Some podcasts are self-recommending on the ‘yep, I’m going to be breaking this one down’ level. This was very clearly one of those. So here we go.

As usual for podcast posts, the baseline bullet points describe key points made, and then the nested statements are my commentary.

If I am quoting directly I use quote marks, otherwise assume paraphrases.

The entire conversation takes place with an understanding that no one is to mention existential risk or the fact that the world will likely transform, without stating this explicitly. Both participants are happy to operate that way. I’m happy to engage in that conversation (while pointing out its absurdity in some places), but assume that every comment I make has an implicit ‘assuming normality’ qualification on it, even when I don’t say so explicitly.

On The Sam Altman Production Function

1. Cowen asks how Altman got so productive, able to make so many deals and ship so many products. Altman says people almost never allocate their time efficiently, and that when you have more demands on your time you figure out how to improve. Centrally he figures out what the core things to do [...]

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Outline:

(01:10 ) On The Sam Altman Production Function

(02:12 ) On Hiring Hardware People

(04:45 ) On What GPT-6 Will Enable

(10:25 ) On government backstops for AI companies

(15:03 ) On monetizing AI services

(19:51 ) On AI's future understanding of intangibles

(24:54 ) On Chip-Building

(27:52 ) On Sam's outlook on health, alien life, and conspiracy theories

(32:16 ) On regulating AI agents

(34:30 ) On new ways to interface with AI

(36:42 ) On how normies will learn to use AI

(40:42 ) On AI's effect on the price of housing and healthcare

(44:14 ) On reexamining freedom of speech

(47:55 ) On humanity's persuadability

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First published:

November 7th, 2025

Source:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/BH4Leh2STutoJeKyK/on-sam-altman-s-second-conversation-with-tyler-cowen

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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