Schacksnack

Chess grandmaster and human rights advocate Garry Kasparov joins Sana founder and CEO Joel Hellermark for a candid conversation about intelligence, risk, and the future of human agency in the age of AI. In this episode of Strange Loop, Kasparov reflects on his legendary chess career, the psychological edge of high-stakes competition, and what it means to reinvent yourself after decades at the top. He shares his perspective on how chess became the proving ground for artificial intelligence, why human intuition still matters, and what happens when machines outpace even the greatest human minds. Kasparov and Hellermark discuss the parallels between chess and knowledge work, the real-world risks of AI in the hands of bad actors, and why progress demands both courage and humility. Together, they explore how free societies can harness technology without losing what makes us human—and why learning from both victory and defeat is more relevant than ever.