What are the best strategies for addressing extreme risks from artificial superintelligence? In this 4-hour conversation, decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky and computer scientist Mark Miller discuss their cruxes for disagreement.

They examine the future of AI, existential risk, and whether alignment is even possible. Topics include AI risk scenarios, coalition dynamics, secure systems like seL4, hardware exploits like Rowhammer, molecular engineering with AlphaFold, and historical analogies like nuclear arms control. They explore superintelligence governance, multipolar vs singleton futures, and the philosophical challenges of trust, verification, and control in a post-AGI world.

Moderated by Christine Peterson, the discussion seeks the least risky strategy for reaching a preferred state amid superintelligent AI risks. Yudkowsky warns of catastrophic outcomes if AGI is not controlled, while Miller advocates decentralizing power and preserving human institutions as AI evolves.

The conversation spans AI collaboration, secure operating frameworks, cryptographic separation, and lessons from nuclear non-proliferation. Despite their differences, both aim for a future where AI benefits humanity without posing existential threats.

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This is a teaser episode of the Existential Hope Podcast with Nobel Laureate David Baker. David reveals how scientists are now inventing entirely new proteins—life's fundamental building blocks—to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges.

David shares his journey and his vision for a future where custom-built "molecular machines," an idea once explored by thinkers like Eric Drexler, could repair our bodies, clean up pollution, and create sustainable materials. He explains how breakthroughs in AI are supercharging this field, but also why human ingenuity and collaborative science are still essential to unlocking these revolutionary possibilities.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The incredible power of designing brand-new proteins for groundbreaking medicines, environmental cleanup, and creating novel materials.
• The exciting prospect of "molecular machines": tiny engines built from proteins to perform complex tasks, inspired by early visions of nanotechnology.
• How AI is accelerating scientific discovery, and what it takes to translate these digital designs into real-world solutions.
• David’s "communal brain" philosophy for fostering innovation and his advice for anyone wanting to solve big, meaningful problems.

Listen to the full episode on the Existential Hope podcast on here on Apple or here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This feed is now Foresight Institute Radio—your place for standout talks on frontier technology: from AI and neurotech to nanotech, longevity, and space. You’ll hear highlights from Foresight’s global conferences and seminars featuring top scientists and builders.

For long-form interviews, follow our sister show: The Existential Hope Podcast, with guests like David Baker, Steven Pinker, and David Deutsch.

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