The Virtual CISO Podcast is a frank discussion that provides the very best information security advice and insights for Security, IT and Business leaders. If you’re looking for the latest strategies, tips, and trends from seasoned information security practitioners, want no-B.S. answers to your biggest security questions, need a perspective on how your peers are addressing the same issues, or just simply want to stay informed and proactive, then welcome to the show. Our moderator, John Verry ...
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Pivot Point Security Podcasts
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.
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The past, present, and future of the United States are full of promise. A promise sustained by the efforts of brave individuals and organizations who champion the pursuit of technology, improving the human condition, free markets, and a belief in who we are. We are losing the fact that we are a nation of dreamers, a catapult for those who have the heart to dare, a place that rewards ingenuity and innovation. This country, more than any other, succeeded by making possible the release of the h ...
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Defining AGI: Oops! All Eugenics, 2025.12.08
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55:01There'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: "A Definition of AGI" landing page and paper-shaped obj…
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A Generation Under Economic Pressure and Trump’s New National Security Plan
1:20:13
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1:20:13America is facing a growing crisis — and it’s hitting young people the hardest. In this episode of Independent, Paul Johnson, Henry Thompson, and Bob Robb dive into the real economic anxiety shaping politics today, from AI-driven job disruption and rising costs of living to declining faith in education, homeownership, and opportunity. We explore ho…
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Episode 155: Incident Response Testing in Cloud Forward Organizations with Matt Lea
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30:16By John Verry
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This is What Algo-cracy Looks Like, 2025.12.01
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59:14Tech 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: "This Is No Way to Rule a Country" "Four ways AI is bein…
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Is America Ready for a Third Party? The Truth Both Sides Fear
1:19:37
1:19:37
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1:19:37In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson sits down with Bob Robb and Henry Thompson to break down the growing political earthquake reshaping the United States — the rise of independent voters and the increasing demand for a viable third party. With nearly one-third of voters now registered as unaffiliated, frustration with Democrats and Repub…
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You Talked to Workers for This Labor Research... Right? (with Sophie Song), 2025.11.17
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53:14Last 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 advocat…
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Why Life Is Becoming More Unaffordable in America
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1:22:14America’s affordability crisis isn’t just a headline — it’s the defining political and economic battle of our time. In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson sits down with Henry Thompson and Bob Robb to uncover the real reasons why life is becoming harder to afford for working Americans. From tariffs that secretly raise food prices, to inflat…
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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 C…
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Ep 154: How DORA Will Impact US Companies with Dejan Kosutic
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33:56
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33:56By John Verry
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Tariffs, AI Layoffs, and the new Arizona Independent Party
1:19:58
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1:19:58America is at a crossroads — politically, economically, and technologically. In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson sits down with Eliott Pollack, Henry Thompson, and Bob Robb to unpack the forces reshaping the country. - The conversation dives into Donald Trump’s tariffs and his clash with Ronald Reagan’s free-market legacy, exposing how p…
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Crunching the Numbers (with Decca Muldowney), 2025.10.20
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56:20So-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'…
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Political Extremism, Dark Money, and Will Republicans Overturn the Next Election?
1:27:23
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1:27:23In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson is joined by Republican strategist Sean Noble, columnist Bob Robb, and political scientist Henry Thompson to tackle some of the most pressing questions in American politics. Would Republicans really overturn a future election? Has Trump’s leftward shift pushed Democrats toward socialism? The panel also…
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Peace in the Middle East, War at Home
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1:34:32A historic peace deal abroad, chaos at home. From Trump’s historic peace mission in the Middle East to the possibility of a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, this episode of New Frontiers dives into how Trump’s diplomacy reshaped global alliances and challenged decades of U.S. foreign policy. Paul Johnson and his panel explore the shifting Arab support fo…
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Building Worlds Through Better Reading (with Reo Eveleth), 2025.09.29
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56:59
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56:59Powerful 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 Col…
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Three Years of Ridicule as Praxis, 2025.09.19
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55:42It'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 Benchma…
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Forgiveness? Charlie Kirk 1993 - 2025
1:17:37
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1:17:37In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson is joined by Henry Thompson and Bob Robb to unpack the emotional and political fallout from Charlie Kirk’s tragic death. From attending the massive memorial service to hearing the powerful words of Charlie Kirk’s widow on forgiveness, Paul shares firsthand insights into a moment that shook the nation. …
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Ep 153: Inside ISO 42001: The Future of AI Governance with Danny Manimbo
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40:09By John Verry
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Why Socialism Is Failing New York | Ft. Marty Dolan
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1:24:59In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson sits down with Marty Dolan, a former Wall Street executive now running for New York City Public Advocate. From AOC and Zohran Mamdani to NYC’s $115 billion budget, Dolan explains why New York politics are broken and how he plans to fix them. Topics discussed: - From Wall Street to Politics – Dolan’s 40…
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Understanding Partisan Power: Independents Rising
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1:17:55America is facing one of the most critical moments in modern history. In this New Frontiers episode, Paul Johnson is joined by Bob Rob and Henry Thompson to uncover how both major parties are failing, how global power is shifting, and why independents could hold the key to America’s future. Topics Discussed in This Episode: - Trump’s emergency powe…
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The Robo-Therapist Will See You Now (with Maggie Harrison Dupré), 2025.08.18
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55:07Talking 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’…
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Is the Democratic Party Collapsing? Something New Is Coming...
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1:15:13The Democratic Party is facing a crisis like never before. With millions of voters leaving, independents on the rise, and Republicans gaining ground, is America ready for a third party revolution? In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson, Henry Thompson, and Bob Robb break down the shocking voter registration numbers, the challenges Democrats…
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Winning the Race to Hell (with Sarah Myers West and Kate Brennan), 2025.08.04
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57:51Trump’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 B…
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Why America Needs a Third Party Now — Before the Economy Breaks
1:27:03
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1:27:03Are Democrats and Republicans failing the American people? Is a third-party revolution underway? In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson (Chair of Arizona’s No Labels Party) is joined by economist Elliott Pollack and professor Henry Thompson to break down the critical issues reshaping American politics and the economy. TOPICS COVERED - The r…
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Vibe Coding: Four Security Nightmares in a Trenchcoat (with Susanna Cox), 2025.07.21
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59:00After many months of making fun of the term "vibe coding," Emily and Alex tackle the LLMs-as-coders fad head-on, with help from security researcher Susanna Cox. From one person's screed that proclaims everyone not on the vibe-coding bandwagon to be crazy, to the grandiose claim that LLMs could be the "opposable thumb" of the entire world of computi…
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EP 152: Granular, Persistent, Zero Trust: The Case for File-Level Security
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37:18By John Verry
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In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson sits down with psychologist Dr. Emily Bashah, political columnist Bob Robb, and professor Henry Thompson to dissect the explosive impact of conspiracy theories in American politics and culture. This gripping discussion delves into the rise of QAnon, the Epstein file scandal, and how political figu…
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Et Tu, American Federation of Teachers? (with Charles Logan), 2025.07.14
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1:00:58The chatbot boosters are looking for educators to play brand ambassador for more intrusion of so-called "AI" into the classroom. From the American Federation of Teachers' new partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft for a "national academy for AI instruction" to yet more articles extolling the alleged time-saving and future-proofing virtues of LLM-pow…
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Elon Musk and the Rise of a Third Party in American Politics
1:17:39
1:17:39
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1:17:39Description: In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by Bob Robb, Henry Thompson, and Elliot Pollack for a deep dive into the rising momentum behind third-party politics in America. With Elon Musk proposing a new “America Party,” the panel discusses the feasibility of such a movement, the entrenched resistance from both major …
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Why "AI" Is a Con: Our Book Launch! (with Vauhini Vara), 2025.05.08
1:16:52
1:16:52
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1:16:52It's finally here! The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want hit the shelves in May. In this special bonus episode, Alex and Emily speak to tech journalist Vauhini Vara at one of the book's online launch events, where they covered the misleading nature of the term "artificial intelligence," why the use of tools like Cha…
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Why Iran Hates Israel: Underlying the Causes of the War
1:22:18
1:22:18
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1:22:18President Donald Trump’s decision to support Israel in bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities shocked the world. In this episode of New Frontiers, Paul Johnson and columnist Bob Robb break down the legal, political, and moral dimensions of the strike – and its implications for America’s role in the Middle East. With thoughtful, candid analysis, they cha…
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EP 151: Trust, But Verify: How HITRUST is Reshaping Assurance
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45:29In this episode of the Virtual CISO Podcast, host John Verry and guest Chris Schaeffer discuss the HITRUST framework, its evolution, and its significance in the cybersecurity landscape. They delve into the Common Security Framework (CSF), the different assessment models (E1, I1, R2), and how HITRUST compares to other frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 2…
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In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by panelists Henry Thompson, Bob Robb, and Elliott Pollack to unpack one of the most pressing questions in American politics today: Is the U.S. slipping into authoritarianism? Topics Discussed in This Video: What Makes a Leader Authoritarian?: Henry Thompson explains how free and fair el…
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"Like Magic Intelligence in the Cloud", 2025.05.26
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59:50Because Sam Altman hates opening his laptop, OpenAI is merging with iPhone guy Jony Ive's design firm in the name of some mysterious new ChatGPT-enabled consumer products: Alex and Emily go full Mystery Science Theater and dissect the announcement video. Plus how tech billionaires like Sam Altman mythologize San Francisco while their money makes it…
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America 🇺🇸 Hero’s: Lessons For The Current Crisis
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1:12:51
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1:12:51In this episode of New Frontiers Paul Johnson and Larry Aldrich are joined by Neil Ghosh, author of Do More Good, for a deep and moving conversation about the power of individuals to shape society. Ghosh shares his journey from a young immigrant to a global humanitarian, offering personal stories and hard-won lessons from icons like Mother Teresa, …
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Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill – A HUGE Disappointment
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1:25:59In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by expert panelists Bob Robb, Henry Thompson, and Elliott Pollack to dissect what may be the most dangerous budget proposal in recent U.S. history – President Trump’s 2025 budget plan, the “big beautiful bill.” As deficit projections surge by as much as $5 trillion, the panel explores th…
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From BILLIONS to TRILLIONS – The Rising Cost of Climate Change
1:07:13
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1:07:13In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson sits down with environmental educator and NAU professor Dr. Stefan Sommer for a compelling discussion on climate change and its multifaceted challenges. With deep expertise in sustainability, biodiversity, and public outreach, Dr. Sommer unpacks the science behind global warming, while Paul presen…
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The "AI"-Enabled Immigration Panopticon (with Petra Molnar), 2025.05.05
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1:01:58This week, Alex and Emily talk with anthropologist and immigration lawyer Petra Molnar about the dehumanizing hype of border-enforcement tech. From hoovering up data to hunt anyone of ambiguous citizenship status, to running surveillance of physical borders themselves, "AI" tech is everywhere in the enforcement of national borders. And as companies…
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Cities vs. Corporations: Who’s Killing the Housing Market?
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1:36:24In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson welcomes Nick Ponder, a lobbyist with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, for an intense and illuminating debate on Arizona’s housing woes. With insights from economist Elliot Pollack and real-world developer experience, Paul exposes how excessive city regulations, permitting delays, and zonin…
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AGI: "Imminent", "Inevitable", and Inane, 2025.04.21
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1:05:02Emily and Alex pore through an elaborate science fiction scenario about the "inevitability" of Artificial General Intelligence or AGI by the year 2027 - which rests atop a foundation of TESCREAL nonsense, and Sinophobia to boot. References: AI 2027 Fresh AI Hell: AI persona bots for undercover cops Palantir heart eyes Keir Starmer Anti-vaxxers are …
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Is Arizona Ready for an Independent Governor?
1:21:33
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1:21:33In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by columnist Bob Robb and scholar Henry Tomson to unpack a high-stakes question: Can an independent candidate win the Arizona governor’s race? With Trump’s influence looming over the Republican primary and growing dissatisfaction among voters, the conversation explores whether Karen Tayl…
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AI Hell in a Handbasket, 2025.04.14
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1:00:25It's been 4 months since we've cleared the backlog of Fresh AI Hell and the bullshit is coming in almost too fast to keep up with. But between a page full of awkward unicorns and a seeming slowdown in data center demand, Alex and Emily have more good news than usual to accompany this round of catharsis. AI Hell: LLM processing like human language p…
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Ep 150: Is OSCAL the Future of Security Documentation (& FedRAMP)?
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46:47In this episode of the Virtual CISO Podcast, John Verry speaks with Kenny Scott, founder and CEO of Paramify, about the challenges of cyber risk management and the potential of OSCAL (Open Security Controls Assessment Language) in simplifying compliance and documentation processes. They discuss the importance of structured digital communication in …
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Attempting the Impossible: Predicting the Economy and Trump’s Next Moves
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1:16:18In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson brings together top-tier minds – Elliot Pollack, Bob Robb, and Henry Thompson – for an in-depth conversation on America’s most pressing economic questions. As inflation continues to bite, interest rates remain high, and uncertainty grows, the panel explores how Donald Trump’s political maneuvers –…
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"AI" Agents, A Single Point of Failure (with Margaret Mitchell), 2025.03.31
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1:03:02After "AI" stopped meaning anything, the hype salesmen moved on to "AI" "agents", those allegedly indefatigable assistants, allegedly capable of operating your software for you -- whether you need to make a restaurant reservation, book a flight, or book a flight to a restaurant reservation. Hugging Face's Margaret Mitchell joins Emily and Alex to h…
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Can Trump’s Tariffs Save the American Economy – or Destroy It?
1:22:23
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1:22:23In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by Bob Robb and Elliott Pollack for a gripping conversation on one of today’s most pressing policy debates: tariffs and their growing impact on the American economy. As Trump’s new tariff proposals ripple through the markets, Paul and the panel explore whether this is a bold strategy to …
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Linguists Versus 'AI' Speech Analysis (with Nicole Holliday), 2025.03.17
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1:00:28Measuring your talk time? Counting your filler words? What about "analyzing" your "emotions"? Companies that push LLM technology to surveil and summarize video meetings are increasingly offering to (purportedly) analyze your participation and assign your speech some metrics, all in the name of "productivity". Sociolinguist Nicole Holliday joins Ale…
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Real Estate Experts Talk Housing Regulations, Market Demand, and Economic Development
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1:33:00In this episode of New Frontiers, host Paul Johnson is joined by economist Elliott Pollack, columnist Bob Robb, and professor Henry Thompson to explore one of America’s most urgent issues: housing affordability. Together, they dig into how city zoning laws, regulatory delays, and supply constraints have fueled a housing crisis – and why homelessnes…
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Economic Data, Should Democrats Step Aside?, Trump Administration Rewriting the Rules, and more!
1:15:12
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1:15:12Join Paul Johnson, Henry Thompson, and Bob Robb for a deep dive into today’s most pressing political and economic issues. From the controversy at Columbia University over free speech to the latest Senate budget resolution and the shifting global power dynamics, this episode explores the policies, ideologies, and leadership decisions that are shapin…
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The Anti-Bookclub Tackles 'Superagency', 2025.03.03
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1:00:00Emily and Alex read a terrible book so you don't have to! Come for a quick overview of LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman's opus of magical thinking, 'Superagency: What could possibly go right with our AI future' -- stay for the ridicule as praxis. Plus, why even this tortuous read offers a bit of comfort about the desperate st…
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Ep 149: Unlocking the Future: Passkeys and Passwordless Authentication with Anna Pobletts
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40:58By John Verry
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