‘The Daily’ and ‘The Opinions’: How A.I. Is Changing Loneliness and Taste
This week, we’re bringing you two A.I.-related stories from our colleagues at The New York Times.
First, Rachel Abrams, a host of “The Daily,” talks with the Times reporter Eli Saslow about a woman in a remote part of Washington who is using an A.I. companion robot to keep her independence, and to keep her company.
Then, the Times Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks to the New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka and the journalist and critic Sophie Haigney. They get into the rise of “taste slop” and what happens to culture if the internet collapses into just a few chatbots that serve us everything.
“Hard Fork” will be back with an original episode next week.
Guests:
Eli Saslow, a reporter for The New York Times who writes in-depth stories about the impact of major national issues on people’s lives.
Kyle Chayka, staff writer at The New Yorker covering technology and online culture.
Sophie Haigney, a critic and journalist.
Additional Reading:
Can A.I. Make People Feel Less Lonely?
What Silicon Valley Is Coming for Next
We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.
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Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Apocalyptic Mushroom Cloud - Week in Tech
Blue Origin's latest rocket test ended in what the company called "an anomaly" — and what everyone else would call an explosion. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) explains why blowing things up is just part of the process and why the US Space Program is probably going to be fine.
Then, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) pulls back the curtain on the shadow market for pre-IPO equity in OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX. It’s a mania where people are willing to take pre-IPO stock as payment for $2.9M houses. It's frothy out there.
Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) digs into the concept of a ‘permanent underclass’ — the fear that letting AI run rampant could freeze everyone in their current economic position forever. Do we laugh it off or get serious about regulation?
Additional Reading:
Blue Origin and Amazon Had Momentum. Then Came the Fireball. | The New York Times
A Booming Shadow Market of Sketchy A.I. Investments | The New Yorker
You Are About to Become Economically Worthless | User Mag
Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass | The New York Times
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The Pope vs. AI? It’s Complicated - Week in Tech
The Pope called for AI to be "disarmed" — then gave Anthropic a seat on the dais. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) unpacks what the Vatican's landmark intervention means for Silicon Valley. Then, get off Nextdoor, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) says hyperlocal publications are in vogue and a respite from algorithmic feeds. And finally, an update on last weekend’s Enhanced Games in Las Vegas. Journalist Chris Gayomali, host of the podcast SuperHuman, persevered through the 95-degree heat and d-list Gen Z influencers to witness one world record that almost didn’t happen.
Additional Reading:
Can AI be a ‘child of God’? Inside Anthropic’s meeting with Christian leaders. | The Washington Post
Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical | The New York Times
Your Friendly Neighborhood Newsletter | The New Yorker
SuperHuman Podcast | Vegas
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Is Anthropic's Mythos Model Too Dangerous? - Week in Tech
Why would Anthropic let select companies use a product deemed too dangerous for the public? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) helps us peek behind the curtain of Claude Mythos Preview and explores the scare tactics of AI CEOs. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) breaks down the world of AI twins — how influencers, agencies, and tech moguls are creating their own digital avatars. And Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) covers the FAA's latest hiring campaign for air traffic controllers: target gamers.
Additional Reading:
US Urges Wall Street Banks to Test Anthropic’s Mythos AI Model | Bloomberg
Mega Influencers Are Replacing Themselves With AI Clones | Vanity Fair
Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff | Financial Times
To Fill Air Traffic Controller Shortage, F.A.A. Turns to Gamers | The New York Times
Air Traffic Control Hiring: It's Not a Game. It's a Career.
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OpenAI's Sam Altman: Philosopher King Or Sociopath? - Week in Tech
OpenAI dominated this week's headlines — and it wasn’t all flattering. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down the chaos: IPO drama and Ronan Farrow's probing New Yorker profile of Sam Altman paint a picture of a company under pressure, even as it remains the most talked-about name in AI. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) tells us about the AI tools marketed to schools as safety solutions that end up tracking students in ways with real consequences for kids and adults alike. And Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) reviews the new book, Techno-Negative, tracing the long, often misunderstood history of anti-technology movements. Spoiler: it goes way deeper than the Luddites.
Additional Reading:
Leap of Faith | Semafor
Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? | The New Yorker
OpenAI CEO and CFO Diverge on IPO Timing | The Information
They're Putting AI on School Buses | User Mag
The Age-Old Urge to Destroy Technology | The New Yorker
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AI Propaganda Goes Viral - Week in Tech
This week: Iranian propaganda gets a Lego makeover — and it's going viral. Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) tracked down the collective behind the AI-animated videos flooding your feed. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) was in a documentary, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, and the press tour feels like ChatGPT doomsday déjà vu. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) celebrates Apple’s 50th birthday, but wonders if the company is entering its Microsoft era. Plus: SpaceX files for IPO — it could be the largest in history.
Additional Reading:
The Team Behind a Pro-Iran, Lego-Themed Viral-Video Campaign | The New Yorker
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Jury Blames Meta and YouTube, Goodbye Sora Videos, Weather Apps That Don't Suck - Week in Tech
The Week in Tech is back with a new roundtable! Every Friday, Oz and three of the best writers covering tech will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week: Big Tech loses in court. Twice. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down what the verdicts mean for Meta and YouTube and why it seems like we’re living in the past. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) explains why OpenAI killed Sora, its video-generation tool, and what it reveals about the resource war quietly reshaping the entire global economy. Plus, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) found a weather app worth caring about. We're as surprised as you are.
Additional Reading:
Verdicts against Meta, YouTube reshape legal protections for Big Tech
A New Cost Crunch | Semafor
Why You Hate Your Weather App | The New Yorker
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Did Nvidia Give OpenClaw Its ChatGPT Moment? - Week in Tech
The Week in Tech is now a roundtable! Every Friday, Oz and three of the best writers covering Silicon Valley will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week, guests Reed Albergotti (Semafor), Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) and returning panelist Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) each share a story. Reed fills us in on what he saw at the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose, and why we shouldn’t ignore OpenClaw. Taylor gives a primer on Section 230, the 30-year-old foundational internet law, and why there’s a campaign to repeal it. And finally, Kyle tells us what ‘taste’ means to Silicon Valley’s tech bros and why it may annoy you.
Additional Reading:
We’re all living inside Jensen Huang’s ‘triangle’ | Semafor
How Powerful People Became Obsessed w/ Section 230 | User Mag
Why Tech Bros Are Now Obsessed with Taste | The New Yorker
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Happy Gadget Season To All Who Celebrate!
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.
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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How to save culture from the algorithms, with Filterworld author Kyle Chayka
Today, I’m talking to Kyle Chayka, a staff writer for The New Yorker, a regular contributor to The Verge, and author of the new book Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture. Kyle has been writing for years now about how the culture of big social media platforms bleeds into real life, first affecting how things look, and now shaping how and what culture is created and the mechanisms by which that culture spreads all around the world.
If you’ve been listening to Decoder, this is all going to sound very familiar. The core thesis of Kyle’s book — that algorithmic recommendations make everything feel the same — hits at an idea that we’ve talked about countless times on the show: that how content is distributed shapes what content is made. So I was really excited to sit down with Kyle and dig into Filterworld and his thoughts on how this happened and what we might be able to do about it.
Links:
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture — Kyle Chayka
Welcome to AirSpace — The Verge
The Stanley water bottle craze, explained — Vox
TikTok and the vibes revival — The New Yorker
Why the internet isn’t fun anymore — The New Yorker
The age of algorithmic anxiety — The New Yorker
Lo-fi beats to quarantine to are booming on YouTube — The Verge
Taylor Swift has encouraged her fans' numerology habit yet again — AV Club
How fandom built the internet as we know it, with Kaitlyn Tiffany — Decoder
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23858379
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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Would a World Without Algorithms Be Better? — With Kyle Chayka
Kyle Chayka is a New Yorker staff writer and author of FILTERWORLD: How Algorithms Flattened Culture. Chayka joins Big Technology Podcast to talk about his book — which debuts this week — and dig into whether algorithms really do make our culture flatter. In this spirited conversation, we interrogate the role of algorithms in society, ask how they reflect in the real world, and ponder how products would be redesigned to take back control. Stay tuned for the second half, where we discuss Chayka's story on people falling in love with AI bots.
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