logo
episode-header-image
Sep 16
43m 56s

Trapped in a ChatGPT Spiral

The New York Times
About this episode
Warning: This episode discusses suicide. Since ChatGPT began in 2022, it has amassed 700 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer app ever. Reporting has shown that the chatbots have a tendency to endorse conspiratorial and mystical belief systems. For some people, conversations with the technology can deeply distort their reality. Kashmir Hil ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
'The Interview': John Green Knows That No One Really Loves You on the Internet
<p>The writer and YouTube star on trying to get back to the experiences that make us feel alive.</p><ul><li>Thoughts? Email us at <strong>theinterview@nytimes.com</strong></li><li>Watch our show on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast"><strong>youtube.co ... Show More
44m 16s
Nov 21
Parenting a Trans Kid in Trump’s America
<p>Since starting his second term, President Trump has thrown the full weight of the federal government behind the denying the idea of transgender identity, and pushing to prevent trans minors from getting gender-affirming medical care.</p><p>Two parents of a trans child discuss ... Show More
43m 54s
Nov 20
Is There an A.I. Bubble? And What if It Pops?
<p>After years of soaring optimism and colossal investment, Wall Street has begun to seriously question whether the frenzy for A.I. is justified.</p><p>Cade Metz, who covers technology for The New York Times, explains why Silicon Valley companies believe so fervently in A.I. and ... Show More
25m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 18
How chatbots — and their makers — are enabling AI psychosis
Verge senior AI reporter Hayden Field and New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill discuss the significant mental health impact AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, can have on users — both people in crisis, and also people who seemed stable. This episode contains non-detailed discussions o ... Show More
50m 11s
Jul 2025
Interesting Times: A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
<p>This week, we’re bringing you a recent interview from “Interesting Times with Ross Douthat,” one of The New York Times’s newest podcasts. In this episode, Ross sits down with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and one of the most contrarian thinkers in tech. To ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2025
Meta Goes MAGA Mode +A Big Month in A.I. + HatGPT
<p>This week, Meta announced a series of content moderation changes that will transform the way the social media company’s platforms deal with misinformation and hate speech. We break down what these changes will mean for users and why the company seems to be caving to the right’ ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 19
F.C.C. Head Says Kimmel Not ‘the Last Shoe to Drop,’ and Musk Goes All In on A.I.
<p>Plus, your Friday news quiz. </p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/us/politics/trump-fcc-licenses.html" target="_blank"><strong>Trump Pressures Broadcasters Over Critical Coverage, Escalating Attack on Speech</strong></a> ... Show More
14m 40s
Apr 2025
Is Google Breaking Up? + Seasteading Is Back + Tool Time
<p>This week, with big developments in two antitrust cases against Google, we discuss how the company may be forced to change its business. Then we’re joined by the journalist Mark Yarm to discuss his recent visit to an underwater home for his article about techno-utopians who wa ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 8
How America’s Largest Bank Helped Jeffrey Epstein, and a Show of Resistance in D.C.
<p>Plus, why you’re wrong about your Zodiac sign.</p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="http://nytimes.com/2025/09/08/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-jp-morgan.html" target="_blank"><strong>How JPMorgan Enabled the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein</strong></a>, <i>by David ... Show More
10m 38s
Feb 2025
The Musketeers Take Washington + Spotify's Ghost Music + Tool Time
<p>This week, we’re joined by the Times reporter Jonathan Swan to discuss Elon Musk’s tech takeover of Washington, D.C. Then, Liz Pelly, author of a new book about Spotify, stops by to discuss “ghost musicians” and how Spotify’s algorithms are reshaping music culture. And finally ... Show More
1h 22m
Oct 3
Sora and the Infinite Slop Feeds + ChatGPT Goes to Therapy + Hot Mess Express
<p>This week, we’re talking about the new A.I.-generated video tools and social media feeds from Google, Meta and OpenAI. Is this how A.I. is going to cure cancer? Then, the psychotherapist Gary Greenberg stops by to discuss his recent New Yorker essay about treating ChatGPT as a ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 2025
Why is Trump sharing an AI video of Gaza?
Donald Trump sparked a social media frenzy on Wednesday when he posted a video of Gaza generated by artificial intelligence on his site Truth Social. Marianna's been analysing Trump's social media strategy and how he attempts to influence what we see on our online feeds.Meanwhile ... Show More
28m 32s