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Nicholas Nadeau argues that the AI most people use is a bootleg of human expertise: a confident statistical average built from scraped public data, without the judgment, consent, or unpublished knowledge that makes an expert worth consulting. Nicholas is the CTO and Co-Founder of Onix. He holds a PhD in human-robot interaction and previously served as CTO of humanoid-robotics company 1X and data company SmartOne.ai. Onix is building private AI systems grounded in the approved work and judgment of individual experts. In this conversation: ■ Whose answer you receive when you ask AI a question ■ Why frontier models blend textbooks, social media, and internet noise ■ What gets lost when AI attempts to imitate a human expert ■ Why an expert's most important knowledge may never have been published ■ How privacy and on-device AI can improve personal usefulness ■ Whether expert AI will replace professionals or increase their capacity ■ What young founders should understand about risk, stamina, and relationships ■ Why smart investors must contribute more than capital ■ How personal AI could eventually connect with robotics ■ The question Nicholas asks himself every day: should Onix exist? CHAPTERS 00:00 Whose Answer Is AI Giving You? 04:02 Transactional AI vs. Wicked Problems 06:03 What AI Misses About Expert Judgment 11:51 Dark Data and the Knowledge Experts Never Publish 17:28 How Onix Began 22:42 Advice for Young Founders 28:45 Smart Money and Choosing Investors 32:45 Onix Beyond Health: Robots and Human Expertise 36:59 Will Expert AI Replace Humans? 41:20 Would Nicholas Let His Children Use AI? 46:45 The Question That Keeps Him Up at Night 48:49 What Gives Him Hope 50:45 Where to Find Nicholas and Onix CONNECT WITH NICHOLAS Website: https://nicholasnadeau.com Onix: https://onix.life LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W CONNECT WITH AYUSH Website: https://ayushprakash.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial AI FOR GEN Z https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Renée Sieber explains why schools and public institutions are adopting generative AI before confronting its effects on learning, judgment, privacy, and civic life. Her central warning: when AI substitutes for the struggle involved in thinking and writing, students may become dependent on systems they were never given a meaningful choice to refuse.Renée is an associate professor at McGill University whose work spans AI, natural language processing, public policy, and civic engagement. We discuss what AI literacy should include, why transparency means little when people cannot act on it, how communities can contest unwanted systems, the history of Luddism, and what a genuinely humanizing technology could look like.In this episode:- Why Renée has gained respect for controlled-corpus deep learning- How social justice separates signal from noise in AI policy- Why individual “choice” fails as a frame for structural AI harms- What governments and communities can do when AI becomes embedded- How generative AI can remove productive struggle from education- Why Renée embraces the original meaning of Luddism- Where local, bounded AI systems may serve real human needs- Why Gen Z’s resistance gives her hopeChapters:00:00 What Renée changed her mind about00:46 Where she gets information about AI01:50 Social justice as the signal in AI policy06:31 Why these harms are difficult to discuss09:33 What AI literacy should actually mean14:54 Can communities reject embedded AI?20:28 Rebuilding civic engagement in Canada23:10 What generative AI is doing to students34:38 Why Renée embraces Luddism35:29 What humanizing technology could look like37:26 Thinking, writing, and the value of struggle39:50 The technology Renée would eliminate41:15 What gives her hope43:30 Where to follow Renée’s workConnect with Renée:Website: https://aifortherestofus.ca/McGill profile: https://www.mcgill.ca/geography/sieberPodcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37WConnect with Ayush:Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficialBook:AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Nidhi Hegde explains why giving the public access to chatbots does not make AI democratic when users have no control over how the systems are built, trained, or deployed. Her central argument is that agency, representation, privacy, fairness, and technical robustness must be treated as connected design and governance problems. Nidhi is an associate professor of computing science at the University of Alberta, a Fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. We discuss what trustworthy AI means technically, the unavoidable trade-offs between privacy, fairness, accuracy, and cost, why broad AI regulation targets the wrong unit, and what public participation in AI decisions could actually require. In this episode: - How model robustness may produce fairer outcomes - What privacy, fairness, robustness, and trust mean in practice - Who currently decides the trade-offs built into AI systems - Why AI governance should focus on products, sectors, and consequences - How the post-ChatGPT boom changed AI research and graduate training - Why access to a chatbot is not the same as democratic control - What agency and representation would add to AI governance - Why government and education are struggling to match AI’s pace - How community-led action could fill the institutional gap Chapters: 00:00 The one research idea Nidhi would keep 01:50 Privacy, fairness, robustness, and trust 04:54 The unavoidable trade-offs in trustworthy AI 07:54 What Canada gets wrong about AI policy 10:19 Why AI governance should regulate products and sectors 15:11 How the ChatGPT boom changed AI research 22:51 Why Nidhi rejects “democratized AI” 24:39 What democratic AI would actually require 26:18 Should AI become a national political question? 31:34 Building national AI literacy 35:32 Why institutions cannot match AI’s pace 38:54 Community action when government falls behind 41:09 The missing intervention 42:07 What gives Nidhi hope 43:29 Where to follow Nidhi’s work Connect with Nidhi: Amii profile: https://www.amii.ca/people/nidhi-hegde University of Alberta: https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/nidhih Research website: https://sites.google.com/view/nidhihegde Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect with Ayush: Website: https://ayushprakash.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Book: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Fenwick McKelvey joins the podcast to explain why Canada’s AI problem runs deeper than research funding or regulation. Canada helped sustain the ideas behind modern AI and launched an early national strategy, yet it still struggles to turn that history into independent industry, enforceable public accountability, and a clear position between the United States, China, and the European Union. Fenwick breaks down the difference between regulation, policy, and governance; how hype shapes investment and news coverage; why a small number of companies already make rules for the public; and why strengthening existing institutions may matter more than building another AI regulator. We also discuss ChatGPT in higher education, open models, proactive regulation, political privacy, and the technology he is watching after AI. Fenwick McKelvey is an associate professor in Communication Studies at Concordia University. His research covers digital politics, internet policy, algorithmic media, and AI governance. His book *SimPolitics: America’s Quest to Solve Politics with Computers* was published by the MIT Press in 2026. Chapters: 00:00 Why Parliament testimony rarely becomes policy 01:28 Regulation, policy, and governance explained 04:38 Governing AI when nobody knows its real impact 08:04 Should governments regulate AI hype? 11:06 Did Canada build AI and lose the industry? 14:14 Regulation is not Canada’s innovation problem 17:00 Where Canada fits between the US, China, and EU 20:31 Fenwick’s AI governance wish list 25:01 Is ChatGPT ruining higher education? 27:07 How students actually use AI 30:10 Can regulation get ahead of technology? 32:35 The next disruption after AI: quantum 34:44 SimPolitics and where to follow Fenwick Connect with Fenwick: Website: https://www.fenwickmckelvey.com/ Concordia profile: https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/fenwick-mckelvey.html SimPolitics: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262053198/simpolitics/ Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What happens when the AI tools you rely on stop being cheap? Matthew Guzdial argues that becoming dependent on today’s generative AI could leave people and businesses exposed if prices rise or providers disappear. Matthew is an associate professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. We discuss AI’s role in game design, why players object to generative AI, and why synthetic data can’t supply missing ground truth in his research. He explains his prediction of an AI bubble and what he thinks could survive it. The conversation also covers VR’s adoption problems, Roblox and child safety, platform accountability, and how to talk to children about screens. We finish with his advice for young people trying to decide what to do with their lives. His market forecasts and parenting observations are his views, not established outcomes or clinical guidance. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: what makes a good game?02:12 AI in games before ChatGPT03:42 Concept art, coding and generative AI05:48 Why players push back against AI08:27 The risk of relying on cheap AI11:41 What could follow an AI bubble?16:10 Small datasets and synthetic data17:28 AI winters and the road to AGI19:08 Escapism, Roblox and child safety21:04 Why VR struggles with adoption23:17 How marketing shapes technology expectations24:53 Should children be banned from games?28:53 Parenting, screens and autonomy34:24 Advice for young people35:47 What gives Matthew hope36:35 Where to follow Matthew and his games Connect with Matthew: Website: https://guzdial.com/University profile: https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/guzdialBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/matthewguz.bsky.socialGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jKqmTbIAAAAJ Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What if the first honest response to ecological collapse is admitting that we may not know how to fix it? Writer and Dark Mountain Project co-director Nick Hunt explains why climate change, mass extinction and cultural alienation cannot be reduced to engineering problems, and why accepting loss does not have to mean giving up. We discuss the disappearance of the Aral Sea, the surprising life emerging from its exposed seabed and the difficulty of forcing every story into hope or despair. Nick reflects on humanity’s capacity for destruction, the possibility of leaving good traces and why he turns to art to create meaning in a damaged world. The conversation then turns to writing, artificial intelligence, travel and the value of getting lost. Nick explains why human-made art still matters, why he writes to think instead of delivering a final truth and what different cultures can teach us about purpose, time and simply being. We finish with speculative fiction, hope beyond hope and the message he would give his future self. Chapters:00:00 What is the Dark Mountain Project?03:55 Why technology cannot solve every crisis08:09 What remains after the Aral Sea disappears14:04 Hope, despair and humanity’s destructive side18:03 Why Nick turns to art instead of destruction19:50 What is the point of writing if we are doomed?24:36 Writing what the world may not be ready for26:06 Travel, writing and the value of getting lost27:52 Why modern life cannot tolerate aimlessness31:43 Presence, creativity and the pressure to succeed33:21 Hope beyond hope36:26 Why there is no magic-wand solution38:02 What Nick would tell his future self39:14 Where to follow Nick Hunt Connect with Nick: Website: https://nickhuntscrutiny.com Dark Mountain: https://dark-mountain.net Podcast Info:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect:  Website: https://ayushprakash.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/  Instagram: instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:  AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Adam Dickinson joins the podcast to break down what intuition actually is, why logic alone is one of the most limiting and overlooked barriers to human potential, and what it means that most of us are operating from only a fraction of our true consciousness. We also get into the spiritual frameworks that can expand the way you think and feel, and what Adam believes it will take for humanity to evolve beyond the mind and into a deeper intelligence. Connect with Adam:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-r-dickinson/ Podcast Info:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect:  Website: https://ayushprakash.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/  Instagram: instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:  AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

David Roberts of Mara Labs joins the podcast to break down what microplastics are, why air is one of the biggest and most overlooked sources of exposure, and what it means that most of us are consuming the equivalent of a credit card's worth of plastic every week. We also get into concrete lifestyle changes you can make right now to reduce your intake, and what Mara Labs is building to tackle the problem at scale. Connect with David: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-roberts-7170416/ Website: https://mara-labs.com Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/ Instagram: instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Who decides how AI research gets used? Matthew E. Taylor says that despite helping develop the technology, he often feels powerless over its eventual applications. Companies and governments can shape outcomes that individual researchers have little ability to control. Matthew is a professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta and directs the Intelligent Robot Learning Lab. We discuss what human-centred AI should mean, why explainability and auditability matter, and who benefits when a system is built around someone else’s priorities. He describes his work with disinformation researchers, the practical difficulties of making robots commercially useful, and his personal refusal to work on AI weapons. We also explore whether researchers could restrict how their ideas are used, why open science complicates that question, and what automated scientists might miss when choosing worthwhile problems. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: AI research and adoption in Alberta01:57 What does AI safety mean?03:12 Human-centred AI: who benefits?05:31 Watching AI become a global obsession09:11 What happens after the AI rush?14:13 Protecting fundamental research18:49 Foreign influence and disinformation in Canada21:27 AI tools for disinformation researchers24:03 Why AI research extends beyond AGI26:08 Research ethics and weapons30:02 Why robots are always “almost here”31:44 Making robots commercially useful34:56 Automation and the future of work37:03 Who controls research after it leaves the lab?42:53 Can AI recognise worthwhile research?44:01 Housing, hope and where to follow Matthew Connect with Matthew: Website: https://drmatttaylor.net/Research lab: https://irll.ca/University profile: https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/mtaylor3LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewedmundtaylor/ Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

For this episode, I'm joined by Rick Tumlinson, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation and one of the most influential figures in the commercial space industry.  In this episode, we slice the conversation into four categories: the social history of the space movement and how we got here; the business of space and the astropolitics shaping who controls the final frontier; the genetics and ethics of humanity becoming a multi-planetary species; and the deeper philosophy of why leaving Earth isn't just raw and blind ambition but something closer to destiny (for some people). Timestamps:  0:00 Social History 30:19 Business and Astropolitics 45:20 Genetics and Ethics 56:02 Philosophical  Connect with Rick:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricktumlinson/ Website: https://www.ricktumlinson.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Space-Purpose-Rick-Tumlinson/dp/B0G2HQ1T8J Podcast Info:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qXL37W Connect:  Website: https://ayushprakash.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/  Instagram: instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:  AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What gets overlooked when “AI” becomes another word for ChatGPT? Alex Hernández-García argues that the focus on chatbots draws attention and resources away from other research, including tools designed for specific scientific problems. Alex is an assistant professor at the Université de Montréal and a core academic member at Mila. He explains his work on machine learning for materials and antibiotic discovery, how researchers explore enormous spaces of possible molecules, and why progress depends on close collaboration with chemists and biologists. We also discuss his contribution to This Climate Does Not Exist, a project that visualises climate impacts at familiar locations. The conversation covers how regulation could direct innovation, the environmental costs of AI, privacy and data control, and his case for open science despite the risk of misuse. We finish by questioning what AGI is supposed to mean, considering intelligence in the natural world, and asking whether every social problem needs another technological solution. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: why AI has come to mean chatbots04:08 How the LLM boom shapes research funding07:07 When should AI regulation begin?11:15 Can regulation encourage innovation?15:57 AI’s environmental costs and data control19:06 Making climate change visible22:28 Searching for new materials and antibiotics26:33 How research becomes a real-world application29:54 Open science and the risk of misuse33:29 What does AGI actually mean?35:37 Intelligence, control and the natural world40:38 Does every problem need more technology?42:20 Advice for young people and reading43:47 Stopping wars and finding hope45:09 Where to follow Alex Connect with Alex: Website: https://alexhernandezgarcia.com/Mila profile: https://mila.quebec/en/directory/alex-hernandez-garcia-0Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexhergar.bsky.socialThis Climate Does Not Exist: https://thisclimatedoesnotexist.com/ Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

Can the infrastructure behind AI keep up with the promises being made for it? Alistair Alexander argues that the expansion of data centres faces limits in electricity, materials and financing, with consequences far beyond the technology industry. Alistair researches the social and ecological impacts of technology and writes Reclaimed Systems. We discuss his concerns about power demand, gas generation, semiconductor supply chains, critical minerals and the communities affected by extraction. He also explains why he sees interconnected financing deals and synthetic training data as sources of risk. His predictions are presented as his assessment, not certain outcomes. The conversation then turns to why Silicon Valley keeps pursuing AGI, what gets lost when intelligence is reduced to measurable tasks, and how we can regain control over our relationship with technology. We finish with his case for smaller, less resource-intensive tools, human connection, and acting without knowing how things will turn out. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: the bet on AI 06:59 What runs out first? 11:24 Data centres, gas and the power supply 15:05 Financing risks and a possible domino effect 17:25 Synthetic data and model collapse 19:33 AI, geopolitics and the chip supply chain 24:57 Critical minerals and the costs of extraction 29:27 Why pursue AGI? 33:39 Silicon Valley’s search for growth 39:54 Taking back control of technology 47:42 Living within planetary limits 49:44 What do we mean by intelligence? 56:38 Embodiment, emotion and machine intelligence 1:00:34 Hope, solidarity and action 1:03:26 Where to follow Alistair Connect with Alistair: Reclaimed Systems newsletter: https://reclaimedsystems.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-alexander-4a488170/ Research profile: https://futureobservatory.org/research/network/alistair-alexander Podcast Info: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhG Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect: Website: https://ayushprakash.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books: AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What happens when a culture tries to eliminate uncertainty? Clinical health psychologist David Alter argues that doubt, humility and curiosity are necessary for perception, learning and meaningful change. Without them, identity hardens into certainty and chaos loses any connection to a better future. David has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of mind, brain, body and relationships. We discuss why narratives reinforce group identity, how betrayal can turn loyalty into rage, and why being willing to say “I might be wrong” is a demanding cognitive skill. The conversation then turns to artificial intelligence, consciousness and simulated empathy. David explains why he sees a qualitative difference between an AI response and human connection, then makes the case for play, art, music, failure and nature in education. We finish with trust, perseverance, learning from unfamiliar cultures and a form of hope that does not require the world to repair itself within one lifetime. Chapters:00:00 Why surprise and expectation coexist03:57 Language, narrative and identity06:06 Tribes, loyalty and betrayal09:03 Humility as a cognitive skill13:31 Why uncertainty keeps the mind adaptive18:22 Destructive chaos versus creative chaos21:00 Risk and unintended consequences23:50 Consciousness, empathy and the limits of AI26:24 Do we want a simulated world?29:56 Play and the qualitative difference of being human33:42 The social purpose of education36:25 Making room for mystery in the curriculum38:59 Trust, failure and distress tolerance42:39 Can technology cultivate perseverance?45:51 What nature teaches that devices cannot49:01 Awe, vulnerability and creativity50:40 Learning from cultures we do not understand51:46 Why David still has hope53:35 Where to follow David Connect with David Alter:Website: https://drdavidalter.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidalter Podcast Info:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect:Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What makes a chatbot seem intelligent, and what happens when a generation grows up treating digital systems as part of its social world? Karl Friston argues that generative AI holds up a convincing mirror to human expression, but lacks the embodied life behind the reflection. Karl Friston is Professor of Neuroscience at University College London and is known for the free energy principle and active inference. In this unusual reverse interview, Karl questions me about AI for Gen Z and the first generation to grow up inside digital technology. We discuss why people anthropomorphize chatbots, the emerging research questions around mental health, and how social media changes identity, status and attention. The conversation moves through the path of least action, the physical cost of convenience, embodied cognition, echo chambers and cognitive behavioural therapy. We finish with Karl’s case for curiosity, testing our beliefs and keeping our options open. Chapters:00:00 Generative AI and the changing idea of intelligence03:40 Why chatbots feel human07:10 Machine welfare and the risks of projection09:52 Mental health and machine psychosis14:26 Karl Friston reads AI for Gen Z16:08 Influence, identity and too much choice23:07 The path of least action27:01 A finite biosphere and an expanding technosphere31:09 Likes, citations and evidence that we matter35:03 Embodiment, eye contact and the sense of self37:28 Extended cognition and the designed environment39:43 The mirror with nothing behind it44:33 Can Gen Z recover skills it never learned?50:45 Adaptability and selection for selectability58:19 Escaping echo chambers by testing our beliefs1:07:44 Keep your options open1:10:17 Hope in the next generation Connect with Karl Friston:UCL research profile and selected papers: https://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl/ Podcast Info:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect:Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135

What happens if AI and robotics eliminate most paid work? Futurist Zoltan Istvan argues that society will need a universal basic income, a new relationship with leisure and a serious debate about who benefits from automation. We discuss his campaign for California governor, why he expects AI to challenge both white-collar and physical work, and whether society will accept machine decisions when even rare errors carry serious consequences. Zoltan also explains why digital avatars may be useful while raising difficult questions about authenticity and human choice. The conversation then turns to transhumanism, neural implants, radical life extension and the prospect of overcoming biological death. We finish with superintelligence risk, free public education, generational pressure and the seven-year sailing journey that shaped Zoltan's life. This interview was recorded while Zoltan was campaigning for governor; he suspended that campaign on February 24, 2026. Chapters:00:00 What being human means00:59 Campaigning for California governor03:30 Technology and the younger generation05:47 Universal basic income after automation09:11 Has automation been overpredicted?12:46 Avatars, authenticity and anti-AI backlash15:43 What is transhumanism?17:37 Can humanity overcome biological death?20:19 Social division and superintelligence risk23:00 The first problem Zoltan would solve24:30 College, childcare and generational pressure27:21 Why young people should travel29:54 Where to follow Zoltan Connect with Zoltan Istvan:Website: https://zoltanistvan.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoltan-istvan-78aa2964/Campaign archive: https://www.zoltanistvan2026.com/ Podcast Info:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ILhje5HSua1FEOlTyFAhGApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ayush-prakash-podcast/id1557703631 Connect:Website: https://ayushprakash.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakash-ayush/Instagram: https://instagram.com/ayushprakashofficial Books:AI for Gen Z: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981182135