What We Are the Future
Listen before buying
What We Are the Future by Will McCaskill comes up on 80,000 Hours Podcast and Modern Wisdom, including episode with Will MacAskill, with transcript quotes, timestamps, and episode context.
What We Are the Future by Will McCaskill appears 3 times across 3 podcast episodes on 3 shows, with transcript quotes and timestamps.
“This argument could be incredibly potent.”
Why people keep bringing this up
The book is repeatedly referenced in at least one notable conversation for its association with the author’s broader contributions to effective altruism. On the 80,000 Hours Podcast episode #242, the host mentions Will McCaskill as the author of Doing Good Better and What We Are the Future, linking the title to discussions of the author’s work and public profile within the movement.
That single documented mention situates the book alongside other well-known titles by the same author and explains its recurrence in podcast dialogue: it functions as part of the author’s identifiable body of work cited when guests address topics connected to effective altruism and related intellectual contributions. The citation is factual and limited to the episode’s reference to the author’s bibliography rather than claims about the book’s content.
The host mentions 'What We Are the Future' to highlight its complementary insights alongside Toby Ord's 'The Precipice.' Both books emphasize the importance of considering long-term impacts of our actions on future generations and the potential risks humanity faces.
The host references 'What We Are the Future' to challenge the notion that the only way to impact the long-term future is by reducing extinction risks. They argue that there are multiple avenues to influence future outcomes, emphasizing the need for increased resource allocation towards these efforts.
The host mentions 'What We Are the Future' to emphasize the significant implications of AI's character on society and decision-making. This book is relevant as it explores how AI can influence various aspects of human life, from politics to personal advice.
Recent show rotation: 80,000 Hours Podcast, Modern Wisdom, and The Ezra Klein Show.
Guests tied to these mentions include Will MacAskill.
Fastest path back to the source: the strongest indexed mention lands at 0:32 in the episode where we captured it.
Quick FAQ
Answers to common book, episode, podcast, and guest questions.
Which episode mentioned What We Are the Future?
#242 – Will MacAskill on how we survive the 'intelligence explosion,' AI character, and the case for 'viatopia' on 80,000 Hours Podcast is one of the clearest indexed episodes that mentioned What We Are the Future by Will McCaskill. Other indexed episodes include #512 - Will MacAskill - How Long Could Humanity Continue For? on Modern Wisdom and Three Sentences That Could Change the World — and Your Life on The Ezra Klein Show. The first indexed transcript timestamp lands at 0:32.
Which podcast mentioned What We Are the Future?
80,000 Hours Podcast, Modern Wisdom, and The Ezra Klein Show are the main indexed podcasts currently tied to What We Are the Future by Will McCaskill.
Who mentioned What We Are the Future on podcasts?
Will MacAskill is the main guest currently tied to mentioning What We Are the Future by Will McCaskill.
Why do podcast guests bring up What We Are the Future?
The host mentions 'What We Are the Future' to highlight its complementary insights alongside Toby Ord's 'The Precipice.' Both books emphasize the importance of considering long-term impacts of our actions on future generations and the potential risks humanity faces. It most often appears in conversations about long-termism and future risks and AI character and personality.
Mentions across episodes
Every mention card links back to the episode page and exact transcript anchor.
“Will McCaskill is mentioned as the author of 'Doing Good Better' and 'What We Are the Future', highlighting his contributions to effective altruism.”
“Will McCaskill mentions his book 'What We Are the Future' which he believes will be out when the podcast is launched.”
“In chapter seven of What We Are the Future, I talk about stagnation. The idea that maybe growth wouldn't just slow, but actually even come to a halt.”