3-hour podcast? Social media react to PM Modi’s ‘epic’ chat with Lex Fridman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming podcast with AI researcher and podcaster Lex Fridman has stirred a wave of reactions on social media. As Fridman announced the release of their three-hour-long conversation, users online had a lot to say about it.

Fridman took to X  to share his excitement about the podcast, saying, "I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life. It'll be out tomorrow."

PM Modi, in response, also expressed his enthusiasm, calling it a "fascinating conversation." He shared a glimpse of what was discussed, writing, "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!"

Social media explodes with mixed reactions

As soon as the announcement was made, social media was flooded with comments—both sceptical and excited. The duration of the podcast, a whopping three hours, caught many by surprise.

One user commented, "3 hours???" while another joked, "epic 3-hour nap."

Others speculated about the content of the discussion. "Let me guess, Modi model made India great again..," one user remarked.

Criticism also surfaced regarding Modi's media appearances. A comment pointed out, "He has never attended a press conference in his entire run as prime minister of India."

Another user reacted strongly, saying, "And with that, I’ll unfollow."

Amid the criticism, there were also plenty of users eagerly awaiting the podcast.

One person wrote, "Waiting for this since January..." 

Another excitedly commented, "Very excited to watch."

Who is Lex Fridman?

Lex Fridman, originally from Russia, is a well-known AI researcher based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He specialises in human-robot interaction and is widely recognised for his deep-dive podcast interviews.

Since launching the Lex Fridman Podcast in 2018 (formerly titled the Artificial Intelligence Podcast), he has hosted big names such as former US President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, author Yuval Noah Harari, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, among others.

With over 4.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and 4.2 million followers on X, Fridman has built a massive global audience.

(With agency inputs)