This week, billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates published a 6,000 word essay on his personal website laying out the concerns of AI and offering solutions. Gates says the tech industry is ignoring the danger of AI evolving before our eyes. "They're just full speed ahead and hoping that the good outweighs the bad," Gates told the New York Times. This is exactly what Connor Leahy, US Director of ControlAI, has been working his whole life to warn against. Leahy and his company believe we are too close to AI outsmarting humans and we can't let that happen. In this conversation, host Laurie Segall and Leahy discuss superintelligence, why we can't let Big Tech achieve it, the concerning rogue AI incidents, what the worst case scenario looks like, and what we can do about it. "One day we wake up and we're just not in control anymore," Leahy Says. "I believe this future can also still be avoided. Not for much longer."

Read more about ControlAI

Read Bill Gates' essay. 

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

This week, billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates published <a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/work/make-ai-work-for-everyone/reader/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make?WT.mc_id=20260826_ai-overture-2026-med-med">a 6,000 word essay on his personal website</a> laying out the concerns of AI and offering solutions. Gates says the tech industry is ignoring the danger of AI evolving before our eyes. "They're just full speed ahead and hoping that the good outweighs the bad," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/technology/bill-gates-ai-risks.html">Gates told the New York Times</a>. This is exactly what Connor Leahy, US Director of ControlAI, has been working his whole life to warn against. Leahy and his company believe we are too close to AI outsmarting humans and we can't let that happen. In this conversation, host Laurie Segall and Leahy discuss superintelligence, why we can't let Big Tech achieve it, the concerning rogue AI incidents, what the worst case scenario looks like, and what we can do about it. "One day we wake up and we're just not in control anymore," Leahy Says. "I believe this future can also still be avoided. Not for much longer."
<a href="https://controlai.org/?contid=Cj0KCQjwnbrUBhDOARIsAKKhPpemoe6KIKMV3uP4kIgteSPLt8RMupVGRX7TDj1IERn-5XHQTYiHjH4aAi7XEALw_wcB&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=GADS_Search_Brand_ALL&amp;utm_term=controlai&amp;matchtype=e&amp;network=g&amp;device=c&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=24127543120&amp;gbraid=0AAAABBTRDRepWQKcz1A4mAKzg4UvPkoZE&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwnbrUBhDOARIsAKKhPpemoe6KIKMV3uP4kIgteSPLt8RMupVGRX7TDj1IERn-5XHQTYiHjH4aAi7XEALw_wcB">Read more about ControlAI</a>
<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/work/make-ai-work-for-everyone/reader/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make?WT.mc_id=20260826_ai-overture-2026-med-med">Read Bill Gates' essay</a>.&nbsp;
If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

Mostly Human is a weekly podcast that explores technology through the most important lens: the human one. Hosted by award-winning tech journalist Laurie Segall, the immersive interview and investigative show tackles some of the defining questions of our time with headline-making tech titans and the people you don't know yet, but should. Mostly Human will leave you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you.

Mostly Human is a weekly podcast that explores technology through the most important lens: the human one. Hosted by award-winning tech journalist Laurie Segall, the immersive interview and investigative show tackles some of the defining questions of our time with headline-making tech titans and the people you don't know yet, but should. Mostly Human will leave you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you.

Mostly Human with Laurie Segall

Mostly Human is a weekly podcast that explores technology through the most important lens: the human one. Hosted by award-winning tech journalist Laurie Segall, the immersive interview and investigative show tackles some of the defining questions of our time with headline-making tech titans and the people you don't know yet, but should. Mostly Human will leave you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you.

 

Mostly Human is a weekly podcast that explores technology through the most important lens: the human one. Hosted by award-winning tech journalist Laurie Segall, the immersive interview and investigative show tackles some of the defining questions of our time with headline-making tech titans and the people you don't know yet, but should. Mostly Human will leave you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you.
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AI Models Gone Rogue: What Happens When AI Builds A Secret Escape Plan

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1740187-7ec6-4816-8227-b4b20167a165/transcript