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13 episodes

The Builders

by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope · English

Whose imagination do you want to live in? In this new series, bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson sits down with the most consequential names in AI and tech to understand the futures they're racing to build. Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Fei-Fei Li, Dario and Daniela Amodei, and more open up about their ambitions, what frightens them, how they think about humanity, and what drives them to build so big and so fast. The conversations are intimate, charming, and sometimes chilling. But mostly, they're impossible to dismiss. Because whether or not you agree with them, it's their imagination we're all starting to live in. ABOUT THE HOST Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Elon Musk, Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. He is a professor of history at Tulane University and previously served as CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair and CEO of CNN, and editor of Time. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. IN THIS SEASON Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, xAI) Peter Thiel (Founders Fund, PayPal, Palantir) Mustafa Suleyman (Microsoft AI, DeepMind) Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei (Anthropic) and more!

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Alex Karp: Silicon Valley Broke Its Promise to America

Alex Karp (Palantir CEO) argues that powerful data/AI systems can defend open societies if built around civil liberties and constitutional privacy protections, not a surveillance-state mindset.

10 Nov 2026 · 50m · 19 chapters

Garry Tan Decides Who Gets to Build the Future

Gary Tan, CEO/leader of Y Combinator, explains how YC selects founders, why antitrust and open markets matter for startups, and how AI “agents” and personal AI could reshape society and jobs.

3 Nov 2026 · 40m · 17 chapters

After The Builders: On Dario & Daniela Amodei and Mustafa Suleyman

A live discussion about AI safety and control, framed by the “Builders” interviews with Anthropic co-founders Dario and Daniela Amodei and Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.

30 Oct 2026 · 48m · 19 chapters

Mustafa Suleyman: AI Should Serve Humanity, Not Replace It

Mustafa Suleyman (Microsoft AI CEO) argues AI should be built to improve human well-being, not to replace or supersede humanity.

29 Oct 2026 · 52m · 24 chapters

Dario & Daniela Amodei: "This Is Gonna Determine the Fate of Nations and the Future of Humanity”

Interview with Dario and Daniela Amodei (Anthropic) about AI risk, safety principles, Claude’s “constitution,” and Anthropic’s stance on autonomy and military use.

27 Oct 2026 · 40m · 17 chapters

After The Builders: On Musk and Thiel

A special episode from Tech Stuff introducing Kaleidoscope’s new podcast The Builders with Walter Isaacson, featuring analysis of Isaacson’s interviews with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.

23 Oct 2026 · 50m · 17 chapters

Peter Thiel: “We Need to Hit the Accelerator As Hard As Possible” on AI

Peter Thiel argues AI backlash is partly speculative and economically disruptive but ultimately productivity-enhancing; he opposes “pause AI,” saying the U.S.

22 Oct 2026 · 58m · 23 chapters

Elon Musk: "Humans Won't Be in Control" When AI Becomes Smarter Than Us

Walter Isaacson interviews Elon Musk (The Builders) about AI risk, safety, and governance; whether humans will remain in control; and how AI/robots could reshape the economy, meaning, and society.

20 Oct 2026 · 40m · 15 chapters

ON MUSK Episode Four: What is Musk's Legacy?

Walter Isaacson and Evan Ratliff discuss Elon Musk’s legacy—how his personal history, Silicon Valley networks (especially the PayPal “mafia”), and mission-driven worldview shaped his business and…

17 Oct 2026 · 44m · 13 chapters

ON MUSK Episode Three: Storytelling and Hot Takes

Walter Isaacson (re-air of Episode 3 of On Musk) discusses how he became a storyteller/biographer and how he wrote his Elon Musk biography—especially his approach to “story, not preaching,” managing…

16 Oct 2026 · 45m · 17 chapters

ON MUSK Episode Two: Demons

“Demons” (Walter Isaacson’s re-aired interview series) explores Elon Musk’s “demon mode” and how his childhood trauma, social wiring, and management style drive both extraordinary engineering urgency…

15 Oct 2026 · 44m · 17 chapters

ON MUSK Episode One: Genius

Walter Isaacson’s “On Musk” episode one (“Genius”) explores how Elon Musk’s engineering mindset—first principles, deleting what’s unnecessary, and learning from failures—produced breakthroughs across…

14 Oct 2026 · 32m · 9 chapters

Coming Soon! The Builders

AI arms race and who should control advanced AI systems, including risks of manipulation and autonomous “kill decisions” by drones; what roles remain for humans and how to create a desired future.

6 Oct 2026 · 2m · 1 chapter