OpenAI's chief scientist wants to slow down | E30

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Today’s show:

OpenAI's chief scientist wrote a lengthy manifesto arguing that no lab has solved alignment, mere days after GPT-6 Astra shipped. Jason and Lon are joined by Tudor Achim of Harmonic, Alex Elias of Qloo, and Ahmed Ahres of Reactor to figure out if that's genuine alarm being expressed or just another pre-IPO sales pitch and play for regulatory capture.

Plus news broke while we were recording! OpenAI is claiming to have solved a second Millennium Prize problem, after a 25-year-plus weight. AND, who is paying influencers to tell you AI is wonderful/harmful? And why?

Guests:

Tudor Achim on X: https://x.com/tachim

Harmonic: https://harmonic.fun/

Alex Elias on X: https://x.com/ape

Qloo: https://www.qloo.com/

Ahmed Ahres on X: https://x.com/Boudatw

Reactor: https://reactor.inc/

Relevant Links:

Jakub Pachocki, "An Alien Mind" — https://openai.com/index/an-alien-mind/

GPT-6 Astra — https://fortune.com/2026/09/03/openai-debuts-gpt-6-astra-computer-use-greg-brockman-says-start-of-agi/

OpenAI: "On the Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem" — https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/

ControlAI — the nonprofit that sponsored the SciShow episode — https://controlai.org/

New York Times (Eli Tan), "Corporate America Is Getting Hooked on Open-Source A.I." — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/technology/open-source-ai-companies.html

Artificial trailer and the cast → https://variety.com/2026/film/news/artificial-trailer-andrew-garfield-openai-biopic-1236802616/

Timestamps:

0:00 "An Alien Mind"

3:08 AI psychosis, marketing, or half a mile ahead on the racetrack?

12:52 The Manhattan Project analogy

15:20 Tudor: if it's really that dangerous, the answer is nationalization

17:02 Regulatory capture: Bill Gurley at All-In, Sacks, and who can afford to be regulated

20:37 The influencer propaganda tape

23:22 BREAKING: OpenAI solves the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize problem

28:53 The Hank Green / SciShow video sponsored by ControlAI

32:11 Fogging and flooding

46:47 UBS will require AI skills from its 2027 graduate

56:41 How LAUNCH hired its associates-in-training

57:18 NYT: Corporate America is getting hooked on open-source AI

1:04:16 Alex on Qloo's shift from NYT film critics on payroll to small specialized models

1:09:35 First look: the "Artificial" teaser trailer

1:14:34 Sam Altman's bunker, Peter Thiel, and casting rundown

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