Podcast
The Last Invention
Hosted by Longview · EN
The AI revolution has begun – the product of a seventy-year quest by scientists, mathematicians, and visionaries who set out to build machines that could think. But what began as a fringe idea has now become one of the most powerful forces of the 21st century. This is the story of that journey: its rivalries, its competing visions of utopia and apocalypse, and the race to build what may be humanity’s last invention.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Sam Altman’s Attacker, In His Own Words
Apr 1600:20:17Summary readyIn this episode we talk with Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, the man who was recently arrested and charged with attempting to kill Sam Altman. Several months before the attack, our team contacted a young man posting on Discord under the handle "Butlerian Jihadist," who referenced “Luigi-ing tech CEOs” to our producer. He agreed to an interview and to answer questions about his background and how he came to believe that AGI must be stopped for humanity to survive. To leave a comment and sign up for our mailing list visit us at our website here. To support our ability to report more stories like this you can become a subscriber here. You can email us directly at hello@longview.report THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Daniel Moreno-Gama LINKS: San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Press Release U.S. Department of Justice Press Release Statement from Pause AI Statement from Sam Altman San Francisco Police Department Press Conference Daniel Moreno-Gama Criminal Complaint CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Simon Adler, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, Ethan Mannello, and Carmen Hilbert. Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Simon Adler The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Wetwear
Apr 900:39:37Summary readyThis episode was originally reported on our podcast Reflector. You can hear this story and many more by visiting us here What if the next great leap in computing wasn't made of silicon — but of living human brain cells? Reporter Greg Warner takes us inside the lab of Hon Weng Chong, an Australian computer engineer who has built a biological computer: a device that houses actual human neurons in a petri dish, teaches them to play Pong using reward and punishment, and is now being sold to medical researchers, crypto gamers, and roboticists with very big dreams. Along the way, Andy and Greg dig into what these cells might actually feel, why the path to artificial general intelligence might run through a robot's skin rather than its brain, and what it would mean to one day stick a chip of pre-programmed neurons back into a human head. It's weird, it's a little smelly, and it might be the future. THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Hon Weng Chong - CEO and founder of Cortical Labs Dr. Minas Liarokapis - CEO/CTO of Acumino Inc., Director of the New Dexterity Research Group LINKS: Cortical Labs Acumino Dishbrain Paper - In vitro neurons learn and exhibit sentience when embodied in a simulated game-world CREDITS: This episode was reported and produced by Greg Warner, Andy Mills, Simon Adler, and Matthew Boll Music for this episode was composed by Cobey Bienert and Peter Lalish Reflector artwork by Jacob Boll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryThe AI Skeptics
Feb 2001:15:39Summary readyIn this episode, we dive into the views of the people who think the AGI race is being oversold, misunderstood, or misframed. As you’ll hear, we break them down into three distinct camps: “AI Is Grift” (a tech-industry con), “Wrong Path” (LLMs can’t reach AGI without new ideas), and “AI as Normal Technology” (powerful, but adoption will be slow and institution-bound). Through interviews with Ed Zitron, Gary Marcus, and Princeton’s Arvind Narayanan, the episode argues that the real fight isn’t just about capability—it’s about incentives, architecture, and how human systems actually change. FEATURING: Ed Zitron, Gary Marcus, Arvind Narayanan LINKS: Ed Zitron’s website/podcast Ed Zitron’s newsletter “Where’s Your Ed At” Gary Marcus’s most recent book, “Taming Silicon Valley” Gary Marcus’s Substack Arvind Narayanan’s most recent book, “AI Snake Oil” Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor’s paper “AI As Normal Technology” CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Seth Andrews, Ethan Mannello, and Carmen Hilbert Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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“Build the AI Wall” with Steve Bannon
Jan 2700:52:27Summary readyToday, Andy interviews Steve Bannon and his War Room tech editor, Joe Allen. They make the populist right-wing case for breaking up Big Tech, forcing transparency on frontier AI labs, and blocking “AI amnesty” efforts that would preempt state oversight. Bannon frames AI as a species-level inflection point driven by what he calls “broligarch” elites pushing “techno-feudalism,” warning that the public is underwriting opaque labs while losing jobs, leverage and eventually autonomy. LINKS: War Room Podcast Dark Aeon by Joe Allen CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, Carmen Hilbert and Ethan Mannello. Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Ezra Klein on the Uncertain Politics of A.I.
Dec 1901:01:57Summary readyEzra Klein – New York Times opinion columnist and an influential voice on the American left – joins us at a hinge moment in the A.I. revolution. As artificial intelligence accelerates, Klein examines what’s at stake politically, socially, and morally: the role that government should play in shaping this technology, the disruptions he believes matter most, and how to think clearly when the landscape is shifting so rapidly. LINKS: Ezra Klein’s book Abundance The Ezra Klein Show This Changes Everything CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryEP 8: The Accelerationists
Nov 2000:53:34Summary readyMeet the accelerationists: a rising movement that believes expediting AI development is not only inevitable but morally necessary – humanity’s best chance at transcending its limits. What happens when the world’s most powerful technologists treat AI progress as a duty rather than a danger? THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Olivier Oullier, Guido de Croon, Alex Williams, Reid Hoffman, Guillaume Verdon/“Beff Jezos” LINKS: Beff Jezos/Guillaume Verdon’s Twitter David Sinclair’s website Olivier Oullier’s Company Alex Williamss is a contributor here Reid Hoffman’s Personal Website CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Gregory Warner, Andrew Parsons, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. It is hosted by Gregory Warner. Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll Listen to the soundtrack Music From The Last Invention by Devendorf Lanz The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryEP 7: The Scouts
Nov 1300:55:22Summary readyA decade ago, the leading minds in AI gathered to make sure this technology would benefit everyone. Today, those hopes are colliding with the reality of an AI arms race. Today, game theorist Liv Boeree and philosopher William MacAskill lay out what they see as the “narrow path” between a future of limitless potential and one of irreversible loss. THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Max Tegmark, Nick Bostrom, Liv Boeree, William MacAskill LINKS: Max Tegmark’s book “Life 3.0, Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” Nick Bostrom's book "Superintelligence" Liv Boeree’s Website Liv Boeree’s Podcast William MacAskill’s book “What We Owe the Future” CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Gregory Warner, Andrew Parsons, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. It is hosted by Gregory Warner Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryEP 6: The AI Doomers
Nov 600:57:26Summary readyWhat happens when some of the most idealistic techno-optimists come to believe that superintelligence poses a threat to humanity's survival? Today, the best case for the worst case scenario. We sit down with Nate Soares and Connor Leahy and ask them to make their case for why we need to stop ASI, before it’s too late. THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Connor Leahy, Natasha Vita-More, Max More, Keach Hagey, Nate Soares LINKS: Nate Soares’s book (with Eliezer Yudkowsky) If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies Connor Leahy’s AI safety startup Conjecture Natasha Vita-More’s books CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Gregory Warner, Andrew Parsons, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. It is hosted by Gregory Warner Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryEP 5: Contact
Oct 2300:51:50Summary readyIn the strange months after ChatGPT’s release, the world made contact with something new. A tech CEO begged to be regulated, a chatbot seemed to fall in love, and the godfathers of AI became frightened by the implications of what they’d spent their lives building. THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Keach Hagey, Kevin Roose, Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton LINKS: Keach Hagey’s book The Optimist Sam Altman testifies at Senate artificial intelligence hearing, May 16, 2023 Sam Altman testifies at Senate hearing on artificial intelligence, May 8, 2025 Kevin Roose’s article on Sydney Kevin’s podcast: Hard Fork CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Gregory Warner, Andrew Parsons, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. It is hosted by Gregory Warner Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND NEWS: Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummaryEP 4: Speedrun
Oct 1601:02:22Summary readyIs the only way to stop a bad guy with an AGI… a good guy with an AGI? In a twist of technological irony, the very people who warned most loudly about the existential dangers of artificial superintelligence—Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei among them—became the ones racing to build it first. Each believed they alone could create it safely before their competitors unleashed something dangerous. This episode traces how their shared fear of an “AI dictatorship” ignited a breakneck competition that ultimately led to the release of ChatGPT. THIS EPISODE FEATURES: Karen Hao, Keach Hagey, Jasmine Sun, Yoshua Bengio, Kevin Roose, Connor Leahy LINKS: Karen Hao’s book “Empire of AI” Keach Hagey’s book The Optimist Obama’s Wired Interview Ross Douthat’s Theil interview and article Joe Rogan Experience 1169 - Elon Musk Hardfork Podcast Alpha Go Documentary CREDITS: This episode of The Last Invention was reported and produced by Andy Mills, Gregory Warner, Andrew Parsons, Megan Phelps-Roper, Matthew Boll, Seth Temple Andrews, and Ethan Mannello. It is hosted by Gregory Warner Music for this episode was composed by Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Cobey Bienert, and Matthew Boll The Last Invention artwork by Jacob Boll To become a Longview subscriber you can visit us here Thank you to our sponsors Ground News and FIRE GROUND NEWS : Go to groundnews.com/invent to get 40% off unlimited access to global coverage of the stories shaping our world. FIRE This is a paid sponsorship link. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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