Descriptions:
The Cognitive Revolution hosts its first-ever live year-end show, bringing together multiple guests for rapid 20-minute segments covering the AI landscape heading into 2026. Analyst Zach Wittes opens the conversation arguing that AI denialism is demand-driven rather than supply-driven: people who need to believe AI is ordinary technology for psychological, narrative, or business reasons will latch onto any available counter-argument, creating a persistent gulf between those tracking the evidence and those motivated to ignore it.
Eugenia Kuyda, founder of Replika and now CEO of Wabby — described as a “YouTube for vibe-coded apps” — discusses the explosive and broadly underappreciated growth of AI companions. Reported figures suggest three-quarters of teenagers have used an AI companion, with Character AI seeing average daily engagement approaching 90 minutes. Omar from Google DeepMind’s product team appears to discuss Gemini 3 vibe-coding capabilities in AI Studio, framing the tool as enabling anyone to build apps without a coding background.
Host Nathan Labenz designed the live format as a deliberate response to AI information overload — shorter, denser conversations with active practitioners rather than comprehensive single-guest deep dives. The show captures what Labenz describes as the “end of the Anthropocene,” a transitional moment in AI development, with guests including researchers, founders, and analysts reflecting on 2025’s defining developments and their expectations for the year ahead.
📺 Source: Cognitive Revolution “How AI Changes Everything” · Published December 18, 2025
🏷️ Format: Livestream
