Lex Fridman is full of admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his podcast with the world’s most popular leader. Fridman also called the PM “one of the most fascinating human beings” he has ever studied.
The renowned AI researcher and podcaster has announced plans to travel to India and speak with the PM in late February. Before the podcast, Fridman will undergo a 48–72 hour fast, inspired by Modi’s well-documented multi-day fasts for spiritual reasons.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Fridman shared his excitement about the upcoming conversation. “Narendra Modi is one of the most fascinating human beings I have ever studied. I can’t wait to talk to him on a podcast for several hours in a few weeks,” he wrote.
Fridman revealed his admiration for both the complex history of India and Modi’s human side. “On top of the complex, deep history of India, and his role in it, just the human side of Modi is really interesting. For example, he has often done multi-day fasts (9+ days 🤯) for spiritual reasons. I fast often as well. So I’ll do a 48-72 hour fast once I arrive to India before talking to him,” Fridman noted. He added that the fast would be a chance to meditate and reflect on life, describing himself as “incredibly lucky” to experience love and beauty in the world despite its darker sides.
The AI researcher’s upcoming podcast with Modi follows PM Modi’s recent debut on a podcast hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath. Modi is no stranger to engaging with global technology leaders, having previously discussed AI adoption with Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas. Responding to Fridman’s post, Srinivas commented, “He’s awesome!”
Fridman’s podcast has hosted influential figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. His conversation with Modi is set to add another noteworthy name to that list.