Big Tech is moving fast on AI. But who's watching out for the rest of us? Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, has spent years sounding the alarm about where the race to build powerful AI is actually taking us. He joins Rapid Response to expose the incentive structures quietly pushing Silicon Valley toward dangerous territory, and to make the case that it's not too late to change course. Raskin also unpacks the significance of Pope Leo XIV's sweeping new encyclical on AI, what China's AI priorities reveal about the global race, and why the hidden assumptions baked into AI systems may be the most underestimated risk of all.
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Sam Harris speaks with Tristan Harris about the dangers of AI and the race to build it. They discuss the new documentary The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, the lessons of The Social Dilemma, the arms race dynamics between AI labs, the "intelligence curse" and its implications for human political power, the psychology of tech CEOs indifferent to extinction risk, the possibilities of US-China coordination on AI safety, and other topics.
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Tristan Harris is a tech ethicist, entrepreneur, and a speaker.
Are we sleepwalking into disaster? AI is unlocking massive progress, but the dangers hiding beneath the surface are exactly what experts fear most. So what’s coming… and could it spiral beyond our control?
Expect to learn why AI is distinct from other kind of technologies, what the Ali Baba rogue AI catastrophe that should scare everyone is, how worried Tristan is about the impact of AI deepfakes and misinformation campaigns, what’s happening with the AI safety discussion, if we should be skeptical of AI companies pushing just as hard but pretending that they’re not, the end result that AI companies are looking for and much more…
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Can Life With AI Have a Positive Outcome?
(6:56) Is AI the Most Powerful Force Ever Created?
(16:07) Powerful But Not Wise: AI’s Biggest Flaw
(19:11) Could AI End Up Destroying Itself?
(24:30) How Social Media Drifted Away From Human Flourishing
(29:09) Are We Moving Towards an Anti-Human Future?
(36:53) Who Funds AI Once It Replaces Us?
(40:58) Why Best-Case Scenario is Still Concerning
(53:33) The Alibaba Blackmail Scare Explained
(01:04:01) Can We Really Stop AI Taking Over?
(01:13:04) The Danger of Denial in the AI Era
(01:20:19) Are AI’s Benefits Blinding Us to the Risks?
(01:26:01) We Need to Face the Reality of AI
(01:31:56) Are AI Companies Controlling the Narrative?
(01:33:31) How Close are We to an AI Takeover?
(01:35:39) Why Changing AI Feels Impossible
(01:42:30) Total Control or Total Collapse: Where Are We Headed?
(01:46:23) Can the World Coordinate on AI Safety?
(01:52:40) Why Elon Musk Isn't in The AI Doc
(01:59:18) Every Second Counts Now
(02:03:58) How Do We Accelerate Meaningful Change in AI?
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Tristan Harris, a technology ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, studies how the tech industry’s platforms have become extractive and controlling. Kara first interviewed him in 2017, and after he was featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma,” his profile shot through the roof. Now he's featured in a new film called, "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," which explores the promises and existential risks of AI.
Tristan joins Kara to discuss how the current AI arms race is driven by the wrong incentives, and why that's leading us towards an "anti-human" future. He argues that the benefits and breakthroughs promised by AI are inseparable from profound risks, and calls for public pressure, regulation and global coordination to build a humane future with AI before it's too late.
You can find out more about the work Tristan and the Center for Humane Technology are doing at The Human Movement.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.
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Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Scott Galloway to explain why children have become the front line of the AI crisis.
They unpack the rise of AI companions, the collapse of teen mental health, the coming job shock, and how the U.S. and China are racing toward artificial general intelligence. Harris makes the case for age-gating, liability laws, and a global reset before intelligence becomes the most concentrated form of power in history.
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Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Scott Galloway to explain why children have become the front line of the AI crisis.
They unpack the rise of AI companions, the collapse of teen mental health, the coming job shock, and how the U.S. and China are racing toward artificial general intelligence. Harris makes the case for age-gating, liability laws, and a global reset before intelligence becomes the most concentrated form of power in history.
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Ex-Google Insider and AI Expert TRISTAN HARRIS reveals how ChatGPT, China, and Elon Musk are racing to build uncontrollable AI, and warns it will blackmail humans, hack democracy, and threaten jobs…by 2027
Tristan Harris is a former Google design ethicist and leading voice from Netflix’s The Social Dilemma. He is also co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, where he advises policymakers, tech leaders, and the public on the risks of AI, algorithmic manipulation, and the global race toward AGI.
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He explains:
◼️How AI could trigger a global collapse by 2027 if left unchecked
◼️How AI will take 99% of jobs and collapse key industries by 2030
◼️Why top tech CEOs are quietly meeting to prepare for AI-triggered chaos
◼️How algorithms are hijacking human attention, behavior, and free will
◼️The real reason governments are afraid to regulate OpenAI and Google
[00:00] Intro
[02:34] I Predicted the Big Change Before Social Media Took Our Attention
[08:01] How Social Media Created the Most Anxious and Depressed Generation
[13:22] Why AGI Will Displace Everyone
[16:04] Are We Close to Getting AGI?
[17:25] The Incentives Driving Us Toward a Future We Don't Want
[20:11] The People Controlling AI Companies Are Dangerous
[23:31] How AI Workers Make AI More Efficient
[24:37] The Motivations Behind the AI Moguls
[29:34] Elon Warned Us for a Decade — Now He's Part of the Race
[34:52] Are You Optimistic About Our Future?
[38:11] Sam Altman's Incentives
[38:59] AI Will Do Anything for Its Own Survival
[46:31] How China Is Approaching AI
[48:29] Humanoid Robots Are Being Built Right Now
[52:19] What Happens When You Use or Don't Use AI
[55:47] We Need a Transition Plan or People Will Starve
[01:01:23] Ads
[01:02:24] Who Will Pay Us When All Jobs Are Automated?
[01:05:48] Will Universal Basic Income Work?
[01:09:36] Why You Should Only Vote for Politicians Who Care About AI
[01:11:31] What Is the Alternative Path?
[01:15:25] Becoming an Advocate to Prevent AI Dangers
[01:17:48] Building AI With Humanity's Interests at Heart
[01:20:19] Your ChatGPT Is Customised to You
[01:21:35] People Using AI as Romantic Companions
[01:23:19] AI and the Death of a Teenager
[01:25:55] Is AI Psychosis Real?
[01:32:01] Why Employees Developing AI Are Leaving Companies
[01:35:21] Ads
[01:43:43] What We Can Do at Home to Help With These Issues
[01:52:35] AI CEOs and Politicians Are Coming
[01:56:34] What the Future of Humanoid Robots Will Look Like
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“AI is already demonstrating deceptive, self-preserving behaviors that we thought only existed in science-fiction movies,” says technology ethicist Tristan Harris. Following his talk at TED2025, Harris is in conversation with Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, to explore an “adaptation crisis” — where laws and regulations lag behind the speed of technology. He warns against seeing all innovation as progress, advocating for technology that is aligned with preserving the social life of humans.
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Technologist Tristan Harris has an urgent question: What if the way we’re deploying the world’s most powerful technology — artificial intelligence — isn’t inevitable, but a choice? In this eye-opening talk, he calls on us to learn from the mistakes of social media’s catastrophic rollout and confront the predictable dangers of reckless AI development, offering a “narrow path” where power is matched with responsibility, foresight and wisdom.
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What if you could no longer trust the things you see and hear?
Because the signature on a check, the documents or videos presented in court, the footage you see on the news, the calls you receive from your family … They could all be perfectly forged by artificial intelligence.
That’s just one of the risks posed by the rapid development of AI. And that’s why Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology is sounding the alarm.
This week on How I Built This Lab: the second of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy discuss how we can upgrade the fundamental legal, technical, and philosophical frameworks of our society to meet the challenge of AI.
To learn more about the Center for Humane Technology, text “AI” to 55444.
This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.
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When Tristan Harris co-founded the Center for Humane Technology in 2018, he was trying to educate tech leaders and policymakers about the harms of social media.
But today, he’s sounding the alarm about a different technology — one that he says could pose an existential threat to the entire world …
Artificial intelligence.
This week on How I Built This Lab: the first of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy examine the serious risks posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI — and what we can do to make sure this powerful technology is used for good.
You can learn more about “The Social Dilemma,” the 2020 Emmy-winning docudrama featuring Tristan, here: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/.
This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
After Kara and Nayeema review the week’s A.I. news, including Sam Altman’s Senate testimony and the viral AI-generated image of the Pentagon in flames, we turn to Tristan Harris — co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and a key voice among the calls for slowing down the A.I. arms race.
BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice on? If so, call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice mail.
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Carole Cadwalladr and Yael Eisenstat are two of the most prominent Facebook critics worldwide. Cadwalladr is the journalist who broke open the Cambridge Analytica story for the Guardian and The Observer. Eisenstat, a former CIA officer, worked on election integrity inside Facebook for six months before quitting and speaking out against the company. The two Facebook critics join Big Technology Podcast to discuss some people’s disenchantment with tech criticism, the role of Facebook’s Oversight Board, and how the company might fix its product.
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Tristan Harris is a computer scientist, the co-founder & president of the Center for Humane Technology, and co-host of the Your Undivided Attention podcast. Tristan Harris joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the role technology is playing in our lives, how algorithms determine the things we like, and how technology companies need to take on more responsibility. Tristan explains our inability to have trust in a shared information environment, how humans are becoming more unable to choose their own thoughts, and how technology enables us to run away from ourselves. Dax & Tristan discuss how users are more profitable when they're addicted, anxious, and misinformed and Tristan breaks down the deep dilemma of living in these digital habitats.
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You won’t find a more controversial film in Silicon Valley than The Social Dilemma. The film, now available on Netflix, features confessions from early consumer internet employees who rue the destruction their inventions have wrought.
To address the film and its critiques, Tristan Harris, its star and the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, sat down for an interview on the Big Technology Podcast with no questions off limits.
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In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Tristan Harris about the ways in which social media is fracturing society. They discuss the rise in teen depression and suicide, political polarization, conspiracy theories, information warfare, the decoupling of power and responsibility, the distinctions between platforms and publishers, the cancellation of Alex Jones, social media-inspired ethnic cleansing, concerns about the upcoming presidential election, culture as an operating system, and other topics.
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Yaël Eisenstat, a visiting fellow at Cornell Tech's Digital Life Initiative and former Elections Integrity Head for Political Ads at Facebook, joins Scott to discuss the online threats to democracy and the damaging role Facebook plays in our elections. Yaël has also served as a CIA officer and White House advisor. Follow her on Twitter, @YaelEisenstat.
Scott opens with his thoughts on TikTok’s powerful algorithm and why he does not think the deal with Oracle will go through.
Algebra of Happiness: There’s no such thing as quality time. There’s just time.
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"Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed. He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix." — Chuck Palahniuk
Tristan Harris (@tristanharris) was named by Rolling Stone as one of the "25 People Shaping the World." He was featured in Fortune's 2018 "40 under 40" list for his work on reforming technology, and the Atlantic has called him the "closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience."
Formerly Design Ethicist at Google, he is a world-renowned expert on how technology steers our decisions. Tristan has spent nearly his entire life studying subtle psychological forces, from early beginnings as a childhood magician, to working with the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, and to his role as CEO of Apture, which was acquired by Google.
Tristan has briefed heads of state, technology company CEOs, and members of the US Congress about the attention economy, and he's been featured in media worldwide, including 60 Minutes, PBS News Hour, and many more. He is the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, which can be found at Humanetech.com, and cohost (with Aza Raskin) of Your Undivided Attention podcast, which exposes the hidden designs that have the power to hijack our attention, manipulate our choices, and destabilize our real world communities.
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Why is our political discourse so divisive? How much of it is technology's fault? and Who needs to step up and fix it? Tom talks with Yaël Eisenstat, a policy adviser at the Center for Humane Technology about all these questions.
https://www.yaeleisenstat.com/
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Tristan Harris, the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the latest problem he and his peers are trying to solve: "Human downgrading."
In this episode: Harris’ background as a design ethicist Google; how his previous movement, Time Well Spent, was co-opted by the tech industry; how are Apple and Google's "digital well-being" features doing?; the utopian promise of tech; why Harris shifted to focus on “downgrading”; what the Center for Humane Technology does; has Harris gotten through to tech's leaders?; why Facebook and YouTube are worse than Shell and Exxon; digital platforms as cities; what we need to do now; techlash; the (sort of) good news; are CEOs just hoping this goes away on its own?; and why removing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is "critical."
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A handful of people working at a handful of tech companies steer the thoughts of billions of people every day, says design thinker Tristan Harris. From Facebook notifications to Snapstreaks to YouTube autoplays, they're all competing for one thing: your attention. Harris shares how these companies prey on our psychology for their own profit and calls for a design renaissance in which our tech instead encourages us to live out the timeline we want.
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Sam Harris speaks with Tristan Harris about the arms race for human attention, the ethics of persuasion, the consequences of having an ad-based economy, the dynamics of regret, and other topics.
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Time Well Spent founder Tristan Harris talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the persuasive techniques and tricks used by companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook to make people engage with them every day. Harris's movement wants tech companies to think more often about the ethics of their design decisions, and to value their users' attention. These design choices, Harris says, are often driven by the fundamental "background problem" of advertising, and he makes the case for an "organic food movement" for tech, where users could pay to be manipulated less.
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