Conversation with Robert West, EPFL

Conversation with Robert West, EPFL

From Inside AI by EPFL AI Center

February 5, 2026 · 1h 26m · Season 2 · Episode 7

About this episode

The episode explores the evolution of AI into an autonomous agent and its implications for society.

What happens when AI stops being just a tool—and starts acting like an autonomous agent? In this episode of Inside AI, host Marcel Salathé speaks with EPFL professor and Applied Machine Learning Days co-founder Bob West about the growing rift shaping today’s AI landscape. Drawing on insights from his sabbatical at Microsoft Research, West unpacks how AI has evolved into a general-purpose technology with real-world power. From the surprising persuasive abilities of large language models, to hidden English-centric biases, to the emerging need for “machine psychology,” the conversation explores how modern AI systems think, adapt, and influence us. They also tackle the risks of AI as a self-improving actor—and the hopeful promise of accelerating scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs. A deep dive into the future of human–machine intelligence, and what it means for the world we’re rapidly entering. Production: Melissa Anchisi

People in this episode

Host: Marcel Salathé

Guest: Bob West

Topics covered

  • AI as autonomous agent
  • machine learning
  • language models
  • AI risks
  • scientific discovery
  • human-machine intelligence

Keywords

  • AI
  • autonomous agents
  • machine psychology
  • language models
  • biases
  • scientific breakthroughs
  • human-machine interaction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EPFL, Microsoft Research

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