Episode Details

In this episode of Based Camp, Malcolm and Simone Collins break down the evolution of the culture wars — from Woke 1.0 (SJW/Tumblr era) to Woke 2.0 (post-George Floyd radicalism) and the rapid emergence of Woke 3.0: the anti-AI movement.

They argue Woke 2 is already over. The new front is a performative, high-anger rejection of AI that is more central in left online spaces than race, trans issues, or immigration. Key topics include:

* The edginess pipelines on left vs. right and how the “terrorist left” evolved

* Why anti-AI posting now dwarfs traditional woke content

* Hank Green’s very public apology for using ChatGPT and the forced productivity collapse that followed

* Extreme backlash against AI tools (Leaflet’s VTuber generator, etc.)

* The core arguments the anti-AI side uses (stealing, environment, critical thinking, mental health, creativity, bias, surveillance)

* How this creates a self-selected permanent underclass that deliberately opts out of productivity tools

* Intentional ugliness in media, media fracturing, and the Brave New World “savage reservation” parallel

* Strategy for the pro-AI side and why anti-AI Luddites (left and right) are a liability

This is the real culture war happening right now in the meme minds — the one most offline commentators still haven’t noticed.

Show Notes

The new culture war is between those who are pro-AI and anti-AI, except this is worse than Woke 1.0 and 2.0 because those on one side of the battle are intentionally opting into a permanent underclass.

Headlines:

Vulture: Hank Green Can’t Apologize Enough for Using AI

Mashable: Hank Green apologizes for relying too heavily on ChatGPT

TechCrunch: YouTuber Hank Green says his AI usage is ‘not healthy’

Business Insider: YouTube star Hank Green says he’s relied ‘too heavily’ on AI in an apology to fans.

“Hank Green, one of the internet’s most steadfast and reliable content creators, said he’s slowing down production after fans criticized him for using AI.

“Expect less hankschannel. It may need to pause for a while,” Green wrote. “It may be that Hankschannel comes back with writing and research support. It may be that it comes back with just way fewer videos.” Green said SMUSH and 4x3, two online daily word games he produces, will be paused.

The fresh discourse surrounding Green’s use of AI was sparked earlier that day on X, where he told users he had used OpenAI’s ChatGPT to research a script. The revelation shocked some X users, who suggested that Green undermined his credibility by using AI without disclosing it to viewers.

As tensions grew on X, Green deleted that post and pivoted to Reddit to address the situation. He told Redditors he’s “mortified” that he’s “let so many people down.”

“I have been relying too heavily on AI as a research aid. It can be very useful for this task, giving me access to a lot of papers I didn’t know existed really fast, but I think that has been to the detriment of my work because it has not given me the freedom to find all of my own ways into and around a topic,” Green said.

…

Green told fans that he’s not anti-AI but understands some of their concerns, such as how the tech is trained, its environmental implications, and the consolidation of economic power by tech companies. He ultimately apologized.“It is very likely that you (the reader) and I disagree on how or even whether AI should be used,” Green said. “I think it makes se