Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the world, raising urgent questions about its impact, governance, and the future of human-machine collaboration. As AI systems become more capable, society faces challenges around safety and the balance of power. What does it mean to build and deploy technology that can reason, create, and potentially automate research itself? How do leading researchers navigate the technical and ethical frontiers of this new era?

Jakub Pachocki, Chief Scientist at OpenAI, and Szymon Sidor, Technical Fellow at OpenAI, share their journeys from early programming competitions in Poland to shaping some of the most advanced AI systems in the world. They discuss the evolution of AI research, the technical and emotional challenges of building breakthrough models, and the profound societal questions that come with unprecedented progress.

2:42 - Origin story: high school to OpenAI

6:31 - “AI enlightenment” and AlphaGo moment

17:12 - Early OpenAI culture and impostor syndrome

23:30 - Power duo dynamic and collaboration

27:25 - Shift to reasoning models

36:23 - Possibilities of AGI

42:12 - OpenAI’s pandemic efforts showed AI’s immaturity

51:15 - Governance lessons from crisis

55:39 - AI safety and optimism for the future

AI systems are beginning to act on our behalf — executing tasks, making decisions, and influencing daily life in ways that often escape direct human oversight. What are the consequences of delegating decision-making to systems we don’t fully understand? How do we design AI to enhance human capabilities without sidelining human judgment?



In this episode, host Aleksander Mądry welcomes Jonathan Zittrain, Professor at Harvard Law School and Co-Founder of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. They explore the legal, ethical, and societal challenges of living alongside increasingly autonomous AI. Drawing on lessons from the internet’s evolution, Zittrain examines how we can structure responsibility, foster innovation, and build systems that truly serve the public good — all while navigating the profound opportunities and risks of this technological transformation.

09:20 - Three eras of internet evolution

14:56 - Generative tech and equilibrium challenges

20:59 - Generativity vs. closed systems

26:36 - The promise and pitfalls of AI assistants

32:56 - Privacy, privilege, and AI user rights

39:01 - Regulation, self-regulation, and global policy

48:28 - Defining AI agents and their real-world impact

52:26 - AI’s potential to empower the marginalized

1:15:41 - Acceleration, agency, and the future

As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, it raises urgent questions about trust, accountability, and human agency. What happens when people over-rely on AI or when helpful tools are held back by perfectionism? Can we deploy imperfect systems while still earning public confidence?

Reid Hoffman, Co-Author of “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future,” joins this episode to explore how AI can enhance, not replace, human judgment. He discusses democratic leadership, global competition, and the design choices that shape user agency. Reid also shares his perspective on long-term AI investment beyond short-term hype.



03:00 - Superagency and human-centered design

17:27 - Risk, regulation, and collective action

21:42 - Rethinking agency in the age of agents

31:18 - Trust, regulation, and system design

55:09 - Building trust through real-world AI benefits

1:06:07 - China’s ambition and multipolar competition

1:09:00 - Investing in applied AI with real impact

1:14:00 - Reid’s hope for AI engagement