253 - Guest: Seth Baum, Global Catastrophic Risks Institute, part 1

253 - Guest: Seth Baum, Global Catastrophic Risks Institute, part 1

Author: aiandyou April 21, 2025 Duration: 31:40
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . We're talking about catastrophic risks, something that can be depressing for people who haven’t confronted these things before, and so I have had to be careful in talking about those with most audiences. Yet the paradox is that the more you do look at those risks, the more that effect fades, and that’s a good thing, because my guest today is someone who takes on the onerous task of thinking about and doing something about those risks every day. Seth Baum is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Global Catastrophic Risks Institute in New York, which has tackled the biggest of big problems since 2011. He is also a research affiliate at the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. He’s authored papers on pandemics, nuclear winter, and notably for our show, AI. We talk about how it feels to work on existential threats every day, AI as a horizontal risk as well as a vertical one, near-term value versus long-term value, AI being used to change the decisions of populations or voting blocs, and AI as a dual-use technology. All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.        

The conversation around artificial intelligence is often filled with either breathless hype or dire warnings, leaving little room for grounded, practical understanding. Artificial Intelligence and You cuts through that noise. This isn't a lecture series from a distant ivory tower; it's a guided exploration meant for anyone curious about how these tools are reshaping the everyday. Each episode takes a focused look at a single facet of AI, from the algorithms curating your social media feed to the software that might change how you work. We break down complex concepts into clear, relatable terms, asking the questions that actually matter for your decisions and your future. You'll hear straightforward explanations of how different AI systems function, alongside thoughtful discussions about their real-world implications-the ethical dilemmas, the economic shifts, and the personal impacts that rarely make the headlines. The goal of this podcast is to replace confusion with clarity and anxiety with informed perspective. Whether you're a professional navigating new tools, a student planning a career, or simply a person living in an increasingly digital world, these conversations provide the context you need to form your own opinions. Join us as we move beyond the abstract to examine what AI genuinely means for your life, your community, and the kind of world we're all building together, one line of code at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Artificial Intelligence and You
Podcast Episodes
295 - Guest: Maya Ackerman, Creative AI Pioneer, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:27
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . One of the great wounds people are experiencing around AI is in creativity. Look at the writers’ and actors’ strikes, for example. Here to talk about this very sensitive…
294 - Special: The Future of Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:20
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . The fear, uncertainty, and doubt around the future of work has reached epidemic proportions. We'll attempt to shed some light and provide some relief with data, questions…
291 - Guest: Jeff Riley, Former Commissioner of Education, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:11
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . What’s going on with getting AI education into America’s classrooms? We're finding out from Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education for the state of Massachusetts an…
290 - Guest: Jeff Riley, Former Commissioner of Education, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:35
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . What’s going on with getting AI education into America’s classrooms? We’re going to find out from Jeff Riley, former Commissioner of Education for the state of Massachuse…
289 - Special Panel: AI 2025 Retrospective/2026 Predictions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:06
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . It's that time to visit the - ghosts? - of AI past, present, and future, in our traditional retrospective/predictions episode. Forming the panel are Dan Turchin, CEO of P…
288 - Guest: Suzanne Gildert, Quantum Entrepreneur, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:28
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . What is consciousness? That’s a profound question that many would say is unanswerable. And how could you make artificial consciousness? That’s a more profound question th…
287 - Guest: Suzanne Gildert, Quantum Entrepreneur, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:45
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . What is consciousness? That’s a profound question that many would say is unanswerable. And how could you make artificial consciousness? That’s a more profound question th…