What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

<p>After OpenAI agents hacked a rival company this summer, the word from Silicon Valley was “That’s it! They’re almost ready to kill us all!” But…are they? Really?</p><br><p>Guest: Paul Ford, co-founder of the AI start-up <a href="https://aboard.com/author/paul-ford/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aboard</a>, technology writer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Does Meta’s $17 billion (give or take) settlement address people’s concerns about social media and its impact on teenagers… or is it already too late?</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/paresh-dave/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paresh Dave</a>, senior writer for WIRED.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Through stealing your job or simply tanking the stock market—whichever comes first—the rise of artificial intelligence (companies) is a very futuristic sounding problem. It may have some very old-fashioned sounding solutions however.</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://craphound.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cory Doctorow</a>, sci-fi author, journalist, blogger and author of “<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-reverse-centaurs-guide-to-life-after-ai/id6758016628?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_box_link&amp;mttnsubad=6758016628&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=What+Next+TBD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI.</a>”</p><br><p><em>This episode originally aired June 26. TBD will be back to regularly scheduled programming next week.</em></p><br><p>Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Hundreds of millions of dollars, desperation for insider info, fury and accusations of conspiracy when it doesn’t go your way—is this gambling or elections? Through the magic of prediction markets, it’s both!&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/david-gilbert/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Gilbert</a>, reporter at WIRED covering disinformation, online extremism, and how these trends impact people’s lives across the globe.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><br><p><br></p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In a world where everyone is carrying smartphones and setting up Ring cameras, you could be forgiven for thinking the war is over and the surveillance state won. But Flock cameras being denounced in town halls and smashed on the street have become a place for people to channel their heretofore unseen rage.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.404media.co/author/joseph-cox/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joseph Cox</a>, reporter for 404 Media</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Investments in—and among—artificial intelligence companies have pushed the S&amp;P 500 to record highs. It’s also introduced a volatility to the markets that may be unprecedented. Is this growing pains or the wobble before the fall?&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/host/ed-elson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ed Elson</a>, co-host of the <a href="https://www.profgmedia.com/s/prof-g-markets" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Prof G Markets</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-time-founders-this-former-trader-built-a/id1498802610?i=1000743678975&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=podcast_box&amp;ls=1&amp;mttnsubad=1000743678975&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=tbd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">First Time Founders</a> podcasts.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><br><p><br></p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a department for wonks, by wonks. But under the dual pressures of the changing nature of work—like the growing gig economy—and an administration that doesn’t accept bad news, should next week’s jobs report be taken with a grain of salt?&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/ben-casselman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Casselman</a>, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.</p><br><p>Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Why are kids getting faster? Is it the shoes? Also, running the Boston Marathon is obviously a huge accomplishment, but if you ran the 2013 Boston Marathon, you should lead with that and not save it for an interview years after you meet someone.</p><br><p>Guest: Rob Gunther, producer for Slate’s What Next.</p><br><p>This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts.&nbsp;You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-next-daily-news-and-analysis/id1438906889" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7IT5Yn1zGDH1cYXh38dned" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. Or, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&amp;utm_campaign=plus_pod&amp;utm_content=What_Next&amp;utm_source=episode_summary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slate.com/whatnextplus</a>&nbsp;to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Steve Witkoff is a real estate investor, an attorney, and now America’s Special Envoy to the Middle East. It may seem like a weird career shift for Witkoff, but he’s such an outlier that the famously transactional Donald Trump treats him like an actual friend.</p><br><p>Guest: Andrea Bernstein, investigative reporter and the co-host of four podcasts, including <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-inc/id1344894187?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=podcast_box&amp;ls=1&amp;mttnsubad=1344894187&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=wn-tbd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump Inc</a>.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Ah, New York—where it’s hot, loud, and the air is barely breathable. So it’s not especially surprising that Governor Kathy Hochul is opting out of adding to all of that and announcing a moratorium on building new data centers in the state.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nitishpahwa.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nitish Pahwa</a>, <a href="https://slate.com/author/nitish-pahwa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Slate staff writer</a></p><br><p>This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts.&nbsp;You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-next-daily-news-and-analysis/id1438906889" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7IT5Yn1zGDH1cYXh38dned" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. Or, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&amp;utm_campaign=plus_pod&amp;utm_content=What_Next&amp;utm_source=episode_summary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slate.com/whatnextplus</a>&nbsp;to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Is Microsoft laying off 3,200 employees from the Xbox division just a new boss coming in and pruning an overgrown asset, or is it a sign that console gaming is coming to the end?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jason Schreier</a>, reporter at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AUvqMRVAZCw/jason-schreier" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg News</a>, cohost of Triple Click, author of <a href="https://toolbox.marketingtools.apple.com/en-us/apple-books/us/book/6477373327" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Play Nice</em></a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/press-reset/id1530772857?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_box_link&amp;mttnsubad=1530772857&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=TBD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Press Reset</em></a>, and <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/blood-sweat-and-pixels/id1187887392?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_box_link&amp;mttnsubad=1187887392&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=TBD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Blood Sweat and Pixels</em></a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>If you’ve seen ads for Trump Accounts for kids, but also know anything about Donald Trump, you might be wondering “Free $1,000 per baby? Okay, what’s the catch?” It’s a classic.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: Justin Wolfers, <a href="https://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/justin-wolfers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan</a>, and founder of <a href="https://platypuseconomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Platypus Economics</a>.</p><br><p>Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Thanks for joining us during the holidays. White our team is taking a break, we want to share a series with you that we think you’ll love. It’s called Diving In.&nbsp;</p><p>Getting food delivered should be simple — but somehow it's gotten outrageously expensive. Economist Justin Wolfers breaks down why food delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub make it nearly impossible to compare prices, and why that's no accident.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Subscribe on YouTube <a href="https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics</a> </p><p>Subscribe on Substack <a href="https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com</a></p><p>Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers</p><br><p><br></p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Through stealing your job or simply tanking the stock market—whichever comes first—the rise of artificial intelligence (companies) is a very futuristic sounding problem. It may have some very old-fashioned sounding solutions however.</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://craphound.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cory Doctorow</a>, sci-fi author, journalist, blogger and author of “<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-reverse-centaurs-guide-to-life-after-ai/id6758016628?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_box_link&amp;mttnsubad=6758016628&amp;at=1000l38Mz&amp;ct=What+Next+TBD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI.</a>”</p><br><p>Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>People are asking artificial intelligence large language models how to do everything—even how to harm themselves and others. And while companies claim there are guardrails in place for those situations, we’ve already seen real-world instances of an LLM’s advice being used to plan a mass shooting.</p><br><p>Guest: Mark Follman, national affairs editor at Mother Jones and author of “<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/trigger-points/id1576172504?itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_box_link&amp;mttnsubad=1576172504&amp;at=1000l38Mz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America.</a>”</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort.</p><br><p>Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Is Elon Musk’s SpaceX leading humanity to Mars? Or is that just grandiose window-dressing for an A.I. company leading several other A.I. companies to IPOs?&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ASsN7vM58E0/max-chafkin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Max Chafkin</a>, reporter with Bloomberg Businessweek and cohost of the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts/series/everybodys-business" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Everybody's Business</a> podcast.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Ducharme, Patrick Fort, Rob Gunther and Paige Osburn.&nbsp;</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It’s an awkward time to have a Department of Education that seems so disinterested in, uh, education. It’s leaving teachers to grapple with how to integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom—if at all.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.aft.org/about/leadership/randi-weingarten" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Randi Weingarten</a>, president of the American Federation of Teachers.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Ducharme, Patrick Fort, Rob Gunther and Paige Osburn. </p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>How the Trump administration has tried to put pressure on Disney for opinions expressed by Jimmy Kimmel and the hosts of The View—and how the Mouse is fighting back.</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/anna-gomez" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anna M. Gomez</a>, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission since September 2023.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Madeline Ducharme, Patrick Fort, Rob Gunther and Paige Osburn. </p><br><p><br></p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The promise of an “internet for niche communities” and “the empowered independent creator” has been taking a beating as the web has become less open and increasingly dominated by a few platforms and players. But does it have to be that way?</p><br><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/jackconte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jack Conte</a>, CEO and cofounder of Patreon.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Under fire for what critics say is inadequate protection of its young user base, Roblox nevertheless remains incredibly popular. Are the company’s new ballyhooed protections up for the task of keeping kids safe? Or is that asking the wrong question entirely?</p><br><p>Guests: </p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AVni2cl0Rf8/cecilia-danastasio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cecilia D'Anastasio</a>, video game reporter for Bloomberg.&nbsp;</p><p>Mary Harris, host of the other <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Next</a></p><p>Stella Harris, daughter of Mary.</p><br><p>Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at<a href="http://slate.com/whatnextplus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> slate.com/whatnextplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.</p><br><p>Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.</p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>