So much of the debate around AI is on the level of vibes or mystic predictions.

I wanted to come back to a grounded view of what AI is actually good at today. No doom, no hype.

I've long admired Rohit's work and his excellent Substack - Strange Loop Canon - much of which details his extensive experimentation and assessment of AI, so he was the perfect guest for this topic

Key topics

• AI's superpowers in verifiable domains like coding and problem-solving
• Limitations in reasoning and judgment
• The role of benchmarks in evaluating AI performance
• The concept of AGI and its misconceptions
• Societal responses and accountability for AI risks
• Legal and regulatory considerations for AI safety
• The importance of realistic expectations and responsible innovation

Where you can watch/listen

Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HumansintheLoopPod

Apple podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humans-in-the-loop/id1831285114⁠

Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4BbslJR0KA5bfqrcYRhJER?si=b5a46211098b4f3e⁠

Or wherever you get your podcasts!Get in touch

Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod/⁠

Email: ⁠seb@theuncommonfounder.com⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.comWhere to find Rohit

https://www.strangeloopcanon.com/

Scott Aaronson is a Computer Scientist, Complexity Theorist and leading authority on Quantum Computing.

As he says himself, he's spent twenty years trying to dispel some of the commonly held myths about it.

As a non-scientist, I've spent some time trying to wrap my head around quantum mechanics and it still blows my mind everytime I try to think about it. This conversation was as close as I've ever been to properly understanding it.

Key topics

Quantum mechanics and probability

Quantum superposition and interference

Building reliable quantum hardware

Quantum algorithms like Shor's and Grover's

Cryptography and post-quantum security

Quantum error correction and scalability

Implications for AI and societal risks

Where you can watch/listen

Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HumansintheLoopPod

Apple podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humans-in-the-loop/id1831285114⁠

Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4BbslJR0KA5bfqrcYRhJER?si=b5a46211098b4f3e⁠

Or wherever you get your podcasts!

Get in touch

Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod/⁠

Email: ⁠seb@theuncommonfounder.com⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

Sir Dieter Helm is the UK's leading energy economist and Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford.

He is also the first Knight of the Realm on Humans in the Loop.

As a proud Brit and European, I care deeply about British and European prosperity. Technology is not the only driver of that, but it is an important one. And given the geopolitical state of the world, there is going to be more and more importance placed on sovereignty i.e. our ability to stand on our own two feet.

I often run into this argument that one of the major blockers to sovereign British technology is the high cost of British energy, so I brought Dieter on to talk about British energy and what a more sovereign technological future might look like.

Dieter's book - Climate Realism: Facing the Facts about Energy is out on October 8th: https://dieterhelm.co.uk/books/climate-realism/

Key topics

UK deindustrialization and its impact on emissions

Intermittent renewable energy and system costs

Cost structure of industrial energy in the UK

Global competitiveness and energy prices

The role of nuclear and firm power

Sovereignty and energy independence post-Brexit

Global energy resources and geopolitical risks

Technological innovation in energy and AI

Where you can watch/listen

Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HumansintheLoopPod

Apple podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humans-in-the-loop/id1831285114⁠

Spotify⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4BbslJR0KA5bfqrcYRhJER?si=b5a46211098b4f3e⁠Or wherever you get your podcasts!

Get in touch

Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/humansinthelooppod/⁠

Email: ⁠seb@theuncommonfounder.com⁠

Website: ⁠https://www.theuncommonfounder.com

Where to find Sir Dieter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dieter-helm-3077b214b/

Website: https://dieterhelm.co.uk/