Neel Nanda joins the podcast to explain how we can understand neural networks using mechanistic interpretability. Neel is an independent AI safety researcher. You can find his blog here: https://www.neelnanda.io Timestamps: 00:00 Who is Neel? 04:41 How did Neel choose to work on AI safety? 12:57 What does an AI safety researcher do? 15:53 How analogous are digital neural networks to brains? 21:34 Are neural networks like alien beings? 29:13 Can humans think like AIs? 35:00 Can AIs help us discover new physics? 39:56 How advanced is the field of AI safety? 45:56 How did Neel form independent opinions on AI? 48:20 How does AI safety research decrease the risk of extinction? Social Media Links: ➡️ WEBSITE: https://futureoflife.org ➡️ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FLIxrisk ➡️ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/futureoflifeinstitute/ ➡️ META: https://www.facebook.com/futureoflifeinstitute ➡️ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-life-institute/
Ryan Kidd of the MATS program joins The Cognitive Revolution to discuss AGI timelines, model deception risks, dual-use alignment, and frontier lab governance, and outlines MATS research tracks, talent needs, and advice for aspiring AI safety researchers.
Researcher Oly Sourbut discusses how AI tools might strengthen human reasoning, from fact-checking and scenario planning to honest AI standards and better coordination, and explores how to keep humans central while building trustworthy, society-wide sensemaking.
Technical specialist Nora Ammann of the UK's ARIA discusses how to steer a slow AI takeoff toward resilient, cooperative futures, covering risks from rogue AI and competition to scalable oversight, formal guarantees, secure infrastructure, and AI-supported bargaining.
