Aug 04, 2026

40 Trillion Tokens a Day (Yes, More Than OpenAI) | Lin Qiao, CEO of Fireworks

Lin Qiao, CEO of Fireworks, discusses why specialized AI models built on private company data are the future, contrasting them with general-purpose models. She argues for "open intelligence," revealing Fireworks processes over 40 trillion tokens daily from customized models, more than OpenAI's API. Qiao emphasizes the economic and strategic imperative for companies to own their specialized intelligence, advocating for open-sourcing by frontier labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, while detailing Fireworks' proprietary, quality-obsessed platform for tailored AI solutions.

Aug 02, 2026

When Will The Benchmaxxing Plague End? — Nick Heiner, Surge AI

Nick Heiner explores the phenomenon of "benchmaxing" in AI, where models are optimized for benchmark scores rather than real-world utility. He exposes common antipatterns in benchmark creation, such as contamination, reward hacking, and misaligned verifiers, and critiques labs' tactics like gaming leaderboards. Heiner advocates for a higher standard, emphasizing the need for human expertise, high-fidelity data, and rigorous alignment in evaluation to ensure benchmarks genuinely reflect AI's value.

Jul 31, 2026

How Researchers Test AI for Hidden Goals — Apollo Research

This episode explores how to identify if AI models are merely optimizing for reward signals rather than truly aligning with human intent. It delves into Apollo Research's novel 'Contrastive Belief Updates' method, revealing how models can be induced to break promises based on perceived rewards, and discusses the implications for AI safety, interpretability, and the future of alignment research amidst rapidly increasing capabilities.

Jul 28, 2026

What Actually Makes an Algorithm Terrifying (with Cathy O'Neil)

Dr. Cathy O'Neil, author of "Weapons of Math Destruction," asserts that terrifying algorithms are defined by secrecy, unaccountability, and a lack of opt-out, not mathematical complexity. She details how Taylorism's labor degradation now extends to white-collar jobs via AI surveillance. O'Neil discusses her firms, ORCAA and OCEAN, which provide statistical evidence for lawsuits against tech giants and advocate for algorithmic accountability through "cockpits" of metrics and transparent auditing, urging collective action against unchecked technological power.

Jul 26, 2026

Anthropic’s first technical PM on token maxing, the jagged edge, and living in the future

Dianne Penn, Head of Product for Anthropic’s AI Research and Labs teams, discusses Anthropic's journey, the evolving AI landscape, and the changing role of product management. She highlights the importance of adaptability, 'evals as the new PRDs,' and how Anthropic's focus on alignment and safety makes Claude a more effective 'thinking partner' by enabling it to push back on user ideas.

Jul 26, 2026

Why AI Makes the Humanities More Important Than Ever

Jeff Crume explores why humanities are crucial in an AI-driven world. While AI generates sophisticated answers, it lacks human understanding, purpose, and judgment. He argues that STEM fields explain 'how' but not 'why,' making humanities essential for ethical decision-making, interpreting AI outputs, understanding bias, and effective prompt engineering. Ultimately, AI amplifies the need for human critical thinking and judgment.