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EPISODE · Sep 16, 2026 · 42 MIN

Ethan Zuckerman: Will artificial intelligence destroy us all?

from The Prospect Podcast

As tech insiders warn about an impending apocalypse, Ellen and Imaan are joined by Ethan Zuckerman, Prospect contributor and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to examine those claims. He discusses AI agents going rogue in the Hugging Face incident, as well as recent calls from tech leaders to slow down AI development. With Trump dismissing safety concerns, Ethan also discusses US competition with China, how global thinking around AI differs—and why he doesn't trust the industry to self-regulate. Ethan explores how we can reclaim agency around AI, and the importance of local and community-oriented conversations, including a surprising initiative from a Maori radio station. Plus, what might a uniquely British AI look like? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Exciting news! From October, the Prospect Podcast will have a new format and a new name: On ‘Tell Me Why’, Prospect’s editors, writers and guests will explore the ideas behind the biggest news stories of the week. Subscribe to the channel to be part of our new chapter. And to read Ethan’s piece ‘Should Trump create an AI sovereign wealth fund’, click here or head to prospectmagazine.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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