New York: In episode #435 of Making Sense with Sam Harris, listeners are introduced to The Last Invention Podcast— a provocative new investigative podcast series by Gregory Warner and Andy Mills.
This episode marks the beginning of an eight-part deep exploration into the promises, anxieties, and real-world consequences of the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Who Are the Key Voices?
Gregory Warner
Warner brings serious journalistic chops to the table. Formerly a foreign correspondent in Russia and Afghanistan, and East Africa bureau chief for NPR, he’s no stranger to complex, high-stakes reporting. He also created and hosted the podcast Rough Translation and has contributed to This American Life and The New York Times.
Andy Mills
Mills is a seasoned reporter and editor who helped build the audio storytelling arm of The New York Times — the team behind The Daily and Rabbit Hole. His background in narrative audio makes him a natural partner in this ambitious AI investigation.
Sam Harris introduces the episode, framing The Last Invention as more than a technical review — it’s a narrative about human hopes, fears, and the uncertain line between tool and threat.
What The Last Invention Aims to Explore
In this opening episode, Making Sense offers a teaser of the questions the series will tackle:
- Are the fears about AI overblown? The conversation asks whether projections about AI risk sometimes drift into hyperbole.
- What’s the difference between hype and real danger? As AI advances, the gap between what we can imagine and what is actually happening grows murky.
- Who benefits — and who pays? The series aims to dig into how AI is shaping power, wealth, and agency across societies.
- Policy, morality, and oversight. Can regulations, ethics, and public institutions keep pace with technology?
The show positions itself not as a doomsday prediction, but as a serious inquiry: not just what AI could do, but what it is doing now.
Why This Episode Matters Now
AI is transforming nearly every sector — from healthcare to finance, creative arts to military tech. But the speed of progress often outpaces public understanding or regulation. This gap creates fertile ground for misinformation, hype, and mismatched expectations.
By launching The Last Invention within Making Sense, Harris hands over the mic to reporters who can dig into nuance, context, and consequence. For listeners, it’s a chance to move beyond headlines like “AI will destroy humanity” or “AI is our salvation” to more grounded, thoughtful views.
In a time when tech discourse is polarized, informed voices are essential. This episode (and the series overall) promises to shine light into the gray areas — where hype meets reality, and where humans must make choices.
Structure & Distribution
- The Last Invention is a limited-run series with eight episodes in total.
- The episodes are released weekly, allowing listeners to digest, reflect, and engage with the material over time.
- You can find it wherever you get podcasts. The show also has a mailing list on Substack via Longview Investigations (longviewinvestigations.substack.com) and a website at longviewinvestigations.com.
What Listeners Should Look for in Coming Episodes
As the series progresses, you can expect deeper dives into sub-topics such as:
- AI alignment & control: How do we steer systems built by humans toward human goals?
- Power concentration: Which corporations, governments, or individuals are gaining disproportionate influence over AI infrastructure?
- Social consequences: What happens to jobs, privacy, inequality, and democratic governance?
- Emergent risks: Surprises, unintended consequences, and black-swan scenarios we haven’t anticipated.
- Ethical tensions: When does innovation cross a moral line? Who decides?
Because Warner and Mills have strong journalistic backgrounds, don’t expect simplistic tech evangelism or fear mongering — expect interviews, on-the-ground stories, and narrative context.
Also Read: Kylie Kelce Tearfully Recalls Miscarriage: “Everything Went Into Slow Motion”
Making Sense #435: The Last Invention is both an invitation and a warning. It invites curious listeners into a thoughtful journey through AI’s promise and peril. It warns against easy answers or ideological extremes. Above all, it recognizes that the story of AI is not about machines — it’s about humans, values, and choices.
This episode sets the stage for what could become one of the more impactful series of 2025 on technology, society, and the unknown paths ahead.
