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Theatre Explores the Moral Quandaries of Tech - The Story
13 februari 2026 · 24 min
Theatre and tech don't usually share the same stage. But that's changing. This season, two plays caught our eye: Data, a play about the inner workings of a data mining company, and Marjorie Prime, a play where grief, family, and AI collide. Karah interviews both playwrights: Matthew Libby (Data) and Jordan Harrison (Marjorie Prime). They discuss the origins of their plays, from failed collabs with AI chatbots to the internship with Palantir that never was. And how plays about technology can teach us about our humanity. Lees meer
Data runs through March 29th. Tickets are at lortel.org
Marjorie Prime runs through February 15th. Buy Tickets at 2st.com
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America Won’t Ban Kids from Social Media, So Now What? - The Story
11 februari 2026 · 31 min
It’s been two months since Australia’s social media ban went into effect for kids under 16. But Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer at The New Yorker, doesn’t think America will follow suit. Jay sits down with Karah to unpack why a U.S. ban is unlikely, what Australia’s move does change, and how cultural pressure — not legislation — may be the most powerful tool we have to protect kids online. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Americans Won’t Ban Kids from Social Media. What Can We Do Instead? | The New Yorker
The Case for Banning Children from Social Media | The New Yorker
If You Quit Social Media, Will You Read More Books? | The New Yorker
Gen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates | Fortune
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Tech Skepticism, AI and Why China's Innovations Matter - w/ Wired’s Katie Drummond
6 februari 2026 · 31 min
Oz is at the Web Summit in Qatar this week, and he’s taking you with him. This episode was recorded live on stage with Wired’s global editorial director Katie Drummond. Katie and Oz talk about what it’s like to cover this moment, from DOGE and tech titans in the White House to AI’s rapid ubiquity. Katie also shares why Americans need to wake up to what is happening outside the US to discover the future of technology. Lees meer
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The Future is Battery-Powered - The Story
4 februari 2026 · 31 min
If the 20th century was defined by oil, journalist and author Nicolas Niarchos bets that the 21st century will be defined by batteries. In his book, The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth, Niarchos unpacks the hidden costs behind the world’s battery boom. In this episode, he and Oz trace how the race for cobalt and other critical metals is reshaping global power—why China dominates refining and battery innovation, what the U.S. would actually have to build to compete, and whether trade deals can realistically “clean up” the system. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
The Elements of Power by Nicolas Niarchos| PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
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Gamers Fight AI Art, For Now - Week in Tech
30 januari 2026 · 31 min
How do you feel about AI in your art, your music, and your video games? Oz is joined by Kill Switch host, Dexter Thomas, to discuss Switchbot's AI Art Frame and the video gamers who are holding developers to account. But will the anti-AI outrage continue to make change? Then, Oz updates us on last week’s World Economic Forum — one Davos attendee spent the night in jail and Canada’s PM says there’s a rupture in the world order. Europe is listening and threatening to part ways with American tech companies. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
An entrepreneur’s 13 hours in Davos jail: ‘The food was phenomenal’ | Semafor
Europe Prepare For A Nightmare Scenario: The US Blocking Access to Tech | Wall Street Journal
SwitchBot AI Art Frame Now Officially Available | Corporate - EQS News
Angry gamers are forcing studios to scrap or rethink new releases | Washington Post
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Can Taiwan Keep China Out? - The Story
28 januari 2026 · 36 min
Audrey Tang’s path to government had very unusual origins: she is a hacker, an anarchist and the world’s first non-binary government minister. She now serves as Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador and continues to advocate for greater internet freedom and civic participation globally. Audrey sits down with Oz to discuss Taiwan’s AI chip manufacturing and how it impacts their contentious relationship with China, how she stopped deepfake scams head on, her opinion on social media bans and why radical transparency heals polarization. Lees meer
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Why Everyone Is ‘Becoming Chinese’ On TikTok - Week in Tech
23 januari 2026 · 33 min
You’re meeting us at a ‘very Chinese time in our lives’ and today’s episode is no exception — it’s all about China. First, Oz explains China’s attempt to claw a Singaporean AI company, Manus, back from Meta. And why Chinese customs are rejecting NVIDIA H200 chips. Is China fighting back? Then, Karah fills us in on why everyone on TikTok is saying they are Chinese. Finally, humans fold laundry for hours while humanoid robots just watch, TikTok launches a new app for microdramas and Silicon Valley is hiring ‘cracked’ engineers. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
China Is Investigating Meta’s Acquisition of the AI Start-Up Manus | The New York Times
China blocks Nvidia H200 AI chips that US government cleared for export | The Guardian
TikTok Shows Americans In Their ‘Chinese Era’ of Health Habits | Bloomberg
In Chinese data factories, workers teach humanoid robots boring tasks | Rest Of World
TikTok quietly launches a microdrama app called 'PineDrama' | TechCrunch
Forget Vibe Coders: ‘Cracked Engineers’ Are All the Rage in Tech | The Information
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Why Gen Z Loves 2016 Nostalgia - The Story
21 januari 2026 · 30 min
Ever wonder why Gen Z is so obsessed with Millennial culture? Casey Lewis can tell you. She’s a trend researcher and author of “After School,” a Substack newsletter about youth and internet culture. Casey joins Karah to discuss why Gen Z is doubling down on nostalgia and buying up analog products. She runs through the latest trends you may have seen, but didn’t understand… And she unpacks why Gen Alpha might not feel the need to get away from their screens. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Nostalgia Economy and Analog Awakening | After School
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TechSupport: What Happens When AI Undresses You?
16 januari 2026 · 26 min
What would you do if AI took your clothes off? Elon Musk’s AI model, Grok, will strip women of their clothes when prompted and the results are all over X.com. “Nudify” apps and communities have been doing this for years, but now it’s trending on one of the biggest social media platforms out there. And no one is protected—even children. Karah sits down with Samantha Cole from 404 Media to discuss how X and authorities are responding, the societal implications of this trend and why it’s so concerning. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Grok's AI Sexual Abuse Didn't Come Out of Nowhere | 404 Media
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The Story: How Science Fiction Changes the Real World
14 januari 2026 · 31 min
Eliot Peper gets paid to dream about the future. He’s a science fiction writer who has stumbled into an unusual position: writing speculative fiction for Fortune 500 companies. He is also the Head of Story at Portola, which is an AI-companion company. Eliot is responsible for developing a whole new alien culture and forming the personalities of your new favorite AI creature. Karah and Eliot discuss the overlap between art and AI, what science fiction reveals about our current reality, and how he uses storytelling to help create ethical AI companions. Lees meer
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NASA and AI: Decoding Our Universe
13 januari 2026 · 34 min
NASA and IBM have developed advanced AI foundation models that analyze satellite data to reveal patterns across Earth and beyond. These tools are already driving real‑world impact, from helping Kenya plan the planting of 15 billion trees to enabling the UK to track harmful algae blooms. This collaboration provides strategic insights for climate action, environmental monitoring, and emergency response. Lees meer
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
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Week in Tech: The Year of the Robot?
9 januari 2026 · 29 min
Would you live in a zero labor home with a robot? This week, the latest trends and gadgets coming out of CES in Las Vegas and what Karah learned about consenting to biometric surveillance at a Wegmans. Then, Oz takes us to a peptide rave and Karah unveils how influencers and OnlyFans models are getting US visas — they can thank John Lennon. Lees meer
If you’ve used a chatbot in an unusual or surprising way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Additional Reading:
What to expect at CES 2026 | The Verge
NYC Wegmans is storing biometric data on shoppers' eyes, voices and faces | Gothamist
Chinese Peptides Are The Latest Biohacking Trend In The Tech World | New York Times
Influencers and OnlyFans models dominate US ‘extraordinary’ artist visas | Financial Times
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The Story: Can Tech Make Me A Better Person?
7 januari 2026 · 27 min
What’s your New Year’s Resolution? We want to help you keep it. The Verge’s senior tech reviewer, Victoria Song, joins the pod to tell us what tech can help you develop better habits, which wearable is worth buying, and why a new mattress could change your whole sleep game. Lees meer
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Year In Tech: Will There Be An AI Catastrophe In 2026?
2 januari 2026 · 30 min
What was your tech takeaway in 2025? And what is going to be the big story in 2026? Oz sits down with the author of The Running Ground and The Atlantic’s CEO, Nicholas Thompson, to discuss the odd intersection between tech and religion, the tech to compensate media companies for AI training data, who OpenAI’s real rival is, why we don’t understand how AI works, and much, much more. Lees meer
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TechStuff Redux: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions
31 december 2025 · 30 min
Could you resist falling for an AI companion? We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes of 2025: author and journalist Sam Apple takes us on romantic getaway for people who are in love with their AI companions He wrote a piece for Wired about what he observed that weekend, whether the love between humans and AI is real, and what the future of dating could look like in a world with AI companions. Lees meer
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TechStuff Redux: Will NVIDIA Save or Ruin The World?
26 december 2025 · 37 min
One of the companies you couldn’t ignore this year was NVIDIA, so we’re re-airing a conversation Oz had with Stephen Witt, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and author of The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, NVIDIA, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip. They discuss what’s made NVIDIA the most valuable chip company in the world, how a single piece of hardware changed the world forever, and why data centers are shrouded in so much secrecy. Lees meer
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The Year in Brainrot
24 december 2025 · 26 min
What was your internet obsession this year? Karah is joined by writer and podcast host, Aminatou Sow, to talk about what they watched — and what rotted their brains — in 2025. They talk about niche internet obsessions, vertical shorts, AI depicting the oldest generation, and the never-ending Wicked press tour. Lees meer
Additional Reading/Watching:
Exploring My Mustard Collection | Tiktok
Scottish Weather Rant | TikTok
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande vs Lie Detector | Vanity Fair
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande discuss their working dynamic
Creepy AI Grandpa | Tiktok
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Happy Gadget Season To All Who Celebrate!
19 december 2025 · 28 min
Are you a gift go-getter, or a holiday procrastinator? This week, Karah spoke with Kyle Chayka, tech writer for The New Yorker and author of the book “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture”. They talk about his gadget gift guide, how analog products are back in style, and why books are his preferred gift of choice. Oz also shares the hottest toy of the year: a console that helps the whole family stay active. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
The Hottest Toy of the Year Is Made by a Tech Startup You’ve Never Heard Of
A Holiday Gift Guide: The Newest Strangest Gadgets and Apps
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The Story: Will Nuclear Fusion Save the World?
17 december 2025 · 29 min
Is nuclear fusion the clean energy we need? Oz speaks with Commonwealth Fusion Systems' scientist and engineer Alex Creely and fashion designer Gabriela Hearst about why the public should get excited about nuclear fusion. Together, they discuss what it will take to commercialize fusion, how Gabriela’s 2022 fashion show changed the public conversation, and whether we’ll have nuclear fusion by 2030. Lees meer
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Week In Tech: Would You Rather Live in a World with No Privacy or No Crime?
12 december 2025 · 32 min
Should LLMs monitor crime? This week, Oz tells us why the US pharmaceutical industry may have competition… and why we’ve yet to see a flood of new products from AI drug discovery companies. Then, Karah explains how a telecommunications company is feeding recordings of inmate phone calls into LLMs that can then monitor future calls for planned crimes. Also, the UK government wants to cross-reference CCTV footage with the passport photo database, there’s a new self-made female billionaire in town — the youngest yet — and the newest billion dollar company sells blueberries the size of golf balls. And then, on Chat and Me, a deep fake interview has international consequences. Lees meer
ADDITIONAL READING:
Art Basel show by Beeple has realistic Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg robot dogs pooping NFTs | Page Six
Why is AI struggling to discover new drugs? | Financial Times
Will the next blockbuster drug come from China? | Financial Times
An AI model trained on prison phone calls now looks for planned crimes in those calls | MIT Technology Review
Live facial recognition cameras planned for every town centre | Telegraph
Kalshi’s Cofounder Is Now World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire | Forbes
Ray Dalio is backing a $1 billion blueberry unicorn that sells berries nearly the size of golf balls | Fortune
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The Story: The Death of Dining In
10 december 2025 · 25 min
What does the death of restaurants look like? Ellen Cushing, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins Karah to talk about the rise of delivery apps and the fall of the in-person dining experience. They discuss how delivery apps became part of the millennial lifestyle subsidy, how they reshaped what’s on the menu, and why this feels all too similar to what’s happening to movie theaters. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Should Tech Bros Dim the Sun?
5 december 2025 · 34 min
Is unplugging from your phone the ultimate luxury? This week, Oz introduces us to the businesses that specialize in “dimming the sun” and Karah introduces us to “LinkedIn Face.” Polymarket’s bets lead to disinformation about Russia’s war with Ukraine. 23andMe reveals secret families — and secret inheritances. And Oz and Karah almost cry over the latest invention from Japan: a human washing machine. Finally, we celebrate ChatGPT’s 3rd birthday (and possible decline) with Axios technology reporter, Megan Morrone. Lees meer
If you’ve used a chatbot in an unusual or surprising way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Additional Reading:
Being hot is now a job requirement - Business Insider
Climate Geoengineering: Dimming the Sun Is a Terrifying New Industry COP30 - Bloomberg
What Really Happened in the Storm Clouds Over Dubai? - Bloomberg
How Unplugging Became Luxury’s Most Valuable Currency - Vogue Business
'Unauthorized' Edit to Ukraine's Frontline Maps Point to Polymarket's War Betting - 404 Media
Japan Launches Human Washing Machine For Public Use After Expo Success -NDTV
They Found Relatives on 23andMe and Asked For A Cut of the Inheritance - WSJ
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The Story: Will AI Agents Build a Unicorn?
3 december 2025 · 28 min
Can you run a billion dollar company with only one human employee? Journalist Evan Ratliff, along with technical advisor Maty Bohacek, join Oz to answer this question. Evan is host of the hit podcast Shell Game. In Season 1, he used AI agents to imitate his voice, which he sent out into the world to interact with customer service agents, scammers, and his own family and friends. This season, Evan co-founds a company… and employs five AI agents to keep it running. How effective are the agents at doing their jobs? And why do they love hiking so much? Lees meer
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Shell Game: Minimum Viable Company
28 november 2025 · 34 min
This is the first episode of the second season of Shell Game. Journalist Evan Ratliff tells a story of entrepreneurship in the AI age; or, how he tried to build a real company, run by fake people. Lees meer
Meet Kyle Law and Megan Flores, Evan’s AI agent cofounders, as he puts to the test the claims about an emerging future in which AI employees work alongside — or instead of — humans.
Over the course of the season, the three cofounders will grind it out in a sprint that would sound familiar to any start-up founder. They’ll churn out software code, hire interns, and even sit down with investors. But first, they need to come up with a name for their company. And make sure that Kyle and Megan can remember it.
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The Story: What Does the Future of War Look Like?
26 november 2025 · 33 min
This week, what does defense technology look like in 2025? Oz talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dexter Filkins about his recent piece in The New Yorker titled “Is the US ready for the next war?” They discuss how the Ukraine and Israel are reimagining what warfare looks like in the 21st century, Silicon Valley’s race toward fully autonomous killer robots, and how it all might affect the potential conflict in Taiwan. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Could a Dead Cat Sink Waymo?
21 november 2025 · 33 min
Would you buy a boat or a midcentury sideboard from your high school pals? Because Oz’s alma mater has opened an exclusive online marketplace for just this purpose! This week, Oz spins a yarn about Kitkat, the San Francisco cat killed by a Waymo. Locals are furious. Karah fills us in on Blued and Finka, the gay dating apps being censored by the Chinese government. Tech bros are obsessed with building statues, the FBI tries to unmask the owner of a popular internet archiving site, and we check out a flight app that could make your holiday travel more data-driven, if not less hectic. Finally, on Chat and Me, we talk about Kim Kardashian’s use of Chat—and whether it’s really her friend. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Eton’s old boy network app is like eBay for ex-prime ministers - The Times UK
Waymo Was Thriving in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat. - The New York Times
Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order - WIRED
FBI orders domain registrar to reveal who runs mysterious Archive.is site - Ars Technica
The Smartest Fliers Use This App to Survive America’s Travel Hell - WSJ
America’s Tech Rich Is Obsessed with Building Giant Statues - Bloomberg
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The Story: The UK’s Race for Second Place in the Chip Wars
19 november 2025 · 31 min
This week, Oz talks to Nick McKeown, who is a member of the PM’s Council of Science and Technology, where he advises the British government on the best opportunities for economic growth in the tech sector. And according to Nick, that opportunity is AI Chips. He argues that the UK is in a good position to take second place in the race to design the next generation of AI chips and lays out how the British government can help make that happen. Lees meer
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Unlocking Our Quantum Future
18 november 2025 · 54 min
Malcolm Gladwell heads to San Francisco Tech Week to talk with IBM’s new Director of Research Jay Gambetta in front of a live audience. They discuss IBM’s plans to scale quantum computing power, the groundbreaking experiments already underway, and what impact these new computers could have on chemistry, medicine, and even finance. Lees meer
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
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The Story: The Man Testing Out the Future of Prosthetics
14 november 2025 · 26 min
This week, we dive deep into the future of prosthetics. Karah speaks with Jim Ashworth-Beaumont, who lost his arm in a traumatic bike accident. Most people upon recovery would be given a traditional prosthetic arm, but Jim is something of an expert in prosthetics and his peers have outfitted him with an experimental, high-tech device. He talks about how his work in orthotics influenced his own rehabilitation, the limitations of traditional prosthetics, and how the science fiction fantasy of restoring healing to lost limbs might be closer than you think. Lees meer
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The Story: Will NVIDIA Save or Ruin the World?
12 november 2025 · 36 min
This week, Oz sits down with Stephen Witt, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and author of The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, NVIDIA, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip. They’ll discuss what's made NVIDIA the most valuable chip company in the world — and the most valuable publicly traded company, period. And how a single piece of hardware changed the world forever, and its journey to existence — from a sketch on a Denny’s napkin to powering data centers the size of Central Park. Then, Stephen demystifies why data centers are shrouded in so much secrecy and what lies ahead in our AI future. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Who’s Behind the First Hit AI Artist?
7 november 2025 · 30 min
Do school cell phone bans actually work? This week, Oz tells us why Europe is investing so heavily in defense tech and why one company is investing in cockroaches… Karah introduces us to Billboard’s first charting AI musician, Xania Monet — and the humans that make her possible. Google dreams of data centers in space, school phone bans are making libraries more popular, and France’s DNA database catches the Louvre thieves. Then on Chat and Me, the National Women’s Soccer League gets comfortable with ChatGPT. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
The Science Behind the “Bird Theory”
Drone start-up backed by Peter Thiel crashed and burned in armed forces trials
AI Artist Xania Monet Debuts on Adult R&B Airplay — a Radio Chart Breakthrough
Google wants to build solar-powered data centers — in space
After schools banned phones, students checked out more library books: 'We're reclaiming attention'
Arrests in Louvre Heist Show Power of DNA Databases in Solving Crimes
Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey says she used ChatGPT for team tactics
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The Story: How Is Tech Driving Deportations?
5 november 2025 · 26 min
404 Media’s Joseph Cox joins Oz to discuss his extensive reporting on the technology ICE is using in the agency’s mass deportation efforts. Joseph sheds light on how widespread ICE’s reach is, from facial recognition to location tracking to information databases. And the shift in how major tech companies are interacting with this current Trump administration. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Anti-Party Tech, Rigged Card Shufflers and ‘Mad Max’ Mode
31 oktober 2025 · 30 min
Do you find facelifts frightening? This week, we celebrate sp0o0ky Halloween by NOT having a party at an AirBnB. Oz unpacks the gadget-filled poker scandal, and Karah contemplates the importance of international accents. Tesla’s new full self-driving profile,“Mad Max” mode, breaks traffic laws. And the scariest thing of all: AI has its own will to survive. Finally, on Chat and Me, Fortune’s Eva Roytburg shares her experience with an AI wearable — the ‘Friend’ pendant. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
AirBnB Rolls Out Anti-Party System for Halloween
How Hacked Card Shufflers Allegedly Enabled a Mob-Fueled Poker Scam That Rocked the NBA | WIRED
AI and the End of Accents | WIRED
AI models may be developing their own ‘survival drive’, researchers say | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
Why Tech Bros Are Getting Face Lifts Now | Wall Street Journal
US investigates Tesla’s ‘Mad Max’ high-speed driver assistance mode
I tried the viral AI ‘Friend’ necklace everyone’s talking about—and it’s like wearing your senile, anxious grandmother around your neck | Fortune
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The Story: Is Your Pregnancy App Actually Helping?
29 oktober 2025 · 28 min
Ever feel like tech is actually fueling your worries? This week, we explore the murky world of parenting tech and pregnancy apps with Amanda Hess, who is the author of “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age” and a writer-at-large for the New York Times covering technology and internet culture. Amanda shares with Karah how pregnancy changed her relationship to technology, discusses the blurry line between pregnancy tech and eugenics, and explains why pregnancy apps aren't actually that helpful. Lees meer
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IBM CEO Arvind Krishna: Creating Smarter Business with AI and Quantum
28 oktober 2025 · 53 min
Malcolm Gladwell sits down with IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna in a special live episode of Smart Talks with IBM. They discuss the groundbreaking potential of quantum computing, the transformative impact of AI on business, and how Krishna’s visionary predictions from the 90s continue to guide IBM’s innovations. Lees meer
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
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Week in Tech: To Catch a Cheater
24 oktober 2025 · 32 min
Should facial recognition be available to everybody? This week, Oz shows off his new swag from the company of the moment, Colossal Biosciences, and tells us about his visit to the labs’ responsible for Woolly Mice and Dire Wolves. Then, Oz and Karah unpack how facial recognition is being used by viral sites like Cheaterbuster AI and investigate the Trump family crypto empire. They warn about satellites leaking data, Ubers new gigs within gigs, and a new health tracker that goes in your bowl. And finally, an international Chat and Me that will inspire your green thumb! Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Viral ‘Cheater Buster’ Sites Use Facial Recognition to Let Anyone Reveal Peoples’ Tinder Profiles
How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data | WIRED
Uber wants drivers to train AI in their free time
Kohler’s new toilet camera provides health insights based on your bathroom breaks
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The Story: What China Tariffs Really Signal
22 oktober 2025 · 28 min
This week, we’re joined by tech analyst and researcher, Dan Wang, to help analyze the evolving relationship between the US and China. In Dan’s new book, Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, he introduces a new framework, comparing and contrasting China's “engineering state” to the US’s “lawyerly society”. We also hear Dan’s take on China’s rise as a production superpower, what lessons America can learn from the country and how the current administration's tariff policies (and its ties to tech billionaires like Elon Musk) have shifted the dynamics between these global heavyweights. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: The Antichrist, the Billionaire and God in the Machine
17 oktober 2025 · 32 min
Is it no longer ‘borderline illegal’ to be Christian in Silicon Valley? This week, Oz and Karah are diving deep into Peter Thiel’s 4-part lecture series on the Antichrist and they unpack why the tech industry might be getting more religious. Plus, Oz spills the tea on the Dutch-China microchip drama. Space junk is falling from the sky. The cops are getting called over AI pranks gone wrong. And Karah updates Oz on the latest dating trend. For Chat and Me, one listener gets in over her head, and gives it all up. Lees meer
Additional Reading:
Police Say People Keep Calling 911 Over an 'AI Homeless Man' TikTok Prank
Christianity Was “Borderline Illegal” in Silicon Valley. Now It’s the New Religion | Vanity Fair
What billionaire Peter Thiel said in his private ‘Antichrist lectures’ - The Washington Post
Why has the Dutch Government taken control of Chinese Owned Chipmaker Nexperia | Al-Jazeera
Elon Musk's Satellites Now Constantly Falling Out of the Sky
‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder
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TechSupport: Pixel Peeping - How to Spot AI Video
15 oktober 2025 · 30 min
This week, it’s all about Sora. OpenAI’s updated video generator and the invite-only social media app. AI Video just got so much easier to make, and harder to detect… Karah and her guest, Jeremy Carrasco, who runs the social media accounts showtoolsAI, demo how Sora works and how you can determine if a short video you’re watching was created with AI. They discuss why it’s a necessary skill in a post-Sora world, what OpenAI might be trying to accomplish with this social app and why you shouldn’t become desensitized to Deepfakes. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Did Social Media Just Change Forever?
10 oktober 2025 · 33 min
Are you ready to bond over AI videos? This week in tech news, OpenAI dominates the game. Their new social media app is the talk of the internet, they signed a massive chip deal that rocked the industry, and they just released tech that gets ChatGPT one step closer to becoming the 'everything app'. Then, Oz answers the question, “Have we passed peak social media?” and introduces Karah to “wetware.” Karah explains how robots are helping make babies. And finally, a sneak peek at a new podcast, How to Raise Kids in the Age of AI. Lees meer
Also, we want to hear from you: If you’ve used a chatbot in an unusual or surprising way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Additional Reading:
Day One YouTube
OpenAI’s social video app Sora makes fake clips of real people - The Washington Post
Sam Altman Shoplifting AI Video - Sora
The Great Slopification, Powered by OpenAI - Prof G Markets
Have We Passed Peak Social Media? - The Financial Times
Scientists race to make 'living' computers powered by human cells
Robots are learning to make human babies. Twenty have already been born.
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The Story: Spies vs. AIs
8 oktober 2025 · 25 min
This week, we check in on the CIA and how it’s faring in the age of AI. Oz sits down with David Ignatius, a foreign affairs columnist for The Washington Post to discuss his article, “A Band of Innovators Reimagines the Spy Game for a World with No Cover.” Ignatius has been covering US foreign policy and the CIA for almost four decades and he recently had a realization that the “future of intelligence was going to be written in zeros and ones.” Which means the intelligence community needs to adapt and adapt quickly. But how does a government agency do this and what happens if it doesn’t? And who is responsible for dragging the bureaucracy-addled CIA into the AI future? Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Does 'Workslop' Affect Your Workplace?
3 oktober 2025 · 33 min
Do you know the definition of a friend? This week in tech news, workplaces may not be getting a good return on their AI investments and a new wearable goes all in on advertisements, but they are getting defaced. Then, Italy has a new AI regulation law and there’s a buzzy new “actress” in Hollywood. On Chat and Me, how one listener is personalizing AI to help his students learn Spanish. Lees meer
Also, we want to hear from you: If you’ve used a chatbot in an unusual or surprising way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Additional Reading:
The hottest workplace policy at startups right now: No shoes | Fortune
AI Generated Workslop is Destroying Productivity
I went to an anti-tech rally, where Gen Z dressed as gnomes and smashed iPhones. Here's what I learned.
AI Startup Friend Bets On Foes With $1M NYC Subway Campaign
$55 Billion Deal for Electronic Arts Is Biggest Buyout Ever - The New York Times
Neon, the No. 2 social app on the Apple App Store, pays users to record their phone calls and sells data to AI firms | TechCrunch
Italy enacts AI law covering privacy, oversight and child access | Reuters
AI Actress Tilly Norwood Draws Backlash From Melissa Barrera, Lukas Gage and More Hollywood Names as Creator Defends Her as a ‘New Tool’ and ‘Not a Replacement for a Human Being’
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The Story: Everyone in Hollywood Already Uses AI
1 oktober 2025 · 26 min
This week, we explore Hollywood’s open secret — that everyone is using AI, they just aren’t talking about it. Karah sits down with Lila Shapiro, a features writer for New York Magazine, about what Hollywood, itself, thinks of AI. She shares what she’s learned from her extensive interviews with studio executives, directors, writers, vfx artists, actors, and AI entrepreneurs. They discuss whether AI is making creative jobs easier, or threatening to destroy them entirely. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Cast Your Ballot On Discord
26 september 2025 · 33 min
Who are the teens debugging in the bathroom? This week in tech news, there’s a Gen Z-led revolution in Nepal and Discord made it possible. Early 2000s hustle culture is so back in Silicon Valley — at least for teen tech founders. Then, there’s a new AI-generated political satire show airing on Russian state TV. And Albania gets an AI-avatar to seek out corruption. Finally, on Chat and Me, how ChatGPT is helping one user through a new diagnosis. Lees meer
Also, we want to hear from you: If you’ve used a chatbot in a surprising or delightful (or deranged) way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Additional Reading:
Nepal Currently Being Run Via Discord After Gen Z Uprising
AI Startup Founders Tout a Winning Formula—No Booze, No Sleep, No Fun
The Trump Admin Is Suing Amazon for Tricking People Into Prime Subscriptions. Here’s How That Might Affect You
Albania’s AI-generated chatbot, called Diella, was named to the country’s cabinet
Russian State TV Launches AI-Generated News Satire Show
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The Story: ON CRISPR: The Story of Jennifer Doudna with Walter Isaacson
24 september 2025 · 28 min
This week, we’re bringing you the first episode of Season 3 of the podcast ON CRISPR. Walter Isaacson — the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs and journalist Evan Ratliff (Shell Game, Mastermind, Longform) take a behind-the-scenes look at the story of Jennifer Doudna, one of the scientific pioneers behind the gene editing software, CRISPR. Lees meer
In this episode, Evan sits down with Walter Isaacson to discuss Doudna’s upbringing, the history of DNA’s discovery and gene editing, and Baby KJ, a CRISPR patient who represents a milestone for both researchers and patients.
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Week in Tech: Why the Charlie Kirk Video is Everywhere
19 september 2025 · 30 min
What does the viral video of Charlie Kirk’s assassination say about the state of content moderation on social media? This week, Oz and Karah unpack the complexities of moderating graphic-but-newsworthy content, and why tech companies commitment to moderation has waned in recent years. Then, Karah talks to a student in New York about how they’re adjusting to not having access to their phone during the school day. Then, on Chat and Me, a woman uses ChatGPT to diagnose her mother’s mysterious ailment. Lees meer
Also, we want to hear from you: If you’ve used a chatbot in a surprising or delightful (or deranged) way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Sources:
Charlie Kirk Was Shot and Killed in a Post-Content-Moderation World
From burner phones to decks of cards: NYC teens are adjusting to the smartphone ban
Larry Ellison’s personal fortune soars on back of Oracle’s share price surge
5,000 Podcasts. 3,000 Episodes a Week. $1 Cost Per Episode — Behind an AI Start Up’s Plan
Labour MPs accused of using ChatGPT to write speeches
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The Story: Social Media is Ruining Our Sex Lives
17 september 2025 · 30 min
This week, we take a deep dive into why Gen Z isn’t having sex. Karah talks with Carter Sherman, a reproductive health and justice reporter for The Guardian, and author of the book The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future. They unpack how tech factors into the “Sex Recession,” sex as a proxy measure for empathy and human connection, and how all of this is a lot more political than you might think. Lees meer
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Week in Tech: Turning China's Surveillance Against Itself
12 september 2025 · 31 min
What does getting older actually feel like? This week, Oz and Karah discuss MIT Researchers who are using technology to simulate aging. Then, Oz tells the story of an activist who used China’s surveillance state as a form of protest. Karah dives deep into the weird world of humans quietly training chatbots. And finally, on Chat and Me, is replacing your therapist with ChatGPT a good idea? Lees meer
Also, we want to hear from you: If you’ve used a chatbot in a surprising or delightful (or deranged) way, send us a 12 minute voice note at techstuffpodcast@gmail.com.
Sources:
My Day as an 80-Year-Old. What an Age-Simulation Suit Taught Me.
She Sacrificed Her Youth to Get the Tech Bros to Grow Up
A Hidden Camera Protest Turned the Tables on China’s Surveillance State
Inside the lucrative, surreal, and disturbing world of AI trainers
Sam Altman, Tim Cook, and other tech leaders lauded Trump at a White House AI dinner
“First of its kind” AI settlement: Anthropic to pay authors $1.5 billion
AirPods Pro 3 arrive with heart-rate sensing and live translation using Apple Intelligence
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The Story: Russian Bots vs American Gamblers
10 september 2025 · 30 min
This week, we’re all in. Oz chats with Kit Chellel, a Bloomberg writer who focuses on gambling, technology, and sports betting. He wrote an article about a secret Russian bot farm that infiltrated the world of online poker in the early 2000s. We follow Kit from Siberia to Armenia, and get a peek into just how bots can make or break the future of online poker. Lees meer
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Ferrari Fandom, Supercharged by AI
9 september 2025 · 28 min
Scuderia Ferrari and IBM are redefining fan engagement with AI-driven insights, and cutting-edge digital tools. Learn how IBM is helping Scuderia Ferrari deepen connections with its almost 400 million fans worldwide, driving innovation and community in the digital age. Lees meer
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
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