Possible
Possible

Possible

Reid Hoffman

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Episodes

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What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what’s possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology—and, in particular, AI—is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Inflection’s Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do. Lastly, between guest episodes, Aria interviews her co-host Reid on his latest takes on what’s possible if we use technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

Recent Episodes

Anja Manuel on AI, China, and national security
FEB 12, 2025
Anja Manuel on AI, China, and national security
What role can AI play in international diplomacy and national security? In this episode, Reid and Aria sit down with Anja Manuel, a former diplomat, author, and one of the leading voices in AI and foreign policy. She has the unique ability to bridge the gaps between technology, policy and diplomacy. They discuss international AI governance, China, potential threats of bio-terrorism, and the strategic decisions that the US and its allies must make to navigate this complex landscape of innovation with regulation. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/  For the referenced Possible episode featuring Kim Stanley Robinson: https://link.chtbl.com/8YMsBlzg Topics: 1:21 - Episode introduction  3:44 - Hellos and intros  4:38 - Where the U.S. and China rank in the Great AI Race 6:09 - Deepseek explainer 7:27 - Which technologies the U.S. should prioritize 9:05 - Why it’s important for the U.S. to stay in the lead 10:41 - How to maintain that lead 16:27 - Current examples of AI in national security work  18:30 - Impediments to further integrating AI 20:13 - How to connect national security to cutting edge technology  24:35 - The potential risks to incorporating AI 28:50 - Midroll ad  28:55 - How to stay safe against the risks  32:05 - The helpfulness of AI Safety Institutes 33:25 - International treaties for AI 36:11 - The current U.S.-China relationship 38:50 - How to return to a more positive relationship 41:28 - The economic race  43:25 - Anja’s advice for the new administration 45:01 - Key players and swing states 50:24 - How to make a cyber treaty work  52:57 - Rapid-fire questions  Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
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60 MIN
Greg Beato on superagency, AI, and the cognitive industrial revolution
JAN 29, 2025
Greg Beato on superagency, AI, and the cognitive industrial revolution
In an age of increasingly ubiquitous AI, how do we maintain control of our lives and successfully plot our own destinies? In this episode, Reid is in the hotseat alongside writer Greg Beato, discussing this and more in the context of their new book, Superagency. Greg is a seasoned journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Wired, The Washington Post, Reason, Spin, and Slate, to name a few. He and Reid delve into what could possibly go right with our AI future; the cognitive industrial revolution; and the difference between AI Doomers, Gloomers, Zoomers, and Bloomers. Plus, Reid’s AI avatar makes a cameo to join for a few rounds of the game “Overrated/Underrated.”  For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/  For more on Superagency, check out superagency.ai.  Topics: 2:04 - Overrated/Underrated Round I 5:02 - Why Reid chose Greg as his co-author 6:01 - Why Greg wanted to write this book 8:19 - Why Reid chose this book topic at this particular time 11:21 - How the rise of AI is similar to the rise of social media 16:36 - Agency, superagency, and AI 19:59 - Overrated/Underrated Round II 23:28 - Defining AI Doomers, Gloomers, Zoomers, and Bloomers 28:46 - How AI amplifies agency 32:16 - How ChatGPT shifted people’s relationship with AI 37:21 - Choosing AI vs. AI being baked into technologies  39:28 - Speed and scale in the current AI moment 44:37 - How innovation and safety can coexist 48:49 - Rapid-fire Questions Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
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57 MIN
Bret Taylor on conversational AI, voice, and agents
JAN 22, 2025
Bret Taylor on conversational AI, voice, and agents
What new kinds of jobs will AI bring that we never could have imagined before?  In this special two-part episode, Reid and Aria explore this question and more with Sierra co-founder and OpenAI chairperson Bret Taylor. Part one features audio from Bret's onstage interview at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit, where he shared his insights on the voice revolution in AI, the technology’s latest role as a phone customer service agent, and the groundbreaking business opportunities still waiting to be explored in the AI space. Reid and Aria invited Bret to continue the conversation in part two, diving deeper into how AI might reshape our workforce, create new career opportunities, and spark industries we haven’t yet imagined. With leadership experience at both startups (Quip and Friendfeed) and large tech companies (Facebook, Salesforce, and Twitter), Bret is uniquely positioned to track and seize opportunities in the quickly-developing AI industry. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ Topics: 00:57 - Episode introduction 02:02 - What Bret sees in AI 06:00 - Most exciting upcoming AI breakthrough 08:40 - The three main areas of AI innovation 09:41 - What is the AI voice revolution? 14:07 - First steps in AI customer service 18:15 - Role of entrepreneurs in AI development 22:52 - Parenting and AI 27:48 - Understanding AI inflection points 31:28 - AI as the new dot com market 34:21 - Is the AI market already full? 37:50 - More on the AI voice revolution 45:06 - Predicting how AI will change the world 53:57 - What people are missing about AI 58:29 - Superagency opportunities 1:00:14 - Rapid-fire Questions Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
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67 MIN