Season 2

People shown walking toward a more evolved stage of AI.

S2 Episode 15

Guiding a Safe Future for AI — Part 2 | What if machines could reason like humans? We're racing toward that reality. It's called artificial general intelligence. The question is, can we build it safely?

A brain with one half showing neural networks and the other half showing AI circuitry. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 14

Guiding a Safe Future for AI — Part 1 | What if AI is automating the one thing that's always made us human — intelligence itself? And how do we ensure that it's developed safely?

a glowing strand of DNA and glowing cells. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 13

Unlocking the Future of Gene Therapy | What if AI could help design gene therapies so precise they eliminate chronic pain while leaving other senses completely intact?

Red drone flying over destroyed houses. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 12

Critical Choices: AI in Disaster Management and Healthcare | What if AI could help emergency responders make split-second decisions that save lives during disasters or used in healthcare to identify which patients desperately need care before it's too late?

Robot handling and identifying a leaf. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 11

Farm to Future: How Robotics and AI are Revolutionizing Agriculture | What if robots could pick apples without bruising them, detect diseases in tomatoes before farmers can see them or even help prevent catastrophic wildfires?

Photorealistic image of a galaxy with green zeros and ones radiating from its center. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 10

Cracking the Cosmic Code | Imagine a telescope so powerful it could give us a whole new picture of the cosmos and help answer some of the biggest questions about the universe — if we can handle the data.

AI-generated image of a sound wave traveling between an ear and a brain.

S2 Episode 9

The Science of Sound - Part 2 | What happens when our brain's relationship with sound goes wrong?

AI-generated image of a woman standing on a city street corner, with her fingers on her ears to quiet the noise.

S2 Episode 8

The Science of Sound - Part 1 | In part 1 of a two-part episode, we explore the science of sound and its profound impact on our lives.

CMU mascot, Scottie, at Fourth of July fireworks.

S2 Bonus Episode

Happy Fourth of July | Happy Fourth of July from the Where What If Becomes What’s Next podcast team and Carnegie Mellon University.

Glowing thought bubble with the word resilience inside a brain.

S2 Episode 7

The Science of Coping with Stress | What if instead of avoiding stress we actually leaned into it — and built resilience for next time?

Hands reaching toward a globe. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 6

Game Theory Decoded - Part 2 | How can the principles of Game Theory can be used for the betterment of humanity?

Different playing rock, paper, scissors in front of a chalkboard with mathematical formulas. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 5

Game Theory Decoded - Part 1 | Have you ever been stuck in traffic and switched lanes, only to watch your old lane start moving faster?

Hand reaching a glass sphere that is full of code. AI-generated image.

S2 Episode 4

Future of AI: DeepSeek's Transformative Impact | What if a small startup transformed the future of artificial intelligence in the blink of an algorithm?

A figure standing in the spotlight on a stage. AI generated.

S2 Episode 3

Curtain Up: What's Next for Theater Arts | What role should new technologies — such as robots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality — play in theatrical arts?

Doctor interacting with a screen for better analysis. AI generated.

S2 Episode 2

Healing with Intelligence - Part 2 | What if AI and an emerging new technology called quantum science could save millions of lives from diseases like cancer or pneumonia? Quantum science diagnoses diseases faster, better.

Doctor wearing AR glasses with alert appearing on the eye.

S2 Episode 1

Healing with Intelligence - Part 1 | We're exploring how robots, artificial intelligence and an emerging new technology called quantum science are transforming healthcare by helping doctors to better diagnose, monitor and treat illness. Quantum science diagnoses diseases faster, better.

Artist at a computer controlling a robotic arm that is physically painting.

S2 Trailer

Season 2 Trailer | Welcome to Season 2 of Where What If Becomes What's Next, a podcast from Carnegie Mellon University where we ask the bold questions that will become innovations for the betterment of humanity.

Season 1: Artificial Intelligence

Does Compute podcast.

S1 Episode 16

Does Compute: Robots in Space | We’d like to introduce you to a new Carnegie Mellon University podcast from our School of Computer Science — Does Compute — where CMU experts, alumni and students explore what’s next in computer science, robotics and artificial intelligence.

Robot studying a chalkboard with equations, theorems and models.

S1 Episode 15

Mind to Machine Part 2: What's Next for AI | Artificial intelligence is already revolutionizing almost every aspect of society. But what additional advancements will we see in the near future? And what ethical issues should we address along the way?

Chalkboard with models and theories written on it, surrounded by past technology. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 14

Mind to Machine Part 2: A Brief History of AI | If you think that Artificial Intelligence was recently invented, think again. The roots of AI go back decades, centuries, even to ancient mythology. So how did AI go from myth to reality?

Robotic velociraptor running along a beach. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 13

Paleobionics: Dinosaurs are Back | What if paleontologists could create robot replicas of dinosaurs to better understand them — and how they moved — and in turn learn more about us?

Robot talking to an elderly woman. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 12

AI Care Part 2: Companion Robots Help the Elderly Feel Less Lonely | What if a robot could be a compassionate companion, be an antidote to loneliness as we age, and — in some cases — help those suffering from dementia?

A robotic interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 11

AI Care Part 1: Robots and AI Transforming Healthcare | Robots and artificial intelligence are transforming the healthcare industry, from drug development to surgical procedures to personalized healthcare plans.

A semi-truck and a sedan, driving themselves. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 10

Driven: What's Next for Autonomous Vehicles | What’s next for autonomous self-driving vehicles?

Robot picking apples in an orchard. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 9

AI and Agriculture: How to Pick an Apple | What does it take to teach a robot to pick an apple?

Scottie dog in a neighborhood by an American flag with fireworks in the background. AI-generated image.

S1 Holiday Message

Happy Fourth of July | Happy 4th of July from the Where What If Becomes What’s Next podcast team and Carnegie Mellon University.

Drone surveying a flooded neighborhood. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 8

Robots to the Rescue: AI Revolutionizes Disaster Response | What if artificial intelligence and robotics — including drones — are used to revolutionize disaster response?

Satellite orbiting Earth. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 7

Stellar Observations: AI's Journey into the Cosmos | What if AI could discover new black holes and unlock the secrets of the universe?

Giant Dalí-esque watch, looming over an open space office. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 6

Clocking In: AI Transforms the Future of Work | What if AI transformed your job so you had four-day weekends or never even had to work again?

Black hole. AI-generated image.

S1 Midway Teaser

What's Next: AI Ventures Beyond the Cosmos | What if AI can help discover new black holes and help scientists unravel the greatest mysteries of our cosmos?

Robotic arm in a laboratory, being remotely controlled. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 5

Automated Science | What if researchers could run thousands of experiments all at the same time to solve some of the world's greatest problems — like sickle cell anemia, Alzheimer’s or cancer?

Drones delivering packages in a neighborhood. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 4

When Drones and Robots Knock on Your Door | What if a self-driving robotic vehicle or drone delivered your next package?

Political figure with their face blurred, standing in front of a podium. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 3

Finding the Deep Truth about Deep Fakes | What if AI-generated deep fakes could be used to influence our upcoming elections?

Drone flying by a bridge. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 2

Strengthening America's Bridges with AI | What if AI could be used to help repair and rebuild America’s bridges?

Physical instruments, surrounded by colorful ethereal music notes. AI-generated image.

S1 Episode 1

How is AI Tuning Up Your Music? | What if The Beatles used AI to help produce their last song?

Where What If Becomes What's Next.

S1 Trailer

Welcome to Where What If Becomes What's Next | What if Artificial Intelligence can transform our world for the betterment of humankind?