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Billionaire Game Theory + We Are Not Ready for A.G.I. + Election Betting Markets Get Weird
Last week, Jeff Bezos canceled the Washington Post editorial board?s plan to endorse Kamala Harris. Are tech billionaires hedging their bets in case Donald Trump wins? Then, Miles Brundage, a former OpenAI senior adviser on artificial general intelligence readiness, stops by to tell us how his old company is doing when it comes to being ready for superintelligence, and whether we should all keep saving for retirement. And finally, David Yaffe-Bellany, a Times technology reporter, joins us to explore the rise of Polymarket, a crypto-powered betting platform, and discuss whether prediction markets can tell us who is going to win the election.
Guests:
Miles Brundage, former OpenAI senior adviser for A.G.I. readiness.David Yaffe-Bellany, technology reporter for The New York Times.
Additional Reading:
Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and the Billions of Ways to Influence an ElectionMiles Brundage?s on Why He?s Leaving OpenAIThe Crypto Website Where the Election Odds Swing in Trump?s Favor
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The Elon-ction + Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen?s Suicide?
Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide.
This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year?s election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the journalist Laurie Segall joins us to discuss the tragic case of a teenager who became obsessed with an A.I. companion bot and later died by suicide. We discuss what A.I. companies could do to make their apps safer for children.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
Guest:
Laurie Segall, chief executive of Mostly Human Media
Additional Reading:
Elon Musk?s Big Business and Conflicts of Interest With the U.S. GovernmentCan a Chatbot Named Daenerys Targaryen Be Blamed for a Teen?s Suicide?Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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What?s a Hard Fork?
Hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore stories from the wild frontier of tech.
What?s real? What?s hype? ?Hard Fork? is here to help you make sense of it. Tune in every Friday.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Link to episode