Doom Debates

Doom Debates is a podcast and YouTube debate show created and hosted by Liron Shapira, a software entrepreneur with a computer science background who has studied AI safety extensively. The show launched in June 2024 and focuses on structured, high-stakes debates about artificial intelligence existential risk, particularly the probability that unaligned superintelligent AI could cause human extinction (quantified as 'P(Doom)').

The show features debates and interviews with prominent figures in AI safety, technology, and related fields. Notable guests have included Eliezer Yudkowsky, Max Tegmark, Vitalik Buterin, George Hotz, Robin Hanson, Noah Smith, and many others. Episodes are released semiweekly and are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and via the Doom Debates Substack at lironshapira.substack.com. The recurring segment 'What's Your P(Doom)?' invites guests to share their personal probability estimate of AI-caused extinction.

The team consists of Liron Shapira as host and founder, and Ori Nagel as full-time producer (previously from ControlAI's media team), along with occasional interns. The show operates from a professional studio. Annual operating costs exceed $100,000, funded primarily through viewer donations and YouTube ad revenue. Doom Debates is a fiscally sponsored project of Manifund.org, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, enabling tax-deductible donations. Viewers can support the show through Substack subscriptions ($10/month) or as 'Mission Partners' with one-time or recurring donations of $1,000 or more.

As of early 2026, the show has grown to approximately 150,000 YouTube subscribers, with an audience that is approximately 80% from the US, UK, and Canada. The show has also held live debate events such as 'Doom Debates Live @ Manifest 2025.'