AI in Flight - with Nicholas Thompson, Tory Bruno and Joe Schurman

AI in Flight - with Nicholas Thompson, Tory Bruno and Joe Schurman

Author: Atlantic Re:think November 12, 2025 Duration: 39:16
The space race has gone private, and in this new world, efficiency is key. United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno explains how a legacy rocket maker remade itself to compete in an industry full of startups. From load analysis and low-earth-orbit satellite monitoring to rockets with autonomous flight systems, Bruno unpacks what happens when machine learning meets computational fluid dynamics in our atmosphere. Plus, why AI might be critical to landing  a man on Mars—and getting them home alive. (00:00) Introduction (01:38) From backyard rockets to Boeing and Lockheed (Tory Bruno) (03:58) Transforming ULA for a new space race (06:09) The physics of launch: energy, precision, and peril (08:41) Reprogramming flight paths with AI (10:55) The coming age of autonomous and reusable rockets (16:27) When we'll really send humans to Mars—and bring them back (19:36) How AI could help us find, and talk to, alien life (29:20) AI in the space economy (Joe Schurman) (34:16) The $2 trillion future of space (37:51) The most interesting way Joe has used AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Thompson sits down with some of the sharpest minds working at the edges of artificial intelligence in The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.. This isn't a dry technical briefing or a series of speculative futures; instead, each conversation digs into the tangible, often surprising ways this technology is already altering the fabric of our daily lives and institutions. You'll hear from leading thinkers who cut through the hype to discuss the real ethical dilemmas, economic shifts, and social transformations unfolding right now. Produced by Atlantic Re:think and PwC, the podcast provides a grounded space to explore questions about creativity, power, work, and truth in an age of intelligent machines. The discussions are built on the premise that understanding AI's impact requires looking beyond code and algorithms to consider human values and consequences. Tune in for thoughtful, accessible dialogues that reframe how we think about one of the most significant forces of our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 29

The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Podcast Episodes
The AI Jobs Disruption - Erik Brynjolfsson with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:27
Of all the potential risks and promises of AI, perhaps none are as immediately dire as this: How will it impact jobs? Will employers still need workers? What will it mean if the answer is “no?” Depending on who you’re ta…
The Limits of Predictive AI - Carissa Véliz with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:10
Can AI predict a person’s future? It’s a promise often made by sales teams, but the technology’s record is far from spotless. Even if it did achieve perfect foresight, a practically-clairvoyant AI might be incompatible w…
AI Utopia or Catastrophe? Nick Bostrom with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:16
Will AI destroy the world, or transform it into one of abundance? Across two books and several papers, philosopher Nick Bostrom has envisioned a range of AI futures. He joins Nicholas Thompson to discuss the ethics of ho…
Sam Altman on Where AI Models Go Next, with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:15
OpenAI’s Sam Altman sits for an interview with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, to discuss AI’s trustworthiness, its dangers, and its impact on young people. Altman also discusses his company’s pledge to “stop com…
Data Centers in Space - with Nicholas Thompson and Ariel Ekblaw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:35
AI needs data centers, and those data centers need energy and cooling. Recently, one proposal has captured the popular imagination: put data centers in space, where there’s ample solar energy and naturally cool surroundi…
Season 4 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:59
Where does AI go next? And what happens to us? Join The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson as he speaks with leaders, developers, philosophers, and more about AI’s impacts, present and future. New episodes every Wednesday,…
The Copyright Wars - with Nicholas Thompson and Bill Gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:14
In this episode, The Atlantic’s CEO Nicholas Thompson speaks with serial entrepreneur and Idealab founder Bill Gross about his latest venture, ProRata, a bold attempt to create a fair exchange of value between AI compani…
Building Trustworthy AI - with Nicholas Thompson and Navrina Singh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:03
What happens when AI learns faster than its makers can control? In this episode, Nicholas talks with Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI, about how regulation could actually accelerate innovation of more responsib…