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Jul 9
3h 10m

#1721 The Evolution of the Military Indu...

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About this episode

Air Date 7/9/2025

It's an old joke that "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron so I just asked an AI chatbot to finish a joke about what a military becomes when they implement artificial intelligence. It said, "an oxymoron squared - or as the generals call it, "strategically enhanced stupidity with a confidence interval of 95%" which is not funny but still managed to be pretty on point regarding the dangers of overconfidence that inevitably follows from the implementation of new technology.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Empire of AI w/ Karen Hao - Why Is This Happening - Air Date 6-3-25

KP 2: The REAL Reason Investors Are Going All In on Palantir - More Perfect Union - Air Date 6-24-25

KP 3: The New Military Industry Complex w Sam Biddle Part 1- Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 6-5-25

KP 4: Jeff Hauser on DOGE After Musk, Katya Schwenk on Boeing Deal - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-6-25

KP 5: Resisting "Cop City" in America's Most Surveilled, Unequal City w/ Micah Herskind Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-25-25

KP 6: Empire of AI: Karen Hao & Roger McNamee Expose Sam Altman, Musk & Big Tech - The Nerd Reich - Air Date 6-16-25

KP 7: Is AI Productivity Worth Our Humanity w/ Prof. Michael Sandel - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 6-26-25


(00:55:20) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the coming merger between big tech and the military


DEEPER DIVES

(01:00:39) SECTION A: SURVEILLANCE

A1: Ray Brescia, The Private Is Political: Identity and Democracy in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism Part 1 - New Books in Political Science - Air Date 2-17-25

A2: The Shady World of Surveillance Pricing (Ft. Lina Khan) - Robert Reich - Air Date 6-10-25

A3: The Trump Administration Is Building a National Citizenship System - Trump's Terms - Air Date 6-30-25

A4: Empire of AI w/ Karen Hao Part 2 - Why Is This Happening - Air Date 6-3-25

A5: Cool Science Radio - Air Date 1-16-25


(01:32:18) SECTION B: MILITARIZED CAPITALISM

B1: The New Military Industry Complex w/ Sam Biddle Part 2 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 6-5-25

B2: Spotify Changed Everything but Here's the Truth About Daniel Ek - Gibsunday - Air Date 6-30-25

B3: Trump About To Reward Elon Musk With ANOTHER Multibillion Dollar Contract - The Ring of Fire - Air Date 4-18-25

B4: Resisting "Cop City" in America's Most Surveilled, Unequal City w/ Micah Herskind Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-25-25


(02:01:38) SECTION C: COMPANIES VS REGULATION

C1: Brazil's Battle to Rein In Big Tech w/ Laís Martins Part 1 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 6-19-25

C2: Ray Brescia, The Private Is Political: Identity and Democracy in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism Part 2 - New Books in Political Science - Air Date 2-17-25

C3: Brazil's Battle to Rein In Big Tech w/ Laís Martins Part 2 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 6-19-25


(02:29:40) SECTION D: HUMAN DRAIN

D1: If AI Can Do Your Classwork, Why Go to College Part 1- The Gray Area - Air Date 6-30-25

D2: Empire of AI: Karen Hao & Roger McNamee Expose Sam Altman, Musk & Big Tech Part 2 - The Nerd Reich - Air Date 6-16-25

D3: The Growing Environmental Impact of AI Data Centers Energy Demands - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-25-25

D4: If AI Can Do Your Classwork, Why Go to College Part 2 - The Gray Area - Air Date 6-30-25

D5: Is AI Productivity Worth Our Humanity w/ Prof. Michael Sandel Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 6-26-25


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