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Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes look back on the past year on CWT and mo...
Tyler Cowen and producer Jeff Holmes review 2025's 36 episodes of Conversations with Tyler, the show's most productive year yet. They discuss how AI transformed their production function, analyze which episodes resonated with audiences versus their own preferences, and reveal that single-subject deep dives produced some of the year's best conversations. Tyler also reflects on 2015's cultural picks, discusses AI risk discourse, and shares insights from his travels to India and Oman.
The show released 36 episodes in 2025, the most ever, averaging three per month versus the official two-episode schedule. Tyler evaluates that only about 3 of 36 episodes weren't great, expressing satisfaction with the overall quality despite the increased volume.
Tyler identifies several underrated episodes including Johnny Steinberg on South Africa, Amy Austin (YouTuber), and David Robertson on classical music. The discussion reveals that single-subject episodes required more preparation but yielded better conversations, with Tyler spending 4-5 months preparing for the Buddhism episode alone.
Tyler discusses how AI, particularly large language models, transformed the show's production by enabling more episodes through efficient research. For the Buddhism episode, he read 30 books but supplemented with extensive GPT queries, saving hundreds of dollars and significant time while getting directly to key insights.
Tyler critiques the AI safety community's reluctance to engage with peer review and develop a formal academic literature. He argues that after 15-20 years of making claims, proponents should submit their arguments to rigorous academic scrutiny, similar to how climate change research developed credibility through peer review.
Discussion of Trump's tariff policies and the Supreme Court case challenging presidential authority to impose tariffs. Tyler predicts the Court will rule against Trump (betting markets at 87%), though alternative national security arguments will keep some tariffs in place.
Tyler reflects on why few people copy his interviewing approach, noting it requires both intellectual strength to be a guest and deference to be a host - a rare combination. He discusses whether growing influence has made him less honest, citing his confrontation with Alison Gopnik over IQ heritability as evidence he may be more honest now.
Tyler reviews his 2015 cultural picks, calling it the worst year for movies he'd experienced but a stellar year for fiction. Red Army (Soviet hockey documentary) was the best film, while Michel Houellebecq's Submission and Elena Ferrante's work represented exceptional fiction that far outclassed the year's cinema.
The year's top 10 episodes were dominated by celebrity guests, with Sam Altman, Ezra Klein, Steven Pinker, David Brooks, and Nate Silver taking the top five spots. Tyler expresses disappointment that the show isn't better counteracting the Matthew effect, though David Commons on Saudi Arabia at #7 was a pleasant surprise.
Tyler describes his travel routines: 85% reading on planes, satellite radio or conversation while driving, never podcasts while driving. He's visiting Oman for three days to explore a Gulf civilization with actual historical depth, noting it's safe, comfortable, and scenically gorgeous but not a food destination.
Conversations with Tyler 2025 Retrospective
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