The Existential Hope Podcast

What if the most desirable AI future is made of powerful tools , not autonomous agents? Physicist and futurist Anthony Aguirre joins us to unpack the Tool AI pathway, how incentives, liability, and design choices could steer us toward AI that empowers people rather than replaces them. We also situate this episode in AI Pathways , our two-scenario project exploring Tool AI and d/acc futures. Explor...

Self-driving cars aren’t science fiction, they’re already here. But what kind of future are they steering us toward? In this episode, Beatrice speaks with Andrew Miller , mobility expert and author of The End of Driving , about the transformational promise, and very real risks, of autonomous vehicles. They explore why driverless tech isn’t just about hardware or software, but about regulation, lan...

How do we shape a future worth rooting for? In this episode, Beatrice Erkers talks with Jim O'Shaughnessy, founder of O'Shaughnessy Ventures and author of What Works on Wall Street , about his third act: backing creators, thinkers, and innovators across publishing, film, AI, and investment. They dive into the cultural power of storytelling, what it means to be “AI-first,” and why cognitive diversi...

If you think people who worry about AI are being pessimistic, you might have it backwards. In this episode, we talk with Michael Nielsen, scientist and writer known for his work on open science, quantum computing, and how our language shapes the way we think. Michael explores what he calls "wise optimism": the idea that genuinely believing in a technology's potential means taking its risks serious...

What if the bulky, expensive machines that fill hospital radiology departments could be replaced by a wearable? In this episode, we speak with Mary Lou Jepsen — founder of Openwater and pioneering inventor — about how breakthroughs in light-based imaging could democratize access to brain and body scans. From her work at Google X and Facebook’s moonshot labs to her current mission at Openwater, Jep...

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Ed Finn, founding director of ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination, explores the impact of storytelling on our ability to envision and create better futures—and why we urgently need more hopeful narratives. Ed shares his journey from a generalist interested in how technology shapes culture to co-creating initiatives like "Project Hieroglyph"...

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Niklas Berild Lundblad, a philosopher, researcher, and former policy lead at Google DeepMind, Google, and Stripe, explores the interplay between progress, complexity, and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Niklas discusses why asking the right questions is crucial for navigating our future, especially as AI challenges our self-...

We can now design proteins that eat plastic. Twenty years ago, that sounded like science fiction. Today, a Nobel laureate is doing exactly that. His career path to get here started in philosophy and was anything but linear. His work now aims at tackling some of humanity's biggest problems, from cancer to climate change.  In this episode, we speak with David Baker, 2024 Nobel laureate in Chemi...

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, physicist and author David Deutsch joins us to explore the deeper principles behind knowledge, progress, and the future of humanity. David is known for founding the field of quantum computation and, alongside Richard Jozsa, creating the first quantum algorithm that solves problems exponentially faster than classical methods. He’s also the originator...

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, philosopher and transhumanist David Pearce joins us to explore a bold vision of the future—one where suffering is abolished, aging is optional, and human potential is radically expanded. David is best known for The Hedonistic Imperative , a manifesto arguing that biotechnology can—and should—be used to eliminate all forms of suffering in sentient li...

Extreme poverty, violence, and life expectancy are all improving, according to the data. So why does the news so often give us the impression that civilization is in decline? In this episode, we speak with Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard and bestselling author of Enlightenment Now , for a data-driven check-in on the state of progress. We discuss: How the big-picture trends in lon...

We’re excited to share that the Existential Hope Podcast now has its own dedicated feed—and we’re kicking things off with a wave of new episodes. This podcast is for anyone curious about how powerful technologies—AI, biotech, neurotech, nanotech, and more—can help create futures that are not just survivable, but radically better than today. You’ll hear in-depth, idea-rich conversations with the pe...