Into The Machine with Tobias Rose-Stockwell

Episode 1: Is AI Making Us Stupid? A Conversation with Jonathan Haidt

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Sep 18, 2025

In a captivating discussion, Jonathan Haidt, a renowned social psychologist and bestselling author, tackles the pressing issues facing democracy today. He reveals how engagement algorithms distort public discourse and exacerbate polarization. Haidt warns of the developmental crisis stemming from declining attention spans and diminished childhood interactions. He proposes practical solutions like phone norms and age restrictions on social media. Ultimately, he advocates for resilient democratic institutions while fostering cautious optimism for the future.

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INSIGHT

Algorithms Reshape Public Attention

Engagement-optimizing algorithms rewired public attention and pulled discourse to the edges.
Tobias argues this shift undermines shared reality and the preconditions for democratic compromise.

INSIGHT

Affective Polarization Threatens Democracy

Effective polarization (affective dislike) threatens democratic compromise more than issue differences.
Haidt argues social media magnifies affective polarization and endangers liberal democracy.

INSIGHT

From Omniscience To Omnipotence Risks

AI presents omniscience (knowledge) and emerging omnipotence (ability to act) risks.
Haidt warns agents that enable harm at scale could destabilize society by empowering malicious actors.

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Today I’m launching Into The Machine.

My first episode is a conversation with my colleague, social psychologist and #1 NYT bestselling author Jonathan Haidt.

Jon and I wrote a piece in The Atlantic called The Dark Psychology of Social Networks — hoping to add clarity to the debate around social media. AI has changed the conversation. We now find ourselves in a stranger moment with LLMs, asking deeper questions about what these tools are doing to our ability to think.

In this episode we discuss:

* Attention as civic infrastructure: the erosion of sustained focus undermines shared reality, and with it the preconditions for governance, compromise, and democratic legitimacy.

* Engagement algorithms as centrifuges: rather than reflecting consensus, they pull discourse toward the edges, making fringe views appear as if they represent the center.

* Democracies as uniquely fragile: unlike authoritarian systems that can integrate these technologies into centralized control, liberal democracies are structurally more vulnerable to their fragmenting effects.

* Childhood as the front line: the breakdown of “serve-and-return” interactions, compounded by algorithmic feeds, represents not just a developmental crisis but a possible precursor to broader societal instability.

* Human agency atrophied by delegation: when writing, thinking, and decision-making are outsourced to machines, individuals lose the cognitive muscle required for original judgment.

A small ask

The irony is not lost on us in trying to explain/critique the algorithms while we’re dependent upon them to reach the right audience.

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Our next guest is Tim Urban, creator of Wait But Why.

Thank you, as always, for the gift of your attention.

-Tobias

Get full access to Into The Machine at tobias.substack.com/subscribe