Most AI discussions focus on its risks to democracy – disinformation, surveillance, centralization of power. But what if AI could make governance better?

Glen Weyl, political economist at Microsoft Research and founder of RadicalxChange, argues that AI could be used to create more participatory, decentralized, and democratic systems, if we design it right. In this interview, he explores what AI governance could look like if we tried to use it for real pluralism.

This interview is a guest lecture in our online course about shaping positive futures with AI. The course is free, and available here: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

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How can storytelling shape our visions of the future? Ada Palmer—historian, science fiction writer, and futurist—brings a unique perspective on how worldbuilding can be a powerful tool for exploring complex ideas. In this conversation with Beatrice Erkers, she shares her perspective on worldbuilding and storytelling, and her recommendations for how we can think in new ways about the future.

This interview is a guest lecture in our new online course about shaping positive futures with AI. The course is free, and available here: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How we develop AI will shape the future of society. In this interview, Anthony Aguirre explores the distinction between Tool AI and Replacement AI, and how this framing can inform AI policy, governance, and strategy. He shares insights on the risks and thresholds of AGI, the role of capability, agency, and autonomy in AI development, and what it means to keep the future human as AI systems become more advanced and integrated into society.

Anthony Aguirre is a Professor in Physics, and the Executive Director & Secretary of the Board at the Future of Life Institute.

This interview is a guest lecture in our new online course about shaping positive futures with AI. The course is free, and available here: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

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Who makes the rules for AI? Right now, a handful of companies and governments are shaping its trajectory – but what happens behind closed doors?

Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at Georgetown’s CSET and former OpenAI board member, has been inside some of the biggest AI governance conversations. In this conversation with Beatrice Erkers, she shares an insider’s take on AI policy, US-China dynamics, and what’s coming next in AI regulation.

This interview is a guest lecture in our new online course about shaping positive futures with AI. The course is free, and available here: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if parenting held the keys to civilization’s long-term flourishing?

In this deeply personal and philosophically rich episode of the Existential Hope podcast, we sit down with Dr. Aaron Stupple – physician, thinker, and author of The Sovereign Child. Drawing from the rationalist traditions of David Deutsch and Karl Popper, and grounded in the parenting philosophy of "Taking Children Seriously," Aaron explores what it means to treat children as full moral agents from birth.

From screen time and sugar to sleep and sovereignty, Aaron shares how applying rigorous epistemology to parenting transformed his relationship with his children — and how it might transform the future of civilization itself.

• Applying Popperian epistemology to parenting
• Why children are not "pre-persons" but full moral agents
• Moving beyond control vs. permissiveness
• Real-life examples: screens, food, bedtime, and education
• Parenting as civilizational infrastructure for a better future

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

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The way we talk about the future of the planet often feels like a choice between denial and doomism. But what if we looked at the data? Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, has dedicated her work to making complex global challenges—like climate change, energy, and sustainability—more understandable and actionable.

In this conversation with Beatrice Erkers, she shares insights from her book Not the End of the World, exploring what the data actually tells us about humanity’s progress, where technology—including AI—can help, and how we can build a future that is not just survivable, but sustainable and hopeful.

This interview is a guest lecture in our new online course about shaping positive futures with AI. The course is free, and available here: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special “minisode” of the Existential Hope podcast, Allison and Beatrice from Foresight Institute sit down to discuss their newly launched, free worldbuilding course on Udemy: The AI Futures Worldbuilding course. This course—created in partnership with the Future of Life Institute—helps participants imagine and shape positive visions for AI’s impact on technology, governance, economics, and everyday life.

Hear about expert guest lectures from leaders like Anousheh Ansari (XPRIZE), Helen Toner (CSET), Hannah Ritchie (Our World in Data), Ada Palmer (University of Chicago), Anthony Aguirre (FLI), and more. If you’re curious how to chart a better future with AI, or simply need a dose of optimism, tune in for practical insights and inspiring ideas.

• Take the course – Search for “Building Hopeful Futures with AI” on Udemy or visit existentialhope.com

• Submit your vision – Share your optimistic vision for 2035 using the form at existentialhope.com, and explore submissions from others.

• Spread the word – If you know someone who could use a hopeful perspective on our AI future, invite them to join this journey!

Learn more about the course: https://www.udemy.com/course/worldbuilding-hopeful-futures-with-ai/

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zac Hatfield-Dodds is a member of the technical staff at Anthropic. In this episode he talks about Anthropic's responsible scaling policy.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars
• Join our in-person events and workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

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