Nick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.

Guest host Spencer Klavan, the associate editor at the Claremont Review of Books, presses Bostrom on the potential uses and abuses of superintelligence, rationalist ethics and what makes us human.

Silicon Valley’s Favorite Prophet Has a New Warning

Nick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.

Below is an edited transcript of an episode of “Interesting Times.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYTimes app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Spencer Klavan: Nick Bostrom, welcome to “Interesting Times.”

Nick Bostrom: Hi, Spencer. Good to be with you.

Klavan: I wanted to start by getting your assessment of where you think things stand. I think the technical term of art I want to invoke here is P (doom), the probability that everything goes terribly wrong.

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","freeContentEncoded","textContent","published","strategy","curl-ready","locked","deletedAt","isSyncedFromOwnBlog","original","duplicatesCount",0,"duplicateVersion","originalArticleId","errorsCount","appearance","color","backgroundColor","shortSummary","Nick Bostrom, a figure previously concerned with apocalyptic scenarios, is now focused on the potential for utopia. Guest host Spencer Klavan of the Claremont Review of Books discusses with Bostrom the implications of superintelligence, rationalist ethics, and the essence of humanity. The conversation is based on an edited transcript from the podcast \"Interesting Times.\"","summary","Nick Bostrom, once focused on apocalyptic risks, is now concerned with the prospect of utopia. In a discussion with Spencer Klavan, the potential uses and abuses of superintelligence, along with rationalist ethics and human identity, are explored. The conversation is derived from an edited transcript of the \"Interesting Times\" podcast.","bullets",[379,380,381],"persons",[377,378],"places",[],"words",156,"sentiment","subject","tech","meta",{"_339":340,"_341":342,"_343":344},"eventId","dd9e2b60df27e207a9adbdda67318323d9d7b29269119960700b8c7626c9823e","nostrRootEvent","event",{"_24":275,"_304":327,"_149":95,"_202":328,"_308":309,"_236":329,"_311":330},"authorNPub","markdown","Nick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.\n\nGuest host Spencer Klavan, the associate editor at the Claremont Review of Books, presses Bostrom on the potential uses and abuses of superintelligence, rationalist ethics and what makes us human.\n\n### Silicon Valley’s Favorite Prophet Has a New Warning\n\nNick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.\n\nBelow is an edited transcript of an episode of “Interesting Times.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the [NYTimes app](https://www.nytimes.com/app), [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interesting-times-with-ross-douthat/id1438024613), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6bmhSFLKtApYClEuSH8q42?si=85c0f85203c94835), [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b42495b5-3d35-424f-8dcb-2b402b49f9ea/interesting-times-with-ross-douthat), [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT), [iHeartRadio](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/326-interesting-times-with-ros-29972437/#:~:text=Introducing%20'Interesting%20Times'&text=%E2%80%9CInteresting%20Times%20With%20Ross%20Douthat,the%20future%20of%20democrac...) or wherever you get your podcasts.\n\n**Spencer Klavan:** Nick Bostrom, welcome to “Interesting Times.”\n\n**Nick Bostrom:** Hi, Spencer. Good to be with you.\n\n**Klavan:** I wanted to start by getting your assessment of where you think things stand. I think the technical term of art I want to invoke here is P (doom), the probability that everything goes terribly wrong.\n\nWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser settings.\n\n* * *\n\nThank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F10%2F01%2Fopinion%2Finteresting-times-podcast-spencer-klavan-nick-bostrom.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F10%2F01%2Fopinion%2Finteresting-times-podcast-spencer-klavan-nick-bostrom.html) for all of The Times.\n\n* * *\n\nThank you for your patience while we verify access.\n\nAlready a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F10%2F01%2Fopinion%2Finteresting-times-podcast-spencer-klavan-nick-bostrom.html&asset=opttrunc).\n\nWant all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F10%2F01%2Fopinion%2Finteresting-times-podcast-spencer-klavan-nick-bostrom.html).","freeMarkdown","kind1EventId","kind30023EventId","d5f54488d8478185d5d9571d4f189234fe4dace109be6f991babbd6bbf358bf0","kind30023",{"_24":285,"_304":305,"_149":306,"_202":307,"_308":309,"_236":310,"_311":312},"publishedToNostr","htmlContentKind30023","

Nick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.

Guest host Spencer Klavan, the associate editor at the Claremont Review of Books, presses Bostrom on the potential uses and abuses of superintelligence, rationalist ethics and what makes us human.

Silicon Valley’s Favorite Prophet Has a New Warning

Nick Bostrom is no longer worried about the apocalypse. Now he’s worried about utopia.

Spencer Klavan: Nick Bostrom, welcome to “Interesting Times.”

Nick Bostrom: Hi, Spencer. Good to be with you.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

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