meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Lex Fridman Podcast

#144 – Michael Littman: Reinforcement Learning and the Future of AI

Lex Fridman Podcast

Lex Fridman

Science, Society & Culture, Philosophy, Technology

4.713.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2020

⏱️ 122 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Michael Littman is a computer scientist at Brown University. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
SimpliSafe: https://simplisafe.com/lex and use code LEX to get a free security camera
ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod to get 3 months free
MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 2 for price of 1
BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off

EPISODE LINKS:
Michael’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlittmancs
Michael’s Website: https://www.littmania.com/
Michael’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mlittman

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman
YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:
– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:43) – Robot and Frank
(10:02) – Music
(13:13) – Starring in a TurboTax commercial
(23:26) – Existential risks of AI
(41:48) – Reinforcement learning
(1:07:36) – AlphaGo and David Silver
(1:17:15) – Will neural networks achieve AGI?
(1:29:42) – Bitter Lesson
(1:42:32) – Does driving require a theory of mind?
(1:51:58) – Book Recommendations
(1:57:20) – Meaning of life

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The following is a conversation with Michael Litman, a computer science professor at Brown University

0:05.4

doing research on and teaching, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and artificial intelligence.

0:12.2

He enjoys being silly and lighthearted in conversation, so this was definitely a fun one.

0:18.9

Quick mention of each sponsor, followed by some thoughts related to the episode.

0:22.8

Thank you to SimplySave, a home security company I use to monitor and protect my apartment. Express VPN,

0:30.8

the VPN I've used for many years to protect my privacy on the internet, masterclass, online courses

0:36.8

that I enjoy from some of the most amazing humans in history, and better help online therapy with a

0:43.2

licensed professional. Please check out the sponsors in the description to get a discount and to

0:48.7

support this podcast. As a side note, let me say that I may experiment with doing some solo

0:54.9

episodes in the coming month or two. The three ideas I have floating in my head currently

1:01.0

is to use one particular moment in history, two a particular movie, or three a book to drive

1:09.5

a conversation about a set of related concepts. For example, I could use 2001 Space Odyssey or

1:16.0

X-Machina to talk about AGI for one, two, three hours. Or I could do an episode on the, uh,

1:24.0

yes, Rise and Fall of Hitler and Stalin each in a separate episode, using relevant books and

1:31.2

historical moments for reference. I find the format of a solo episode very uncomfortable and challenging,

1:38.8

but that just tells me that it's something I definitely need to do and learn from the experience.

1:44.0

Of course, I hope you come along for the ride. Also, since we have all this moment to build up

1:50.0

announcements, I'm giving a few lectures on machine learning at MIT this January. In general,

1:55.6

if you have ideas for the episodes, for the lectures, or for just short videos on YouTube,

2:03.3

let me know in the comments that I still definitely read despite my better judgment and the wise

2:12.1

sage device of the great Joe Rogan. If you enjoy this thing, subscribe on YouTube,

2:18.2

review it with 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, support on Patreon, or connect with me

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lex Fridman, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Lex Fridman and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.