Nick Bilton is a Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair, New York Times bestselling author, and screenwriter currently working with Martin Scorsese on a film about the Hawaiian mob starring Dwayne Johnson. We discuss the power of story, Silicon Valley's reality distortion field, the existential risks of AI, and more. READ MORE👉🏼http://bit.ly/richroll981 ✌🏼🌱 - Rich This Episode Is Brought To You By… Caraway Home: Save up to $190 on cookware sets + an additional 10% off with code RICHROLL👉🏼https://bit.ly/Caraway2026 Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉🏼https://www.rivian.com Squarespace: Use code RichRoll to save 10% off👉🏼https://bit.ly/squarespace2025 WHOOP: The all-new WHOOP 5.0 is here! Get your first month FREE👉🏼https://www.join.whoop.com/Roll Shokz: Visit SHOKZ.com and use code RICHROLL to receive an exclusive offer on your purchase👉🏼https://beopen.shokz.com/RichRoll-OpenFitPro Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/rrpsponsors LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/rrpitunes Spotify: http://bit.ly/rrpspotify Google: http://bit.ly/rrpgooglepods Meal Planner: http://meals.richroll.com Voicing Change Book: http://richroll.com/vc Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRollPodcastClips Newsletter: http://bit.ly/rollcallemail CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:13 Billionaires as Master Storytellers 00:05:22 Reality Distortion Fields & Tech Titans 00:10:31 The Dangers of Tech Mythmaking 00:18:29 AI, OpenAI, and the Race for AGI 00:22:01 Incentive Structures & Media Extremism 00:25:13 Social Media’s Harm & Tech Responsibility 00:26:46 Sponsor Break 00:31:00 Nick’s ADHD & Multidisciplinary Career 00:33:15 Work Habits & Writer’s Block in the Age of AI 00:35:36 Nick’s Troubled Youth & Turning Point 00:39:34 Imposter Syndrome & Meaningful Encounters 00:41:06 Art School & Creative Beginnings 00:42:42 Early Career & The War Photographer Dream 00:45:15 Transition to Tech Journalism 00:47:23 Unlikely Path to NYT Columnist 00:49:26 Advice for Aspiring Writers 00:54:24 Visual Storytelling & Dyslexia 00:55:27 The Craft of Storytelling 00:58:16 The Godfather & Screenwriting Challenges 01:01:23 The State of the Book Industry 01:06:05 Sponsor Break 2 01:09:03 AI’s Existential Risks 01:13:29 Speculating on AI Catastrophe Scenarios 01:19:00 AI in Creative Work & Writers’ Rooms 01:27:12 Interviewing Dead Characters with AI 01:29:09 Will AI Replace Human Creativity? 01:33:55 The Recursive Loop of AI Degradation 01:37:21 AI, Storytelling, and Manipulation 01:40:00 Rapid AI Advancement & Human Powerlessness 01:47:12 Advice for the Next Generation 01:49:30 Finding Meaning Amid Uncertainty 01:54:02 Appreciating the Present & Technology’s Downside 01:55:20 Collaborating with The Rock & Scorsese 01:57:52 Conclusion & Plugs CONNECT WITH RICH ✩ Website - http://richroll.com​ ✩ Rich Roll Podcast - https://richroll.com/all-episodes/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richroll/ ✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/richroll ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richrollfans ✩ Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/14443?oq=rich ✩ Memoir: Finding Ultra - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/finding-ultra/ ✩ Meals - http://meals.richroll.com​ ✩ Cook - The Plantpower Way - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-signed/ ✩ Italian! - The Plantpower Way: Italia - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-italia-signed/ ✩ Support - https://www.patreon.com/richroll Thanks To The Team: Jason Camiolo, Dan Drake, Morgan McRae, Blake Curtis, Desmond Loh * * * * * NEW TO RICH? Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles: http://bit.ly/otillonyt http://bit.ly/vegansglam I LOVE MAIL! SEND IT HERE: 2630 Conejo Spectrum St. Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 #richroll #richrollpodcast