Offline with Jon Favreau

A Techno-Optimist’s Case for AI

Dec 6, 2025 · 54 min · Episode 214
0:00-54:42

Streams straight from the publisher. podnod never proxies or re-hosts episode audio.

Economist and techno-optimist Noah Smith, author of the Noahpinion Substack, joins Offline to debate the promise of artificial intelligence, the benefits of online fragmentation (could it be good for our society?) and whether liberal nationalism is feasible—and a good thing. Though Noah and Jon differ on a lot of “Offline” themes, they find common ground on the dangers of social media, leftist scolds, and a country with an identity crisis.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.