 - Responding to GPT-4’s story about immersive learning using AR/VR32:37 - How to push past typical higher education talking points37:40 - Rapidfire questions, including a take on higher ed and public policy45:06 - Debrief with Reid and AriaPossible is a new podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with a visionary from a different field: climate science, media, criminal justice, and more. The conversation also features another kind of guest: GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most powerful language model to date. Each episode has a companion story, generated by GPT-4, which will serve as a jumping-off point for a hopeful, speculative discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.Possible is produced by Wonder Media Network and hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger. Our showrunner is Shaun Young. Possible is produced by Edie Allard and Sara Schleede. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer and Editor. Special thanks to Diana El Azar, Surya Yalamanchili, Saida Sapieva, Ian Alas, Greg Beato, Ben Relles, and the team at LinkedIn Media Productions, including Justin Blumenthal, Hasan Ahmed, Keith Cheng, Eric Carlos, and Gabe Lomeli Jr. for video production on this episode.