Small Potatoes

Small Potatoes

Is AI a form of life?

Podcast with Robert Wright

Paul Bloom's avatar
Paul Bloom
Sep 07, 2026
∙ Paid

Robert Wright and I meet every once in a while to discuss the issues of the day. This is a joint production of Small Potatoes and Bob’s Non-Zero Podcast. Here’s the most recent meeting.

0:00 Why Bob is (extra) freaked out
5:32 Inside the minds of OpenAI's rogue agents
12:09 Is true alignment a pipe dream?
14:57 The new development that’s spiked Bob’s AI anxiety
23:19 Paul’s pushback via literary parable
28:14 Is it time to REALLY freak out about AI? A debate
43:46 Heading to Overtime

Paid subscribers get the overtime segment, which includes:

AI freakout debate (cont’d).
Paul nails the problem with Claude’s writing style.
AI passes the academic Turing test.
Nolan’s Odyssey vs classicist critic.
Bob vs Disclosure Day’s detractors.
Weeping Greeks, wokeness, and our pre-post-ironic age.

They also get an astonishing 50% discount on Bob’s podcast/newsletter.

Small Potatoes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Paul Bloom.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 paulbloom · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture