In last week's episode, with the remarkable Max Tegmar, we covered topics ranging from

the origin of the universe to the disturbing reality of slaughterbots, AI-enabled drones

built to kill.

Today, we continue our conversation discussing how artificial intelligence is affecting

our lives already in ways we aren't even aware, and what Max is doing to ensure that

AI becomes a force for good, rather than evil, as a co-founder of the Future of Life

Institute, an organization that works to prevent global technology-driven catastrophes.

If we get it right, it will be the best thing that ever happened, because we're no longer

going to be limited by our own relative stupidity and inability to figure stuff out.

Welcome to People I Mostly Admire, with Steve Levitt.

Max grew up in Stockholm before he moved to the U.S. to get his PhD at Berkeley.

He was a tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania before joining MIT's Physics

Department.

Just one quick note before we dive back into the conversation, today's episode stands

alone.

There's no need to have listened to part one of the conversation, but there's also no

harm.

If you're the kind of person who likes to do things in order, go back and listen to part

one first.

Listeners have been incredibly enthusiastic about it.

One of the scenarios that's really intriguing is to think about what happens if and when

AI advances to the level where it has capabilities much greater than humans have.

...