Rick Beato is a music educator, interviewer, producer, songwriter, and a true multi-instrument musician, playing guitar, bass, cello & piano. His incredible YouTube channel celebrates great musicians & musical ideas, and helps millions of people fall in love with great music all over again. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep492-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/rick-beato-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://youtube.com/RickBeato https://x.com/rickbeato https://instagram.com/rickbeato1 https://rickbeato.com https://beatoeartraining.com https://beatobook.com SPONSORS: UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://perplexity.ai/ OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Peter Steinberger is the creator of OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent framework that’s the fastest-growing project in GitHub history. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep491-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/peter-steinberger-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://x.com/steipete https://github.com/steipete https://steipete.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/steipete https://openclaw.ai https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw https://discord.gg/openclaw SPONSORS: Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://perplexity.ai/ Quo: Phone system (calls, texts, contacts) for businesses. https://quo.com/lex CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Blitzy: AI agent for large enterprise codebases. https://blitzy.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (03:51) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (15:29) – OpenClaw origin story (18:48) – Mind-blowing moment (28:15) – Why OpenClaw went viral (32:12) – Self-modifying AI agent (36:57) – Name-change drama (54:07) – Moltbook saga (1:02:26) – OpenClaw security concerns (1:11:07) – How to code with AI agents (1:42:02) – Programming setup (1:48:45) – GPT Codex 5.3 vs Claude Opus 4.6 (1:57:52) – Best AI agent for programming (2:19:52) – Life story and career advice (2:23:49) – Money and happiness (2:27:41) – Acquisition offers from OpenAI and Meta (2:44:51) – How OpenClaw works (2:56:09) – AI slop (3:02:13) – AI agents will replace 80% of apps (3:10:50) – Will AI replace programmers? (3:22:50) – Future of OpenClaw community

Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka are machine learning researchers, engineers, and educators. Nathan is the post-training lead at the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) and the author of The RLHF Book. Sebastian Raschka is the author of Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch) and Build a Reasoning Model (From Scratch). https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep490-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/ai-sota-2026-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact SPONSORS: Box: Intelligent content management platform. https://box.com/ai Quo: Phone system (calls, texts, contacts) for businesses. https://quo.com/lex UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://perplexity.ai/ OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (01:39) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (16:29) – China vs US: Who wins the AI race? (25:11) – ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Grok: Who is winning? (36:11) – Best AI for coding (43:02) – Open Source vs Closed Source LLMs (54:41) – Transformers: Evolution of LLMs since 2019 (1:02:38) – AI Scaling Laws: Are they dead or still holding? (1:18:45) – How AI is trained: Pre-training, Mid-training, and Post-training (1:51:51) – Post-training explained: Exciting new research directions in LLMs (2:12:43) – Advice for beginners on how to get into AI development & research (2:35:36) – Work culture in AI (72+ hour weeks) (2:39:22) – Silicon Valley bubble (2:43:19) – Text diffusion models and other new research directions (2:49:01) – Tool use (2:53:17) – Continual learning (2:58:39) – Long context (3:04:54) – Robotics (3:14:04) – Timeline to AGI (3:21:20) – Will AI replace programmers? (3:39:51) – Is the dream of AGI dying? (3:46:40) – How AI will make money? (3:51:02) – Big acquisitions in 2026 (3:55:34) – Future of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI, Meta (4:08:08) – Manhattan Project for AI (4:14:42) – Future of NVIDIA, GPUs, and AI compute clusters (4:22:48) – Future of human civilization

Paul Rosolie is a naturalist, explorer, author of a new book titled Junglekeeper, and is someone who has dedicated his life to protecting the Amazon rainforest. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep489-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/paul-rosolie-3-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://amzn.to/4q7vpAp https://instagram.com/paulrosolie https://junglekeepers.org https://paulrosolie.com https://amzn.to/3ww2ob1 SPONSORS: Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://perplexity.ai/ BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. https://masterclass.com/lexpod OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Joel David Hamkins is a mathematician and philosopher specializing in set theory, the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of infinity, and he’s the #1 highest-rated user on MathOverflow. He is also the author of several books, including Proof and the Art of Mathematics and Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics. And he has a great blog called Infinitely More. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep488-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/joel-david-hamkins-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://x.com/JDHamkins https://jdh.hamkins.org https://www.infinitelymore.xyz https://mathoverflow.net/users/1946/joel-david-hamkins https://jdh.hamkins.org/publications https://amzn.to/3MThaAt https://amzn.to/3YACc9A SPONSORS: Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://www.perplexity.ai/ Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex Chevron: Reliable energy for data centers. https://chevron.com/power Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. https://masterclass.com/lexpod OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (01:58) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (15:40) – Infinity & paradoxes (1:02:50) – Russell’s paradox (1:15:57) – Gödel’s incompleteness theorems (1:33:28) – Truth vs proof (1:44:52) – The Halting Problem (2:00:45) – Does infinity exist? (2:18:19) – MathOverflow (2:22:12) – The Continuum Hypothesis (2:31:58) – Hardest problems in mathematics (2:41:25) – Mathematical multiverse (3:00:18) – Surreal numbers (3:10:55) – Conway’s Game of Life (3:13:11) – Computability theory (3:23:04) – P vs NP (3:26:21) – Greatest mathematicians in history (3:40:05) – Infinite chess (3:58:24) – Most beautiful idea in mathematics

Irving Finkel is a scholar of ancient languages and a longtime curator at the British Museum, renowned for his expertise in Mesopotamian history and cuneiform writing. He specializes in reading and interpreting cuneiform inscriptions, including tablets from Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian contexts. He became widely known for studying a tablet with a Mesopotamian flood story that predates the biblical Noah narrative, which he presented in his book “The Ark Before Noah” and in a documentary that involved building a circular ark based on the tablet’s technical instructions. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/ https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK https://www.britishmuseum.org/ https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/ SPONSORS: Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ Chevron: Reliable energy for data centers. https://chevron.com/power LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drink. https://drinkag1.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (00:43) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (09:53) – Origins of human language (15:59) – Cuneiform (23:12) – Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe (34:23) – How to write and speak Cuneiform (39:42) – Primitive human language (41:26) – Development of writing systems (42:20) – Decipherment of Cuneiform (54:51) – Limits of language (59:51) – Art of translation (1:05:01) – Gods (1:10:25) – Ghosts (1:20:13) – Ancient flood stories (1:30:21) – Noah’s Ark (1:41:44) – The Royal Game of Ur (1:54:43) – British Museum (2:02:08) – Evolution of human civilization

Michael Levin is a biologist at Tufts University working on novel ways to understand and control complex pattern formation in biological systems. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep486-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/michael-levin-2-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://x.com/drmichaellevin https://drmichaellevin.org https://drmichaellevin.org/publications/ https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00880 https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05375 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38636560/ https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10346 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abf1571 SPONSORS: Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. https://masterclass.com/lexpod OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (00:29) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (10:09) – Biological intelligence (18:42) – Living vs non-living organisms (23:55) – Origin of life (27:40) – The search for alien life (on Earth) (1:00:44) – Creating life in the lab – Xenobots and Anthrobots (1:13:46) – Memories and ideas are living organisms (1:27:26) – Reality is an illusion: The brain is an interface to a hidden reality (2:13:13) – Unexpected Intelligence in sorting algorithms (2:38:51) – Can aging be reversed? (2:42:41) – Mind uploading (3:01:22) – Alien intelligence (3:16:17) – Advice for young people (3:22:46) – Questions for AGI

David Kirtley is a nuclear fusion engineer and CEO of Helion Energy, a company working on building the world’s first commercial fusion power plant by 2028. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep485-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/david-kirtley-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://x.com/dekirtley https://bit.ly/4qX0KXp https://www.helionenergy.com/ https://youtube.com/HelionEnergy SPONSORS: UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Dan Houser is co-founder of Rockstar Games and is a legendary creative mind behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption series of video games. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep484-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/dan-houser-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://absurdventures.com https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FCYSK8VD https://absurdventures.com/americancaper SPONSORS: Box: Intelligent content management platform. https://box.com/ai UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ Lindy: No-code AI agent builder. https://go.lindy.ai/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Julia Shaw is a criminal psychologist and author who in her books explores human nature, including psychopathy, violent crime, the psychology of evil, police interrogation, false memory manipulation, deception detection, and human sexuality. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep483-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/julia-shaw-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://instagram.com/drjuliashaw https://www.drjuliashaw.com/ https://linktr.ee/drjuliashaw https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjuliashaw/ https://amzn.to/4mQBnTV https://amzn.to/4nLfSVE https://amzn.to/47lBAdc SPONSORS: Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drink. https://drinkag1.com/lex OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips