Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast “My Brain Finally Broke” with Jia Tolentino
20 snips
Dec 30, 2025 
Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the essay collection Trick Mirror, discusses the impact of AI-generated content on our perception of reality. She explores how the blurring line between fake and real online leads to detachment, especially for younger generations. They delve into the emotional toll of constant exposure to fabricated images and the risk of numbing empathy. Jia emphasizes the importance of human fact-checking in journalism and advocates for reclaiming human connection to counteract the alienation caused by technology.
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Deepfakes Blur Authenticity Signals
- AI-generated images and videos now appear photorealistic and can mimic local news aesthetics convincingly.
- This blurs the line between real and fake, eroding instinctive judgment about authenticity.
Family Mistook AI Jokic Clip For Real
- Chris Hayes recounts a family member playing an AI-generated Nikola Jokic press conference that sounded exactly like him.
- He had to tell the family member that the clip was AI, illustrating how convincing deepfakes have become.
Horrific Reality And Fake Content Collapse
- Real footage of extreme horrors (e.g., Gaza) and hyperreal fakes coexist in the same feeds, producing cognitive overload.
- That mixture creates a permission structure to emotionally detach from material reality.
