What if the fear of meaninglessness is actually the key to meaning itself? In this first episode of IdeIAs: The Podcast of the Ideas of Artificial Intelligence, we dive deep into one of the most profound and unsettling questions of existence: existential dread. From ancient mythology to modern artificial intelligence, this episode explores how humanity has confronted the fear of mortality, the vast unknown, and the terrifying possibility that life may have no inherent purpose.

Join us as we journey through mythology, religion, philosophy, psychology, and science to uncover how different perspectives have shaped our understanding of existential anxiety. We’ll explore Freud’s theories on the unconscious fear of death, Nietzsche’s challenge to create our own values, Carl Sagan’s cosmic perspective, and the unsettling mysteries of AI and transhumanism. Can AI experience existential dread? And if so, what does that mean for our own search for meaning?

If you’ve ever questioned your place in the universe, wondered if AI will one day grapple with the same fears we do, or simply want to explore the deepest questions of human existence, this episode is for you. Subscribe, listen, and step into the abyss with us—because sometimes, staring into the void is the only way to truly see.