AI Utopia or Catastrophe? Nick Bostrom with Nicholas Thompson

AI Utopia or Catastrophe? Nick Bostrom with Nicholas Thompson

Author: Atlantic Re:think May 13, 2026 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 how we treat AI, whether AI has sentience, and why he believes we should keep building, even at the risk of annihilation.  Produced in collaboration with PwC. (00:00) Introduction to Nick Bostrom and Superintelligence  (01:56) How AI development matched Bostrom's predictions  (04:48) Recursive self-improvement: Are we there yet?  (07:40) Physical limits of intelligence and computational ceilings  (09:40) Timeline predictions: Next year vs. next five years  (11:46) Embodied intelligence: Can AI replicate motor skills?  (14:32) Centralization vs. democratization of AI power  (16:52) The race dynamics: One leader vs  many competitors (19:57) AI alignment: Making systems behave as intended  (21:37) The gap between model power and our understanding  (23:25) "Optimal Timing for Superintelligence" paper explained  (28:14) Swift to harbor, slow to berth: When to pause AI development  (35:20) Moral status of digital minds and sentience  (41:23) Building trust with potentially misaligned AI  (44:11) Where to invest unlimited AI research funding  (47:07) Closing: Should we say please and thank you to 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: 26

The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Podcast Episodes
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…
AI in Flight - with Nicholas Thompson, Tory Bruno and Joe Schurman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 anal…
Artificial Life - with Nicholas Thompson and Lee Cronin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:00
How do you digitize the physical world? In this episode, Nick talks with University of Glasgow chemistry professor Lee Cronin, founder of Chemify—a company that is using AI to turn molecules to code s—about his quest to…
The Future of  AI at Work - with Nicholas Thompson and Matt Wood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
What does it take to succeed in the disruptive world of AI? In this episode, Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson sits down with Matt Wood, PwC’s Global and U.S. Commercial Technology and Innovation Officer, to trace his path…
The AI Athlete - with Nicholas Thompson and Will Ahmed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:29
Can AI unlock your full potential as an athlete? In this episode, Nicholas speaks with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of Whoop, about how wearable technology and AI are transforming health, performance, and longevity. From…