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Episode 23: Language Models, with Emily M. Bender

September 15, 2026 · 58 min

Show notes

This week, Adam talks with linguist and AI critic Emily M. Bender. They talk about large language models, Emily's origin story, and the importance of parrot emojis. Read Emily's book The AI Con and listen to her podcast Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000.

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  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like American Medieval

About the show:

Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.

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