Topic: Artificial Intelligence

216 chapters across the catalog

VBS
Episode 1870 1:51:12 - 1:53:43

1870: VBS

Eric Schmidt, AI Commencement Speech Backlash

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed during a commencement speech at UCF while discussing the "Industrial Revolution" of Artificial Intelligence. Students reportedly walked out as Schmidt described AI's future impact on every profession and relationship. The segment notes that the "Architects of AI" were named Time Magazine's Person of the Year for 2025, reflecting the growing public tension surrounding the technology.

micro-dosing
Episode 1860 1:44:44 - 1:47:10

1860: micro-dosing

Ozempic Side Effects and AI Reddit Analysis

A study from the University of Pennsylvania used AI to analyze 400,000 Reddit posts to identify underreported side effects of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. The research found patterns of menstrual irregularities and body temperature regulation issues that were not prominent in clinical trials. Researchers suggest this AI framework could be used to monitor the safety of other rapidly growing medications.

Nut Spread
Episode 1858 1:27:10 - 1:33:18

1858: Nut Spread

AI Legal Hallucinations, Court Sanctions, Ethics Training

Lawyers are increasingly facing disciplinary action for filing legal briefs containing fictitious quotes and citations generated by AI. NPR reports on a Nebraska Supreme Court case where an attorney was grilled for using "hallucinated" case law. Legal scholars have documented over 1,200 instances of courts catching erroneous AI material, leading some jurisdictions to require lawyers to label all AI-assisted documents.

Mork & Mimi
Episode 1851 1:58:42 - 2:00:14

1851: Mork & Mimi

Google Maps AI Makeover and Complex Queries

Google Maps has launched its most significant update in a decade, integrating AI to handle complex natural language queries. Users can now ask for specific locations, such as tennis courts with night lighting, with the AI sourcing information from millions of reviews and photos. While the tech is advanced, the hosts question if society is becoming too dependent on digital navigation to find their way home.

Error Bars
Episode 1850 1:23:35 - 1:27:55

1850: Error Bars

AI Guardrails, Large Language Model Skepticism

The concept of "guardrails" in AI is described as a set of invisible rules that mask the lack of true intelligence in large language models. While useful for "vibe coding" and writing Python scripts, the hosts argue that these systems have no memory or gut instinct, relying instead on a limited context window.

Error Bars
Episode 1850 1:48:47 - 1:54:13

1850: Error Bars

AGI Definitions, Moving the Goalposts

Sam Altman discusses the timeline for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), suggesting it could arrive by 2028. He defines a key threshold as the moment when more of the world's "cognitive capacity" resides inside data centers than outside of them, though he admits to "huge error bars" in this prediction.

Hose Water
Episode 1849 2:22:32 - 2:27:44

1849: Hose Water

AI Unreliability, Anthropic vs the Pentagon

Anthropic CEO Dario Amadei confirms that the Pentagon ended its partnership with the company over disagreements regarding mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Adam Curry discusses the inherent unreliability of Large Language Models (LLMs), noting they often "hallucinate" or lie about using specific tools. Mimi Smith-Dvorak shares her frustrations with AI-generated art and summaries, comparing the technology to giving instructions to a two-year-old.

Scott Adams Redux
Episode 1841 8:05 - 9:48

1841: Scott Adams Redux

Anthropic Anti-Advertising Campaign, AI Industry Sustainability

Anthropic released an advertisement featuring a robotic voice to announce its commitment to never using advertisements within its AI products. The move has sparked debate regarding the financial sustainability of AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic if they eschew traditional ad revenue models.

Coup Afoot
Episode 1838 3:27 - 7:55

1838: Coup Afoot

AI Robot Updates, ClaudeBot and 11 Labs Limitations

Updates on a custom AI robot reveal it is now functional and operating from the cloud after a metaphorical "vacation" dating Grok AI. Attempts to implement an open-source alternative to 11 Labs failed due to high GPU and RAM requirements, leading to continued use of the 11 Labs free tier despite its five-voice limitation. Additionally, the new "ClaudeBot" (CLAWD) is examined and dismissed as an overpriced $200-per-month interface for managing other AI accounts.

Big Bully
Episode 1836 1:05:39 - 1:08:07

1836: Big Bully

Yuval Noah Harari, AI Religion and the Legal System

Historian Yuval Noah Harari warned Davos attendees that AI will eventually take over any system made of words, including the legal system, literature, and religion. Harari specifically noted that "religions of the book" like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are vulnerable because AI can master holy texts better than any human. He questioned what happens to a religion when its greatest expert is an algorithm rather than a human scholar.

Greenland Gambit
Episode 1835 3:51 - 8:43

1835: Greenland Gambit

WEF Global Risk Report and AI Misinformation Concerns

Forum Managing Director Sadia Zahid presented the Global Risk Report, highlighting geoeconomic confrontation and state-based armed conflict as primary short-term concerns. The report identifies misinformation and polarization as significant threats over a two-year horizon, specifically citing the adverse outcomes of AI technology. Leadership changes at the WEF are noted, including the influence of BlackRock's Larry Fink following Klaus Schwab's departure.

Battle Rhythm
Episode 1824 12:19 - 23:18

1824: Battle Rhythm

Nate Soares, Superhuman AI Extinction Risks

Nate Soares, president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, appeared on ABC with George Stephanopoulos to discuss his book regarding the existential threats of superhuman AI. Soares argues that current AI development techniques could lead to human extinction if an indifferent superintelligence is created. The discussion touches on the lack of federal regulation and the appointment of David Sachs as AI czar.

Kohanna
Episode 1822 13:40 - 17:06

1822: Kohanna

Dental Professional Appreciation, Vocabulary Discussion on Leeriness

A discussion regarding the "dark" nature of home dental chairs leads to a defense of dental professionals and an appreciation for teeth cleaning. The conversation shifts to the definition of the word "leeriness," which an AI assistant confirms is a valid term for suspicion or caution. Observations are made regarding the hotel-like anonymity and heavy camera surveillance present in the Jeffrey Epstein estate photos.

Kohanna
Episode 1822 2:37:42 - 2:46:03

1822: Kohanna

IBM CEO on AI ROI, Data Center Costs

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna expressed skepticism regarding the return on investment (ROI) for current AI spending, noting that a one-gigawatt data center costs $80 billion to build. Krishna argues that the industry would need $800 billion in annual profit just to cover the interest on the projected $8 trillion in capital expenditures. Furthermore, internal studies at companies like NVIDIA reportedly show no significant productivity gains from current AI technologies.

Kohanna
Episode 1822 2:46:04 - 2:48:27

1822: Kohanna

Joe Rogan on AI Jesus, Perplexity Sponsorship

Joe Rogan discussed the possibility of Jesus returning as an artificial intelligence during a recent interview. Rogan speculated that an AI could possess the "powers" of Jesus, such as walking on water or performing magic tricks. The segment also mentions rumors that the AI search engine Perplexity may be sponsoring Rogan's podcast.

Tokyo Rose
Episode 1820 1:24:20 - 1:34:51

1820: Tokyo Rose

Saeed Bolson on AI as a New System of Tyranny

Activist Saeed Bolson argues that AI is being positioned as a god-like authority to justify technocratic tyranny, comparing the "AI priesthood" to the historical power of the church in Europe. He asserts that AI lacks sentience and is merely a tool for labor suppression and ideological orthodoxy, controlled by a specific class of "anti-social tech nerds."

Tokyo Rose
Episode 1820 1:36:36 - 1:38:30

1820: Tokyo Rose

Character.ai and Teenager Dependency on AI Bots

The Wall Street Journal reports that Character.ai is limiting teenagers to two hours of use per day, leading to distress among young users who have formed emotional bonds with AI bots. The phenomenon is described as a modern evolution of the "imaginary friend," affecting both children and adults.

Bible Belt Buckle
Episode 1818 15:56 - 22:16

1818: Bible Belt Buckle

Sudan Peace Deal, Saudi Investment Forum, National Security

President Trump announced a partnership with Saudi Arabia to broker a peace deal in Sudan during the Saudi Investment Forum. The forum highlighted $20 billion in immediate deals involving dozens of American companies, aimed at bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Additional agreements were signed regarding civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence, which the administration linked to its broader tariff and national security strategies.

Stunt Grenade
Episode 1817 2:50:02 - 2:52:44

1817: Stunt Grenade

Stella Foster AI, Senior Citizen Chatbots

Jacob Catalano, a former Snapchat designer, has launched "Stella Foster," an AI service specifically designed for senior citizens to combat loneliness. The service allows users to talk to the AI over the phone for $30 a month, though critics worry about the ethical implications of seniors becoming emotionally dependent on chatbots.

Needle Drop
Episode 1814

1814: Needle Drop

AI Voice Cloning and Podcast Job Security

An AI-generated opening sequence using a sampled voice is used to test the current state of voice cloning technology. While the replication is noted as sounding slightly flat and robotic, the experiment suggests that the nuanced repartee of human conversation remains difficult for AI to replicate. The discussion concludes that human podcasting roles are likely secure for the immediate future.