Foresight Institute Radio

Jan Leike is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind and a leading voice in AI Alignment, with affiliations at the Future of Humanity Institute and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. At OpenAI, he co-leads the Superalignment Team, contributing to AI advancements such as InstructGPT and ChatGPT. Holding a PhD from the Australian National University, Jan's work focuses on ensuring AI Align...

Emilia Javorsky , MD, MPH, is the Director of the Futures Program at the Future of Life Institute. A physician-scientist and entrepreneur, she specializes in the development of medical technologies and is a mentor at Harvard's Wyss Institute. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 and a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, Javorsky is committed to guiding emerging technologies towards ethical, s...

Mark S. Miller is the Chief Scientist at Agoric. He is a pioneer of agoric (market-based secure distributed) computing and smart contracts, the main designer of the E and Dr. SES distributed persistent object-capability programming languages, inventor of Miller Columns, an architect of the Xanadu hypertext publishing system, a representative of the ECMAScript committee, a former Google research sc...

Dr. Thomas Macrina , CEO of Zetta AI and possessing a rich background in deploying deep learning to map neural circuits via 3D electron microscopy datasets, explores the rapid advancements in AI-analyzed neuroimaging, offering insights into the accelerated recovery of synaptic-level neural circuits. Key Highlights Substantial progress has been realized in the recovery of petascale cortical circuit...

Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer, author, and advocate for human exploration of Mars. He and his colleague at Martin Marietta, David Baker, were the driving force behind Mars Direct, a proposal in a 1990 research paper intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission. Summary Zubrin recaps his early interest and hopes for space exploration.  He...

Joe Carlsmith is a writer, researcher, and philosopher. He works as a senior research analyst at Open Philanthropy , focusing on existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence. He also writes independently about various topics in philosophy and futurism and has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford. Much of his work is about trying to help us orient wisely towards humanit...

Sumner is a research scientist with a decade of experience designing brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and neuroprosthetics for people with neurological injury or disease. His research has leveraged existing BCI techniques to awaken new pathways in the brain, restoring movement to people with paralysis. Summary   Brain computer interfaces have been getting a lot of attention – but what do the next g...

Stuart Jonathan Russell is a British computer scientist known for his contributions to artificial intelligence. He is a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley and was from 2008 to 2011 an adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He holds the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley....

Nathan Johnson, a licensed attorney in Washington DC, is the author of the blog and podcast AstroEsq. With expertise in Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law, he has worked at the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation and the US House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Nathan has published articles on topics including orbital debris removal, on-orbit l...

Steven Byrnes  Steven Byrnes is a Research Fellow at the Astera Institute, where he is doing research at the intersection of neuroscience and Artificial General Intelligence Safety. His public writing on this topic is listed here. Before working on AGI Safety, he was a physicist in academia and industry. He has a Physics PhD from UC Berkeley. Session summary Researchers will soon develop brain-lik...

Liv Boeree   is a British science communicator, television presenter and former professional poker player. She is a World Series of Poker and European Poker Tour champion, and is the only female player in history to win both a WSOP bracelet and an EPT event.  In this episode, we explore the intellectual and ethical journey of Liv Boeree. A former professional poker player, Liv has transitioned int...

Sonia is a longevity investor via her company 100+ Capital, a women’s investor group called Portfolia, and advises BioVerge here in Silicon Valley. She also spends time helping the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI). She is helping A4LI streamline the political processes for advancing longevity research and therapies. When Sonia first moved to California from Canada in 1999, she helped educ...

Lewis is based at the University of Oxford where he is a DPhil candidate in computer science and a DPhil affiliate at the Future of Humanity Institute. He is also the acting executive director of the Cooperative AI Foundation, an affiliate at the Centre for the Governance of AI, and a fellow at the Foresight Institute. His research concerns safety, control, and incentives in multi-agent systems an...

In this episode we welcome renowned academic and author, Daron Acemoglu, Institute professor and Economist at MIT. Drawing upon his rich experiences and his forthcoming book 'Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity,' Acemoglu navigates the complex landscape of technological progress. He sheds light on how technology can either sideline or empower hum...

Joseph Mascaro Joe Mascaro is a tropical ecologist and Director, Science Strategy & Programs at Planet, a public benefit corporation that operates the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. Joe works with scientists, universities and space agencies to utilize Planet’s unprecedented imaging resources to enhance primary research and education, improve forest monitoring and conservation, expa...

Divya Siddarth Divya is the co-founder of the Collective Intelligence Project, which advances collective intelligence capabilities for the democratic and effective governance of transformative technologies. She serves as Associate Political Economist and Social Technologist at Microsoft’s Office of the CTO. She also holds positions as a research director at Metagov and a researcher in residence at...

Dr. Chris Eliasmith is jointly appointed in Philosophy and Systems Design Engineering, and cross-appointed to Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He has supervised students in each of these departments as well as Biology and Psychology.  Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience (CTN)  He is currently the director of this Centre. The Centre is a focal point for researchers across faculties (...

In this episode we engage with renowned physicist Sara Walker on topics of life's origin, artificial intelligence, and our cosmic future. We delve into Walker's career journey, which starts from her fascination with physics at a community college and leads her to question the origin of life as a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University. Walker talks about how understanding life&...

Reason is co-founder and CEO of Repair Biotechnologies. He has been an active angel investor in the longevity industry since its earliest days, with investments including Oisin Biotechnologies and Leucadia Therapeutics. He is a long-standing and well-connected patient advocate for aging research, involved in numerous fundraising and outreach initiatives conducted by organizations such as the Methu...

In this episode of Foresight’s Existential Hope Podcast, our special guest is Kevin Kelly, an influential figure in technology, culture, and optimism for the future. As the founding executive editor of Wired and former editor of Whole Earth Review, Kelly's ideas and perspectives have shaped generations of thinkers and technologists. Join our hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers as they...

Jaan Tallinn is a co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk in Cambridge, the Future of Life Institute in Cambridge and a founding engineer of Skype. Session summary:  Foresight Mentorship with Jaan Tallinn - Foresight Institute The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding...

How can #shieldedtransactions/#privacy-protecting initiatives change the way we interact in society? What can we do to safeguard our identities in the future of this #crypto economy? Are there certain utopias and dystopias to embrace or to avoid? Zaki Manian wears many hats in the blockspace. He is currently a cofounder of the iqlusion. They are working Armistice, an open source hardware security...

Natalie Dullerud is a first-year PhD student at Stanford University and recently received her Master’s from University of Toronto. She previously graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Southern California, with minors in computer science and chemistry. Natalie’s research largely focuses on machine learning through differential privacy, algorithmic fairness, and applic...

David Deutsch, a physicist and writer, has a broad interest in fundamental concepts. He is credited with discovering the first quantum algorithm and, together with Richard Jozsa, discovering the first quantum algorithm capable of solving certain problems exponentially faster than classical computer science. Deutsch discusses the intersection of beauty, knowledge, and progress in this episode of Fo...

What does the future hold for shielded transactions? How can #shieldedtransactions/#privacy-protecting initiatives change the way we interact in society? What can we do to safeguard our identities in the future of this #crypto economy? Are there certain utopias and dystopias to embrace or to avoid? *Avichal Garg, Electric Capital | Shielded Transaction Special | Trailer* Avichal Garg is a co-found...