Physicist and entrepreneur Steve Hsu, whose startup Superfocus tackles hallucination problems in large language models, joins Azeem to discuss AI agents, hallucination challenges and what happens when technology meets labor markets.

They discuss:

(01:31) The deeper shift that Superfocus represents

(07:00)  Will models overcome hallucination?

(10:15)  AI Agents can replace 80-90% of call center calls

(12:27)  What it’s like showing customer support AI to customer support people

(22:36)  China's mayors are like mini CEOs

(30:05)  What will matter most in the supposed "AI race"?

(35:58) DeepSeek was not part of the Chinese Government

(38:23)  How open source will change the future of deployment

(40:59)  What the public doesn't understand about AI tail risk

(48:01) How AI plush toys can teach French to 2-year-olds

This was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar", a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through Exponential View on Substack.

Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd

Sir Niall Ferguson, renowned historian and Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the evolving relationship between the U.S. and China, Trump's foreign policy doctrine, and what the new global economic and security order might look like.

(00:00)  What most analysts are missing about Trump

(05:43)  The win-win outcome in Europe–U.S relations

(11:17)  How the U.S. is reestablishing deterrence

(15:50)  Can the U.S. economy weather the impact of tariffs?

(23:33) Niall's read on China

(29:29)  How is China performing in tech?

(33:35)  What might happen with Taiwan

(42:43) Predictions for the coming world order

Sir Niall Ferguson's links:

• Substack: Time Machine
• Books: War of the World, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/nfergus

Azeem's links:

• Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/
• Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeem

Our new show This was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar" on 28 March.

Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd

In this episode, Azeem Azhar speaks with Ryan Petersen, CEO and founder of logistics platform Flexport, about the current state of global trade amidst escalating tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and technological disruption. Ryan offers unique insights from the frontlines of the US-China trade war and explores how businesses are adapting to a rapidly changing landscape.

(00:00) Episode trailer

(01:12) Ryan's overall thoughts and predictions

(03:40) Why shipping is crucial to your everyday life

(08:07) Why tariffs may actually increase global shipping

(11:34) Who’s pausing their China shipments?

(14:29) The mindset of Flexport customers right now

(16:02) Is this the end of globalization?

(21:48) The fragility and resiliency of global trade

(25:27) The most underrated story in the world

(30:25) How tech has changed global trade

(36:31) Who will win in the new trade settings?

(41:20) What could a U.S-China trade deal look like?

Ryan's links:

Flexport https://www.flexport.com/

Twitter/X https://x.com/typesfast

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpetersen/

Azeem's links:

Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/

Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar

Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeem

Our new show

This was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar", a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through my Substack linked below. The format is experimental and we'd love your feedback, so feel free to comment or email your thoughts to our team at live@exponentialview.co.

Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd