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

A special podcast featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US-based podcaster Lex Fridman is set to be released on Sunday. PM Modi described the conversation as "fascinating" and said it covered a wide range of topics, including his childhood memories, his time in the Himalayas, and his journey in public life.

It was indeed a fascinating conversation with @lexfridman, covering diverse topics including reminiscing about my childhood, the years in the Himalayas and the journey in public life.

Do tune in and be a part of this dialogue! https://t.co/QaJ04qi1TD

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 15, 2025

Lex Fridman is a well-known podcaster, computer scientist, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is known for his work in AI, robotics, and human-robot interaction.

Born in 1983 in present-day Tajikistan, Fridman was raised in Moscow during the final years of the Soviet Union before his family moved to the United States. He studied Computer Science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he developed a strong interest in AI and machine learning. He later completed his Master's and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the same university.

After his PhD, Fridman joined MIT, where he worked on autonomous vehicle research, focusing on how AI can understand and predict human actions, particularly in self-driving cars. His study on Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system, which showed that drivers remained attentive, was praised by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2019.

Fridman also worked briefly with Google on AI-powered identity authentication but left to focus on independent research. In 2018, he launched the Lex Fridman Podcast (originally called the Artificial Intelligence Podcast). The podcast became hugely popular and features long-form discussions with leading experts from various fields, including AI, robotics, philosophy, and politics.

Some of his most famous guests include former US President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.

Fridman has a massive online following, with over 4.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and 4.2 million followers on Twitter (now X).

With PM Modi joining the list of high-profile guests, this episode is expected to draw global attention. Listeners will get a rare glimpse into the personal and political journey of the Prime Minister through an in-depth and reflective conversation.