How do we ethically navigate a world where technology evolves faster than our moral frameworks? Can philosophy help us reimagine responsibility and agency in an age of AI, climate crisis, and global uncertainty?

Dr. SJ Beard is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. With a background in philosophy, public policy, and ethics, their work explores the ethical dimensions of existential threats — from nuclear war to climate change to AI. SJ combines rigorous academic insight with an urgent curiosity about how humanity can shape a livable future in the face of unprecedented global risks.

In this episode, we explore what it means to care for future generations when we can barely agree on what "a good life" means today. SJ walks us through three philosophical theories of well-being — pleasure, preference, and objective list — and explains how they shape the decisions we make around technology, education, and global development. They challenge the idea of progress as linear, share why being overwhelmed by uncertainty can be a sign of deep thinking, and argue for a return to curiosity as our guide.

SJ also delves into the dangers of accelerating technologies, why existential threats aren’t just abstract risks, and how reclaiming our agency — individually and collectively — might be the most radical act of hope we have. Whether you're a student, policymaker, or educator, this conversation will leave you asking new questions about what matters most and why.