Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Cal interviews Emile Torres who provides a stark warning about AI. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) A stark warning from a former AI doomer (2:01) Interview with Emile Torres (1:13:57) Cal recaps the interview with Emile Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Ben Crain and Rob Montz for video editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the more debilitating experiences in our current digital world is the sense of being trapped in relentless, reactive, busyness. This “whirlwind” can separate you from both ambition and presence, leaving you feeling flat and fried. In this episode, Cal discusses a simple trick he deploys when he finds himself in this state. It requires only a single sheet of paper. More from Cal Download Cal’s FREE guide to cultivating a deeper life: calnewport.com/ideas Learn more about Cal’s books: calnewport.com/books Listen to Cal’s podcast: thedeeplife.com/listen (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:25) Why Overload Makes Life Feel Flat (00:05:17) The Two Plus Five Plan (00:21:54) The Long-Term Fix: Workload Management (00:26:04) Office Hours: Rebuilding After a Health Crisis (00:31:50) Landlining and Taming Your Phone (00:46:54) Talking to AI, Star Trek Style (00:55:57) September Books and Studio Update Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.superhuman.com https://www.pipedrive.com/deep https://www.scribe.how/deep Credits: Podcast Production: Jesse Miller Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler Theme Music: Jay Kerstens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The conversation around AI harms has become incredibly heated in recent weeks. But it's also incredibly confusing. In this short explainer episode, Cal walks through the three major categories of beliefs around AI in the current moment and helps explain who belongs where and how they all relate to each other. If you're trying to keep up with AI news you have need to learn this framework. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (1:01) Why the debate is so heated (2:01) Group 1: The Doomers (rationalists and effective altruists) (9:12) Anthropic, OpenAI, and the doomer civil war (14:03) Group 2: The Accelerationists (17:51) Group 3: The Centrists (24:00) The full landscape and the fight over regulation Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at ⁠www.calnewport.com/slow ⁠ Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at ⁠https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/⁠ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all the recent discussion of the potential catastrophic impacts AI might cause in the future, we’re losing track of the significant harms it is already causing right now. In this episode, Cal goes deep into a serious and tragic topic that he recently learned about in a panel discussion about children and technology. He has an urgent warning for parents that has implications for all of us as well. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Kids should not use Chatbots (39:52) What is Cal’s opinion of a recent NY Times article about dumb phones? (45:04) How should I apply Slow Productivity when my company rewards quick email turnaround? (51:00) What happens when the craftsman mindset doesn’t yield results? (56:30) Cal’s reaction to Ezra Klein’s article on AI (1:10:51) What Cal is up to Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5545749/ai-chatbots-safety-openai-meta-characterai-teens-suicide https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-allege-harmful-character-ai-chatbot-content-60-minutes/ https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/04/08/alleged-florida-state-shooter-used-chatgpt-plan-attack-victims-attorneys-claim/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12967755/ https://parentstogetheraction.org/character-ai/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/dumbphone-smartphone-friendship.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/opinion/ai-ban-self-improvement-recursive-models.html?eafs_enabled=false Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.masterclass.com/deep https://www.calderalab.com/deep https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions https://www.pipedrive.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent New York Times op-ed reveals the true nature of “brain rot,” and in doing so reveals a much larger problem affecting us all. In this episode, Cal explores this broader problem then draws from an unlikely source from his childhood to help identify a dramatic solution. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) The truth about brain rot (31:31) Will you address Immanuale Kants “Critique of Pure Reason” in your upcoming book about thinking? (33:42) What is the difference between the strategic plan and vision document? (36:59) Can I buy the “Deep Life” on pre-order? (39:30) Cal discusses his recent newsletters (41:54) My small business uses Claude. Is that ok? (44:45) Are any AI companies responsible to use? (45:28) The truth about LLMs (45:45) What are some AI book recommendations? (46:42) AI and regulation (50:25) What Cal is up to? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePNs-G7puA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIeeDcnu9Ck https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/opinion/gen-z-tiktok-ig-reels.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlnmQbPGuls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRKcUtOkbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zYn-HHcyA Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.quo.com/deep https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices