The AI Fundamentalists
Episodes
AI and the lost art of reading
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As information sources have become abundant and attention spans have shortened in the age of AI, we take on the lost art of reading. Join us to explor...
Metaphysics and modern AI: What is causality?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of our series about Metaphysics and modern AI, we break causality down to first principles and explain how to tell factual mechanisms ...
Why validity beats scale when building multi‑step AI systems
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Sebastian (Seb) Benthall joins us to discuss research from his and Andrew's paper entitled “Validity Is What You Need” f...
2025 AI review: Why LLMs stalled and the outlook for 2026
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here it is! We review the year where scaling large AI models hit its ceiling, Google reclaimed momentum with efficient vertical integration, and the m...
Big data, small data, and AI oversight with David Sandberg
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at the actuarial principles that make models safer: parallel modeling, small data with provenance, and real-time human superv...
Metaphysics and modern AI: What is space and time?
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We explore how space and time form a single fabric, testing our daily beliefs through questions about free-fall, black holes, speed, and momentum to r...
Metaphysics and modern AI: What is reality?
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of our series on metaphysics, Michael Herman joins us from Episode #14 on “What is consciousness?” to discuss reality. More s...
Metaphysics and modern AI: What is thinking? - Series Intro
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the intro to a special project by The AI Fundamentalists’ hosts and friends. We hope you're ready for a metaphysics mini‑seri...
AI in practice: Guardrails and security for LLMs
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about practical guardrails for LLMs with data scientist Nicholas Brathwaite. We focus on how to stop PII leaks, retrieve data...
AI in practice: LLMs, psychology research, and mental health
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited to have Adi Ganesan, a PhD researcher at Stony Brook University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt, on the show. We’ll ...
LLM scaling: Is GPT-5 near the end of exponential growth?
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The release of OpenAI GPT-5 marks a significant turning point in AI development, but maybe not the one most enthusiasts had envisioned. The latest ver...
AI governance: Building smarter AI agents from the fundamentals, part 4
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sid Mangalik and Andrew Clark explore the unique governance challenges of agentic AI systems, highlighting the compounding error rates, security risks...
Linear programming: Building smarter AI agents from the fundamentals, part 3
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We continue with our series about building agentic AI systems from the ground up and for desired accuracy. In this episode, we explore linear progra...
Utility functions: Building smarter AI agents from the fundamentals, part 2
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The hosts look at utility functions as the mathematical basis for making AI systems. They use the example of a travel agent that doesn’t get tired a...
Mechanism design: Building smarter AI agents from the fundamentals, Part 1
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if we've been approaching AI agents all wrong? While the tech world obsesses over larger language models (LLMs) and prompt engineering, ther...
Principles, agents, and the chain of accountability in AI systems
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Michael Zargham provides a systems engineering perspective on AI agents, emphasizing accountability structures and the relationship between princi...
Supervised machine learning for science with Christoph Molnar and Timo Freiesleben, Part 2
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 of this series could have easily been renamed "AI for science: The expert’s guide to practical machine learning.” We continue our disc...
Supervised machine learning for science with Christoph Molnar and Timo Freiesleben, Part 1
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Machine learning is transforming scientific research across disciplines, but many scientists remain skeptical about using approaches that focus on pre...
The future of AI: Exploring modeling paradigms
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unlock the secrets to AI's modeling paradigms. We emphasize the importance of modeling practices, how they interact, and how they should be consi...
Agentic AI: Here we go again
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Agentic AI is the latest foray into big-bet promises for businesses and society at large. While promising autonomy and efficiency, AI agents raise fun...
Contextual integrity and differential privacy: Theory vs. application with Sebastian Benthall
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if privacy could be as dynamic and socially aware as the communities it aims to protect? Sebastian Benthall, a senior research fellow from NYU’...
Model documentation: Beyond model cards and system cards in AI governance
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if the secret to successful AI governance lies in understanding the evolution of model documentation? In this episode, our hosts challenge the co...
New paths in AI: Rethinking LLMs and model risk strategies
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are businesses ready for large language models as a path to AI? In this episode, the hosts reflect on the past year of what has changed and what hasn’...
Complex systems: What data science can learn from astrophysics with Rachel Losacco
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our special guest, astrophysicist Rachel Losacco, explains the intricacies of galaxies, modeling, and the computational methods that unveil their myst...
Preparing AI for the unexpected: Lessons from recent IT incidents
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can your AI models survive a big disaster? While a recent major IT incident with CrowdStrike wasn't AI related, the magnitude and reaction remind...
Exploring the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF) with Patrick Hall
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we chat with Patrick Hall, Principal Scientist at Hallresearch.ai and Assistant Professor at George Washington University. He shares his in...
Data lineage and AI: Ensuring quality and compliance with Matt Barlin
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ready to uncover the secrets of modern systems engineering and the future of AI? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Matt Barlin, the Chief ...
Differential privacy: Balancing data privacy and utility in AI
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the basics of differential privacy and its critical role in protecting individual anonymity. The hosts explain the latest guidelines and best ...
Responsible AI: Does it help or hurt innovation? With Anthony Habayeb
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at a unique intersection of technology, ethics, and regulation. The complexities of responsible AI are brought int...
Baseline modeling and its critical role in AI and business performance
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Baseline modeling is a necessary part of model validation. In our expert opinion, it should be required before model deployment. There are many baseli...
Information theory and the complexities of AI model monitoring
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore information theory and the not-so-obvious shortcomings of its popular metrics for model monitoring; and where non-parametr...
The importance of anomaly detection in AI
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the hosts focus on the basics of anomaly detection in machine learning and AI systems, including its importance, and how it is implem...
What is consciousness, and does AI have it?
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking a slight detour from modeling best practices to explore questions about AI and consciousness. With special guest Michael Herman, co...
Upskilling for AI: Roles, organizations, and new mindsets
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Data scientists, researchers, engineers, marketers, and risk leaders find themselves at a crossroads to expand their skills or risk obsolescence. The ...
Non-parametric statistics
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for 2024 and a brand new episode! We discuss non-parametric statistics in data analysis and AI modeling. Learn more about applications in us...
AI regulation, data privacy, and ethics - 2023 summarized
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's the end of 2023 and our first season. The hosts reflect on what's happened with the fundamentals of AI regulation, data privacy, and et...
Managing bias in the actuarial sciences with Joshua Pyle, FCAS
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joshua Pyle joins us in a discussion about managing bias in the actuarial sciences. Together with Andrew's and Sid's perspectives from bot...
Model Validation: Performance
04 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 9. Continuing our series run about model validation. In this episode, the hosts focus on aspects of performance, why we need to do statistics ...
Model validation: Robustness and resilience
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 8. This is the first in a series of episodes dedicated to model validation. Today, we focus on model robustness and resilience. From complex f...
Digital twins in AI systems
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 7. To use or not to use? That is the question about digital twins that the fundamentalists explore. Many solutions continue to be proposed f...
Fundamentals of systems engineering
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 6. What does systems engineering have to do with AI fundamentals? In this episode, the team discusses what data and computer science as profes...
Synthetic Data in AI
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 5. This episode about synthetic data is very real. The fundamentalists uncover the pros and cons of synthetic data; as well as reliable use ca...
Modeling with Christoph Molnar
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 4. The AI Fundamentalists welcome Christoph Molnar to discuss the characteristics of a modeling mindset in a rapidly innovating world. He is t...
Why data matters | The right data for the right objective with AI
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 3. Get ready because we're bringing stats back! An AI model can only learn from the data it has seen. And business problems can’t be ...
Truth-based AI: LLMs and knowledge graphs - back to basics
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Truth-based AI: Large language models (LLMs) and knowledge graphs - The AI Fundamentalists, Episode 2Show NotesWhat’s NOT new and what is new in the...
Why AI Fundamentals? | AI rigor in engineering | Generative AI isn't new | Data quality matters in machine learning
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The AI Fundamentalists - Ep1 SummaryWelcome to the first episode. 0:03Welcome to the first episode of the AI Fundamentalists podcast.Introducing the ...