The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

What if the biggest risk from AI isn’t the technology itself - but who controls it?Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impact of artificial intelligence on society and the bestselling author of Empire of AI, an investigation into the rise of OpenAI and the race to build increasingly powerful AI.In this moment, Karen Hao examines the assumptions driving the race towards AGI and asks why building technology that can replicate human capabilities became the goal in the first place. She explores the enormous resources behind that ambition, and the relationship between AI companies and the researchers and journalists scrutinising them.Listen to the full episode here!Spotify: https://g2ul0.app.link/c6dLG2e595bApple: https://g2ul0.app.link/5tusFIE595bWatch the Episodes On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videosKaren Hao: https://karendhao.com/

What does it truly cost a human being to lead a nation through an existential war while the world watches from afar? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reveals the psychological toll of continuous survival, the grim realities of geopolitical negotiation, and what keeps him still standing.Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine, having led the nation through its darkest historical hours following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. A former lawyer, comedian, and actor turned wartime leader, he transitioned from satirical television to the global stage. His current administration focuses on securing Ukraine's sovereignty, managing international diplomacy, and defending democratic freedom against imperial aggression.In this episode, he explains:■ The Burden of Command: How constant psychological pressure and nightly military briefings push his endurance to its limits under relentless wartime pressure.■ The Fatal Miscalculation: Why Russia's catastrophic military mistake came from a failure to recognize Ukrainians as a distinct people willing to fight for their freedom.■ The Turning Point of Atrocity: How witnessing the aftermath of war in liberated towns transformed a political conflict into deeply personal tragedy where easy forgiveness became impossible.■ The Cost of Staying: Why the refusal to evacuate Kyiv was driven by the absolute need to remain visible and prevent the nation from surrendering out of fear.■ The Geopolitical Reality: How true diplomatic peace requires holding aggressive regimes fully accountable for their crimes rather than shifting the blame onto global energy markets.This episode was recorded on October 16, 2026. The English audio for President Zelenskyy uses AI voice technology, with permission, based on human translation and editorial review.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:02:07 How Is Zelensky Really Doing?00:06:15 "I Don't Sleep": The Human Cost of War00:09:53 What Keeps Zelensky Going00:11:24 Growing Up in Soviet Ukraine00:13:18 His Family Killed by the Nazis00:13:38 From Law Student to Comedian00:15:50 He Played a President on TV, Then Became One00:17:21 Why Zelensky Left Comedy for Politics00:20:36 When Did the Russia-Ukraine War Really Start?00:25:12 Putin's Plan to Rebuild the Soviet Union00:33:31 Why Putin Invaded in 202200:36:46 Did Biden's Weakness Let Putin Invade?00:40:12 The Warnings Before the Invasion00:41:59 Where Zelensky Was When Russia Invaded00:47:01 Would This Have Happened Under Trump?00:49:06 How Russia Planned to Take Kyiv00:53:32 The 40-Mile Convoy: Why Russia Failed00:55:26 Biden's Evacuation Offer: "I Need Ammunition"00:59:51 Was Zelensky Scared?01:02:37 The Moment the War Became Real01:05:19 Russia's Big Mistake: Parade Uniforms01:12:40 The Battle for Hostomel Airport01:15:04 What Happened in Bucha01:21:20 His Hardest Day: "I Wanted Revenge"01:23:55 How the War Has Changed Him01:29:15 Being a Father During the War01:32:22 His Mum's Daily Phone Calls01:33:19 What Russia Occupies Now01:36:12 Russia's Strikes Across Ukraine01:37:14 What Putin Really Wants01:39:37 Will Putin Use Nuclear Weapons?01:41:09 Trump Says Ukraine Needs a New President01:46:01 How This War Ends: Trump, Putin & a Ceasefire01:48:22 Zelensky's Message to AmericaThe Diary Of A CEO:◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4

What if everything you thought you knew about the final moments of life was completely wrong? Dr. Christopher Kerr dives into the  realities of dying and what over 1,500 patient interviews reveal about human consciousness.Dr. Christopher Kerr is a pioneering hospice physician, neurobiologist, and CEO who has spent nearly three decades studying the profound psychological and spiritual experiences of the dying. His groundbreaking research on end-of-life dreams and visions challenges conventional medical views on mortality and grief. His bestselling book, Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End, aims to destigmatize the dying process and reframe how we understand the end of life.Trigger Warning: Please note there are mentions of grief and death, including the death of children within this conversation.In this episode, he explains:■ The Reality of Death: Dying is a gradual, peaceful dimming of the senses rather than a painful or terrifying medical event.■ End-of-Life Visions: Over 80% of patients experience remarkably vivid, comforting dreams and visions of deceased loved ones as they approach death.■ The Shift in Priorities: Dying individuals stop caring about worldly achievements or legacy, focusing entirely on relationships and ensuring they are not a burden to family.■ Healing Old Wounds: Terminal patients frequently experience profound psychological transformation and resolve deep-seated childhood trauma in their final days.■ The True Meaning of Life: Human existence is ultimately defined by our capacity for interdependency and love rather than individual accomplishments.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:02:11 Why I’ve Interviewed Over 1,500 Dying Patients00:03:29 Do Dying People See Their Loved Ones Who’ve Passed?00:09:14 The Interview That Changed Me Most00:11:31 How Deathbed Dreams Differ From Normal Dreams00:13:46 Is This Biological or Spiritual?00:16:03 Are Dying Patients Just Delirious?00:17:04 The Biggest Misconceptions About Death00:18:25 Do People Really Have Regrets When They Die?00:19:17 What Dying Patients Actually Care About00:21:29 Are We Chasing the Wrong Things in Life?00:26:39 Is Dying Painful?00:27:42 How Dying Patients Find Peace00:28:42 How Modern Medicine Has Changed the Way We Die00:31:37 Making Peace With People Before You Die00:32:45 Lessons From the Dying You Can Use Today00:33:43 Facing Extreme Regret at the End of Life00:39:03 Ads00:41:12 Do Dying People Want More Time?00:42:48 Is the Longevity Movement Missing the Point?00:43:50 What Determines a Peaceful Death00:44:30 What Happens When People Die Alone00:46:53 How Dying Brings Unresolved Trauma to the Surface00:48:17 Is There Life After Death?00:51:00 Psychedelics at the End of Life00:51:41 Should We Worry About Having Regrets?00:52:51 What Caring for the Dying Taught Me00:53:26 How to Cope When Someone You Love Dies00:59:05 Losing My Father01:03:36 Ads01:04:46 How Hope Changes as We Die01:07:05 Do People Stop Living Once They Know They’re Dying?01:07:43 Do We All Die Alone?01:08:52 How Death Can Heal01:10:08 Why We Need to Stop “Fighting” Death01:12:29 My Cancer Diagnosis & How It Changed My View of Death01:15:45 What Is the Meaning of Life?01:17:03 How Death Is Different for ChildrenIf you’ve been affected by the themes in this episode, support is available.UK: Cruse Bereavement Support - cruse.org.ukThe Compassionate Friends - tcf.org.ukUS: The Compassionate Friends - compassionatefriends.orgThe Dougy Center - dougy.orgInternational - findahelpline.comFollow Dr. Christopher Kerr:Facebook - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9WpG1kyInstagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/3UJBOLbLinkedIn - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/6uC41JvYouTube - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5YduPEbBook: Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/53KcbphMore information on his studies and patient videos can be found at: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/4vkysI3To contact: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/91kvvNrThe Diary Of A CEO:◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4Sponsors:Pipedrive - https://pipedrive.com/CEOCometeer - https://www.cometeer.com/steven using code STEVEN for $30 off

Do we find meaning in life - or do we have to create it ourselves?Join three guests in a meaning discussion: Greg Koukl, a Christian apologist and founder of Stand to Reason, Alex O’Connor, philosopher, writer, and host of the Cosmic Skeptic channel, and Dr K, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, mental health educator, and co-founder of Healthy Gamer.In this moment, they explore what happens when faith, philosophy and psychology attempt to answer the same question. From our fear of death to the need for control and something bigger than ourselves, this discussion reveals some unexpected forces that may be shaping how meaningful our lives feel.Listen to the full episode here!Spotify: https://g2ul0.app.link/p43YVx5X95bApple: https://g2ul0.app.link/D5jelW9X95bWatch the Episodes On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos

Are you trapped in a cycle of digital distraction, and brain fog despite working harder than ever? Dr. Sahar Yousef reveals how to take back control of your attention, stop digital addiction, and unlock your true cognitive potential.Dr. Sahar Yousef is a renowned cognitive neuroscientist, professor at UC Berkeley, and the founder of the Becoming Superhuman Lab. She specializes in cognitive neuroplasticity, human performance, and optimizing the biological operating systems of the brain. Her ground-breaking research focuses on building practical frameworks that help high-performers achieve extreme focus, strategic automaticity, and deep workflow mastery without burning out.Join Steven and Dr Sahar Yousef for the first ever live streamed DOAC Workshop, and apply now at https://doacworkshops.com/.In this episode, she explains:■ The Attention Trap: Technology platforms are deliberately engineered by behavioral neuroscientists to maximize engagement and exploit your brain's survival wiring rather than support your productivity.■ The Grayscale Hack: Switching your phone's color to grayscale significantly reduces neurological stimulation and can instantly reclaim hours of your scrolling every single week.■ The Focus Sprint: Breaking your major goals down into granular execution lists with strict time blocking allows you to leverage anticipatory brain networks and double your output.■ The Myth of Multitasking: Task-switching creates severe attentional baggage that drains your cognitive energy and makes you up to 60% slower than monotasking.■ The Power of Boredom: Why allowing your mind to wander is the vital mechanism that activates neural network problem-solving and produces your best creative insights.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:02:27 What's Holding Us Back Today?00:06:48 Why Should We Listen To You?00:08:20 What's Stopping Us From Being Productive?00:12:14 The Productivity Toolkit00:14:17 Why Is Focus Essential For Your Health?00:17:34 Does Productivity Software Actually Work?00:21:50 Why Do We Feel Pressured To Reply Instantly?00:24:58 How To Separate Signal From Noise00:27:20 Why The Modern World Fights Our Biology00:29:11 How To Stop Avoiding Discomfort00:32:40 How Big Tech Hijacks Your Brain00:43:52 How To Break Phone Addiction00:53:17 Ads00:55:19 The Focus Sprint: How To Double Your Productivity01:00:48 How To Prioritise Tasks: MITs Vs. LITs01:04:29 How To Find Your Goals: Finding Your Everest01:08:42 What Creates True Human Connection?01:13:52 Why Small Steps Work Better01:17:46 How To Avoid Distractions: Should You Work To Music?01:19:58 Do Productivity Timers Actually Work?01:24:50 Why Boredom Is Good For You01:30:49 How To Spark Creative Ideas01:33:17 How To Stop Overthinking And Negative Thoughts01:36:18 Ads01:37:27 How To Find Your Chronotype01:46:11 How Big Tech Manipulates The Public01:51:21 What Tech Companies Hide About AI01:55:44 Why Is Thinking For Yourself Getting Harder?01:59:52 Why Multitasking Doesn't Work02:05:52 How To Become Luckier In LifeFollow Dr. Sahar Yousef:YouTube - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/1wlOOZy Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8bkc1Uq LinkedIn - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9DlHLga TikTok - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/FyYDi72 Facebook - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/1zDXa74 Go to MMM Institute - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/t7Wy1O to take the Digital Dependence Index, test your attention span, and more. You will get your personal results and see how you compare to others, while contributing to global open research.Go to MyChronotype - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/51zrfNX to take the chronotype assessment for free use the code: DOACIndependent Fact Check: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/DOAC-Dr-Sahar-Yousef-Independent-Research-Further-Reading.pdfThe Diary Of A CEO:◼ Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/◼ Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/BWjLTZK◼ Shop The Diary Of A CEO collection: https://thediary.com/collections/shop◼ Get email updates - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5IB1H6E◼ Follow Steven - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/AGU9QP4Sponsors:Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription orderLinkedin Talent Solutions - http://linkedin.com/DOAC