Best Atlantic Robot Podcasts (2025)

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No Easy Fix | 3. A Golden Opportunity 38:09

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13m ago38:09

38:09

In July, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for an expansion of involuntary commitment—forcing people into treatment facilities—in response to the homelessness crisis. San Francisco has been attempting such an expansion for the past 19 months. What can the rest of the country learn from California? This is the final episode in…

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No Easy Fix | 2. Tolerance 35:01

7d ago35:01

35:01

At the onset of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s, U.S. cities began trying new ways to stop the spread of infection among drug users. Ideas that were first seen as radical, such as needle exchanges, quickly caught on—because they worked. San Francisco is one of the first places where such programs took root. Now it’s one of the places questioning…

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No Easy Fix | 1. Vanishing Point 33:29

13d ago33:29

33:29

For the past five years, American cities have tried—and often failed—to meaningfully address worsening homelessness and addiction. In San Francisco, a city that has become emblematic of these crises, a new mayor has pledged to prioritize the problem. And one man, living on the street and struggling with addiction, is ready to make a change. This is…

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A $100 Billion Goal 37:32

16d ago37:32

37:32

Marc Campagna has a fire in his belly. From selling high-end knockoffs in high school to a $100 million exit for his first startup, Oxio, he's lived the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Relocating to Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, Marc has set an audacious goal for his new company, Gaiia, an all-in-one Operating System for telcos—a $100 billion valua…

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AI & the future of media with The Atlantic CEO, Nicholas Thompson 52:14

20d ago52:14

52:14

Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, led one of the first major content licensing deals with OpenAI in 2024. In this conversation, he joins Azeem to unpack how AI is transforming media – and what that means for every business navigating the shifting economics of attention, trust, and discovery. We cover: (01:49) Journalism’s four horsemen (5:33) The…

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A New Kind of Family Separation 27:55

20d ago27:55

27:55

The Trump administration is again going after undocumented minors—but their approach is different than it was during his first presidency. – – – Read more from Nick Miroff. Read Stephanie McCrummen’s story: The Message Is ‘We Can Take Your Children’ – – – Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access …

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Epstein Conspiracy, or Epstein Conspiracy Theory? 28:32

27d ago28:32

28:32

Donald Trump and his Department of Justice kicked the conspiracy-theory beehive last week when they rescinded previous promises to make public the government’s secret files on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier and convicted sex offender charged with the sex trafficking of minors. The Atlantic’s executive editor, Adrienne LaFrance, speaks w…

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Should You Be Having More Babies? 31:27

1M ago31:27

31:27

In the United States and many other Western countries, the decision to have children or not is sometimes framed as a political affiliation: You’re either in league with conservative pronatalists, or you’re making the ultimate personal sacrifice to reduce your carbon footprint. But the declining global birth rate is a fact that defies politics. Dean…

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2025 AI reality check: Are we in a bubble? 24:04

1M ago24:04

24:04

At the start of the year, I made seven predictions about how 2025 would unfold. Six months in, it's time to mark my own work. From AI capability breakthroughs to autonomous vehicles, climate extremes to workforce transformation, I examine what I got right, what I missed, and why the 2027-2028 period will be when vertical AI hits the real economy in…

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Where has the funding gone? 47:33

1M ago47:33

47:33

New data shows VCs are pumping more money into later stage rounds at the expense of early stage startups. Matt Roberts, Managing Director VC Coverage at RBCx, Tash Jeffries, a Halifax-based serial founder and global startup advisor, and Ray Fitzpatrick, founder of Fredericton-based Profitual, discuss this trend and what it means for East Coast star…

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The Patriotic Punk 28:21

1M ago28:21

28:21

The Atlantic’s editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg talks to Ken Casey, frontman for the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys, about the time he called out a fan in the audience who was wearing a MAGA shirt. The band has been around for three decades and has its working-class roots in Quincy, Massachusetts. At concerts, the band often dedicates its song “…

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What 72hrs in China taught me about the future (AI, EVs, more) 22:19

1M ago22:19

22:19

In this episode, I reflect on a whirlwind three-day visit to China - my first in over 20 years. And what I saw was remarkable. The infrastructure puts most of the West to shame. The AI isn't just hype - it's working at serious scale. And the electric vehicles? They're about to steamroll the global auto industry. Here's what really struck me during …

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Who Could Rule Iran Next? 28:43

2M ago28:43

28:43

We talk with the writer Arash Azizi about what kinds of seismic changes could be coming for his home country of Iran, and whether he thinks they could make things better—or much worse. Read more from Azizi at The Atlantic here. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journali…

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Change Your Personality 30:41

2M ago30:41

30:41

A few years ago, Olga Khazan, author of Me, But Better, set out to change her personality, which even she found unpleasant. After consulting with experts on personality plasticity and then setting a deadline, Khazan put herself through an intense experiment intended to make herself more likeable, to herself and others. Khazan tested and scored hers…

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The problem with Altman’s “gentle singularity,” Apple’s AI missteps, and Google’s fading ad model | Live with Azeem Azhar 29:59

2M ago29:59

29:59

Broadcasting live from Paris, I tackle three massive technology stories that are reshaping our digital future. From Apple's stunning interface redesign to the collapse of traditional search advertising, and Sam Altman's vision of an AI singularity that's already begun - this episode captures the tectonic shifts happening in tech right now. I cover:…

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Turn Up the Cool: Ray Gracewood has a vision for a cooler Saint John 50:56

2M ago50:56

50:56

Turn Up the Cool: Ray Gracewood has a vision for a cooler Saint John. With his Waterfront Container Village and Area 506 music festival, this innovative entrepreneur, who helped make Organigram a cannabis powerhouse, is making it happen.By Allan Gates

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The Real Problem With Trump's Parade 19:37

2M ago19:37

19:37

In this bonus episode of Radio Atlantic, we talk with staff writer Tom Nichols about how all the pieces fit together: the military parade, the president’s speech at Fort Bragg, and the dispatching of Marines to the protests in Los Angeles. It’s not just that President Trump wants to acclimate Americans to the sight of tanks in the streets. It’s not…

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Elon and the Genius Trap 35:33

2M ago35:33

35:33

Explaining how Musk tanked his reputation has many ways: First, he alienated environmentalists by teaming up with Trump, and then he alienated Trump fans by insulting their hero. Another way is clear by looking at American culture’s historical relationship with “genius,” and how it tends to go wrong. In this episode, we talk with Helen Lewis, autho…

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OpenAI’s CPO on what’s coming next: Hardware, GPT-5, Jony Ive, agents, more 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

This week, I'm speaking with Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, who is steering product development at what might be the world's most important company right now. We talk about: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:37) OpenAI's latest launches (03:43) What it's like being CPO of OpenAI (04:34) How AI will reshape our lives (07:23) How young people…

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Mossad’s Former Chief Calls the War in Gaza ‘Useless’ 28:51

2M ago28:51

28:51

In April, 250 former Israeli intelligence officers signed their names to an open letter of protest asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with his plans to escalate the war on Gaza. One of them was Tamir Pardo, head of Mossad, Israel’s equivalent of the CIA, from 2011 to 2016. Pardo, with his decades of experience fighting terroris…

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Tyler Cowen on how AI will reorder economies, schools, and spirituality 48:58

2M ago48:58

48:58

Economist and polymath Tyler Cowen challenges Silicon Valley's optimistic projections about AI-driven economic growth. We explore what could slow AI's economic impact, despite its remarkable capabilities – and where humans find the new normal amidst major shifts. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:47) The problem with Silicon Valley's AI-driv…

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Robot doctors? AI is transforming Maritime healthcare 56:21

2M ago56:21

56:21

AI will radically change healthcare. Matthew Murphy, Chief Data Officer at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, and Dr. Louis Beaubien, professor at Dalhousie University and Chief Scientific Officer of Halifax-based ResolveHD, join hosts Allan Gates and Alex McCallum to discuss how Nova Scotia is leading the way with a co-creation model to advance new…

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Why Pilots Don't Get Therapy 29:28

3M ago29:28

29:28

The Atlantic’s Jocelyn Frank reports on the detailed system that may be unintentionally leading pilots to avoid the mental-health care that they need, and increasing risks to passenger safety. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and in…

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GitHub CEO on what AI means for developer salaries, SaaS, and more 53:45

3M ago53:45

53:45

Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, joins Azeem to explore how AI is fundamentally transforming software development. In this episode you'll hear: (01:50) What’s left for developers in the age of AI? (04:54) How GitHub Copilot unlocks flow state (07:09) Three big shifts in how engineers work today (10:47) Is software development art or assembly line? (15…

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What RFK Jr. Doesn’t Understand About Autism 25:07

3M ago25:07

25:07

We talk with Eric Garcia, author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation and a political reporter at the Independent, about the myths spreading about autism under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Yes, there’s the one about how vaccines cause autism, which the scientific community has rejected. But there’s also a more fundamental…

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Inside Box’s AI playbook with founder & CEO Aaron Levie 48:47

3M ago48:47

48:47

Aaron Levie, CEO & co-founder of Box, joins Azeem Azhar to explore how an “AI-first” mindset is reshaping every layer of Box – from product road-maps to pricing – and what that teaches the rest of us about building faster, smarter organisations. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (02:04) The "lump of labor fallacy" in sci-fi books (07:37) When ind…

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Into the Blue-Oceans of Opportunity- In partnership with Ocean Startup Project 44:21

3M ago44:21

44:21

Ride the wave of innovation as hosts Allan Gates and Chris Crowell explore the surging tide of technology revolutionizing the East Coast's Ocean sector. They're joined by Natasha Lagay from the Ocean Startup Project, who reveals how entrepreneurs are harnessing the sea change in ocean opportunities, and Dr. Sue Molloy, the visionary CEO behind Hali…

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Trump and the Crown Prince 24:55

3M ago24:55

24:55

Lavender carpets. Golden swords. Arabian horses. President Trump arrived in the Gulf to a royal welcome. Both sides seem delighted about what they’re getting out of one another. So what are they getting? And what will it mean for the future of the Middle East? We talk to Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, a…

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China’s catching up to US AI… Here’s why it won’t matter 49:17

3M ago49:17

49:17

Lennart Heim, a researcher and information scientist at RAND Corporation, joins Azeem Azhar to unpack a provocative claim: China is catching up with US AI capabilities, but it doesn't matter. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:19) Lennart’s core thesis (03:26) Why compute matters so much (07:31) The investment split between model R&D and mo…

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The Art of the Doll 31:34

3M ago31:34

31:34

Recently, Donald Trump mused that “maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know?” We talk with a doll manufacturer and a policy analyst about tariffs and Americans’ relationship with choice. Elenor Mak, founder of Jilly Bing, talks about her dream of giving Asian American kids the choice of having a doll that looks like them…

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What does Spain’s blackout mean for the future of clean energy? 41:48

3M ago41:48

41:48

Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, joins Azeem to discuss the Iberian blackout and how we can create a more stable, flexible, and resilient energy grid for the future. This conversation digs into grid technology, market structures, and the real opportunities of the clean energy transition. (00:00) Episode trailer (01:38) What caused the Iberian …