In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman welcomes back return guest Eliot Peper. Eliot is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous books, and is currently collaborating with the tech company Portola, which is developing Tolans — AI friends and companions that blur the line between lore and code.

Samuel and Eliot delve into how Eliot found himself shaping the mythos behind these AI agents, exploring how crafting lore for artificial minds differs from telling stories for human ones. Their conversation expands into the nature of narrative itself: what humans uniquely bring to creativity, what AI can augment, and how these two forces might dance together. They also touch on Eliot’s Cozy Little Internet Bookstore and his ideas for building deeper, more intimate connections with readers in an increasingly digital world.