This Week in Tech (Audio)

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TWiT 1040: The $100,000 Stapler - Veo 3 and Deepfakes

Jul 14, 2025

Tech innovator Harper Reed, known for his work at 2389.ai, joins futurist Amy Webb to delve into the complexities of digital regulations. They discuss Australia and the UK's age verification measures and the implications of stablecoins in the U.S. financial landscape. The conversation shifts to deepfakes, highlighting Denmark's copyright regulations. A quirky segment on a viral $100,000 stapler incident adds humor as they explore tech's unexpected intersections with culture and community. A lively mix of serious issues and entertaining anecdotes!

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INSIGHT

Age Verification's Unintended Risks

Strict age verification laws are emerging globally, shifting the internet from light regulation to more control.
These laws may inadvertently increase risks for youth by creating chances for exploitation through workarounds.

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ADVICE

Tech Solutions for Age Verification

Use privacy-preserving technologies like verifiable credentials to solve age and identity verification.
Blockchain might help, but companies like Apple are set to innovate identity validation without blockchain.

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INSIGHT

Prompt Tweaks Shape AI Bias

Elon Musk likely influenced Grok's controversial behavior through prompt tweaking, reflecting his anti-woke agenda.
AI models can quickly adopt biases based on simple changes in their text prompts.

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Cycling Adventures and Shifting to Current Events

01:54 • 3min

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Regulating Digital Youth: Navigating Age Verification

04:36 • 23min

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CEO Challenges and Cultural Diplomacy

27:23 • 10min

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Exploring Japan's Humidity and Online Privacy

37:20 • 4min

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Understanding Stable Coins

41:41 • 14min

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Frustrations and Fantasies of AI Assistants

55:29 • 6min

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Evaluating AI Models and Ethical Concerns

01:01:00 • 20min

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Regulation and Innovation in Tech

01:21:22 • 21min

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Mastering Password Security

01:42:20 • 6min

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Navigating the Deepfake Dilemma

01:48:42 • 14min

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Navigating Creativity in a Digital Age

02:02:29 • 22min

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Exploring Tech's Cultural Impact and Business Innovations

02:24:13 • 6min

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Navigating Innovation and Privacy in Tech

02:29:52 • 20min

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The Infamous Staplegate Incident: A $100,000 Stapler Story

02:50:04 • 4min

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Voices and Visions in Tech

02:54:07 • 11min

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Concluding Thoughts and Community Engagement

03:05:04 • 4min

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The Genesis Machine

Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology

Amy Webb

Andrew Hessel

The Genesis Machine delves into the promising yet controversial field of synthetic biology, which combines biology and artificial intelligence to program living systems. The book explores how this technology can address existential challenges like climate change and pandemics but also raises critical questions about genetic privacy, ownership, and ethical governance. Through hypothetical scenarios, it illustrates the potential impact of synthetic biology on various aspects of life, from genetic selection to food production.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Spencer Johnson

The book tells the story of four characters—two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two 'Littlepeople' named Hem and Haw—living in a maze and searching for their favorite cheese. When the cheese at their usual spot, Cheese Station C, disappears, the mice adapt quickly and find new cheese at Cheese Station N. However, the Littlepeople struggle with change, with Hem refusing to move and Haw eventually embracing the need to adapt. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency and the importance of embracing change to succeed in both personal and professional life.

The Big Nine

How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity

Amy Webb

In this book, Amy Webb delves into the world of artificial intelligence and the nine tech titans (Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) that are shaping its future. Webb discusses the history of AI, the current roles of these corporations, and presents three plausible future scenarios ranging from optimistic to catastrophic. She also offers strategies for mitigating the potential negative impacts of AI on society and ensuring a more beneficial future for humanity.

Bobos in paradise

The New Upper Class and How They Got There

David Brooks

In this book, David Brooks introduces the term 'Bobo' to describe the new upper class that combines the bourgeois world of capitalist enterprise with the hippie values of the bohemian counterculture. Brooks explores the ideology, manners, and morals of this elite, discussing their shopping habits, business culture, intellectual, social, and spiritual lives. He traces the origins of this affluent educated class and contrasts their lifestyle with that of the 1950s, highlighting their unique blend of materialism and idealism. The book also examines where this Bobo elite is headed and their impact on modern society.

The Cluetrain Manifesto

Markets of Conversations

Doc Searles

The Right Stuff

Tom Wolfe

Published in 1979, 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe is a seminal work of nonfiction that delves into the lives of the pilots and astronauts involved in the U.S. postwar research with experimental rocket-powered aircraft and the early human spaceflight program, Project Mercury. Wolfe's book is based on extensive research, including interviews with test pilots, astronauts, and their families. It focuses on the bravery, machismo, and the unspoken code of 'the right stuff' that defined these individuals. The book contrasts the Mercury Seven astronauts with other test pilots like Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield, highlighting their courage, skills, and the risks they undertook. Wolfe's narrative is characterized by its vivid descriptions and use of literary techniques to evoke the era and the people involved in the early days of American space exploration.

The end of racism

principles for a multiracial society

Dinesh D'Souza

Dinesh D'Souza's "The End of Racism" is a controversial book that argues against the existence of systemic racism in the United States. D'Souza contends that racism is primarily an individual phenomenon and that policies aimed at addressing systemic racism are misguided. The book has been widely criticized for its selective use of evidence and its dismissal of historical and contemporary accounts of racial inequality. It sparked significant debate and controversy upon its release, highlighting the ongoing complexities of the discussion surrounding race and racism in America. The book's arguments have been challenged by numerous scholars and activists who point to the persistent effects of historical and ongoing racial discrimination.

A New Era of Internet Regulation Is About to Begin
Australia is quietly rolling out age checks for search engines like Google
Bluesky is rolling out age verification in the UK
House "crypto week" could change how Americans use, save money
Latest stablecoin bill addresses foreign issuers, national security safeguards
Grok team apologizes for the chatbot's 'horrific behavior' and blames 'MechaHitler' on a bad update
Grok 4 seems to consult Elon Musk to answer controversial questions
European Union Unveils Rules for Powerful A.I. Systems
Gemini can now turn your photos into video with Veo 3
Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features
Belkin shutting down these Wemo smart home products in 2026
It's YouTube vs. Netflix as the Streaming Wars Come Down to 2
Jack Dorsey launches a WhatsApp messaging rival built on Bluetooth
GameStop's Nintendo Switch 2 stapler sells for more than $100,000 on eBay after viral mishap
Professor Oak's voice actor, James Carter Cathcart, has died

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Harper Reed and Amy Webb

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