Conversation with Robert West, EPFL

What happens when AI stops being just a tool—and starts acting like an autonomous agent? In this episode of Inside AI, host Marcel Salathé speaks with EPFL professor and Applied Machine Learning Days co-founder Bob West about the growing rift shaping today’s AI landscape. Drawing on insights from his sabbatical at Microsoft Research, West unpacks how AI has evolved into a general-purpose technology with real-world power. From the surprising persuasive abilities of large language models, to hidden English-centric biases, to the emerging need for “machine psychology,” the conversation explores how modern AI systems think, adapt, and influence us. They also tackle the risks of AI as a self-improving actor—and the hopeful promise of accelerating scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs. A deep dive into the future of human–machine intelligence, and what it means for the world we’re rapidly entering. Production: Melissa Anchisi