Who is Lex Fridman? American podcaster set to release 3-hour podcast with PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Lex Fridman, a Russian-born American AI researcher and podcaster. (Photo: X/lexfridman)

Celebrated US podcaster and MIT researcher, Lex Fridman, has generated anticipation with the announcement of his upcoming podcast featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for release on Sunday

Fridman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news on Saturday (March 15), describing the three-hour dialogue as “epic” and dubbing it “one of the most powerful conversations of his life”. While he withheld specifics about the exact release time of the podcast, his announcement has heightened expectations for the episode.

“I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life. It'll be out tomorrow,” Fridman posted on X, teasing the upcoming feature. Alongside the update, he shared an image of himself shaking hands with PM Modi.

Lex Fridman, a Russian-born American AI researcher at MIT, is known for his work on human-robot interactions, AI ethics, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. He gained fame through his podcast featuring deep conversations with global figures.

He pursued his undergraduate studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia in BSc Computer Science. It was during this time that his passion for AI and machine learning began to take shape. He later completed his Master’s and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the same institution, focusing on human-centred AI and machine learning applications.

Following his PhD, Fridman joined MIT, where he became deeply involved in the field of autonomous vehicles, working on cutting-edge projects at the intersection of AI, robotics, and human behaviour. His research focused on developing systems capable of understanding and predicting human actions, particularly in self-driving cars.

He explored how AI could interpret complex human behaviours and expressions to enhance real-time decision-making in autonomous driving scenarios. In 2019, Elon Musk praised Fridman's MIT study, which found that drivers remained attentive while using Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system. This was a turning point, further affirming his voice in the AI and robotics domain.

Fridman was also hired by Google to further his research on AI-powered identity authentication but left the company after a brief stint to focus on independent research. In 2018, he launched the Lex Fridman Podcast (originally titled the Artificial Intelligence Podcast), which quickly gained a massive following. The podcast features in-depth conversations with experts from diverse fields, including AI, robotics, neuroscience, philosophy, and economics.

Significantly, this isn’t PM Modi’s first foray into podcasting. Earlier, he appeared on "People by WTF," hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, which aired in January. The two-hour conversation explored PM Modi’s leadership philosophies and India’s technological evolution. Now, Fridman’s upcoming episode with PM Modi is expected to offer fresh insights into India’s role in global technological and economic progress, highlighting initiatives like Digital India and Make in India.