Robert Wright's Nonzero

Chart trend

Position in the Philosophy chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#44#87JunJulAugSep

#22

all-time peak

335

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

The Week in AI that Changed the World (Robert Wright & Liron Shapira)

#15 trending · Philosophy

0:29 A bold new experiment in podcast synergy 3:10 What caused the epic AI vibe shift? 8:34 The resignation that broke the dam 10:41 Former Trump adviser Dean Ball comes

Sep 11
1 h 36 min

Israel’s Lobby (Robert Wright, Eli Clifton, and Ian Lustick)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Ian and Eli’s new book, Israel’s Lobby 2:01 Being a Jewish critic of Israel before tha

Sep 8
52 min

Is AI a Form of Life? (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Why Bob is (extra) freaked out 5:56 Inside the minds of OpenAI's rogue agents 12:33 Is

Sep 4
45 min

Iran, Ukraine, and the Future of War (Robert Wright & Paul Scharre)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Paul’s military tech bona fides 2:35 What we (should) have learned from the Iran war 1

Sep 1
53 min

The OpenAI Breakout and Other AI Spookiness (Robert Wright & Stephen Casper)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Stephen’s expertise in spooky AI behavior 3:30 Testing AIs for “corporate loyalty” 19:

Aug 27
1 h 26 min

Demis Hassabis and the Quest for AGI (Robert Wright & Sebastian Mallaby)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:24 The Infinity Machine, Sebastian’s book about Demis Hassabis 2:44 Why tell the AI story

Aug 25
54 min

Trump’s New War on Iran (Robert Wright & Hooman Majd)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Hooman’s Iranian expertise—inherited and otherwise 3:49 Trump’s new (economic) war on

Aug 21
52 min

The AI Safety Vibe Shift (Robert Wright & David Krueger)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 David’s AI safety work, past and present 2:28 Has there been a vibe shift in AI? 7:49

Aug 18
50 min

Is (Human) Writing Doomed? (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Bob channels Dick Cheney 4:25 Is AI killing writing? And thinking? 16:43 How Bob and P

Aug 13
47 min

Trump’s Unending War (Robert Wright, Curt Mills, and Andrew Day)

0:28 How is MAGA feeling about Trump 2.0? 3:31 Bob’s good ol’ days at The New Republic 6:13 The biggest threat to the Trump coalition 18:31 Why the MoU unraveled 31:40 Is

Aug 12
1 h 08 min

Ukraine, Iran, and America’s Arms Overreach (Robert Wright & Jennifer Kavanagh)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Jennifer’s foreign policy bona fides 1:31 Could Ukraine and Iran merge into one big wa

Aug 6
53 min

Fasten Your Bot-belts (Robert Wright & Samuel Hammond)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Sam’s ideological leanings 3:44 Sam’s AI Manhattan Project–revisited 7:44 What does th

Aug 4
57 min

The intensifying slow-AI-down vibe (Robert Wright & Holly Elmore)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 The “Pacing the Frontier” letter signed by AI elites 10:15 Why so many China-hawk AI-s

Jul 31
54 min

Are the Ukraine and the Iran Wars Merging? (Robert Wright & Nikita Petrov)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Why did Ukraine hit an Iranian ship 500 miles from Ukraine? 14:09 Ukraine’s war on Rus

Jul 29
47 min

The Wright Stuff (Very Bad Wizards w/ Tamler Sommers and David Pizarro)

(Show notes via Very Bad Wizards) The great Robert Wright returns to the podcast to talk about his new book The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic R

Jul 24
1 h 31 min

The Ideology Behind AI (Robert Wright & Connor Leahy)

0:28 Connor’s place in the AI world 2:58 Mythos: “digital nuke”? 13:52 The milieu that birthed Dario and other AI titans 20:33 Yudkowsky, Marx, and other AI harbingers 35

Jul 21
1 h 27 min

The God We Deserve: Nonzero's Robert Wright on AI as Humanity's Ultimate Test (The Cognitive Revolution w/ Nathan Labenz)

(Show notes via The Cognitive Revolution) Robert Wright describes himself less as a Forrest Gump of AI history than a Zelig — a journalist who keeps turning up at pivota

Jul 18
2 h 24 min

Trump’s Self-Inflicted Iran Quagmire (Robert Wright & Zaid Jilani)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Zaid’s Substack and spicy-take history 2:55 Zaid: Iran has outplayed Trump and Bibi 9:

Jul 15
38 min

Iran, Israel, and the Future of US Power (Robert Wright, Derek Davison, and Daniel Bessner)

0:28 Sneak peek: Danny finds flaw in Bob’s AI book 1:42 Is the Iran war fully back on? 6:23 What the war means for the future of US power 19:16 The problem with blaming B

Jul 10
54 min

Are Russia and NATO Headed for War? (Robert Wright & Leonid Ragozin)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Leonid’s journalistic work, past and present 1:32 Are Russia and NATO headed for war?

Jul 7
45 min

Chart positions

Where Robert Wright's Nonzero ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).

#31 — Philosophy US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Really enjoyable podcast especially the one on ones with Paul bloom. Bob has a sardonic and extremely dry wit that might rub some the wrong way but I find endearing and funny. The escalation of executive power grabbing since the beginning of 2025 has made that aspect of this podcast even more entertaining. I’d rather put on a face eating mask than learn that this podcast was cancelled.

DavyLee92 · Jan 2026

Robert Wright is a rare voice of true intellectual depth and curiosity. He brings nuance, clarity, and thoughtfulness to complex topics that too often get oversimplified elsewhere. Every conversation feels like an opportunity to learn something meaningful and see the world from a wiser perspective. This is one of the most consistently informative and rewarding podcasts out there.

SnailPal · Aug 2025

I love this show because, besides being interesting and enjoyable to listen to generally, it doesn’t feel dogmatic. Even perspectives I agree with totally become cloying when every single word is in service of adhering to that viewpoint.

Sailormoon1485 · Aug 2025

Bob is very funny and knowledgeable, and he somehow manages to have on the most important and interesting people from academia, tech, policy, politics, journalism, and any other field you can think of. I in particular look forward to his episodes with Paul Bloom. Also Bob’s Substack is great, and his book The Evolution of God will change your life.

bruhdefgecd · Sep 2024

I love Bob Wright and found his Buddhism book transformational for my life. I don’t understand why this podcast has such worse audio quality than almost any other. Is it a poor quality microphone? I want this feedback to get to the producers so they can fix it.

billkee · Sep 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.