
The Case for AI Optimism with Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler
From The Next Big Idea by Next Big Idea Club
June 11, 2026 · 1h 6m
About this episode
Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler discuss the optimistic potential of artificial intelligence and its impact on the future.
Nearly half of all Americans believe AI is bad for humanity. Peter Diamandis is not one of them. On his podcast, Moonshots, and in his new book, We Are as Gods, co-written with the inimitable Steven Kotler, he makes the case that artificial intelligence is already ushering in a world of abundance — think radical life extension, 10 billion humanoid robots, and agents that do your job while you're sipping a latte. He knows it may not be all sunshine and hydroponic roses, but he believes our future is incredibly bright. And he's putting his money where his mouth is: XPRIZE, the nonprofit he founded more than 30 years ago to bankroll breakthroughs, just announced it's giving $3.5 million to filmmakers who conjure convincingly optimistic visions of the future. Rufus and Caleb don't have their film treatment ready yet, but they do have plenty of questions for Peter and Steven about flying cars, the future of work, worst-case scenarios, and the new commandments for working with AI. 💬 LINES WE LOVE: “If you’re in ninth grade and you’re using AI to do your homework, that’s just stupid, and you shouldn’t be allowed to do that. But if you’re in ninth grade and you’re using AI to help you…
People in this episode
Hosts: Rufus, Caleb
Guests: Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler
Topics covered
- artificial intelligence
- optimism
- future of work
- technology
- innovation
Keywords
- AI
- abundance
- future
- innovation
- technology
- optimism
- XPRIZE
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: XPRIZE
Books & works: We Are as Gods, Moonshots
More episodes of The Next Big Idea
- Best Of: The Power of Thinking Outside Your Brain · June 8, 2026 · 1h 13m
- Want to Be Happier? Try Talking to Strangers. · June 4, 2026 · 1h 17m
- Best Of: Gretchen Rubin’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into the World · June 1, 2026 · 55 min
- The Case for Speechmaking in the Age of Doomscrolling · May 28, 2026 · 1h 7m
- Best Of: Stop Chasing More. Start Embracing Your Limits. · May 25, 2026 · 1h 19m
- When Will AI Empty Your Dishwasher? (with Nicholas Thompson) · May 21, 2026 · 54 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Next Big Idea podcast page.