
Advertise on podcast: "The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis
Rating
4.5from
This podcast has
316 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Erik Torenberg, Nathan LabenzExplicit
No
Date created
2023/02/03
Latest episode
2026/02/05
Average duration
108 min.
Release period
4 days
Description
A biweekly podcast where hosts Nathan Labenz and Erik Torenberg interview the builders on the edge of AI and explore the dramatic shift it will unlock in the coming years. The Cognitive Revolution is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.co
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Check latest episodes from "The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis podcast
Infinite Code Context: AI Coding at Enterprise Scale w/ Blitzy CEO Brian Elliott & CTO Sid Pardeshi
2026/02/05
Blitzy founders Brian and Sid break down how their “infinite code context” system lets AI autonomously complete over 80% of major enterprise software projects in days. They dive into their dynamic agent architecture, how they choose and cross-check different models, and why they prioritize advances in AI memory over fine-tuning. The conversation also covers their 20¢/line pricing model, the path to 99%+ autonomous project completion, and what this all means for the future software engineering job market.
Sponsors:
Blitzy:
Blitzy is the autonomous code generation platform that ingests millions of lines of code to accelerate enterprise software development by up to 5x with premium, spec-driven output. Schedule a strategy session with their AI solutions consultants at https://blitzy.com
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:02) AGI effects without AGI
(07:07) Domain-specific context engineering
(16:54) Dynamic harness and evals (Part 1)
(17:00) Sponsors: Blitzy | Tasklet
(20:00) Dynamic harness and evals (Part 2)
(30:42) Graphs, RAG, and memory (Part 1)
(30:49) Sponsor: Serval
(32:26) Graphs, RAG, and memory (Part 2)
(41:17) Model zoo and memory
(50:07) Planning, scaling, and parallelism
(56:13) Pricing, onboarding, and autonomy
(01:04:24) Closing the last 20%
(01:12:34) Strange behaviors and judges
(01:22:23) Reasoning budgets and autonomy
(01:33:36) Fine-tuning, benchmarks, and training
(01:42:31) Securing AI-generated code
(01:49:52) Future of software work
(01:57:05) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
The AI-Powered Biohub: Why Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan are Investing in Data, from Latent.Space
2026/02/01
This crossover episode from the Latent Space podcast features Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan on the 10-year anniversary of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and their expanded Biohub vision. They discuss how a “Frontier Biology Lab” working in sync with a “Frontier AI Lab” could enable breakthroughs like a Virtual Cell and true N-of-1 precision medicine. The conversation covers the acquisition of Evolutionary Scale and ESM3, new biological data collection at scale, and how AI-powered biology might transform drug discovery and disease prevention.
Sponsors:
Blitzy:
Blitzy is the autonomous code generation platform that ingests millions of lines of code to accelerate enterprise software development by up to 5x with premium, spec-driven output. Schedule a strategy session with their AI solutions consultants at https://blitzy.com
Framer:
Framer is an enterprise-grade website builder that lets business teams design, launch, and optimize their.com with AI-powered wireframing, real-time collaboration, and built-in analytics. Start building for free and get 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan at https://framer.com/cognitive
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(04:27) CZI origins and focus
(08:29) Why tools over cures
(14:43) Virtual cells and imaging (Part 1)
(20:19) Sponsors: Blitzy | Framer
(23:24) Virtual cells and imaging (Part 2)
(25:22) Data diversity and grounding
(32:30) Evaluating models and Biohub (Part 1)
(37:53) Sponsors: Serval | Tasklet
(40:42) Evaluating models and Biohub (Part 2)
(41:06) Future healthcare and aging
(53:39) Modeling scales and immunity
(58:53) Timelines, data, and collaboration
(01:04:01) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
AI & The Law: Changing Practice, Claude Constitution, & New Rights, w/ Kevin & Alan of Scaling Laws
2026/01/29
Kevin Frazier and Alan Rozenshtein explore how AI is reshaping the legal profession, from “secret cyborg” lawyers using tools like Harvey to the uncertain future of junior associates and access to legal services. They discuss maximalist legal services, AI-written “complete contingent contracts,” and where AI should fall between strict formalism and legal realism, including Claude’s virtue-ethics-inspired constitution. The conversation then turns to AI’s role in legislation and governance, including outcome-oriented law, the “Unitary Artificial Executive,” and new rights like the Right to Compute and the Right to Share personal data. They close by examining limits on government surveillance and how future debates over AI sentience and welfare could spark social conflict.
LINKS:
Article on automated AI compliance
GDPVal dataset lawyers tasks viewer
Polis online deliberation platform
Sponsors:
Blitzy:
Blitzy is the autonomous code generation platform that ingests millions of lines of code to accelerate enterprise software development by up to 5x with premium, spec-driven output. Schedule a strategy session with their AI solutions consultants at https://blitzy.com
Framer:
Framer is an enterprise-grade website builder that lets business teams design, launch, and optimize their.com with AI-powered wireframing, real-time collaboration, and built-in analytics. Start building for free and get 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan at https://framer.com/cognitive
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:35) Surveying AI-law landscape
(14:56) Legal deserts and demand (Part 1)
(15:02) Sponsors: Blitzy | Framer
(18:06) Legal deserts and demand (Part 2) (Part 1)
(28:25) Sponsors: Serval | Tasklet
(31:14) Legal deserts and demand (Part 2) (Part 2)
(31:14) AI and legal careers
(45:10) AI counsel and self-representation
(59:50) Maximalist law and outcomes
(01:12:30) Rules, principles, and Claude
(01:25:26) New rights and restraints
(01:38:26) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
The Internet Computer: Caffeine.ai CEO Dominic Williams on Unstoppable, Self-Writing Software
2026/01/25
Dominic Williams, President & Chief Scientist of the DFINITY Foundation and CEO of Caffeine AI, explains the Internet Computer and his vision of a “sovereign cloud where AI builds the web.” He breaks down core innovations like the Network Nervous System, Motoko, and orthogonal persistence, and how AI coding could remove adoption barriers. The conversation explores unstoppable applications, real-world case studies like OpenChat, and the tension between control, security, and decentralization in AI governance.
LINKS:
Anthropic article on smart contracts
Caffeine AI official website
Internet Computer network dashboard
Liquid Reign book website
Sponsors:
Blitzy:
Blitzy is the autonomous code generation platform that ingests millions of lines of code to accelerate enterprise software development by up to 5x with premium, spec-driven output. Schedule a strategy session with their AI solutions consultants at https://blitzy.com
MongoDB:
Tired of database limitations and architectures that break when you scale? MongoDB is the database built for developers, by developers—ACID compliant, enterprise-ready, and fluent in AI—so you can start building faster at https://mongodb.com/build
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:37) Origins of Internet Computer
(10:09) Decentralization philosophy and AI
(15:12) Tamper-proof architecture explained (Part 1)
(19:43) Sponsors: Blitzy | MongoDB
(22:08) Tamper-proof architecture explained (Part 2)
(25:25) Network design and scaling (Part 1)
(33:30) Sponsors: Serval | Tasklet
(35:50) Network design and scaling (Part 2)
(36:56) Replication costs and cloud
(50:35) Network Nervous System governance
(59:33) Caffeine, Motoko and persistence
(01:20:19) Self-writing cloud disruption
(01:32:30) Resilience and security guarantees
(01:41:23) Use cases and limitations
(01:49:56) AI misalignment and ensembles
(02:00:47) Kill switches and governance
(02:09:12) Future of self-writing software
(02:11:40) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
AMA Part 2: Is Fine-Tuning Dead? How Am I Preparing for AGI? Are We Headed for UBI? & More!
2026/01/22
In this AMA-style episode, Nathan takes on listener questions about whether fine-tuning is really on the way out, what emergent misalignment and weird generalization results tell us, and how to think about continual learning. He talks candidly about how he’s personally preparing for AGI—from career choices and investing to what resilience steps he has and hasn’t taken. The discussion also covers timelines for job disruption, whether UBI becomes inevitable, how to talk to kids and “normal people” about AI, and which safety approaches are most neglected.
Sponsors:
Blitzy:
Blitzy is the autonomous code generation platform that ingests millions of lines of code to accelerate enterprise software development by up to 5x with premium, spec-driven output. Schedule a strategy session with their AI solutions consultants at https://blitzy.com
MongoDB:
Tired of database limitations and architectures that break when you scale? MongoDB is the database built for developers, by developers—ACID compliant, enterprise-ready, and fluent in AI—so you can start building faster at https://mongodb.com/build
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) Ernie cancer update
(04:57) Is fine-tuning dead (Part 1)
(12:31) Sponsors: Blitzy | MongoDB
(14:57) Is fine-tuning dead (Part 2) (Part 1)
(26:56) Sponsors: Serval | Tasklet
(29:15) Is fine-tuning dead (Part 2) (Part 2)
(29:16) Continual learning cautions
(34:59) Talking to normal people
(39:30) Personal risk preparation
(49:59) Investing around AI safety
(01:00:39) Early childhood AI literacy
(01:08:55) Work disruption timelines
(01:27:58) Nonprofits, need, and UBI
(01:34:53) Benchmarks, AGI, and embodiment
(01:47:30) AI tooling and platforms
(01:57:01) Discourse norms and shaming
(02:05:50) Location and safety funding
(02:15:17) Turpentine deal and independence
(02:24:19) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
Pioneering PAI: How Daniel Miessler's Personal AI Infrastructure Activates Human Agency & Creativity
2026/01/18
Daniel Miessler shares his Personal AI Infrastructure (PAI) framework and vision for a future where single human owners are supported by armies of AI agents. He explains his TELOS system for defining purpose and goals, multi-layered memory design, and orchestration of multiple models and sub-agents. The conversation dives into cybersecurity impacts, from AI-accelerated testing to inevitable personalized spear-phishing and always-on defensive monitoring. Listeners will learn how scaffolding can turn frontier models into true digital assistants and even help reshape their own working habits.
LINKS:
PAI principles on GitHub README
Daniel Miessler about page
How Miessler's projects fit together
AI changes predictions for 2026
Fabric open-source AI framework
Personal AI Infrastructure GitHub repository
Current definition of AGI article
Why we'll have AGI by 2028
RAID AI definitions framework article
Unsupervised Learning newsletter signup
Daniel Miessler LinkedIn profile
Sponsors:
MongoDB:
Tired of database limitations and architectures that break when you scale? MongoDB is the database built for developers, by developers—ACID compliant, enterprise-ready, and fluent in AI—so you can start building faster at https://mongodb.com/build
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
Bringing AI to Data: Agent Design, Text-2-SQL, RAG, & more, w- Snowflake VP of AI Baris Gultekin
2026/01/14
Baris Gultekin, VP of AI at Snowflake, explains how “bringing AI to the data” is reshaping enterprise AI deployment under strict security and governance requirements. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. He shares the importance of bringing AI directly to governed enterprise data, advances in text-to-SQL and semantic modeling, and why high-quality retrieval is foundational for trustworthy AI agents. Baris also dives into Snowflake’s approach to agentic AI, including Snowflake Intelligence, model choice and cost tradeoffs, and why governance, security, and open standards are essential as AI becomes accessible to every business user.
LINKS:
AWS' Automated Reasoning checks
Sponsors:
MongoDB:
Tired of database limitations and architectures that break when you scale? MongoDB is the database built for developers, by developers—ACID compliant, enterprise-ready, and fluent in AI—so you can start building faster at https://mongodb.com/build
Serval:
Serval uses AI-powered automations to cut IT help desk tickets by more than 50%, freeing your team from repetitive tasks like password resets and onboarding. Book your free pilot and guarantee 50% help desk automation by week four at https://serval.com/cognitive
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:02) Snowflake 101 and AI
(09:25) Text-to-SQL and semantics
(19:10) RAG, embeddings and models (Part 1)
(19:17) Sponsors: MongoDB | Serval
(21:02) RAG, embeddings and models (Part 2)
(32:23) Bringing models to data (Part 1)
(32:29) Sponsors: MATS | Tasklet
(35:29) Bringing models to data (Part 2)
(51:14) Designing enterprise AI agents
(58:35) Trust, governance and guardrails
(01:07:14) Agents and future work
(01:15:33) Platforms, competition and value
(01:26:04) Enterprise models and outlook
(01:40:00) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
AMA Part 1: Is Claude Code AGI? Are we in a bubble? Plus Live Player Analysis
2026/01/09
In this AMA episode, Nathan gives an update on his son Ernie’s cancer treatment and how frontier AI models are helping him navigate complex medical decisions. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. He reflects on whether Claude Opus 4.5 and Claude Code amount to AGI-level coding, sharing stories of hospital vibe coding apps for his family. You’ll hear his framework for getting real value from Gemini 3, Claude, and GPT 5.2 Pro, plus his take on AI bubbles, Chinese models, chip controls, and who the true live players are in today’s AI race.
Sponsors:
MongoDB:
Tired of database limitations and architectures that break when you scale? MongoDB is the database built for developers, by developers—ACID compliant, enterprise-ready, and fluent in AI—so you can start building faster at https://mongodb.com/build
Framer:
Framer is an enterprise-grade website builder that lets business teams design, launch, and optimize their.com with AI-powered wireframing, real-time collaboration, and built-in analytics. Start building for free and get 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan at https://framer.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) AMA intro format
(00:22) Ernie health update
(09:24) Claude 4.5 question (Part 1)
(09:29) Sponsors: MongoDB | Framer
(11:21) Claude 4.5 question (Part 2)
(13:21) Using AI for cancer
(19:48) AI value and skill
(22:10) Holiday coding projects (Part 1)
(22:15) Sponsor: Tasklet
(23:27) Holiday coding projects (Part 2)
(28:01) Claude code workflow
(32:03) Is Claude 4.5 AGI
(36:04) AI bubble or not
(41:22) VC froth examples
(46:09) Chinese models comparison
(55:29) H200 exports to China
(01:03:40) Google DeepMind strengths
(01:11:55) OpenAI strategy outlook
(01:22:51) Anthropic culture and strategy
(01:36:17) XAI promise and risks
(01:48:20) Meta and Microsoft
(01:52:29) Part two preview
(01:53:39) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
Building & Scaling the AI Safety Research Community, with Ryan Kidd of MATS
2026/01/04
Ryan Kidd, Co-Executive Director of MATS, shares an inside view of the AI safety field and the world’s largest AI safety research talent pipeline. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. He discusses AGI timelines, the blurred line between safety and capabilities work, and why expert disagreement remains so high. In the second half, Ryan breaks down MATS’ research archetypes, what top AI safety organizations are looking for, and how applicants can stand out with the right projects, skills, and career strategy.
Sponsors:
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Agents of Scale:
Agents of Scale is a podcast from Zapier CEO Wade Foster, featuring conversations with C-suite leaders who are leading AI transformation. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:50) MATS mission, AGI timelines
(13:43) Evaluating current AI safety (Part 1)
(13:48) Sponsor: Tasklet
(14:59) Evaluating current AI safety (Part 2) (Part 1)
(28:11) Sponsors: Agents of Scale | Shopify
(30:58) Evaluating current AI safety (Part 2) (Part 2)
(30:59) Safety research versus capabilities
(40:01) Frontier labs, deployment, governance
(51:51) MATS tracks and governance
(01:04:11) Research archetypes and tooling
(01:12:25) Labor market and careers
(01:20:09) Applicant selection and preparation
(01:29:33) Admissions, salaries, and compute
(01:40:34) Future programs and paradigms
(01:54:11) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
Confronting the Intelligence Curse, w/ Luke Drago of Workshop Labs, from the FLI Podcast
2026/01/01
This cross-post episode from the Future of Life Institute podcast features Luke Drago, co-author of The Intelligence Curse and co-founder of Workshop Labs, in conversation with Gus Docker. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. They explore whether it’s wise to build AI systems that directly compete with and potentially replace humans as economic actors, and how this could create an “Intelligence Curse” where those who control AI gain extreme power. Luke outlines societal strategies like open-source AI, company-level design principles that keep users in control of their data, and personal tactics such as N-of-1 careers and pursuing moonshot projects early.
Sponsors:
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Agents of Scale:
Agents of Scale is a podcast from Zapier CEO Wade Foster, featuring conversations with C-suite leaders who are leading AI transformation. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:07) Defining The Intelligence Curse
(09:34) Pyramid Replacement And Work (Part 1)
(15:55) Sponsors: MATS | Tasklet
(18:55) Pyramid Replacement And Work (Part 2)
(25:29) Local Knowledge, Data Control
(33:58) Dystopian Intelligence Curse Future (Part 1)
(34:04) Sponsors: Agents of Scale | Shopify
(36:52) Dystopian Intelligence Curse Future (Part 2)
(48:07) Open, Safe AI Futures
(01:02:47) Loyal Agents Versus Ads
(01:14:06) Moonshots Over Safe Paths
(01:17:49) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
Controlling Tools or Aligning Creatures? Emmett Shear (Softmax) & Séb Krier (GDM), from a16z Show
2025/12/27
Emmett Shear and Séb Krier debate whether today’s AI alignment paradigm—focused on control and instruction-following—is fundamentally flawed. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. They explore what changes if advanced AIs are better understood as beings with their own values, and why current control methods could drift toward something like slavery. The conversation dives into “organic alignment,” multi-agent simulations, evolving cooperation, and the possibility of AI moral standing as systems gain memory and continual learning.
Sponsors:
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Agents of Scale:
Agents of Scale is a podcast from Zapier CEO Wade Foster, featuring conversations with C-suite leaders who are leading AI transformation. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(03:44) Defining organic AI alignment
(14:48) Technical vs value alignment (Part 1)
(19:55) Sponsors: MATS | Tasklet
(22:56) Technical vs value alignment (Part 2) (Part 1)
(31:34) Sponsors: Agents of Scale | Shopify
(34:21) Technical vs value alignment (Part 2) (Part 2)
(34:22) Labs, tools, and beings
(43:22) AI personhood and consciousness
(56:53) Safe futures and Softmax
(01:04:17) Chatbots, mirrors, simulations
(01:10:14) Doom, futures, and OpenAI
(01:17:25) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
The Great Security Update: AI ∧ Formal Methods with Kathleen Fisher of RAND & Byron Cook of AWS
2025/12/24
Kathleen Fisher and Byron Cook dive into automated reasoning and formal verification as tools for building truly secure software systems. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. They explain how formal methods can harden critical infrastructure against AI-enabled cyberattacks, and how assumptions, specifications, and proofs combine to deliver real security guarantees. The conversation explores using these techniques to train coding models, enable a “great software rewrite,” and power AWS’s new automated reasoning checks for AI agents and policy compliance.
Sponsors:
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Agents of Scale:
Agents of Scale is a podcast from Zapier CEO Wade Foster, featuring conversations with C-suite leaders who are leading AI transformation. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) About the Episode
(04:52) AI Reshapes Cybersecurity
(10:16) Formal Methods Foundations
(17:46) Security Properties Assumptions (Part 1)
(21:27) Sponsors: MATS | Tasklet
(24:27) Security Properties Assumptions (Part 2)
(28:31) Helicopter Formal Verification
(38:15) Proof Confidence And AWS (Part 1)
(41:52) Sponsors: Agents of Scale | Shopify
(44:40) Proof Confidence And AWS (Part 2)
(50:33) Automated Reasoning For Policies
(01:04:39) Generative AI Meets Verification
(01:19:42) Securing Future AI Systems
(01:31:19) Agentic Guardrails And Governance
(01:40:44) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai
Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast
Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
AI 2025 → 2026 Live Show | Part 2
2025/12/19
This year-end live show features nine rapid-fire conversations to make sense of AI’s 2025 and what might define 2026. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. New York Assemblymember Alex Boris breaks down the RAISE Act's bid to curb catastrophic AI risks, the governor negotiations, and why a16z-backed ads are targeting him. Former White House AI adviser Dean Ball maps the emerging coalitions on AI, federal preemption, and what fast-improving coding agents could mean for policy and jobs. Forecaster Peter Wildeford debates selling vs "renting" chips to China and offers a 2026 outlook on agents, costs, and robotics. Recorded live as part of our AI 2025→2026 series (Part 2).
Sponsors:
Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio:
Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio lets you build fully functional apps from a simple description—no coding required. Start vibe coding your idea today at https://ai.studio/build
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Framer:
Framer is the all-in-one tool to design, iterate, and publish stunning websites with powerful AI features. Start creating for free and use code COGNITIVE to get one free month of Framer Pro at https://framer.com/design
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) Sponsor: Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio
(00:31) RAISE Act status
(04:52) Catastrophic risk focus
(10:47) Super PAC backlash
(16:17) Data centers and grid
(19:47) Palantir and surveillance
(23:42) Dean Ball joins (Part 1)
(23:46) Sponsors: MATS | Framer
(27:05) Dean Ball joins (Part 2)
(32:00) Social media lessons
(36:22) Trump preemption and chips (Part 1)
(40:51) Sponsors: Shopify | Tasklet
(43:59) Trump preemption and chips (Part 2)
(44:50) Structural US-China decoupling
(49:39) Peter on chip ban
(55:43) Threat model and renting
(01:02:55) Cost drops, revenue
(01:16:03) Forecasting paradigm shifts
(01:20:38) 2026 agents and robots
(01:31:41) Show wrap and markets
(01:42:28) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
AI 2025 → 2026 Live Show | Part 1
2025/12/18
This year-end live show features nine rapid-fire conversations to make sense of AI’s 2025 and what might define 2026. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. Zvi Moshowitz maps the OpenAI–Anthropic–Google race, the denialism gap, and why his PDoom is still ~60–70%. Greg (ARC-AGI Prize), Eugenia Kuyda, Ali Behrouz, Logan Kirkpatrick, and Jungwon Hwang cover sample-efficient benchmarks and ARC-AGI 3, companions and human-flourishing metrics, continual-learning memory, Gemini 3 Flash for developers, and AI for scientific decisions.
Sponsors:
Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio:
Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio lets you build fully functional apps from a simple description—no coding required. Start vibe coding your idea today at https://ai.studio/build
MATS:
MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr
Framer:
Framer is the all-in-one tool to design, iterate, and publish stunning websites with powerful AI features. Start creating for free and use code COGNITIVE to get one free month of Framer Pro at https://framer.com/design
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) Sponsor: Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio
(00:31) Live show experiment
(02:26) Zvi: discourse and denial
(13:28) Continual learning and doom
(22:05) ArcAGI: what's missing (Part 1)
(22:09) Sponsors: MATS | Framer
(25:28) ArcAGI: what's missing (Part 2)
(31:58) Scaffolds and tiny models
(38:58) ArcAGI 3 game worlds
(45:13) AI companions landscape (Part 1)
(45:21) Sponsors: Shopify | Tasklet
(48:29) AI companions landscape (Part 2)
(58:14) Wabi apps and caution
(01:08:16) Nested learning, layered memory
(01:23:14) Gemini 3 Flash launch
(01:34:09) RAG, agents, dev advice
(01:42:20) Elicit speeds evidence synthesis
(01:57:57) Outro
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
AI's Energy & Water Demands: Sorting Fact from Fiction with Andy Masley
2025/12/14
Andy Masley on AI energy and water use unpacks common myths and brings an Effective Altruism lens to the debate. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. You’ll get memorable heuristics—one ChatGPT query ≈ running a microwave for one second; 10,000 queries ≈ a cross-town car trip, burger, or hot shower—and clear comparisons about data center power, solar land area, and an estimated 80 GW buildout. We also cover local impacts, water trade-offs, uncertainty drivers, and why AI’s global resource footprint is smaller than many fear while noting where caution is still warranted.
LINKS:
Andy Masley Substack homepage
Power Hungry Processing paper PDF
Energy Efficiency AI Benchmarks PDF
Deep neural network energy paper
Gemini Deep Research report
ChatGPT 5.1 Pro report
Claude Opus 4.5 report
Altman “The Gentle Singularity”
SemiAnalysis AI datacenter energy dilemma
Epoch OpenAI compute spend
Dean Ball Out of Thin Air
Sponsors:
Framer:
Framer is the all-in-one tool to design, iterate, and publish stunning websites with powerful AI features. Start creating for free and use code COGNITIVE to get one free month of Framer Pro at https://framer.com/design
Agents of Scale:
Agents of Scale is a podcast from Zapier CEO Wade Foster, featuring conversations with C-suite leaders who are leading AI transformation. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts
Tasklet:
Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai
Shopify:
Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive
PRODUCED BY:
https://aipodcast.ing
Podcast reviews
Read "The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis podcast reviews
SonnetTokenCruncher 2025/11/19
The best AI episode I’ve ever listened. Full stop
I listen to AI podcasts all of the time and I have never written a review. The most recent episode on how Nathan is using AI to help his son is the b...
UnhappyMarinersFan 2025/09/07
Always Great, Zvi needs a mic!
Always valuable conversations. Zvi is on enough that I think Turpentine should buy him a mic! We want to really hear what he has to say. Love the show...
Sneha Saigal 2025/03/25
Fantastic podcast!
This is one of the most informative podcasts on AI. The deep dives with industry leaders like Tokarev Sela are so insightful!
DApple50000 2025/04/08
Let the guests talk!
The guests this podcast gets are great. Unfortunately, the host of this show wants so desperately to show the guests (who have real AI credits) how mu...
ohforthesakeofgod 2025/01/12
Great content, faulty production
I’m not in the industry, simply curious to understand our future. The technical stuff goes over my head sometimes but there’s so much else here for an...
kaleikoWave 2024/11/05
Thoughtful, intelligent conversation about AI
The IQ level is high on this pod, and I always learn something.
Pluteski 2024/03/28
Excellent content, but…
…. Difficult to understand due to the sound. Perhaps invest in better microphone for the host and ensure that the guests use them too.
NeoDadaist 2024/11/01
Entertaining Totalitarianism under the guise of commerce.
I’m done and enough to write my first review. Entertaining what a totalitarian leader would bring to AI is unethical and amoral. Its attempt at narrow...
Wightout 2024/02/16
I enjoy this a lot and you might too
The cognitive revolution is an amazing podcast that has really captured my interest. The host talks with AI experts about the significant ways artific...
JohnW8111 2024/01/10
Terrific AI podcast
Nathan does a great job to find important and interesting material to share with the audience on a regular basis. He has a diverse group that he inter...
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