Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Timothy B. Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter and host of the AI Summer podcast, joins Robert Wright to discuss whether AI is a “normal technology” or something much, much more.

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0:00 Teaser
1:00 Is AI a normal technology?
6:31 Mythos and the METR curve
16:24 The current state of coding agents
20:41 The total turbulence problem
23:42 Does Mythos favor offense or defense?
29:50 Mythos and hype
32:30 Regulating dangerous AI
38:48 The centralization problem
40:53 Heading to Overtime

Discussed in Overtime:
Tesla vs. Waymo.
Altman on trial.
Elon's new compute empire.
Will humans still have jobs?
The future of status, striving and service work.
Getting sentimental about AIs.
How Tim uses AI.
Tim's pricey robot dog.

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Timothy B. Lee (Full Stack Economics, Understanding AI, AI Summer). Recorded May 11, 2026.

Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods