What I'm Learning

The 80,000 Hours Podcast features in-depth conversations about the world’s most pressing problems and how you can use your career to solve them. Highly recommended.

Favorite Episodes:

• #44 - Dr Paul Christiano on how OpenAI is developing real solutions to the 'AI alignment problem', and his vision of how humanity will progressively hand over decision-making to AI systems
• #17 – Prof Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster
• #31 – Prof Allan Dafoe on defusing the political and economic risks posed by existing AI capabilities
• #25 - Prof Robin Hanson on why we have to lie to ourselves about why we do what we do

The Gradient: Interviews with various people who research, build, or use AI, including academics, engineers, artists, entrepreneurs, and more.

Favorite Episodes:

• Connor Leahy on EleutherAI, Replicating GPT-2/GPT-3, AI Risk and Alignment
• Nathan Benaich: The State of AI Report
• Miles Brundage on AI Misuse and Trustworthy AI

An incredibly deep, honest, and unique podcast by Phil Klay and Jake Siegel. Episodes blend together the hosts' deep knowledge of art, philosophy, history, and literature to discuss the history of ideas and their influences on culture.

Favorite Episodes:

• Episode 5: Everybody's Protest Novel and the Responsbilities of Art
• Episode 7: Patriotism and the Unknown Soldier
• Episode 15: Dadism and Public Enemy
• Episode 28: They Will Eat the CIA Men First

a16z: This series is produced by Andreeseen Horowitz, an influential Silicon Valley VC firm, and brings a variety of startup founders and investors to the show for discussion on tech, culture, current events, and the future. It’s a useful window into the thoughts of individuals on the leading edge of technology developments.

Favorite Episodes:

• Security’s Painful Prominence and Why There is No Turning Back
• Software is What Distinguishes the Hardware Winners
• The Rise of Full Stack Startups
• Where is the Technology that “Matters?" Right Here
• When Software Eats Cars

The Tim Ferriss Show: I found a wealth of wisdom in Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss, which summarizes hundreds of Tim’s podcast episodes. I recommend starting with the book and listening to the full-length recordings of the interviews that interest you.

Favorite Episodes:

• #107 - Jocko Willink
• #60 - Arnold Schwarzenegger
• #97 - Naval Ravikant

Foreign Policy’s The Editor’s Roundtable: For sharp, witty commentary on foreign policy and policy issues more broadly, look no further. The podcast brings together 4-5 foreign policy experts in a roundtable discussion format to explore topics that are often too complex to be reliably conveyed in news blurbs and headlines.

Regrettably, the podcast has lost much of its charm after an executive/leadership shake-up, but some of the old episodes continue to influence my thinking on policy.

Favorite Episodes:

• Cyberoffense, Deterrance, and the Dawn of a New Era of War
• Entering into the Era of the Unknown
• On Digital Diplomacy, Empowering Citizens Globally, and AI
• The Future History of Obama’s Foreign Policy

How to Start a Startup: This is required listening for anyone who has flirted with the idea of becoming an entrepreneur. This lecture series is also available in video form.

Favorite Episodes:

• 03 - Paul Graham - Before the Startup
• 10 - Brian Chesky and Alfred Lin - Culture
• 12 - Aaron Levie - Building for the Enterprise
• 01 - Sam Altman and Dustin Moskovitz