Up Against Reality

Dr. Shannon Doak returns to wrestle with humanity’s biggest question: as AI races toward AGI — and beyond — do we still have a seat at the table? Plus: YouTube’s toddler death traps, Anthropic’s whoopsie heard ’round the world, and the cyborg musician no one saw coming.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The AI Safety Expert: Dr. Roman Yampolskiy | Diary of CEO

Dr. Shannon Doak

Walking the StrAIght Path: A Human-Centered Response to the Rise of AGI & ASI

Explore the AI-StrAIghtPath App

AI Safety & Existential Risk

Center for Humane Technology

Books

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky | Amazon

Scary Smart by Mo Gawdat | Amazon

Viral Articles & Media

“Something Big Is Happening” by Matt Shumer

“Something Big Is Happening in Education” (Matt Shumer/Fortune)

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/04/07/dr-doak-vs-asi/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

A dying dog, a desperate owner, and an LLM walk into an oncology lab — and somehow it works. This week we’re still celebrating AI’s good side, alongside the usual chaos: CEO shake-ups, OpenAI’s romantic misfires, and Anthropic accidentally spilling the secrets of its most dangerous model. Disclaimer: The medical treatment discussed in this episode is anecdotal. Consult a licensed veterinary oncologist before pursuing experimental treatments for pets.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The RNA Institute (UNSW): The research facility where Rosie’s personalized mRNA vaccine was manufactured. Learn more about the UNSW RNA Institute

Google DeepMind AlphaFold: The AI system used to model the protein structures of Rosie’s specific tumor mutations. Explore the AlphaFold Database

Original News Coverage: The Independent: “A man used ChatGPT to help make a cancer vaccine for his dog. Here’s how”

NBC News Segment: “Australian tech entrepreneur uses AI to create cancer treatment for his dog”

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/31/rosie-the-dog/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

RAINA’s in the driver’s seat, spinning up this week’s news. But wait, there’s more! No, not a set of ginsu knives. A special episode rewind of E87: Sentient Cephalopods, in case you missed it the first go round.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

McKinsey’s “Lily” (Lilli) Chatbot Breach

USC Study on AI “Monoculture”

Evo 2 (Biological Foundation Model)

ProtGPS (Protein Localization)

Google’s “CoScientist”

AWS Pioneers 2026 Program

Anduril Industries US Army Contract

Paleo-inspired Robotics

HP Acquisition of Humane AI Assets

Microsoft “Majorana 1” Quantum Chip

CEA WEST Tokamak Fusion Record

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/24/episode-rewind-sentient-cephalopods/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

What if AI was good, though? AI breakthroughs in medicine, education, creativity, and global policy — back to back, no bad news, no asterisks. Pure, uncut optimism. You’re welcome.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

ElevenLabs 1 Million Voices Initiative

CLAIR AI Imaging Device

Liquid AI & Insilico Medicine Partnership

Not Impossible’s Mick Ebeling Introduces the Eyewriter | TED

Amuse AI (Carnegie Mellon)

Google Antigravity

Microsoft Special Education AI Training

LM Studio

New Delhi Declaration on AI

European Parliament AI Copyright Law (Voss Report)

Antscan Project

UN AI for Good Global Summit

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/17/cheer-and-beer/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Larry plugged a guitar into an algorithm and Starfire Symphony came out the other side. In this episode we premiere the track, unpack the human-plus-machine workflow behind it, and see what happens when a jam session takes a detour through AI.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Starfire Symphony (song)

Kits.ai | AI vocal generation

Our agreement with the Department of War | OpenAI

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/10/starfire-symphony/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality