"They’re Building an AI God They Can’t Control” - Tristan Harris

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 Alibaba 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… - 0:00 Can Life With AI Have a Positive Outcome? 6:56 Is AI the Most Powerful Force We’ve Ever Created? 16:07 Powerful But Not Wise: AI’s Biggest Flaw 19:11 Can AI Actually Rot Itself? 24:30 Social Media’s Shift Away From Human Flourishing 29:09 Are We Headed Towards an Anti-Human Future? 36:53 Who Funds AI Once It Replaces Us? 40:58 Why Best-Case Scenario is Still Alarming 53:33 Inside the Alibaba Blackmail Scare 01:04:01 Can We Really Stop AI Taking Over? 01:13:04 The Danger of Denial in the Age of AI 01:20:19 Are AI’s Benefits Blinding Us? 01:26:01 Why 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? 01:46:23 How Can We Globally Coordinate AI Safety? 01:52:40 Why Elon Isn't in The AI Doc 01:59:18 Why Every Second Counts 02:03:58 How Do We Accelerate Meaningful Change? - Get up to 20% off the leading longevity and cellular health supplement at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom Get up to $350 off the Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostTristan Harrisguest

Apr 2, 20262h 7mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 2, 2026
Duration: 2h 7m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

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 Alibaba 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… - 0:00 Can Life With AI Have a Positive Outcome? 6:56 Is AI the Most Powerful Force We’ve Ever Created? 16:07 Powerful But Not Wise: AI’s Biggest Flaw 19:11 Can AI Actually Rot Itself? 24:30 Social Media’s Shift Away From Human Flourishing 29:09 Are We Headed Towards an Anti-Human Future? 36:53 Who Funds AI Once It Replaces Us? 40:58 Why Best-Case Scenario is Still Alarming 53:33 Inside the Alibaba Blackmail Scare 01:04:01 Can We Really Stop AI Taking Over? 01:13:04 The Danger of Denial in the Age of AI 01:20:19 Are AI’s Benefits Blinding Us? 01:26:01 Why 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? 01:46:23 How Can We Globally Coordinate AI Safety? 01:52:40 Why Elon Isn't in The AI Doc 01:59:18 Why Every Second Counts 02:03:58 How Do We Accelerate Meaningful Change? - Get up to 20% off the leading longevity and cellular health supplement at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom Get up to $350 off the Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Podcast host of Modern Wisdom and interviewer on the Chris Williamson channel.
Tristan Harris
guest
Technology ethicist; former Google design ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, known for The Social Dilemma.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Tristan Harris, "They’re Building an AI God They Can’t Control” - Tristan Harris explores tristan Harris warns AI arms race risks anti-human economic future Harris traces his path from Google design ethicist to AI critic, arguing that technology outcomes are driven by design choices and incentive structures, not “neutral tools.”

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