logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
39m 50s

Encore: The Faker

Wbur
About this episode
Earlier this week, the New Hampshire Attorney General's office announced that it was investigating some suspicious robocalls urging residents not to vote in the state primary elections. The voice appears to be an artificially generated imitation of President Joe Biden — a deepfake. With that in mind, we bring you an episode from the archive showcasing the p ... Show More
Up next
Jul 3
Encore: Adrián and the Whale
This episode was originally published on March 21, 2025. There are moments that define each of our lives. Some we can predict: graduations, marriages, births, deaths. Others? Not so much. And in the year 2025, when the stars aligned just so, you may have found that moment explode ... Show More
24m 31s
Jun 26
Comfort maxxing on the interwebs
Sit back, relax and get cozy. As a matter of fact, why not put on your baggiest of clothes and burrow down in your snuggiest of blankets? This week on Endless Thread, Ben and Amory are comfy-maxxing. They'll discuss how the internet is delivering comfort right now, including a lo ... Show More
25m 5s
Jun 19
Back to the Backrooms!
Once upon a dimly lit hallway, Ben and Amory stumbled onto a beloved brainchild of the internet: Backrooms. It began as a "creepypasta"— a horror story or concept that originates online and often becomes a meme — based on the idea of glitching into an inescapable prison of empty ... Show More
22m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Deepfakes v democracy
Voters in New Hampshire have been getting phone messages apparently from Joe Biden urging them not to take part in the state's presidential primaries. How alarmed should we be about the potential for deepfakes to derail elections? We also talk about the world’s number one YouTube ... Show More
28m 5s
May 2024
The illusion of influence.
Bogdan Botezatu from Bitdefender is discussing research on "Audio deepfakes: Celebrity-endorsed giveaway scams and fraudulent investment opportunities flood social media platforms." Dave and Joe shares some follow up from listener Lara, who writes in to discuss a few topics regar ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2023
When A.I. Steals Your Voice
Using just what you’ve posted to social media, generative A.I. can create a “puppet version” of your voice—one that’s close enough to scam your family into paying thousands in, say, bail money. And imitating public officials to create “deep fakes” who say whatever they’re told is ... Show More
22m 2s
Jul 2021
The Deepfaking of Anthony Bourdain
Deepfake technology — the use of algorithms to create realistic copies of people in video, audio, or photography — is once again in the spotlight. That's after Morgan Neville's documentary Roadrunner used the technology to copy the voice of the late Anthony Bourdain. MIT Technolo ... Show More
23m 7s
Jul 2024
Encore: AI versus AI.
Blair Cohen from AuthenticID joins Dave to discuss how generative AI and authentication go hand in hand. Joe and Dave share some follow up from listener Robert who discusses an ad for a device that uses ChatGPT to record phone calls on your device. Dave helps his dad out with his ... Show More
54m 28s
Oct 2020
Deepfakes and the Future of Truth
It’s getting easy to create convincing—but false—videos through artificial intelligence. These “deepfakes” can have interesting applications in art and education, but they can also cause great harm—from ruining the reputation of an ex-partner to provoking international conflicts ... Show More
1h 11m
Feb 2024
Detecting audio deepfakes
Voice cloning is becoming so sophisticated that even live phone calls can be generated by machine. Is it possible to protect yourself ? Mouthguard technology is monitoring the hardest tackles on rugby players - our reporter gives it a try. Also in this week's Tech Life, we look a ... Show More
27m 20s
Aug 2023
AI versus AI.
Blair Cohen from AuthenticID joins Dave to discuss how generative AI and authentication go hand in hand. Joe and Dave share some follow up from listener Robert who discusses an ad for a device that uses ChatGPT to record phone calls on your device. Dave helps his dad out with his ... Show More
54m 28s