Reading list
A collection of podcasts and writings that I find useful and informative (sometimes even funny) for navigating this complex world of AI - very much biased towards my personal taste and not intended to be comprehensive.
Start here
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Machine Gods
A twice-weekly video podcast about AI from Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, formerly of Hard Fork. I find their work accessible, balanced and entertaining.
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Platformer
Casey Newton's independent newsletter on big tech, AI and the companies building it.
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AI Explained
A channel breaking down major AI model releases and research. I've only just started following but seems to be very informed and up to the minute.
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The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Interviews about AI's ethical, economic and social effects, hosted by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic. This one tends to be a little more cerebral and intellectual.
Go deeper
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Personal AI footprint calculator
Enter your average day of AI use and this tool adds it up into one carbon and water cost, set against your own footprint and the everyday things around it. Numbers for AI's energy and water come from EcoLogits, an open-source estimator of the energy, carbon, and water behind each AI model.
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Andy Masley
An independent writer and researcher who writes essays on AI, data centers, animal welfare, political liberalism, and more. Writes from a broadly effective altruist perspective. Recently named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in AI for writing on data centers and the environment. Personally I find his writing a useful antidote and a much needed balanced perspective on alarmist media headlines.
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The AGI Chronicles
The inside story of the race between OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind to build artificial general intelligence. I've just started listening to this book but have 100% faith it will be excellent as the rest of KR's work.
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Ethan Mollick
Co-Existence (2026) and Co-Intelligence (2024), two books on working and living alongside AI, plus his newsletter One Useful Thing on the latest developments.
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Every
A media company that writes about AI and builds its own AI tools. Daily newsletter, essays and the Every (previously AI & I) podcast.
Straight from the source
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DeepMind Institute
Essays on AGI and its effects on society, edited by Shane Legg. Directors include Demis Hassabis.
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Anthropic research
Research published by the company behind Claude.
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OpenAI research
Research published by the company behind ChatGPT.
Bigger picture and risks
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80,000 Hours Podcast
Long-form interviews on the world's most pressing problems, with a strong focus on AI risk.
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Statement on AI Risk
A one-sentence statement signed by leading AI scientists, including Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio.
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Statement on Superintelligence
Calls for a ban on building superintelligence until it can be done safely and has public support. Signatories include Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio.
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If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
The case that building superintelligence would end humanity. I found this one a bit scary, provocative and really interesting.