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Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000
PodcastNewsTech NewsEnglishE

Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000

by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna

NewSports Are About Bodies, Not Bots, 2026.11.02November 10, 2026 · 54 min
Episodes
91
Released
every two weeks
Latest episode
Nov 10, 2026
WebsiteRSS feed

About the podcast

Artificial Intelligence has too much hype. In this podcast, linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna break down the AI hype, separate fact from fiction, and science from bloviation. They're joined by special guests and talk about everything, from machine consciousness to science fiction, to political economy to art made by machines.

Contributors

Episodes 91

  1. Sports Are About Bodies, Not Bots, 2026.11.02

    54 minEpisode 88

    FIFA wants teams to use "AI coaches," colleges are incorporating LLMs into student sports journalism, and that's just the beginning of the ways AI boosters are infiltrating athletics. Sports journalist and …

    Show notes

    FIFA wants teams to use "AI coaches," colleges are incorporating LLMs into student sports journalism, and that's just the beginning of the ways AI boosters are infiltrating athletics. Sports journalist and professor Shireen Ahmed joins Alex and Emily for a closer look at what's lost when we cede sports knowledge to genAI.

    Shireen Ahmed is an award-winning, multiplatform sports journalist who works at the intersections of race, gender, culture and politics. She's a co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast, and teaches journalism and sport media at Toronto Metropolitan University.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Reserve your spot at DAIR's 5th Anniversary celebration here!

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  2. My Tech Workers Have Unionized, 2026.10.05

    54 minEpisode 87

    Across the tech industry, workers are fed up with endless layoff cycles, overwork, and "AI" tools being forced into their jobs. And their bosses hate to hear it! Emily and Alex are joined by JS Tan and Clarissa …

    Show notes

    Across the tech industry, workers are fed up with endless layoff cycles, overwork, and "AI" tools being forced into their jobs. And their bosses hate to hear it! Emily and Alex are joined by JS Tan and Clarissa Redwine, the authors of Against Tech Oligarchy, to discuss the ways workplace organizing is evolving to meet this moment.

    JS Tan is getting his PhD at MIT and formerly worked in tech, where he spent years organizing across the industry. Clarissa Redwine helped organize the Kickstarter union, and cofounded and runs the annual tech organizing conference Circuit Breakers. Their book, Against Tech Oligarchy: Worker Resistance in the World’s Most Powerful Industry, is available now!

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  3. Big Tech Colon-AI-lism, 2026.09.15

    55 minEpisode 86

    This week, Alex and Emily are joined by Keoni Mahelona of Te Hiku Media to discuss Indigenous language technology. They discuss problems that arise when Big Tech tries to bring its "solutions" into this space …

    Show notes

    This week, Alex and Emily are joined by Keoni Mahelona of Te Hiku Media to discuss Indigenous language technology. They discuss problems that arise when Big Tech tries to bring its "solutions" into this space, and best practices for research and development that center the expertise, cultural norms and goals of Indigenous communities.

    Keoni Mahelona is the CTO of Te Hiku Media and a Native Hawaiian from the island of Kaua'i. He's a driving force behind the development of sovereign digital technologies that aim to protect and promote Indigenous languages, knowledge, culture, and now democracy.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  4. Manifesting the End of Tech Bro Manifestos, 2026.09.08

    57 minEpisode 85

    Last month, Sam Altman proclaimed that we're already in "the Singularity." Not to be outdone, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have both recently come out with lengthy blog posts about "superhuman AI." Emily …

    Show notes

    Last month, Sam Altman proclaimed that we're already in "the Singularity." Not to be outdone, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have both recently come out with lengthy blog posts about "superhuman AI." Emily and Alex brave some truly terrible writing to unearth the core motivations at the heart of these screeds.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  5. Working 9 to Hype, 2026.08.10

    54 minEpisode 84

    In the past year, tech companies have laid off thousands of employees. But when CEOs blame "AI innovation," they're redirecting attention from something much more predictable: job discrimination and …

    Show notes

    In the past year, tech companies have laid off thousands of employees. But when CEOs blame "AI innovation," they're redirecting attention from something much more predictable: job discrimination and gig-ification. Emily and Alex examine some narratives of AI-streamlined workplaces — and why they don't match up with reality.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  6. Rumors of a Singularity Have Been Grossly Exaggerated, 2026.08.03

    55 minEpisode 83

    In the wake of OpenAI's announcement that its products caused a "cyber incident," Sam Altman is now claiming that we're already in the Singularity. And some media outlets are only too happy to help …

    Show notes

    In the wake of OpenAI's announcement that its products caused a "cyber incident," Sam Altman is now claiming that we're already in the Singularity. And some media outlets are only too happy to help him advance that narrative! Alex and Emily tear up the AI boosters' latest claims of mathy maths combusting into consciousness.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  7. Who's Responsible for "Responsible AI"?, 2026.07.06

    59 minEpisode 82

    Lately, a new framework has been creeping into AI boosterism: "harm reduction," or "responsible use." Education technology scholar dr. sava saheli singh joins Alex and Emily to unpack narratives around …

    Show notes

    Lately, a new framework has been creeping into AI boosterism: "harm reduction," or "responsible use." Education technology scholar dr. sava saheli singh joins Alex and Emily to unpack narratives around automation inevitability in the classroom. Spoiler alert: they're not actually "reducing harm" to students at all!

    An interdisciplinary scholar and filmmaker, sava is currently working on a research project examining secondary school teachers’ experiences of genAI use, and making a film about the future of AI in education. Her speculative short film series on the harms of surveillance technology is available at screeningsurveillance.com.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  8. State of Emergency, 2026.06.29

    56 minEpisode 81

    AI boosters want to hand off emergency services to the bullshit generators. And horrifyingly, some medical professionals want to help them! Join Emily and Alex for a deep dive on the latest automated horrors …

    Show notes

    AI boosters want to hand off emergency services to the bullshit generators. And horrifyingly, some medical professionals want to help them! Join Emily and Alex for a deep dive on the latest automated horrors threatening our collective health and safety.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  9. When the Bubble Bursts (with Matt Scherer), 2026.06.01

    53 minEpisode 80

    What should we do when the "AI" bubble pops? Emily and Alex are joined by researcher Matt Scherer, who recently published a report called "No Bailout for Big Tech Billionaires: Policies for when the AI bubble …

    Show notes

    What should we do when the "AI" bubble pops? Emily and Alex are joined by researcher Matt Scherer, who recently published a report called "No Bailout for Big Tech Billionaires: Policies for when the AI bubble bursts." They unpack what the boosters are saying about their finances, and how we can all push back against arguments for a government bailout.

    Matt Scherer is a fellow at the anti-monopoly think tank Open Markets Institute. He previously led the workers' rights project at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  10. Beware the 20x Engineer, 2026.05.11

    53 minEpisode 79

    "Sure, LLMs are bad at some things, but you can't deny that they're useful for programming!" Sound familiar? In this week's episode, Emily and Alex break down the key myths around AI-boosted …

    Show notes

    "Sure, LLMs are bad at some things, but you can't deny that they're useful for programming!" Sound familiar? In this week's episode, Emily and Alex break down the key myths around AI-boosted productivity in tech. Plus, Alex previews her work with DAIR's newly launched Luddite Lab, where workers are organizing against automation.

    References:

    Previous MAIHT3k episodes referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  11. Bernie Goes Down the X-Risk Rabbithole (with Dr. Nathalie Maréchal), 2026.05.04

    1 h 4 minEpisode 78

    Senator Bernie Sanders recently hosted a panel on "The Existential Threat of AI," featuring Future of Life Institute co-founder Max Tegmark and other x-riskers. Dr. Nathalie Maréchal joins Emily and Alex to …

    Show notes

    Senator Bernie Sanders recently hosted a panel on "The Existential Threat of AI," featuring Future of Life Institute co-founder Max Tegmark and other x-riskers. Dr. Nathalie Maréchal joins Emily and Alex to unpack this latest stop on Bernie's descent into doomerism. We return to the MST3k model with a rare video artifact!

    Nathalie Maréchal is a writer, researcher and advocate fighting for democracy and human rights in the age of technofascism. Her latest article, "Tech Policy Is on the Front Line of Fascism vs. Democracy. Pick a Side," is available in Tech Policy Press. She is currently the managing policy director at Northeastern University’s Institute for Information, the Internet, and Democracy.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  12. LIVE: Anthropic Imagines a Very Special Boy, 2026.04.30

    1 h 1 min

    Last month, we recorded our very first in-person podcast, live from Brooklyn! Alex and Emily debunk an especially soulless hype artifact about Anthropic's absurd claims of "moral education" for chatbots …

    Show notes

    Last month, we recorded our very first in-person podcast, live from Brooklyn! Alex and Emily debunk an especially soulless hype artifact about Anthropic's absurd claims of "moral education" for chatbots. Tune in to hear our rendition of "There Was A Society That Swallowed AI," plus other fun surprises!

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  13. Hotter Than (AI) Hell, 2026.04.20

    56 minEpisode 77

    The weather’s getting warmer, so what better time to take a trip to the hottest place in the universe — Fresh AI Hell! Emily and Alex take a spin through more than 30 hype artifacts, with topics including …

    Show notes

    The weather’s getting warmer, so what better time to take a trip to the hottest place in the universe — Fresh AI Hell! Emily and Alex take a spin through more than 30 hype artifacts, with topics including medicine, data centers, and fake people.

    Fresh AI Hell regions visited:

    • AI bubble + data centers
    • Fake people
    • Medicine
    • This is your brain on ChatGPT
    • Policy + privacy

    See the show notes on Peertube for a full list of artifacts referenced.

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  14. There's No Ghost in the Machine (with Carmen Maria Machado), 2026.04.13

    54 minEpisode 76

    Why are some writers and publishers so excited to automate their work? Author Carmen Maria Machado joins Alex and Emily to unpack what writers are missing when they hand off their work to chatbots, and the …

    Show notes

    Why are some writers and publishers so excited to automate their work? Author Carmen Maria Machado joins Alex and Emily to unpack what writers are missing when they hand off their work to chatbots, and the underlying issues this reveals in the publishing industry. Plus, we resolve to keep fan fiction a human endeavor!

    Carmen Maria Machado is the author of the bestselling memoir In the Dream House and the award-winning short story collection Her Body and Other Parties. Her essays, fiction, and criticism have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, Granta, Vogue, This American Life, The Believer, Guernica, and elsewhere.

    Find tickets to our April 30th live show here!

    References:
    - "I wrote a novel using AI. Writers must accept artificial intelligence."
    - AFT shares tips for "Harnessing the Best of AI"

    Fresh AI Hell:
    - "With Teens Comfortable Confiding in AI, Should Schools Embrace It for Mental Health Care?"
    - Longread on the use of automation by the British government
    - "OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters"
    - UN brief on "AI Deception"
    - Reader's Digest cover on "Making Friends with AI"
    - The only good "AI acceptance" policy

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  15. Uber for Military Surveillance (with Niamh McIntyre), 2026.03.30

    54 minEpisode 75

    The people who make automated translation possible are often low-paid gig workers. Usually, they don't even know who they're really working for — and it might be the US military. Reporter Niamh …

    Show notes

    The people who make automated translation possible are often low-paid gig workers. Usually, they don't even know who they're really working for — and it might be the US military. Reporter Niamh McIntyre joins Alex and Emily to dissect how one data labeling company presents its work, based her investigation into the experiences of East African employees.

    Niamh McIntyre is a senior reporter at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) in London, covering AI, labor, and surveillance tech. She was 2023 AI Accountability Fellow at the Pulitzer Center, and prior to joining TBIJ, spent four years as a data journalist at The Guardian.

    Find tickets to our April 30th live show here!

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  16. Data Centers Go Nuclear (with Maia Woluchem and Dr. Livia Garofalo), 2026.03.09

    57 minEpisode 74

    We knew that the energy demands of data centers were preventing dirty energy sources from being sunsetted. Now hyperscalers are reaching even further, resurrecting Pennsylvania's infamous Three Mile …

    Show notes

    We knew that the energy demands of data centers were preventing dirty energy sources from being sunsetted. Now hyperscalers are reaching even further, resurrecting Pennsylvania's infamous Three Mile Island. Emily and Alex are joined by Maia Woluchem and Dr. Livia Garofalo, who have researched the impacts of data center construction across PA.

    Maia Woluchem and Livia Garofalo are with the Trustworthy Infrastructures program at Data & Society. Their latest article, "Pennsylvania is perfect," is part of the New Internationalist's AI–themed issue.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  17. Data Centers in Space!? (with Dr. Adam Becker), 2026.03.02

    54 minEpisode 73

    Data centers are overburdening the planet, so tech billionaires have a new scheme — put 'em in space! Astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker joins Alex and Emily to launch this plan into the sun. We unpack all the …

    Show notes

    Data centers are overburdening the planet, so tech billionaires have a new scheme — put 'em in space! Astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker joins Alex and Emily to launch this plan into the sun. We unpack all the reasons that this hilariously terrible idea will never be viable outside of sci-fi-villain fantasies.

    Dr. Adam Becker is the author of More Everything Forever, a book about the terrible plans that tech billionaires have for the future and why they don’t work. Keep an eye out for his new podcast, Dreaming Against the Machine, which is launching soon.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  18. How the War Department Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI (with Naomi Klein), 2026.02.09

    52 minEpisode 72

    AI boosters and the US military are engaged in a lethal love affair. Award-winning journalist Naomi Klein joins Emily and Alex to discuss how glitchy technology supports global imperialism — and vice versa …

    Show notes

    AI boosters and the US military are engaged in a lethal love affair. Award-winning journalist Naomi Klein joins Emily and Alex to discuss how glitchy technology supports global imperialism — and vice versa. Plus, we explore which Dr. Strangelove characters are currently running the US war machine.

    Naomi Klein is a columnist for The Guardian and the international bestselling author of nine books published in over 35 languages. Her new book, End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World, written with Astra Taylor, will be published in September 2026.

    References:

    Previous episodes referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  19. A Bad Case of Hype-itis, 2026.02.02

    56 minEpisode 71

    Move over Dr. Google, Dr. ChatGPT is here, and it's even worse as a medical intervention! Alex and Emily scrub in to slice up some harmful new nonsense in the world of "AI" for medicine. What's the …

    Show notes

    Move over Dr. Google, Dr. ChatGPT is here, and it's even worse as a medical intervention! Alex and Emily scrub in to slice up some harmful new nonsense in the world of "AI" for medicine. What's the cure for an expensive and inaccessible health care system? One thing's for sure — it's not AI hype.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  20. Hell All the Way Down, 2022–2025

    41 minBonus

    This is a special episode, and it’s not like our usual livestream recordings. Instead, our producer Ozzy dug through the Fresh AI Hell archives to create a supercut of Alex's improvised transitions …

    Show notes

    This is a special episode, and it’s not like our usual livestream recordings. Instead, our producer Ozzy dug through the Fresh AI Hell archives to create a supercut of Alex's improvised transitions. She's made up dozens of skits and songs about the demons of AI Hell, based on weekly prompts from Emily and listeners. Finally, hear all the lore together in one place!

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  21. Wrapping Up a Hellish 2025, 2025.12.15

    58 minEpisode 70

    For our last recording of 2025, Emily and Alex take on a TIME article naming the "architects of AI" as their person of the year. We also look back at the year in AI nonsense, and share findings from our Fresh …

    Show notes

    For our last recording of 2025, Emily and Alex take on a TIME article naming the "architects of AI" as their person of the year. We also look back at the year in AI nonsense, and share findings from our Fresh AI Hell Wrapped. Happy Hype-y New Year!

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  22. Defining AGI: Oops! All Eugenics, 2025.12.08

    55 minEpisode 69

    There's a new definition of artificial general intelligence in town, and unsurprisingly... it's bad! Alex and Emily rip up the tissue-paper-thin premises behind this latest attempt to define …

    Show notes

    There's a new definition of artificial general intelligence in town, and unsurprisingly... it's bad! Alex and Emily rip up the tissue-paper-thin premises behind this latest attempt to define "intelligence." Plus, we discover that AI hypers love using logos that look like buttholes.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  23. This is What Algo-cracy Looks Like, 2025.12.01

    59 minEpisode 68

    Tech leaders are pushing the idea that automation can strengthen democracy — but as usual, their bold suggestions are based on castles made of sand. Alex and Emily tear down some flimsy arguments for AI …

    Show notes

    Tech leaders are pushing the idea that automation can strengthen democracy — but as usual, their bold suggestions are based on castles made of sand. Alex and Emily tear down some flimsy arguments for AI governance, exposing their incorrect assumptions about the democratic process.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  24. You Talked to Workers for This Labor Research... Right? (with Sophie Song), 2025.11.17

    53 minEpisode 67

    Last month, Senate Democrats warned that "Automation Could Destroy Nearly 100 Million U.S Jobs in a Decade." Ironically, they used ChatGPT to come to that conclusion. DAIR Research Associate Sophie Song joins …

    Show notes

    Last month, Senate Democrats warned that "Automation Could Destroy Nearly 100 Million U.S Jobs in a Decade." Ironically, they used ChatGPT to come to that conclusion. DAIR Research Associate Sophie Song joins us to unpack the issues when self-professed worker advocates use chatbots for "research."

    Sophie Song is a researcher, organizer, and advocate working at the intersection of tech and social justice. They’re a research associate at DAIR, where they're working with Alex on building the Luddite Lab Resource Hub.

    References:

    Also referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  25. Drag It All To Hell, 2025.10.27

    57 minEpisode 66

    It's been six months since our last all-Hell episode! In honor of Halloween season, we take a long journey into the very scary Fresh AI Hell mines. Topics include terrifying uses of AI in education …

    Show notes

    It's been six months since our last all-Hell episode! In honor of Halloween season, we take a long journey into the very scary Fresh AI Hell mines. Topics include terrifying uses of AI in education, scientific research, and politics — plus, some delicious palate cleansers along the way.

    AI bubble: bigger than dot-com bust?

    No one wants to pay for ChatGPT

    Meta lays off 600 from AI unit

    AI data centers: an even bigger disaster than we thought

    Public universities anticipate data center-driven power outages

    Chaser: Deloitte has to pay back Albanese government after using AI in report

    "AI" schools are "dead classrooms"

    Fake sources in "ethical AI" education report

    Parents letting kids play with AI

    Startup sells 'synthetic influencers'

    AI-powered textbooks fail to make the grade

    Chaser: "High-reliability" AI slop

    Nature offers "AI-powered research assistant"

    AI bots wrote all papers at this conference

    "AI" reviewing at AAAI

    AI medical tools downplay symptoms in women and POC

    Therapists are secretly using ChatGPT

    Chaser: Microsoft blocks Israel's use of its technology

    German initiative uses "AI" for voter education

    Police gunshot detection mics will listen for human voices

    SF's AI chatbot for RV dwellers

    Cuomo campaign posts racist AI slop

    DHS Ordered OpenAI To Share User Data

    Chaser: LA County moves to limit license plate tracking

    A new form of eugenics

    "AI Superintelligence" prohibition letter

    Emad Mostaque's LLM blurbs

    Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery

    Chaser: The hot new trend in marketing: hating on AI

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  26. Crunching the Numbers (with Decca Muldowney), 2025.10.20

    56 minEpisode 65

    So-called AI tools are increasingly infiltrating newsrooms, particularly when it comes to data analysis. DAIR writer-in-residence Decca Muldowney joins us to discuss the need for journalists to distinguish …

    Show notes

    So-called AI tools are increasingly infiltrating newsrooms, particularly when it comes to data analysis. DAIR writer-in-residence Decca Muldowney joins us to discuss the need for journalists to distinguish between "AI" and reliable, verifiable research methods.

    Decca Muldowney is a journalist and writer who was our fact checker for The AI Con. She's also a writer-in-residence and web editor at the Distributed AI Research Institute.

    References:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  27. Building Worlds Through Better Reading (with Reo Eveleth), 2025.09.29

    57 minEpisode 64

    Powerful AI boosters claim to love science fiction novels, but why do they always seem to take the wrong lessons from them? Reporter and writer Reo Eveleth joins us to discuss the ways tech leaders misuse …

    Show notes

    Powerful AI boosters claim to love science fiction novels, but why do they always seem to take the wrong lessons from them? Reporter and writer Reo Eveleth joins us to discuss the ways tech leaders misuse storytelling, and how we can avoid their visions to imagine better futures.

    Reo Eveleth is a reporter, writer, and co-founder of COYOTE Media Collective. They created the hit independent show Flash Forward, which they also turned into a book of the same name. Reo’s work has been nominated for a Peabody, an Emmy, and an Eisner Award.

    References:

    Also Referenced:

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Correction: We misstated Lee Ostertag's name during the livestream for this episode. We apologize for the error!

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  28. Three Years of Ridicule as Praxis, 2025.09.19

    56 minEpisode 63

    It's Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000's third birthday! To celebrate, Emily and Alex respond to listener questions about the show, and reflect on the past and future of AI hype. Topics range from how to …

    Show notes

    It's Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000's third birthday! To celebrate, Emily and Alex respond to listener questions about the show, and reflect on the past and future of AI hype. Topics range from how to talk to your kids about LLMs, to what the MAIHT3k birthday cake looks like.

    Artifacts referenced:

    AI and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Benchmark

    Data and its (dis)contents

    Stochastic Parrots Day

    Dr. Casey Fiesler on TikTok

    Dr. Nicole Holliday on TikTok

    Alex and Emily’s media appearances about The AI Con

    Emily and Alex on The Data Fix with Dr. Mél Hogan

    Emily’s interview with Dr. Carl Rhodes

    Stinking Rich: The Four Myths of the Good Billionaire

    October 21st event for The AI Con

    FAccT AI Workers’ Inquiry Panel

    Emily’s presentation at UNESCO Digital Learning Week — Paper version on pp.41-45 here

    A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In.

    Fresh AI Hell:

    Meet the Robot Using AI to Ink Your Next Tattoo

    Medicare Will Start Paying AI Companies a Share of Any Claims They Automatically Reject

    Taco Bell AI drive-through

    Can AI doulas improve maternal health?

    Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centers

    Bluesky post about Business Insider

    OpenAI has reportedly misjudged its cash burn by $80 billion

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  29. The Robo-Therapist Will See You Now (with Maggie Harrison Dupré), 2025.08.18

    55 minEpisode 62

    Talking to chatbots can have serious mental health consequences — fueling delusions and leading users away from consensus reality. Futurism writer Maggie Harrison Dupré joins us to unpack the hype around AI …

    Show notes

    Talking to chatbots can have serious mental health consequences — fueling delusions and leading users away from consensus reality. Futurism writer Maggie Harrison Dupré joins us to unpack the hype around AI therapists, based on her groundbreaking reporting on "AI psychosis."

    Maggie Harrison Dupré is an award-winning tech journalist at Futurism who’s reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping media, information, humans, and our real and digital lives.


    References:

    How AI Is Expanding The Mental Health Market

    He Had Dangerous Delusions. ChatGPT Admitted It Made Them Worse.

    OpenAI: What we're optimizing ChatGPT for


    Also referenced:

    Gov Pritzker Signs Legislation Prohibiting AI Therapy in Illinois

    People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions

    Stanford: New study warns of risks in AI mental health tools


    Fresh AI Hell:

    Bluesky post about DEI by chatbot

    How AI is being used by police departments to help draft reports

    Politico's recent AI experiments shouldn’t be subject to newsroom editorial standards, its editors testify

    UK Asks People to Delete Emails In Order to Save Water During Drought

    Sam Altman says 'yes,' AI is in a bubble

    Google's AI pointed him to a customer service number. It was a scam.

    Mastodon post about Dieter Roth's Literaturwürste

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

  30. Winning the Race to Hell (with Sarah Myers West and Kate Brennan), 2025.08.04

    58 minEpisode 61

    Trump’s “AI Action Plan” is his latest attempt to turn AI hype into official national policy. Kate Brennan and Sarah Myers West, of the AI Now Institute, join us to dig through this pile of deregulatory gifts …

    Show notes

    Trump’s “AI Action Plan” is his latest attempt to turn AI hype into official national policy. Kate Brennan and Sarah Myers West, of the AI Now Institute, join us to dig through this pile of deregulatory gifts to Big Tech.

    Dr. Sarah Myers West is co-executive director of the AI Now Institute, and a former senior advisor on AI for the FTC.

    Dr. Kate Brennan is associate director of the AI Now Institute, where she spearheads their policy work, informed by a doctorate in law and years of experience in the tech industry.


    References:

    Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan


    Also referenced:

    People’s AI Action Plan


    Fresh AI Hell:

    Medical Pros Risk Malpractice Suits by Avoiding AI Innovation

    Google search’s next cash cow

    AI Is Coming for the Consultants. Inside McKinsey, ‘This Is Existential.’

    The rise of AI tools that write about you when you die

    Amazon’s Alexa Fund Invests in ‘Netflix of AI’ Start-Up Fable, Which Launches Showrunner: A Tool for User-Directed TV Shows

    In federal lawsuit, students allege Lawrence school district’s AI surveillance tool violates their rights

    Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

    Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    Alex

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.

These are the latest 40 of 91 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.

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