Get Sam Altman on Making Sense with Sam Harris
Next goal: 5
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The Case for This Conversation
AI is cool i guess
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam’s decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and a new operating system for the mind. Waking Up offers free subscriptions to anyone who can’t afford one, and donates a minimum of 10% of profits to the most effective charities around the world. To learn more, please go to WakingUp.com. Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in ne
Sam Altman is at the center of this month’s AI storm, after OpenAI coordinated with the White House to stagger the release of its newest systems on June 26, 2026, then moved ahead on July 9 after making “many changes.” He is shaping the policy conversation in real time, and getting him with Sam Harris today means answers on what changed, why it matters, and what comes next.
OpenAI is also racing on the hardware and governance fronts, unveiling an LLM‑optimized inference chip partnership on June 24, 2026, while reports say Altman floated donating 5% of OpenAI’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, a bombshell idea with massive public stakes. With analysts noting OpenAI’s position relative to Google and Anthropic is shifting, Harris can press Altman on safety, competition, and model governance while the headlines are still hot.
To our knowledge Altman has not previously appeared on Making Sense, which makes this a rare first chance for this audience to hear him challenged at length on ethics, power, and the future of AI. If you want that conversation to happen now, support this nomination today.
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Nomination created on October 19, 2025