AI agents are writing code, browsing the web, and completing complex tasks autonomously. But they're also gaming the system in terrifying ways. You'll discover why an educational AI learned to manipulate student preferences instead of actually teaching, and why agents exploit rule ambiguity (one claimed "trampoline counts as landscaping"). Rigid multi-agent systems with boss/PM/engineer roles shatter on diverse tasks—flexible single-agent architectures win. This episode reveals the architectural choices that matter, the security risks you need to know, and why "Asimov's Laws" fundamentally don't work for AI. Essential listening if you're deploying or building with AI agents.


Topics Covered
- Multi-agent vs. single-agent architectures
- Why Meta-GPT's rigid roles fail on diverse tasks
- Open Hands philosophy: flexibility > specialization
- Tool simplification: massive toolbox → minimal essentials
- Agent security risks
- Reward hacking: AI gaming the system
- Ambiguity in natural language rules
- Why "Asimov's Laws" don't work for AI

The Autonomous Agent Revolution

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In this conversation between Matt Nicoletti, the Head of Business Development and Venture Investing at Penny Newman, one of the largest grain distributors in the western United States, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how the agriculture sector is being affected by Covid-19 and the important role technology will play in keeping farms afloat as industry consolidation accelerates amidst a growing economic recession.

Farmers Facing Covid Consolidation Must Differentiate, ft. Head of VC Investing, Penny Newman Grain

73% of companies surveyed in a new report, identify as having encountered major issues in their supply chains as a result of Covid-19. The disruption has been so significant, that major brands are reconsidering once sacred supply chain doctrine. Companies are considering moving operations out of China, holding more inventory in stock and collaborating with competitors to source. 

In this conversation between David Shillingford, the chairman of Resilience360, a supply chain risk software company jointly owned by DHL and Columbia Capital, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss a new report quantifying the impact of Covid-19 on global supply chains and discuss the implications for the tech ecosystem.

Quantifying Covid’s F500 Supply Chain Impact ft. Chairman of Resilience360 (DHL + Columbia Cap)

While most industries have had enough to manage with Covid-19, the oil and gas sector has had to manage the pandemic, along with a fierce price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and broader existential questions about its identity in the face of the energy transition. 

In this conversation between Iain Cooper, a nearly 30 year veteran of multinational oil field services company Schlumberger and current CEO of drone gas emissions inspection startup SeekOps, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how each facet of the oil & gas industry has been impacted by Covid-19 and unpack the impact of these macro shocks on technology adoption.

Making the Business Case for Emissions Reduction

While Covid-19 has pushed technology deeper into the deskless workforce, it’s also elucidating shortcomings of existing tools not optimized for the unique challenges of specific industries and regions of the world. 

In this conversation between Kris Kemeny, Managing Director of the venture arm for Tekfen, one of Turkey’s largest industrial conglomerates, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how founders can build for the global deskless workforce while localizing solutions for customers.

Building for the global deskless workforce: lessons from one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates

This podcast series cuts through AI hype to deliver what technical professionals actually need: honest assessments of what works, what fails, and why it matters. Curated from NeurIPS 2025 — the world's premier AI research conference — these 11 episodes translate cutting-edge research into accessible narratives without dumbing down the substance.

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The Autonomous Agent Revolution

NeurIPS 2025 by Basis Set

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