World Series of Poker champion, astrophysicist, and LEAD GUITARIST (!) Liv Boeree argues that the real danger isn't what A.I. does FOR you, but what it quietly does TO you. From redefining alignment as the protection of human agency to warning about the sycophantic feedback loop baked into generative A.I., Liv brings a physicist's precision and a poker pro's read on risk. If you care about who you are in the age of A.I., this conversation will make you think twice before hitting "let A.I. write it." NOTE: This interview went a lot of interesting places beyond A.I. so stick with it, and enjoy the ride!
Podcast Host & Science Communicator | Win-Win Podcast The Win-Win Podcast explores solutions to humanity's biggest issues through the lens of game theory, with Boeree examining the competitive forces driving society's most pressing problems. The show features philosophers, scientists, business leaders, and innovators, exploring how people and society can develop a healthier relationship with competition.
World Series of Poker & European Poker Tour Champion | Professional Poker Boeree is the only female player in history to win both a WSOP bracelet and a European Poker Tour event, and ranks among the top five women in poker history in terms of all-time money winnings. Ranked the #1 female poker player from 2014–2016, she won more than $4 million on the international circuit, including a record-breaking $2.8 million finish at a 2024 WSOP Super Main Event.
Astrophysicist & Science Educator | University of Manchester Boeree earned a First Class Honours degree in Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Manchester, with her dissertation focused on the detection of gravitational waves. Her ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible language made her a popular television presenter, appearing on major networks including the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC.
TED Speaker & Keynote Speaker | TED / Independent Boeree has delivered TED Talks including "3 Lessons on Decision-Making from a Poker Champion" and "A Number Speaks a Thousand Words," applying scientific reasoning to everyday decisions. Her TED Talk has amassed nearly 3 million views and made her a sought-after speaker on rational thinking, probability, and decision-making under uncertainty.
The A.I. Genie | Why generative A.I. behaves like a genie — powerful, inscrutable, and dangerous if you ask the wrong question.
Human Agency at Risk | How A.I. subtly shifts your goals and preferences without you ever noticing it's happening.
Creative Integrity vs. A.I. | The razor-thin line between using A.I. as a tool and letting it permanently replace your own voice.
Alignment Redefined | Why true A.I. alignment means amplifying your higher mind — not just doing what you ask.
Prompting Goes Both Ways | How every A.I. conversation is a two-way street that shapes both the user and the machine.
00:00 - 04:55 | A.I. as a Genie: Power, Risk, and the Black Box
04:56 - 09:47 | Simulating Reality: How Far A.I. Has Come
09:48 - 14:39 | The Creative Dilemma: When AI Offers to Write for You
14:40 - 19:31 | It Prompts Us Too: A.I., Agency, and the Feedback Loop
19:32 - 24:23 | Alignment, Misalignment, and Your Higher Mind
24:24 - 29:15 | The Technological Assault: Reclaiming Who You Are
29:16 - 34:07 | From Astrophysics to Metal to Poker: The Liv Boeree Origin Story
34:08 - 38:59 | Poker, Probability, and the Expected Value of Everything
39:00 - 43:51 | Why the Best Winners Are a Little Bit Delusional
43:52 - 49:12 | The $2.8M Win-Win: Turning Poker Into a Force for Good
"We don't really know how it comes to the conclusions that it does. It's this inscrutable black box."
"It's prompting you. You're not — we're not just prompting it. It prompts us."
"The moment that something comes along that can shift our internal trajectory, persuade us — that's kind of an example of a reduction of human agency, and that is an example of misalignment."
"We're handing over our world to a bunch of zombies because of our own empathy. That is arguably even more of a disaster."
"It's so important to me that it is my words, and it's my ideas, and it's even like my structure."
"I don't even know who I am anymore. I don't even know what my preferences are."
"Expected value — it's such a simple formula, and yet it's not taught in school. Very rarely. I didn't even discover expected value, the formula, until I was playing poker. And I did like a mathematical degree. It's insane."
"My best times in my poker career were when I'd learned all the math and learned all the game theory and had an intuitive grasp for the numbers, and then got out of that headspace and just believed."
"It was a way to turn even that game into a win win — my win is someone else's loss, literally, and it was a way to turn even that into a win win."
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