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What is AGI—and is it crazy to say it’s already here? Anthropic’s targeted IPO valuation indicates that many don’t think it’s far off.

Guest: Kevin Roose, author of “The AGI Chronicles”, former NYT host of “Hard Fork,” current host of NPR’s “Machine Gods.”

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.
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This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what they're paying attention to and what to expect on Election Day next Tuesday, how to understand the complex results of Israel's elections with guest Ruth Margalit, and what Anthropic's highly anticipated IPO prospectus says about the promise and peril of AI.

Here are this week’s chatters:

Emily: Sam Levine for The Guardian: Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time; Jordan Rubin for MS NOW: How the Trump DOJ can lose the new Comey case before it even starts; Michelle Spear for The Conversation: Do women have to pee more often? The answer is surprisingly complex

John: CBC Podcasts: Sea of Lies; BritBox: Ludwig

David: Hulu: Adults; Michael Johnston and Melissa de la Cruz for NPR: 'Spell'-Bound By A Goofy Book — And Later, United By It

Listener chatter from Bryan Bennett in Austin, Texas: Bryan Bennett for Walking Through the Data (Substack): Democrats Need to Confront the Length and Depth of Distrust in Government and Institutions

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the spat between Obama and Trump over Trump's gilded Oval Office decor, consider which side emerges looking better, and ask whether dumb cultural moments like this really matter.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John Dickerson interviews Angela Duckworth about her new book, Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best. This new book argues that the most successful people don’t just grind harder; they reshape their circumstances to make success feel automatic.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki
Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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Find out more about David Plotz's monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

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Why did House Judiciary Democrats wait until this week to release a report outlining Donald Trump’s appearances and behavior alleged in the Epstein files?

Guest: Rep. Jamie Raskin (Maryland-D), ranking member of House Committee on the Judiciary, former head of Oversight committee.
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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turn on a TV just about anywhere in America and get ready to see some of the most unhinged political ads of your life. But with more money being spent on ad buys than ever before, it’s worth asking: do they make any difference?

Guest: Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics podcast.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.

Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investment in artificial intelligence is driving our economy and the markets but it’s also doing something else … scaring the hell out of people. On this episode of Money Talks, host Emily Peck sits down with Axios reporters Sam Sabin and Maria Curie to talk about what threats are real and what threats are alarmist when it comes to AI, and how lawmakers are dealing with a fast moving situation that they don’t seem to understand.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Jessamine Molli.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.