Best Forethought Podcasts (2025)

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Why Make Deals with Misaligned AIs? (with Lukas Finnveden) 1:12:26

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6d ago1:12:26

1:12:26

Lukas Finnveden is a Research Analyst at Redwood Research. We talk about making deals with early scheming AIs: paying them to cooperate rather than take over. To see all Forethought’s published research, visit forethought.org/research. To subscribe to our newsletter, visit forethought.org/subscribe.

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Making life (and death) better despite regulatory barriers 50:02

7d ago50:02

50:02

Founders Gabriel Sanchez (Enspectra Health) and Tom Harries (Earth Funeral) share what it takes to build in heavily regulated industries where "move fast and break things" simply won't work. In this episode of Build Mode, they reveal the realities of navigating FDA approval processes, state-by-state regulations, and cultural taboos while building p…

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Checks, Balances, and Power Concentration (with Rose Hadshar and Nora Ammann) 1:23:07

13d ago1:23:07

1:23:07

Rose Hadshar (Forethought) and Nora Ammann (ARIA) talk about power concentration, checks and balances, coups, and post-AGI political economy. This is the audio version of a video podcast. Watch the video on YouTube: youtu.be/PB855Xpx1kk?si=v05LVM-2VQ3XiT7N Prompted in part by Rose's recent article for 80,000 Hours on ‘Extreme power concentration’ —…

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Capital is a commodity (but your investor relationships aren’t) 45:05

14d ago45:05

45:05

Venture capitalists Ross Fubini (XYZ Ventures) and Leslie Feinzaig (Graham & Walker Ventures) pull back the curtain on how VCs build their own go-to-market strategies — not just how they evaluate startups, but also how they win over LPs and founders alike. In this episode of Build Mode, they share hard-won lessons from raising their first funds and…

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Episode 110: Jack Goldstone 53:41

15d ago53:41

53:41

In this episode of The Puck, Jim Baer sits down with Jack Goldstone—the Hazel Chair Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and one of the world’s foremost scholars on revolutions and social change. Goldstone has advised the National Intelligence Council, the World Bank, and the U.S. State and Defense Departments. His latest book, Rev…

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Your network is your first go-to-market strategy 36:01

21d ago36:01

36:01

Alltroo co-founders Kyle Rudolph and Jon Walburg share how they transformed their pro-athlete star power into a fundraising platform that allows their community the ability to donate to a variety of organization and win high-value prizes. In this episode of Build Mode, they reveal how they leveraged their networks to disrupt the charitable giving i…

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Consciousness and Competition (with Joe Carlsmith) 2:07:41

29d ago2:07:41

2:07:41

Joe Carlsmith is a writer, researcher, and philosopher. He works at Anthropic on the character/constitution/spec for Claude. Before that, he was a senior advisor at Open Philanthropy. To see all Forethought’s published research, visit forethought.org/research. To subscribe to our newsletter, visit forethought.org/subscribe.…

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From military logistics to Startup Battlefield 2025 champion with Glīd founder, Kevin Damoa 32:57

29d ago32:57

32:57

Glīd CEO and founder Kevin Damoa shares what it takes to win Startup Battlefield 2025 and build a company solving real infrastructure problems. Fresh off his victory, De reveals how a veteran's perspective on logistics led to an autonomous solution bridging congested roads and underutilized rail. Plus, he shares how mindfulness, mission-driven cult…

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Episode #109 — Vincent Deluard: Fiscal Dominance, Inflation Waves & the Future of the U.S. Economy 51:37

1M ago51:37

51:37

Global macro strategist Vincent Deluard joins Jim Baer for a direct, data-driven conversation about the new economic regime taking shape in the U.S. and around the world. Deluard explains why fiscal dominance now outweighs monetary policy, why inflation is proving sticky, and how generational inequality, asset bubbles, and rising deficits are resha…

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Beyond growth hacks: real stories of reaching untapped markets 28:34

1M ago28:34

28:34

Luna co-founder Jas Schembri-Stothart and Untapped Solutions founder Andre Peart share how they cracked go-to-market for audiences most startups avoid. In this episode of Build Mode, they reveal the guerrilla tactics, trust-building strategies, and creative experiments that helped them reach teenage girls and formerly incarcerated workers—from cras…

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The 7-Failure Rule: How Forethought AI Found Product-Market Fit with Co-Founder Deon Nicholas 46:54

2M ago46:54

46:54

Forethought AI co-founder Deon Nicholas shares how he built a company that puts customers (not hype) at the center. In this episode of Build Mode, he unpacks his “7-Failure Rule,” the early experiments that shaped Forethought’s success, and why conviction should always come from your users, not your investors. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:23 The Founde…

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Product, Meet Market 0:51

2M ago0:51

0:51

Build Mode is TechCrunch's newest podcast, hosted by Startup Battlefield Editor, Isabelle Johannessen. This season we’re talking with founders and VCs sharing hard-won lessons on getting to market—the right way, the hard way, and the creative way.By TechCrunch

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Episode 108: Matthew Continetti on Conservatism’s Next Chapter 52:21

2M ago52:21

52:21

On this week's episode, Jim talks with Matthew Continetti about the real story of the American Right—how conservatism evolved, why populism exploded, and what’s coming next. Sharp history, clear analysis, and a roadmap for understanding today’s politics.By Jim Baer

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Introducing Build Mode 0:36

2M ago0:36

0:36

TechCrunch is launching a new podcast Build Mode, which brings candid startup wisdom from the people who build, break, and build again. Build Mode is hosted by our very own Startup Battlefield Editor, Isabelle Johannessen who is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into the uncomfortable truths about startup life. Think cap table dra…

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Episode 107: Francis Fukuyama Revisits The End of History 42:31

2M ago42:31

42:31

Jim Baer talks with Francis Fukuyama — author of The End of History and the Last Man — about the fragility of liberal democracy in an age of rising authoritarianism and deepening polarization.They discuss political decay in the U.S., geopolitical threats from Russia and China, and the outsized influence of social media. Fukuyama also shares a pract…

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Forethought is Hiring Researchers (with Mia Taylor) 14:50

3M ago14:50

14:50

This is a bonus episode to say that Forethought is hiring researchers. After an overview of the roles, we hear from Research Fellow Mia Taylor about working at Forethought. The application deadline has been extended to November 1st 2025. Apply here: forethought.org/careers/researcher Chapters (00:00:00) Forethought hiring overview and roles (00:03:…

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[Article] Introducing Better Futures 15:26

3M ago15:26

15:26

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Episode 106 — Oliver Burkeman: Embracing Limits, Finding Meaning 52:09

3M ago52:09

52:09

In this episode of The Puck, Jim Baer sits down with acclaimed author and journalist Oliver Burkeman, whose books Four Thousand Weeks and The Antidote have reshaped how we think about time, productivity, and perfectionism.Oliver introduces ideas from his forthcoming book Meditations for Mortals, exploring how embracing our human limitations—rather …

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Politics and Power Post-Automation (with David Duvenaud) 1:30:42

3M ago1:30:42

1:30:42

David Duvenaud is an associate professor at the University of Toronto. He recently organised the workshop on ‘Post-AGI Civilizational Equilibria’, and he is a co-author of ‘Gradual Disempowerment’. He recently finished an extended sabbatical on the Alignment Science team at Anthropic. To see all Forethought’s published research, visit forethought.o…

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[Article] AI Tools for Existential Security 27:34

3M ago27:34

27:34

This is a narration of ‘AI Tools for Existential Security’ by Lizka Vaintrob and Owen Cotton-Barratt; published 14th March 2025. Narration by Perrin Walker (@perrinjwalker).

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Is Gradual Disempowerment Inevitable? (with Raymond Douglas) 1:45:20

4M ago1:45:20

1:45:20

Raymond Douglas is a researcher focused on the societal effects of AI. In this episode, we discuss Gradual Disempowerment. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research. To subscribe to our newsletter, visit forethought.org/subscribe.

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[Article] Intelsat as a Model for International AGI Governance 55:07

4M ago55:07

55:07

This is a narration of ‘Intelsat as a Model for International AGI Governance’ by Will MacAskill and Rose Hadshar; published 13th March 2025. Narration by Perrin Walker (@perrinjwalker).

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Episode 105: Dan Koch: Music, Faith, Trauma & Why Reality Heals 1:02:19

4M ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Musician turned therapist Dan Koch joins The Puck: Venture Capital & Beyond to share his remarkable journey from touring in a rock band to pioneering research on spiritual abuse. We explore how faith and psychology intersect, why polarization is so hard to overcome, and why Dan believes ‘reality itself can be the medicine.’ A conversation about hea…

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[Article] Will AI R&D Automation Cause a Software Intelligence Explosion? 1:50:40

4M ago1:50:40

1:50:40

This is a narration of ‘Will AI R&D Automation Cause a Software Intelligence Explosion?’ by Daniel Eth and Tom Davidson; published 26th March 2025. Narration by Perrin Walker (@perrinjwalker).

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Should AI Agents Obey Human Laws? (with Cullen O'Keefe) 1:23:54

4M ago1:23:54

1:23:54

Cullen O'Keefe is Director of Research at the Institute for Law & AI. In this episode, we discuss 'Law-Following AI: designing AI agents to obey human laws'. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research. To subscribe to our newsletter, visit forethought.org/subscribe.

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[Article] AI-Enabled Coups: How a Small Group Could Use AI to Seize Power 2:09:32

4M ago2:09:32

2:09:32

This is a narration of ‘AI-Enabled Coups: How a Small Group Could Use AI to Seize Power’ by Tom Davidson, Lukas Finnveden, and Rose Hadshar; published 16th April 2025. Narration by Perrin Walker (@perrinjwalker).

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[AI Narration] Could One Country Outgrow the Rest of the World After AGI? 29:41

4M ago29:41

29:41

This is an AI narration of "Could One Country Outgrow the Rest of the World After AGI? Economic Analysis of Superexponential Growth" by Tom Davidson. The article was first released on 20th August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.…

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How Can We Prevent AI-Enabled Coups? (with Tom Davidson) 2:13:50

4M ago2:13:50

2:13:50

Tom Davidson is a Senior Research Fellow at Forethought. In this episode, he discusses concrete mitigations against AI-enabled coups. Listen to Tom's appearance on the 80,000 Hours podcast here, and read the original paper here. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research.

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Episode 104: Aaron David Miller on the Future of Israeli-Palestinian Peace 40:22

5M ago40:22

40:22

As violence flares in Gaza and the Middle East teeters on the edge of a wider crisis, The Puck turns to Aaron David Miller — a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; a former State department analyst and negotiator in Republican and Democratic Administrations — for an unflinching look at the road ahead. In this urgent conv…

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Should We Aim for Flourishing Over Mere Survival? (with Will MacAskill) 2:54:24

5M ago2:54:24

2:54:24

Will MacAskill discusses his new research series ‘Better Futures’. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research.

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[AI Narration] How quick and big would a software intelligence explosion be? 1:07:17

5M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

This is an AI narration of "How quick and big would a software intelligence explosion be?" by Tom Davidson, Tom Houlden. The article was first released on 4th August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.…

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[AI Narration] No Easy Eutopia 1:09:17

5M ago1:09:17

1:09:17

This is an AI narration of "No Easy Eutopia" by Fin Moorhouse, William MacAskill. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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[AI Narration] Persistent Path-Dependence 41:18

5M ago41:18

41:18

This is an AI narration of "Persistent Path-Dependence" by William MacAskill. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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[AI Narration] Convergence and Compromise 1:16:45

5M ago1:16:45

1:16:45

This is an AI narration of "Convergence and Compromise" by Fin Moorhouse, William MacAskill. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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[AI Narration] Introducing Better Futures 11:05

5M ago11:05

11:05

This is an AI narration of "Introducing Better Futures" by William MacAskill. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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[AI Narration] The Basic Case for Better Futures: SF Model Analysis 32:40

5M ago32:40

32:40

This is an AI narration of "The Basic Case for Better Futures: SF Model Analysis" by William MacAskill, Philip Trammell. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.…

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[AI Narration] How to Make the Future Better 59:54

5M ago59:54

59:54

This is an AI narration of "How to Make the Future Better" by William MacAskill. The article was first released on 3rd August 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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Ep. 103 — Anat Admati on Financial Fragility, Accountability, and the Future of Capitalism 59:57

5M ago59:57

59:57

Stanford professor and financial reform advocate Anat Admati joins Jim to unpack the growing fragility in our financial system and the dangerous myths still shaping public policy. From shadow banking and corporate debt subsidies to crypto hype and post-crisis denial, Admati pulls no punches in exposing the deep structural flaws threatening American…

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Ep. 102 – John B. Judis: Populism, Realignment, and the Fight for America’s Future 56:15

6M ago56:15

56:15

Journalist and author John B. Judis joins Jim to unpack the political chaos of our time—from Trump and Sanders to shifting class loyalties, cultural divides, and the fragile state of democracy. Is a new political order emerging—or are we just stuck in a dangerous loop?By Jim Baer

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AI Rights for Human Safety (with Peter Salib and Simon Goldstein) 1:53:37

6M ago1:53:37

1:53:37

Peter Salib is an assistant professor of law at the University of Houston, and Simon Goldstein is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. We discuss their paper ‘AI Rights for Human Safety’. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research.

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Episode 101 – David French: Moral Clarity in an Age of Manufactured Distrust 57:08

6M ago57:08

57:08

David French returns to The Puck for a wide-ranging, deeply thoughtful conversation about the state of American democracy, the risks of authoritarianism, and the spiritual costs of political polarization. A New York Times columnist and former National Review editor, French unpacks the dangerous allure of strongman politics, reflects on Israel’s evo…

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Inference Scaling, AI Agents, and Moratoria (with Toby Ord) 2:55:10

7M ago2:55:10

2:55:10

Toby Ord is a Senior Researcher at Oxford University. We discuss the ‘scaling paradox’, inference scaling and its implications, ways to interpret trends in the length of tasks AI agents can complete, and some unpublished thoughts on lessons from scientific moratoria for the development of AGI. To see all our published research, visit forethought.or…

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The Puck – Episode 100: The Pursuit of Happiness with Jeffrey Rosen 51:51

7M ago51:51

51:51

To mark our 100th episode and launch of Season 9, Jim Baer sits down with Jeffrey Rosen—President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, host of We the People, and author of The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.In this rich and timely conversation, Rosen explores how …

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Episode 99: Greg Walton Returns to Discuss Belonging, Identity, and Civil Discourse 58:27

7M ago58:27

58:27

Stanford psychology professor Greg Walton returns for his second appearance on The Puck to discuss his new book, Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts. Three years after our first conversation, Greg rejoins the show to reflect on how our world has changed—and how subtle, science-backed interventions can help u…

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[AI Narration] The Industrial Explosion 27:51

7M ago27:51

27:51

This is an AI narration of "The Industrial Explosion" by Tom Davidson, Rose Hadshar. The article was first released on 21th May 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.

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Episode 98: Kristian Rönn 1:02:16

8M ago1:02:16

1:02:16

On this episode of The Puck: Venture Capital & Beyond, Jim Baer sits down with Kristian Rönn—climate tech founder, AI ethicist, and author of The Darwinian Trap—to explore how humanity can escape destructive evolutionary forces and build a future rooted in shared values, long-term thinking, and spiritual renewal. A conversation about risk, responsi…

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Episode 97: Michelle Goldberg 51:49

8M ago51:49

51:49

In this powerful episode of The Puck, Jim Baer sits down with Michelle Goldberg—New York Times columnist, author, and longtime voice of progressive political commentary—for a deep and timely conversation. They explore how the Trump era reshaped institutional norms, the growing influence of conspiracy thinking, and the failures of both political par…

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AI Tools for Existential Security (with Lizka Vaintrob) 1:15:07

9M ago1:15:07

1:15:07

Lizka Vaintrob discusses ‘AI Tools for Existential Security’, co-authored with Owen Cotton-Barratt. To see all our published research, visit forethought.org/research.

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Episode 96: Jonathan Rauch 1:03:15

9M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

What if the strongest case for Christianity’s role in democracy came from an atheist?Jim Baer sits down with Jonathan Rauch to discuss Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, and why America needs the moral backbone that Christian virtues once provided. Rauch—Jewish, gay, and secular—argues that courage, equality, and forgiven…

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[AI Narration] Will Compute Bottlenecks Prevent a Software Intelligence Explosion? 24:18

9M ago24:18

24:18

This is an AI narration of "Will Compute Bottlenecks Prevent a Software Intelligence Explosion?" by Tom Davidson. The article was first released on 4th April 2025. You can read more of our research at forethought.org/research. Thank you to Type III audio for providing these automated narrations.