What does it mean to keep wisdom ahead of rapidly advancing technology? In this episode of Today’s Conversation, Max Tegmark, professor and AI researcher at MIT and co-founder of the Future of Life Institute, explores the urgent question of how society can ensure artificial intelligence empowers — rather than endangers — human flourishing.In this episode, Max Tegmark joins NAE President Walter Kim to unpack the profound opportunities and alarming risks posed by AI. Drawing on vivid analogies, historical lessons and real-world examples, they examine why the stakes for wisdom, foresight and moral courage have never been higher.

In their conversation, they discuss:

• Why wisdom must stay ahead of technology’s power — and what happens when it doesn’t;
• How past successes in safety engineering, like airbags and the FDA, offer a roadmap for responsible AI development;
• The urgent need for faith communities to raise AI as a moral issue, not just a technical one; and
• How re-centering the conversation on stewardship and responsibility can shift priorities toward the common good.

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Resources

• “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” by Max Tegmark
• The Future of Life Institute
• Redemptive Artificial Intelligence, NAE podcast with Andy Crouch
• You Are Not a Machine, Spring/Summer 2025 edition of Evangelicals magazine