Gold · Presenting sponsor · 3 slots available
Presented by
Your BrandGet Alice Johnson on We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends
Artificial IntelligenceEconomicsMachine ConsciousnessAI Ethics
AJ
WN
Presenting Sponsor
+ Become the presenting sponsorPresenting Sponsor
+ Become the presenting sponsorPresenting Sponsor
+ Become the presenting sponsorSilver Sponsor
+ Become a sponsorSilver Sponsor
+ Become a sponsorSilver Sponsor
+ Become a sponsorSilver Sponsor
+ Become a sponsorSilver Sponsor
+ Become a sponsorNomination created on March 14, 2026
Get Alice Johnson on We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends!
Sam Altman sits at the center of the current AI transition, shaping how tools like ChatGPT move from research projects into products that affect education, software, labor, media, and geopolitics. A conversation with him is rarely just about technology — it becomes a window into how one of the most influential people in AI thinks about power, acceleration, regulation, safety, and the future of human work.
On a podcast like We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends, the dynamic matters because the format allows for something more revealing than a formal keynote or product announcement. Mehdi Hasan’s interview style tends to push guests into clarifying contradictions and defending broader implications, which can produce more candid answers about AI risks, corporate incentives, political pressure, and the tension between openness and commercialization.
The episode is also culturally significant because public understanding of AI is increasingly shaped through long-form conversations rather than technical papers. These appearances influence how founders, developers, policymakers, and everyday listeners interpret the promises and fears surrounding artificial intelligence. Even subtle comments from Altman about AGI timelines, regulation, energy demands, copyright, or global competition can quickly ripple through media, startups, and financial markets.
For listeners, the value is not only in what Altman says directly, but in what the conversation reveals indirectly: what topics he avoids, what tradeoffs he emphasizes, and how OpenAI wants to position itself during a period when AI systems are becoming deeply embedded in everyday life.
Record a short video telling everyone why this dialogue should happen. Your clip gets featured right here.
Next goal: 5
Champion Hub
Every way to move this nomination, in one place.
Champion Hub
4 people want this. Add your vote.
0 of 6 done
What's a Key Catalyst?
A Key Catalyst is someone whose voice carries trust. By sharing or supporting this nomination, they help ensure the right conversations actually happen.
Rally support from known voices who can help accelerate this nomination
Co-Host, Breaking Points (Independent Political…
Why Their Voice Would Be Valuable
Ball has already appeared on We're Not Kidding as a guest (discussing MAGA podcast wars with Mehdi), and Breaking Points has dedicated multiple segments specifically naming Sam Altman — including 'Sam Altman FREAKS At Bubble Suggestion' (Nov 2025) and 'Sam Altman WARNS: Privacy DOES NOT APPLY To ChatGPT' (Jul 2025) — making her a verified crossover audience node for this exact pairing.
Tech Critic, 'Tech Won't Save…
Why Their Voice Would Be Valuable
Marx was Naomi Klein's featured guest on Zeteo's 'Unshocked' episode 'Silicon Valley's AI Coup' (April 2025), placing him directly inside the Zeteo/Mehdi Hasan orbit, and his Disconnect newsletter has published multiple articles making the specific case that Sam Altman's worldview is 'anti-human' — making him an ideal amplifier for a Mehdi–Altman episode.
Far-Left Twitch Political Streamer &…
Why Their Voice Would Be Valuable
Piker was directly named in a We're Not Kidding episode description (Mehdi and Bassem discussed 'the cancellation campaign against leftist streamer Hasan Piker'), and in a May 2026 Wired profile Piker specifically called out 'Sam Altman and all these other AI people' for fearmongering to fundraise — creating a documented three-way intersection of Piker, Mehdi's show, and Altman.
Independent Progressive Media Organization (Mehdi…
Why Their Voice Would Be Valuable
Zeteo is Mehdi Hasan's own independent media organization that produces We're Not Kidding; in a 2024 Status.news interview Mehdi was directly asked whether he would make an OpenAI/Sam Altman content-licensing deal, making Zeteo itself the organizational locus of the AI-vs-independent-media tension that a Mehdi–Altman episode would embody.
May 7, 2026
As of May 6, 2026, Altman is at the center of a live federal trial in Oakland where former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati testified about internal "chaos," while Mehdi Hasan's show — known for guests who engage in candid, sometimes "vulnerable conversation about topics they can't discuss…As of May 6, 2026, Altman is at the center of a live federal trial in Oakland where former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati testified about internal "chaos," while Mehdi Hasan's show — known for guests who engage in candid, sometimes "vulnerable conversation about topics they can't discuss anywhere else" — represents a rare format that could cut through the usual tech-CEO script.
May 7, 2026
With Sam Altman simultaneously navigating the Musk v. OpenAI federal trial, the GPT-5.5 launch, a New Yorker profile, and scrutiny over AI's societal impact, the case for hearing him pressed — with humor — on a show built for exactly that has never been stronger. Cast your vote t…With Sam Altman simultaneously navigating the Musk v. OpenAI federal trial, the GPT-5.5 launch, a New Yorker profile, and scrutiny over AI's societal impact, the case for hearing him pressed — with humor — on a show built for exactly that has never been stronger. Cast your vote to make this conversation happen.
Be the founding pledge.
One pledge opens the board for Alice Johnson.
Center For Humane TechnologyChosen by dLogosCharged only if the episode is published within 90 days of your pledge.
Pledges are not tax-deductible. dLogos is not a charity, and it directs your earmarked contribution as your agent.
OpenAI's Pentagon Deal: Safety Principles or Just Good PR?
Altman announced OpenAI's classified DoD deployment while publicly claiming his 'safety principles' prohibit autonomous weapons — the tension there is exactly what this show exists to expose. This audience will not let that contradiction slide.
FINAL TEST SINGLE Musk v. Altman Trial: Who Really Betrayed OpenAI's Mission?
Jury selection just wrapped in Oakland — this is the most consequential AI court case of our lifetime, and Mehdi is exactly the interviewer to push Sam beyond his PR-polished talking points. We finally get to hear him respond to the 'long con' accusation directly, not in a press release.
Suggested
AGI by 2027? Sam Altman's Timeline and Who Bears the Risk
Altman has written publicly that 2026 could bring 'novel insights' and 2027 real-world robots — bold claims that shift the stakes entirely onto workers, regulators, and the public. This show's audience skews skeptical of Silicon Valley messianism, and they'll want to see those predictions stress-tested.
OpenAI's Pentagon Deal: Safety Principles or Just Good PR?
Altman announced OpenAI's classified DoD deployment while publicly claiming his 'safety principles' prohibit autonomous weapons — the tension there is exactly what this show exists to expose. This audience will not let that contradiction slide.
FINAL TEST SINGLE Musk v. Altman Trial: Who Really Betrayed OpenAI's Mission?
Jury selection just wrapped in Oakland — this is the most consequential AI court case of our lifetime, and Mehdi is exactly the interviewer to push Sam beyond his PR-polished talking points. We finally get to hear him respond to the 'long con' accusation directly, not in a press release.
Ibram X. Kendi on Lex Fridman Podcast6 votes
Bryan Johnson on Modern Wisdom20 votes
Adam Marblestone on Dwarkesh Podcast40 votesDemis Hassabis on Dwarkesh Podcast40 votesIbram X. Kendi on Lex Fridman Podcast6 votesBryan Johnson on Modern Wisdom20 votesAdam Marblestone on Dwarkesh Podcast40 votesDemis Hassabis on Dwarkesh Podcast40 votes
🇺🇸SOUTH PARK CREATOR EYES SAM ALTMAN AS NEXT TARGET FOR RIDICULE Matt Stone, South Park Creator: "Does he do anything but podcasts? I see the guy on podcasts. Has that dude done anything but go on podcasts and talk about stuff? When you actually listen to him talk, does
🇺🇸 SOUTH PARK CREATOR: NO END IN SIGHT FOR SOUTH PARK SERIES Matt Stone: "We have no end in sight for South Park. We're working on a live-action movie now, but when we get back, it’s like, ‘Here we go!’ We love hanging out with those characters. We’ll probably last long
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months agolaw #2: as the human population declines & the number of podcasts rises absolutely unchecked, we will rapidly approach a point soon where there will be more podcasts than people left to listen to them. sam altman will be the headline guest for every podcast & he will be asked
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months agoSam Altman just broke the internet last week. He revealed: • Who will be replaced by AI • What the future of work will look like • How to future-proof yourself from AI • How 1 person can build billion-dollar companies by himself My top 8 takeaways from the podcast:
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months ago"Were you nervous having Sam Altman on the podcast?" "No, he's my brother" 💀
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months ago“If you’re watching, Gavin Newsom, we all would love to have a chat.” From ‘We’re Not Kidding’, @mehdirhasan and @krystalball challenge 2028 Democratic presidential frontrunner Gov. Gavin Newsom to be a guest on their podcasts.
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months agoI want to see @fabrizioromano on We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends. 1+ people have voted. Add yours: testnet.dlogos.xyz/podcasts/we-re… Powered by @dlogosxyz
Curated by Calvin Builds 6 months ago
Why Their Voice Would Be Valuable
Klein is a verified Zeteo contributor who co-hosts 'Unshocked' with Mehdi Hasan on the same Zeteo platform; in April 2025 she recorded a specific Zeteo episode titled 'Silicon Valley's AI Coup: It's Draining Our Real World' directly interrogating Sam Altman's AI agenda — making her the most direct institutional bridge between this podcast and a potential Sam Altman appearance.