Nick Allardice joins the podcast to discuss how GiveDirectly uses AI to target cash transfers and predict natural disasters. Learn more about Nick's work here: https://www.nickallardice.com
Timestamps:
00:00 What is GiveDirectly?
15:04 AI for targeting cash transfers
29:39 AI for predicting natural disasters
46:04 How scalable is GiveDirectly's AI approach?
58:10 Decentralized vs. centralized data collection
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.
David Duvenaud examines gradual disempowerment after AGI, exploring how economic and political power and property rights could erode, why AI alignment may become unpopular, and what forecasting and governance might require.
Former OpenAI safety researcher Stephen Adler discusses governing increasingly capable AI, including competitive race dynamics, gaps in testing and alignment, chatbot mental-health impacts, economic effects on labor, and international rules and audits before training superintelligent models.