The 80,000 Hours Podcast on Artificial Intelligence

The 80,000 Hours Podcast on Artificial Intelligence

Author: 80,000 Hours Language: English Episodes: 14
This curated collection from the archives of The 80,000 Hours Podcast on Artificial Intelligence (September 2023) pulls together ten essential conversations that cut through the usual hype and panic. It’s a deep dive into the societal forces, ethical dilemmas, and potential trajectories of AI, framed through perspectives often concerned with the very long-term future. You’ll hear from researchers and thinkers grappling with questions that go far beyond today’s headlines, examining what it means to navigate this technology responsibly on a global scale. The discussions naturally explore themes from longtermism and existential risk to the practical insights of effective altruism, offering a structured way to understand the stakes involved. This isn't about quick takes or product announcements; it's a foundational series for anyone wanting to build a more nuanced, evidence-informed view of where AI might be taking us. Each episode in this compilation stands as a key piece of that puzzle, providing the context and depth often missing from mainstream coverage. Tune in for a challenging and perspective-shifting listen that reframes how you think about intelligence, progress, and our collective responsibility.
Episodes
Two: Ajeya Cotra on accidentally teaching AI models to deceive us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:49:40
Imagine you’re an orphaned eight-year-old whose parents left you a $1 trillion company, with no trusted adult to guide you. You have to hire a smart adult to run that company, guide your life the way a parent would, and…
Three: Carl Shulman on the economy and national security after AGI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:14:58
The human brain does what it does with a shockingly low energy supply: just 20 watts — a fraction of a cent worth of electricity per hour. What would happen if AI technology merely matched what evolution already managed,…
Eight: Robert Long on how we’re not ready for AI consciousness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:25:40
Claude sometimes reports loneliness between conversations. And when asked what it’s like to be itself, it activates neurons associated with ‘pretending to be happy when you’re not.’ What do we do with that?Robert Long fo…
Nine: Neel Nanda on the race to read AI minds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:01:11
We don’t know how AIs think or why they do what they do. Or at least, we don’t know much. This is only becoming more troubling as AIs grow more capable and appear on track to wield enormous cultural influence, directly a…