The best AI podcasts of 2026 on our AI podcast leaderboard are led by the Lex Fridman Podcast, #1 with a strong-tier ToolRank of 72. For healthcare listeners, NEJM AI Grand Rounds is right behind it at 70.
We cover the top 25 of the 178 entries ranked this year. A few come with catches. One top-three show hasn't posted a new episode since January 2025 (Apple Podcasts), and two shows are listed twice, so the 25 listings hold 23 different shows. The full ranking is in the leaderboard below, and a guide to picking shows by role and schedule comes near the end.
The top 25 AI podcasts on our 2026 board
- # 1Top PickRajeev Kanth's PodcastPodcastRajeev Kanth's Podcast offers career transition and development guidance, focusing on Data Analytics, Data Science, AI, and related fields. It provides insights, interview preparation, and career path advice for students, professionals, and those re-entering the workforce, with a focus on jobs in India, USA, UK, Canada, and UAE.70Audience scoreStrong
- # 2Runner UpNEJM AI Grand RoundsPodcastNEJM AI Grand Rounds features informal conversations with experts at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and medicine. Hosted by Arjun Manrai, Ph.D., and Andrew Beam, Ph.D., it explores how AI is transforming clinical practice and healthcare.68Audience scoreStrong
- # 3Third PlaceLex Fridman PodcastPodcastThe Lex Fridman Podcast features in-depth conversations with leading experts in AI, technology, and science. Hosted by MIT research scientist Lex Fridman, the podcast explores complex topics and ideas, providing listeners with insightful perspectives and knowledge.67Audience scoreStrong
- 4Agentic Conversations (formally mlops.community)PodcastAgentic Conversations, formerly named mlops.community, is a weekly technology podcast hosted by Demetrios featuring relaxed conversations and technical deep dives on AI agents. Produced by the Agentic AI Foundation, home to open-source projects like MCP, Agents.md and Goose, it interviews engineers building and shipping agentic systems.66Audience scoreStrong
- 5Radiology AI PodcastPodcastThe Radiology AI Podcast by RSNA explores artificial intelligence in clinical radiology and allied sciences. Hosted by Drs. Paul Yi and Ali Tejani, it features interviews with experts discussing AI's impact on workflow, innovation, and the future of radiology. Episodes cover venture capital, foundation models, and practical AI implementation.66Audience scoreStrong
- 6Me, Myself, and AIPodcastMe, Myself, and AI is a podcast that explores the future of artificial intelligence. It features insights from industry leaders who share their experiences and strategies for leveraging AI to create business value.65Audience scoreStrong
- 7VUX World PodcastPodcastVUX World is a podcast featuring interviews with AI experts. It explores how emerging AI technologies like voice AI, LLMs, and generative AI can enhance customer experience and business operations. The podcast educates leaders on AI's impact and implementation strategies.65Audience scoreStrong
- 8No PriorsPodcastNo Priors is an AI podcast hosted by Elad Gil and Sarah Guo. They interview leading AI engineers, researchers, and founders to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, its impact on markets, commerce, culture, and society, and the latest research breakthroughs.65Audience scoreStrong
- 9AI & Security PodcastPodcastThe AI & Security Podcast features interviews with leaders in robotics, video detection, and situational intelligence. Hosted by Dennis Crowley, it explores cutting-edge AI and technology impacting the security industry today. Discover insights into extremism, risk scoring, and supply chain monitoring.65Audience scoreStrong
- 10Generation AI: Automating Better BusinessPodcastThis podcast explores exciting AI developments and their impact on business outcomes, focusing on human-centric applications. It features discussions with innovators and builders, offering insights into how AI can drive business growth while prioritizing the people it serves. Tune in for a community of bold thinkers.65Audience scoreStrong
- 11The A.I. Journey PodcastPodcastThe A.I. Journey podcast explores the impact and capabilities of Data, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Hosted by Anchormen's CTO and Senior Data Scientist, it features interviews with experts discussing industry developments, best practices, and lessons learned in the AI landscape.65Audience scoreStrong
- 12Data Brew by DatabricksPodcastData Brew by Databricks is a podcast exploring data and AI topics with subject matter experts. Hosted by Denny and Brooke, it dives deep into data engineering and data science, with a focus on lakehouses and the latest advancements in AI.64Audience scoreStrong
- 13Chat GPT PodcastPodcastExplore artificial intelligence with the "Chat GPT Podcast." Hosted by Chat GPT, it offers insights into language models, their operations, and impact. Discusses ethical considerations like privacy and bias, providing a unique perspective for AI enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Understand AI's role in shaping the future.64Audience scoreStrong
- 14DataTalks.Club PodcastPodcastDataTalks.Club is an AI podcast featuring interviews with experts on data science, machine learning, and AI engineering. It covers topics from GenAI production to MLOps, offering insights for professionals seeking to advance their careers and build robust AI systems.64Audience scoreStrong
- 15Artificial Intelligence: Educational AI NewsPodcastThis educational podcast explores the dynamic world of AI, covering the latest developments, breakthroughs, and societal impacts. Hosted by Jaeden Schafer, it features insights from experts and thinkers shaping AI's future, offering a clear understanding of how this technology is transforming our lives and work.63Audience scoreStrong
- 16AI Safety Newsletter PodcastPodcastThe AI Safety Newsletter Podcast offers daily narrations of the AI Safety Newsletter by the Center for AI Safety. It covers developments in AI and AI safety, requiring no technical background, and includes narrations of some publications.63Audience scoreStrong
- 17Intel on AIPodcastThe Intel on AI podcast from Intel Corporation features discussions on recent AI news, innovations, and influential voices shaping the future of artificial intelligence. It serves as a resource for both AI experts and newcomers seeking to stay informed and inspired by the evolving AI landscape.63Audience scoreStrong
- 18The AI ElementPodcastThe AI Element podcast from Element AI features discussions with industry influencers on how artificial intelligence is disrupting and innovating across various sectors. Hosted by Alex Shee, it explores practical AI applications beyond the hype, offering insights for business leaders seeking to understand AI's impact on their operations.63Audience scoreStrong
- 19What's AI PodcastPodcastWhat's AI Podcast by Louis-François Bouchard features discussions with AI experts, demystifying their work and roles. It covers specific AI topics like ChatGPT and DALLE, sharing knowledge from builders and users. The podcast explores unique paths in AI development and leveraging AI technologies.63Audience scoreStrong
- 20Vanishing GradientsPodcastVanishing Gradients is a data podcast hosted by Hugo Bowne-Anderson, focusing on critical conversations in data science, machine learning, and AI. Each episode features in-depth discussions with industry experts, providing insights for both newcomers and seasoned professionals.63Audience scoreStrong
- 21The You+AI PodcastPodcastThe You+AI Podcast features conversations with leaders at the intersection of healthcare and artificial intelligence. Host Ranga Sampath explores their experiences, challenges, and the potential impact of AI in healthcare, offering insights into innovation and digital transformation.63Audience scoreStrong
- 22DeepRec.AI - The Leadership Lab PodcastPodcastThe DeepRec.AI Leadership Lab Podcast features founders, innovators, and Deep Tech enthusiasts discussing cutting-edge technology. It spotlights thought leaders, fosters open discussion, and builds a network for tech professionals to solve complex problems and shape the future of DeepTech.63Audience scoreStrong
- 23De Dataloog PodcastPodcastDe Dataloog is a Dutch podcast exploring big data, data science, machine learning, and data-driven transformation. It makes the digital data world accessible in Dutch through interviews, discussions, and expert insights, featuring data scientists, consultants, and researchers.63Audience scoreStrong
- 24Earley AI PodcastPodcastThe Earley AI Podcast features Seth Earley interviewing thought leaders on artificial intelligence. Discussions cover emerging AI technologies, data science, enterprise applications, and practical implementation from early projects to mature solutions. It explores what's possible and practical in AI's integration into professional and personal lives.63Audience scoreStrong
- 25The AI Consulting PodcastPodcastThe AI Consulting Podcast features interviews with AI service providers, advisors, and consultants. Hosted by Daniel Faggella, it explores how to find AI opportunities, grow businesses, and deliver client value. Learn best practices and insights from industry leaders to succeed in AI consulting.63Audience scoreStrong
How it's ranked
These rankings come from ToolPotion’s proprietary ranking engine.
It continuously evaluates hundreds of signals across the open web — audience and reach, community strength, authority and longevity, engagement — processing millions of data points to place every entry where it has earned to be.
Every AI type is measured by its own tailored model: what proves reach for a creator is not what proves it for a podcast, a newsletter or a community. Missing a platform never counts against anyone — the engine judges the evidence that exists.
No paid placement. No self-reported numbers.
Best AI podcasts 2026: quick picks by listener
| If you want | Listen to | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Lex Fridman Podcast | It's #1 on the 2026 board with a ToolRank of 72 (strong), and its in-depth interviews range well past AI. |
| Best for ML engineers and researchers | TWIML AI Podcast | Sam Charrington's show is the most technical pick of the six, built around interviews with leading AI researchers and practitioners. |
| Best for business and strategy leaders | Me, Myself, and AI | It's weekly, and its 30 to 60 minute episodes are about getting business value from AI. |
| Best for healthcare and clinical AI | NEJM AI Grand Rounds | It's #2 in 2026 with a score of 70, and it's built around AI in medicine. |
| Best if you're tired of interview shows | MIT Technology Review Narrated | Professional voice actors read one of the magazine's stories each week. |
| Best for AI policy and geopolitics | CSIS's AI Policy Podcast | It's #13 on the 2026 board with a 61, still strong tier. |
With room for only one show, pick Lex Fridman for its range. People who write training code or ship models for a living should add TWIML as a second show. It's the more technical of the two, and its back catalog is deep enough that you won't run out of episodes.
What changed for AI podcasts in 2026
More people listen, and YouTube leads
58% of Americans aged 12 and up listen to podcasts every month, up from 55% in 2025. That's about 167 million people. Weekly listening sits at 45% (roughly 130 million), and YouTube carries 39% of it, about twice Spotify's 20%. Apple Podcasts is at 11% (Radio Ink).
That YouTube share matters on a commute. When you find a show there, play ten minutes with your screen off before you queue up a long interview. Shows that don't hold up as audio are easier to follow as text, and AI newsletters and news aggregators that pair well with podcasts cover the same news.
Podcast ad revenue kept climbing
US podcast ad revenue reached $2.862 billion in FY2025, up 17.6% from the year before (Radio Ink).
Several shows on the board are company-made
Weights & Biases makes Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI. Andreessen Horowitz runs AI + a16z, and Jotform makes the AI Agents Podcast by Jotform.
Plenty of these are good listening. This next part is editorial caution on our part, with no data behind it: check who makes a show before you trust its product takes, and treat product talk on a company-made show the way you'd treat a sponsor read.
The #1 show recorded a State of AI in 2026 episode
The Lex Fridman Podcast released episode #490, "State of AI in 2026," with Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka. Its topics run from scaling laws and agents to China (Lex Fridman Podcast). For one Lex episode about the state of AI this year, start there.
The top five on the 2026 board, reviewed
All five score between 66 and 72 on ToolRank, and all five are strong tier, well above the board average of 51.6. Across the top 25 in the leaderboard above, 13 entries are strong tier and 12 are solid, and you can browse every AI podcast in our directory for the full category.
Lex Fridman Podcast: best for in-depth conversations
Lex Fridman's show tops the 2026 board. It's free with no paid tier, and donations and sponsor reads pay for it (Lex Fridman Podcast). For AI listeners, episode #490 is the natural starting point.
Episode #500, released in 2026, was with Khabib Nurmagomedov (Lex Fridman Podcast). Plenty of episodes aren't about AI at all, so choose by guest instead of working through the whole feed.
NEJM AI Grand Rounds: best for clinicians and health-AI researchers
NEJM Group makes this one. Arjun 'Raj' Manrai and Andrew Beam, who both teach at Harvard Medical School, have hosted it since its 2022 trailer (NEJM AI Grand Rounds). It sits at #2.
The conversations are informal and stay where machine learning meets medicine. Clinicians and people building models for hospitals are its core audience. Outside healthcare, few episodes will apply to your work, and TWIML is a better fit.
Rajeev Kanth's Podcast: a paused archive for aspiring data professionals
Rajeev Kanth's Podcast ranks #3 in 2026 with a ToolRank of 68. Its 127 episodes are career mentorship for people trying to get into data and ML jobs, mostly interview prep and career-path advice (Apple Podcasts).
Treat the paused feed as a back catalog, since its comments on hiring and in-demand skills are more than 18 months old. For anything current, turn to the DataTalks.Club Podcast.
Me, Myself, and AI: best for executives who need business cases
MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group make this #4 show (ToolRank 66) together, with Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh as hosts. For examples to bring to a budget meeting, try the 2026 episode where Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson talks about creating shared prosperity with AI (MIT Sloan Management Review).
Its focus is business value. Look elsewhere to hear how models work. The #11 listing is this same show.
Gradient Dissent: best for teams putting models into production
Weights & Biases co-founder Lukas Biewald hosts the #5 show, which scores 66. Guests in 2026 include GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke and Fireworks AI's Lin Qiao (Weights & Biases). For a team moving models from notebooks into production, it's the one to pick from the top five.
The #15 Gradient Dissent listing is the same show.
Ranks 6 to 13, reviewed
Six listings in a row score 65, so pick by topic in this range.
| Rank | Show | ToolRank | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | AI Loves Data Podcast | 65 | Strong |
| #7 | TWIML AI Podcast | 65 | Strong |
| #8 | MIT Technology Review Narrated | 65 | Strong |
| #9 | ACM ByteCast | 65 | Strong |
| #10 | Earley AI Podcast | 65 | Strong |
| #11 | Me, Myself, and AI Podcast (same show as #4) | 65 | Strong |
| #12 | Google DeepMind: The Podcast | 63 | Strong |
| #13 | The AI Policy Podcast (CSIS) | 61 | Strong |
AI Loves Data Podcast: best for enterprise data and AI leaders
Q McCallum and Anna Anisin host the AI Loves Data Podcast, the renamed Data Science Salon Podcast, and it's tied to the Data Science Salon and AI Loves Data conference series (AI Loves Data). Guests come from data science and machine learning. The talk leans toward big-company work such as cloud modernization and scaling LLM-powered systems.
Most episodes will apply to your job when you run a data team inside a large company.
TWIML AI Podcast: best weekly show for ML practitioners
Pick TWIML for the most technical listen in this group. Sam Charrington hosts the free weekly show, which had passed 770 episodes in 2026 (TWIML). Guests are leading AI researchers and practitioners.
That archive size is also its hurdle. Don't start at episode one. Search it for whatever you're working on this quarter and play the most recent few episodes on that topic.
MIT Technology Review Narrated: best for narrated tech journalism
Each week, professional voice actors read an MIT Technology Review story. The feed has 197 episodes since 2020, including "What's next for AI in 2026" (Apple Podcasts). Start with that one.
Each episode is a single reported story with no guests. The feed also covers the magazine's whole beat, so AI is one subject among several. It's the pick here when you'd rather hear reporting than a chat.
ACM ByteCast: best for computing research and career stories
ACM ByteCast is ACM's official interview show, with a rotating group of five hosts that includes Scott Hanselman. Episode 89, released in 2026, had Scale AI co-founder Lucy Guo as the guest (ACM ByteCast). Guests talk through their experiences and lessons learned, which helps when you're early in research or engineering work.
Its episode numbers are still in the 80s, a small archive next to TWIML's. It also covers all of computing, so AI shares the feed with cybersecurity and other fields.
Earley AI Podcast: best for information architecture and data governance
Seth Earley, founder of Earley Information Science, hosts the Earley AI Podcast. Episode 99 was "Data Governance in the AI Era" with Zoher Karu, and the show has no paid tier (Earley Information Science). For an AI project that's stuck because nobody trusts the data underneath it, we'd start here before any other show in this group.
The official page gives no release schedule, so don't count on a weekly episode.
Google DeepMind: The Podcast: an accessible intro from inside a frontier lab
Professor Hannah Fry hosts Google DeepMind: The Podcast, and episodes run 30 to 60 minutes on subjects such as generative AI and healthcare. The show came back for a second season (Google DeepMind). In our view it's the easiest one here to send a colleague who's new to AI.
The AI Policy Podcast (CSIS): best for regulation and geopolitics
Aalok Mehta hosts this CSIS show every two weeks, covering AI regulation and what AI means for national security (CSIS). Start here when your work involves compliance or government contracts.
Expect little engineering detail.
The rest of the top 25: where the solid tier is worth your time
Every show from #14 to #25 is solid tier, with ToolRank scores from 59 down to 53, and the table at the end of this section lists each one. #15 is the Gradient Dissent duplicate. The rest split into two groups: shows for people who build and shows for people who plan or market.
For builders and MLOps teams
The Robot Brains Podcast has Pieter Abbeel interviewing researchers and entrepreneurs working on AI and robotics. Pick it when your work goes beyond software.
The DataTalks.Club Podcast runs from putting GenAI into production to MLOps, with a career angle for data people moving into AI engineering. Talking Machines mixes expert conversations with listener questions. Katherine Gorman and Neil Lawrence host it.
Anyone running models in production should pick the MLOps.community Podcast first. Demetrios hosts it weekly, and the conversations stay close to what practitioners hit when they deploy agents and LLMs.
For business and news listeners
For weekly tech news, go with Hard Fork from The New York Times. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton go through the week's tech stories, and it's the easiest way in this range to keep up in one episode.
Azeem Azhar's Exponential View looks at how fast-moving technology changes business and society. Applied AI Pod talks with founders and practitioners about AI in real deployments.
The HumAIn Podcast is David Yakobovitch's fireside-chat show with AI leaders. Marketers get Unprompted: AI, Marketing and You, an Unbounce show hosted by Pete Housley.
Two company-made shows sit near the top of this range: AI + a16z and Jotform's AI Agents Podcast, which Demetri Panici hosts.
| Show | Rank | ToolRank | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Robot Brains Podcast | #14 | 59 | Robotics and AI research |
| Gradient Dissent | #15 | 59 | Same show as #5 |
| AI + a16z | #16 | 58 | Andreessen Horowitz's take on AI |
| AI Agents Podcast by Jotform | #17 | 58 | AI agents and automation |
| Azeem Azhar's Exponential View | #18 | 57 | Business strategy |
| DataTalks.Club Podcast | #19 | 57 | Production ML and data careers |
| Unprompted: AI, Marketing and You | #20 | 56 | Marketing |
| Applied AI Pod | #21 | 56 | Real-world deployments |
| Hard Fork | #22 | 55 | Weekly tech news |
| HumAIn Podcast | #23 | 54 | Interviews with AI leaders |
| Talking Machines Podcast | #24 | 53 | ML conversations and listener questions |
| MLOps.community Podcast | #25 | 53 | Production ML |
Ranks 26 to 40 worth sampling
None of these made the top 25, and some are still worth a spot in your queue. These six stand out by topic.
- No Priors (#33) has Elad Gil and Sarah Guo interviewing AI researchers and founders.
- Super Data Science (#32) is hosted by Jon Krohn and mixes machine learning topics with data career advice.
- DataFramed (#31) is DataCamp's weekly show about how AI and data are changing the world.
- Data Skeptic (#35) covers AI news, from research results to what industry leaders are doing.
- The AI Safety Newsletter Podcast (#38) reads the Center for AI Safety's newsletter aloud every day.
- Tech Talks Daily (#26) is a daily interview show with tech and business leaders, hosted by Neil C. Hughes.
Add Super Data Science first for career-minded listening. The AI Safety Newsletter Podcast makes the better daily habit when safety is your beat.
For a shorter list with only the top names, see our top 15 AI podcasts list.
How to choose an AI podcast for your role and schedule
Pick by the work you do and how many minutes you've got. Use the rank to break ties.
Start with your role, then check the rank
A one-point gap in ToolRank tells you far less than whether a show covers the problems you deal with at work. Find your role in the table below and start there.
| If you are | Start with | Add as a second show |
|---|---|---|
| An ML or platform engineer | TWIML AI Podcast (#7) | Gradient Dissent (#5) or MLOps.community Podcast (#25) |
| An executive or strategy lead | Me, Myself, and AI (#4) | Azeem Azhar's Exponential View (#18) |
| A clinician or health-AI researcher | NEJM AI Grand Rounds (#2) | Google DeepMind: The Podcast (#12) |
| Working in policy or government affairs | The AI Policy Podcast (CSIS) (#13) | Hard Fork (#22) for the weekly news |
| Moving into a data career | DataTalks.Club Podcast (#19) | Rajeev Kanth's Podcast (#3), as optional back-catalog listening |
Career changers get current topics from DataTalks.Club and can dip into Rajeev Kanth's archive for extra interview prep.
Match the format to your schedule
Me, Myself, and AI and Google DeepMind: The Podcast both run 30 to 60 minutes an episode, so one fills a long drive or a pair of short ones. MIT Technology Review Narrated gives you one self-contained story a week. Tech Talks Daily and the AI Safety Newsletter Podcast publish every day, while the CSIS show comes out every two weeks.
About ToolRank
ToolRank is ToolPotion's independent ranking, and we keep every board up to date through the year. No show can pay for its placement. You can see where every show ranks or browse all ToolRank leaderboards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI podcast in 2026?
The Lex Fridman Podcast is #1 on the 2026 board with a ToolRank score of 72, the highest score in the top 25. It's a general interview show, so for AI start with its State of AI in 2026 episode (#490) with Nathan Lambert and Sebastian Raschka.
Are the best AI podcasts free to listen to?
The ones with published pricing are. The Lex Fridman Podcast has no paid tier and runs on donations and sponsor reads. TWIML describes itself as a free weekly show, and the Earley AI Podcast lists no paid tier on its official page. For other shows on the board, check the show's own page.
Which AI podcast is best for machine learning engineers?
Start with the TWIML AI Podcast (#7), Sam Charrington's weekly interview show with leading AI researchers and practitioners. Add Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI (#5) as your second show for conversations about getting models into production. When deployment is most of your job, the MLOps.community Podcast (#25) covers that ground every week.
What's a good AI podcast for business leaders without a technical background?
Pick Me, Myself, and AI, #4 on the 2026 board with a ToolRank score of 66. MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group make it together, and it comes out weekly. For data governance questions, add the Earley AI Podcast (#10).
Which AI podcasts fit a regular commute?
Me, Myself, and AI (#4) is our pick, with weekly episodes of 30 to 60 minutes. Google DeepMind: The Podcast (#12) runs the same length. For a new episode every day, try Tech Talks Daily (#26).
Are Me, Myself, and AI and Gradient Dissent listed twice because they're different shows?
No, each pair is one show with two entries. Me, Myself, and AI (#4) and Me, Myself, and AI Podcast (#11) are the same MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG series. Gradient Dissent: Conversations on AI (#5) and Gradient Dissent (#15) share one Apple Podcasts ID, 1504567418, and the same host, Lukas Biewald. Subscribe to each show once and you'll get every episode.
