A Conversation With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, and an OpenAI Whistle-Blower Speaks Out


Kevin Roose and

Rachel Cohn and

Dan PowellDiane WongPat McCusker and

Warning: this episode contains strong language.

This week, we host a cultural exchange. Kevin and Casey show off their Canadian paraphernalia to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he shows off what he’s doing to position Canada as a leader in A.I. Then, the OpenAI whistle-blower Daniel Kokotajlo speaks in one of his first public interviews about why he risked almost $2 million in equity to warn of what he calls the reckless culture inside that company.

Guests:

  • Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

  • Daniel Kokotajlo, a former researcher in OpenAI’s governance division

Additional Reading:

  • Securing Canada’s A.I. Advantage

  • OpenAI Insiders Warn of a ‘Reckless’ Race for Dominance

  • What Aren’t The OpenAI Whistle-Blowers Saying?

  • The Opaque Investment Empire Making OpenAI’s Sam Altman Rich

Photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looking off into the distance
Photo Illustration by The New York Times

“Hard Fork” is hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton and produced by Whitney Jones and Rachel Cohn. The show is edited by Jen Poyant. Engineering by Alyssa Moxley and original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Diane Wong and Pat McCusker.

Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Pui-Wing Tam, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresti and Jeffrey Miranda.