[13] In 2014, Fridman was hired by Google to continue his dissertation work on the use of AI for identity authentication, but left the company after only six months stating that he prefers the "chaos of research and the academic environment".

"[4] In 2019, Fridman published a non-peer-reviewed study about Tesla Autopilot finding that drivers using semi-autonomous vehicles stayed focused, contrasting with established research on how humans interact with automated systems.

Fridman's study on Tesla Autopilot was criticized for its methodology by Missy Cummings, a professor at Duke University and advisor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who described it as "deeply flawed".

AI researcher Anima Anandkumar suggested Fridman should submit his study for peer review before seeking press coverage.

"[8] Alongside a link to the interview with West, Fridman posted this on X: "I believe in the power of tough, honest, empathetic conversation to increase the amount of love in the world.

[16] Nathan J. Robinson of Current Affairs wrote, "Fridman is not an idealogue and seems genuine in his desire to empathetically understand leftists (he has also interviewed Richard Wolff, Steve Keen, and Noam Chomsky) and to be fair to all sides, he has hosted a debate between 'skeptical environmentalist' Bjørn Lomborg and climate journalist Andrew Revkin.

Robinson added that "the Fridman podcast is an excellent way to see how the posture of neutrality actually fails to adequately challenge falsehoods and toxic beliefs.

[5] Ben Samuel argued in another 2023 article in Haaretz that Fridman failed to challenge claims made on his podcast by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

[18] A 2024 article by Bloomberg, by Ellen Huet, commented that Fridman's podcast is seen by tech CEOs as a friendlier alternative to more adversarial interviews with traditional journalists.