Vox is set to kick off Good Robot, a narrative audio series hosted by acclaimed podcast host Julia Longoria, digging into the hype and the potential horrors of artificial intelligence. In four episodes, Longoria traces the rise of the technology and the ideologies of the people making it to help listeners understand its implications for their own lives — and for humanity.
The series will air over two weeks on Unexplainable, Vox’s science and mysteries podcast, starting March 12. Longoria, a Murrow Award winner who has created some of the most critically acclaimed audio documentaries of the last decade, will become a permanent co-host of the popular show, joining the roster of longtime Unexplainable listener favorites Noam Hassenfeld, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott.
Good Robot was produced in collaboration with Future Perfect, Vox’s section exploring the world’s biggest challenges, and features Future Perfect reporters Sigal Samuel and Kelsey Piper, who have spent years covering artificial intelligence and the players and the companies vying to shape the technology for Vox.
Samuel and Piper are among the guides for Longoria, a “normie” in the world of AI expertise and a newcomer to grappling with what AI can do. Also guiding her: Sneha Revanur, the Gen Z AI advocate known as “the Greta Thunberg of AI,” and AI pioneers-turned-critics, like AI ethicist Margaret Mitchell and the OpenAI whistleblower Daniel Kokotajlo.
“The more I immersed myself in the AI world, it began to feel less like tech reporting and more like an examination of a series of religions — where belief (or not) in a someday superintelligent AI drives investment and innovation,” Longoria says. “The disagreements in the field of AI over what we should worry about ended up feeling like a meditation — not on how to build the best robots on Mars someday, but on how to be a good human on earth now.”
Longoria quickly bumps into the dividing line between two camps in the AI industry: One is trying to develop a superintelligent AI based on theories of rationality and logic, and is gravely worried that efforts to build “good” robots will have apocalyptic consequences. The other influential group of technologists says those fears about the future are getting in the way of the real dangers these robots already present.
“Unexplainable is already one of the most unique and compelling podcasts out there for listeners who want to understand and engage with big and mysterious questions about our world, and Julia, who has a long track record of making the confusing compelling, is a tremendous addition to the team,” said Vox publisher and editor-in-chief Swati Sharma.
“We are thrilled that Julia is launching her tenure on Unexplainable with this collaboration with Future Perfect, bringing unparalleled expertise on AI from the reporters and editors there to Unexplainable’s audience,” said Vox managing editor Natalie Jennings.
The series was developed by Katherine Wells, Vox’s former editor-at-large, and edited by Diane Hodson, who edited some of 2024’s podcast breakout hits, including Wondery’s Hysterical and Crooked Media’s Empire City.
Good Robot will drop between March 12 and March 22 in the Unexplainable podcast feed. More on the series and Vox’s AI reporting is at vox.com/goodrobot.
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