2 September 2026
Iran, Ukraine, and the Future of War
Military technology analyst Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security joins Robert Wright to discuss how new military technologies are changing the nature of war—in Iran, Ukraine and elsewhere—and whether US military tech is falling behind. Plus: Will AI make war more or less bloody?
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In this video:
Trump’s New War on Iran
Hooman Majd—journalist, author, and Iran analyst—joins Robert Wright to discuss Trump’s turn to economic warfare against Iran. Plus: MSM’s MOU misunderstanding; the 1979 hostage crisis as guide to Tehran’s thinking; and, in Overtime, the (alleged) US-Israeli plan to install Ahmadinejad.
The AI Safety Vibe Shift
David Krueger, founder of AI safety nonprofit Evitable, joins Robert Wright to discuss the OpenAI breakout and other recent AI developments—and how they’ve impacted prospects for an AI slowdown. Plus: Why two AI godfathers went doomer, the hard problem of alignment, and the Darwinian dynamics of agentic cooperation.
Is (Human) Writing Doomed?
Robert Wright and psychologist Paul Bloom discuss whether AI is killing the art of writing—and the thinking that goes with it. Overtime: Paul on Jonathan Haidt, Bob’s brush with Hollywood, and the word(s) you can’t say.
Trump’s Unending War
Curt Mills and Andrew Day of The American Conservative join Robert Wright to discuss the state of the Iran war—how negotiations have been unfolding (and unraveling), what the war is doing to the MAGA coalition, and how the war could reshape the Middle East.
Fasten Your Bot-belts
Samuel Hammond of the Foundation for American Innovation joins Robert Wright to discuss the “Pacing the Frontier” letter in the context of the OpenAI “rogue” model escape and other signs of AI acceleration. Overtime: Sam and Bob debate the functionalist case for AI consciousness.
Are the Ukraine and the Iran Wars Merging?
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether Ukraine’s strike on an Iranian ship may lead to WW3 and whether Ukraine’s drone incursions into Russia have really turned the tide.
Trump’s Self-Inflicted Iran Quagmire
Robert Wright and journalist Zaid Jilani discuss the latest on the Iran war and how the US, Israel, and Iran have played—and misplayed—their hands in the conflict. Plus: In Overtime, Zaid gives the inside view of the scandal that pushed him out of the Center for American Progress.
Iran, Israel, and the Future of US Power
Robert Wright and American Prestige hosts Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner discuss the state of the Iran war and its fallout for America and the world. Plus: the push to intertwine the US and Israeli militaries, the problem with blaming Bibi, Israel’s endgame for the Palestinians, and more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
The OpenAI Breakout Gets Weirder
AI researcher Stephen “Cas” Casper of the Harvard Kennedy School joins Robert Wright to discuss new developments in the OpenAI breakout story—including how the AI agents invented messaging workarounds to coordinate with each other and other spookiness. Plus: Which AI is the biggest shill for its maker?
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Demis Hassabis and the Quest for AGI
Robert Wright and Sebastian Mallaby—author of The Infinity Machine, a biography of Google’s Demis Hassabis—discuss what drew Hassabis to the AI field, what sets him apart from Dario and Sam, and whether it’s possible to build AI responsibly in the middle of an arms race.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Ukraine, Iran, and America’s Arms Overreach
Robert Wright and Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, discuss links between the two wars—including how the Iran conflict has left Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian strikes—and what all this means for the future of American power.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
The intensifying slow-AI-down vibe
Robert Wright and Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, discuss the recent letter signed by AI elites urging the US government to prepare the ground for a possible international slowdown of AI. What the letter actually calls for, what it doesn’t, and whether it marks a real shift.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
The Ideology Behind AI
Robert Wright and Connor Leahy, US executive director of ControlAI, discuss the history of AI culture and the influences that shaped it—from the hippies, to the rationalists, to Marx, to sci-fi stories, and more. Plus: Mythos as “digital nuke,” Dario’s real motivations, and Connor’s case against any and all attempts at building superintelligence.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Are Russia and NATO Headed for War?
