The AI Future Isn’t Inevitable. So Why Are We Told It Is? | With Carissa Véliz

The AI Future Isn’t Inevitable. So Why Are We Told It Is? | With Carissa Véliz

Author: The Progress Network with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas August 19, 2026 Duration: 49:47
Being a human being is an anxious experience, and to calm the fear of uncertainty, we’re obsessed with predicting the future. Whether spiraling about changes to the economy, politics, or culture, we’re desperate to know what’s coming around the corner. In this episode, host Zachary Karabell is joined by Carissa Véliz, philosopher and author of "Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI." They discuss the ways tech executives and AI experts offer predictions for our society that are supposedly inevitable. But what if we refuse to accept these guesses as truth? What if leaning into ambiguity and our own vulnerability makes us better citizens and gives us a true chance to make a better world? Zachary and Carissa discuss the difference between a mindset that is focused on definite outcomes versus a mindset open to the possibilities of different paths and why the latter is crucial to a healthy society. They also dive into Carissa's work on privacy and the pitfalls of unprecedented surveillance and data collection that feed the prediction machines. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgSubscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetworkFollow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrkSubscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/

It’s easy to feel that everything is falling apart, but what if the dominant narrative of decline is missing a crucial piece of the story? What Could Go Right? asks that question directly, offering a necessary counterpoint to the daily drumbeat of crises. Hosted by The Progress Network’s Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas, this podcast operates from a simple but radical premise: while the problems are real, so is the human capacity for ingenuity and constructive change. Each episode brings together a diverse group of thinkers, from scientists and activists to policymakers and cultural commentators, for conversations that go beyond diagnosing issues to exploring tangible solutions and underreported advances. You’ll hear nuanced discussions on everything from climate technology and economic innovation to the reshaping of governance and culture, all grounded in a realistic sense of possibility. This isn’t about blind optimism; it’s about engaged, evidence-based hope. Tuning in means joining a community that believes understanding what’s working is just as important as understanding what’s broken. If you’re weary of doomscrolling and looking for substantive dialogue that charts a path forward, this is the podcast for you.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

What Could Go Right?
Podcast Episodes
Average Joes Making Positive Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:14
Emma is on vacation! Which means this week, we’re doing something a little different. Before she left, she put together this roundup of stories about amateur do-gooders pitching in to make the world a better place: Womba…
The Case Against Cynicism | with Greg Jackson & Steven Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:48
Despite record highs in life expectancy and historic lows in violent crime, society remains convinced that everything is completely broken. Steven Johnson (The Infernal Machine) and historian Greg Jackson (host of Histor…
How to Read Economic News Without Spiraling | with Alex Mayyasi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
Every time we open a news app, we are hit with a fresh wave of economic dread. But why does the financial forecast always sound like a pending apocalypse, even when the data tells a remarkably stable story? Longtime Plan…
Is Free Expression Actually Under Attack? | with Dinaw Mengestu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:03
We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipie…