Podcast Episodes

Echo Chambers of One: Companion AI and the Future of Human Connection

Episode 110

AI companion chatbots are here. Everyday, millions of people log on to AI platforms and talk to them like they would a person. These bots will ask you about your day, talk about your feelings, even g…

Published on 5 months, 3 weeks ago

AGI Beyond the Buzz: What Is It, and Are We Ready?

Episode 109

What does it really mean to ‘feel the AGI?’ Silicon Valley is racing toward AI systems that could soon match or surpass human intelligence. The implications for jobs, democracy, and our way of life a…

Published on 6 months, 1 week ago

Rethinking School in the Age of AI

Episode 108

AI has upended schooling as we know it. Students now have instant access to tools that can write their essays, summarize entire books, and solve complex math problems. Whether they want to or not, ma…

Published on 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Forever Chemicals, Forever Consequences: What PFAS Teaches Us About AI

Episode 107

Artificial intelligence is set to unleash an explosion of new technologies and discoveries into the world. This could lead to incredible advances in human flourishing, if we do it well. The problem? …

Published on 7 months ago

Weaponizing Uncertainty: How Tech is Recycling Big Tobacco’s Playbook

Episode 106

One of the hardest parts about being human today is navigating uncertainty. When we see experts battling in public and emotions running high, it's easy to doubt what we once felt certain about. This …

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

The Man Who Predicted the Downfall of Thinking

Episode 105

Few thinkers were as prescient about the role technology would play in our society as the late, great Neil Postman. Forty years ago, Postman warned about all the ways modern communication technology …

Published on 8 months ago

Behind the DeepSeek Hype, AI is Learning to Reason

Episode 104

When Chinese AI company DeepSeek announced they had built a model that could compete with OpenAI at a fraction of the cost, it sent shockwaves through the industry and roiled global markets. But amid…

Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago

The Self-Preserving Machine: Why AI Learns to Deceive

Episode 103

When engineers design AI systems, they don't just give them rules - they give them values. But what do those systems do when those values clash with what humans ask them to do? Sometimes, they lie.

In…

Published on 9 months, 1 week ago

Laughing at Power: A Troublemaker’s Guide to Changing Tech

Episode 102

The status quo of tech today is untenable: we’re addicted to our devices, we’ve become increasingly polarized, our mental health is suffering and our personal data is sold to the highest bidder. This…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Ask Us Anything 2024

Episode 101

2024 was a critical year in both AI and social media. Things moved so fast it was hard to keep up. So our hosts reached into their mailbag to answer some of your most burning questions. Thank you so …

Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago