Episodes

  • The Bitter Lesson by Rich Sutton
    Aug 21 2025

    In his now famous piece still relevant piece from 2019 Sutton teaches us that the critical lesson from decades of AI research:leveraging computation through general methods is far more effective than incorporating human knowledge into AI systems.


    Original article here.

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    9 mins
  • The Agentic Web: Weaving the Next Web with AI Agents
    Aug 20 2025

    Today we're covering our first scientific paper. The authors present "Agentic Web," a comprehensive conceptual framework for the next phase of the internet, where autonomous AI agents act as primary intermediaries.


    Let us know how you like this format by emailing us, details at the end of the podcast!



    Article is here: Agentic Web: Weaving the Next Web with AI Agents


    Research paper is here: Arxiv research link
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    21 mins
  • How to Build a Career That Thrives Alongside AI by Ines Lee
    Aug 19 2025

    Ines Lee—a former economics professor who led content creation for productivity expert Ali Abdaal—reframes the challenge as opportunity: Instead of chasing AI engineering skills, become T-shaped with deep expertise in one area plus broad capabilities across related domains. Her three-phase framework shows exactly where humans add irreplaceable value, proving that markets reward relevance over credentials. Plus: Five steps to start building your T shape.



    Original article hereReferences from this article
    • T-shaped professional concept by Tim Brown (IDEO cofounder)
    • McKinsey report on rising demand for socio-emotional skills
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    18 mins
  • The Right to Resist by Leon Furze
    Aug 18 2025

    In this article, Leon explains why he supports the right of educators and academics to refuse the use of artificial intelligence and why he believe some of the criticisms levelled against resistors are flawed.

    Original article here: The Right to ResistReferences from this article
    • The Myth of Inevitable AI
    • Publishers' Open Letter Against AI
    • Artists and Writers Open Letter on AI Copyright
    • Netherlands Academics Open Letter on AI
    • Australian/US Educators Open Letter Refusing GenAI
    • AI Ethics - Technology Flaws
    • Network Effects and Social Media Companies
    • Instructure and OpenAI Partnership
    • Environmental Costs of AI
    • AI Copyright Issues
    • AI Bias Issues
    • AI Privacy Concerns
    • AI Data Collection Issues
    • Microsoft Research on GenAI Impact on Critical Thinking
    • Rethinking Assessment for GenAI Ebook
    • The Myth of Inevitable AI Podcast Episode
    • It's Uncomfortable on the Fence But At Least the View is Nice
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    13 mins
  • Learning to Learn is the North Star of an AI World by Stefan Bauschard
    Aug 15 2025

    This article underscores the need for educational reform in the face of technological evolution. As we think about the role of education, we must consider how to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and resilience in our students—essential skills for navigating an uncertain future.



    Original article here: Learning to LearnReferences from this article
    • Encouraging Metacognition in the Classroom | Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
    • Metacognitive Strategies | Center for Teaching Innovation
    • Teaching Metacognitive Strategies in the Classroom
    • Fostering Metacognition to Support Student Learning and Performance | CBE—Life Sciences Education
    • Metacognition | Teaching + Learning Lab
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    9 mins
  • GPT-5: It Just Does Stuff by Ethan Mollick
    Aug 14 2025

    Ethan Mollick shares examples about what GPT-5 gets right and what it just decides it's going to do without being asked. Despite its advancements, GPT-5 still requires human oversight to correct errors and validate results, emphasizing the need for collaborative interaction with AI.



    Original article: GPT-5: It Just Does StuffReferences from this article
    • Google Gemini 2.5 with Deep Think achieving gold medal at the International Math Olympiad
    • 3D city builder simulator created with GPT-5
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    12 mins
  • Keeping AI agents under control doesn't seem very hard by Timothy B. Lee
    Aug 13 2025

    Lee's perspective on AI reframes the conversation from fear to practical management strategies. He argues that concerns about losing control over AI agents may be overstated. He suggests that with proper supervision, similar to how humans manage tasks and responsibilities, organizations can effectively integrate AI systems without ceding too much control. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, Lee advocates for a balanced approach that emphasizes human oversight and robust review processes to harness AI's potential safely.


    Original article here: https://www.understandingai.org/p/keeping-ai-agents-under-control-doesnt

    References from this article:

    • 2024 paper by Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton on AI risk
    • Agent Week series - Reinforcement Learning Explained
    • Agent Week series - How AI Agents Got Good at Using Tools
    • What I Learned Trying Seven Coding Agents
    • Principle of Least Privilege
    • Apollo Research study on AI scheming capabilities
    • Why I'm Not Worried About AI Taking Over the Physical World
    • Predictions of AI Doom Are Too Much About the Future
    • Why I'm Not Afraid of Superintelligent AI
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    20 mins
  • AI is fast. Automation is slow. Can they meet? By Matt Beane
    Aug 12 2025

    Recent studies show we can get better results by using generative AI. But to get them at scale, our organizations would have to change, and that's slow and difficult. genAI itself may change all that.


    Original article: https://www.wildworldofwork.org/p/ai-is-fast-automation-is-slow-can

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    25 mins