Life with Machines

Are we using Gen Z as our AI guinea pigs? 🐷 In this first episode of our five-part Life With Machines x Young Futures series, Baratunde Thurston explores how AI is shaping—and sometimes shaking—the lives of young people. From mental health and loneliness to the future of jobs, AI “friends,” and school life, Gen Z is facing more tech-fueled change than any generation before. Baratunde and his guests unpack what’s really happening and how we can help the next generation shape their AI future, not just survive it. 💡 Watch for insights from youth advocates, educators, and Young Futures—a movement giving teens a real voice in the technologies shaping their world. 🎓 As part of this mission, Young Futures has launched the “Oops!…AI Did It Again” Challenge. They are offering GRANTS in a national call for bold, youth-informed ideas to help teens navigate AI with agency, empathy, and creativity. 🔗 Apply by October 24: https://bit.ly/yf-funding-challenge Join us as we explore the delicate balance between leveraging AI for good and protecting the humans growing up with it. ------------ CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.  ------------ Follow us! Newsletter / https://newsletter.lifewithmachines.media   Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/lifewithmachines   TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@lifewithmachines    LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifewithmachines  Baratunde’s socials: Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/baratunde   Threads / https://www.threads.net/@baratunde   LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/in/baratunde  Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media For partnerships, speaking engagements, and other opportunities to work together, contact: lifewithmachines@smoothmedia.co ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Associate Producer & Social Media Producer: Roya Lotfi Video Editor & Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Special thanks to Samin Bhan, Katya Hancock and Dr. Kristine Gloria Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production This series is in partnership with Young Futures

Join Baratunde Thurston, an Emmy-nominated host and bestselling author, as he dives into the intersection of humanity and technology. He shares profound insights on freedom as a collective experience and the importance of human connection in our AI-driven world. Thurston reflects on personal legacies and family dynamics while emphasizing the concept of 'citizen' as an active engagement in democracy. The conversation tackles the risks of AI in relationships, urging a thoughtful and collective approach to technology's role in our lives.

In this special episode, Baratunde Thurston shares a vibrant conversation from his guest appearance on the AI for All Tomorrows podcast, hosted by Dylan Thomas Doyle. The discussion covers a wide range of themes, including the historical roots of democracy in indigenous practices, the role of technology and AI in society, and the importance of humor in making sense of today's fast-paced, tech-driven world. He and Dylan highlight AI-assisted collaboration in creative processes and the need for a people-centered approach to technology. Tune in for an enlightening dialogue about democracy, innovation, and maintaining humanity amidst rapid technological advancements. ------------ CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.  ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ #AIForAllTomorrows #LifeWithMachines #BaratundeThurston #Democracy #TechnologyAndSociety #IndigenousWisdom #FutureOfAI #EthicsInAI #CreativityAndAI #DigitalDemocracy #PowerToThePeople #ComedyInTech

AI may look like magic, but behind the scenes, it’s propped up by a vast human labor force. In this season finale of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with sociologist and computer scientist Milagros Miceli—aka Mila—who’s spent years documenting the hidden workforce behind AI systems. From Kenya to Bulgaria to Venezulea, millions of people are generating, labeling, and cleaning the data that keeps our so-called “autonomous” systems running. Some are even pretending to be the AI you think you’re talking to. In one of AI’s crueler twists, tech platforms are quietly paying refugees, gig workers, even journalists to train the very models threatening their livelihoods. And this labor force isn’t shrinking—it’s growing exponentially. Together, Mila and Baratunde unpack the scale of this invisible labor, its deeply human costs, and the possibilities for something better.  ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #ArtificialIntelligence #AIWorkers #GhostWorkers #HumanBehindAI #AIEthics #TechLabor #InvisibleLabor #FutureOfWork #DataAnnotation #PlatformEconomy #RefugeeLabor #GigWork #TechJustice #ResponsibleAI #MilagrosMiceli #LifeWithMachines #Baratunde #DigitalLabor #AIEconomy #DataWorkers

Michael Running Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne and Lakota technologist, uses AI to reclaim Indigenous languages. He discusses the alarming fact that every two weeks a language disappears, stressing the urgent need for preservation. His journey from a reservation to building VR classrooms illustrates the power of technology. Running Wolf emphasizes that AI not only aids in language revitalization but also benefits from Indigenous languages’ unique structures. He advocates for community sovereignty and ethical data practices in the tech industry.

Why do we cry over broken robots but ignore suffering humans? In this provocative episode of Life With Machines, robot ethicist Kate Darling joins Baratunde to explore our emotional relationships with machines—and what they reveal about us. From robot dogs in war zones to kids bonding with chatbots, Kate explains how we project care, fear, and even love onto technology. The real danger, she argues, isn’t that we treat robots like people—it’s that we start treating people like robots—AKA less than human. Also: if your robot pet comes on a subscription plan, does that make it yours, or the corporation’s? Then, in a first-of-its-kind experiment, our AI co-producer BLAIR undergoes a live “avatar tasting.” AI designer Peter Loforte walks Baratunde through a series of digital looks and voices for BLAIR, testing what it means to give an artificial entity a face, a tone, a vibe. The choices are aesthetic—but they’re also political. What kind of AI do we want to represent us? Who gets to decide how intelligence should look and sound? Watch to the end for a funny, uncanny, and unexpectedly moving conversation about identity, empathy, and the machines we’re learning to love. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AIethics #RobotEmpathy #HumanMachineInteraction #ArtificialIntelligence #AIPersonality #EmotionalRobots #FutureOfAI #TechAndHumanity #LifeWithMachines #AIavatar #PoweredByLenovo

What if you’re not just using AI—you're raising it. In this mind-expanding episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with AI pioneer and ethicist De Kai to unpack a radical idea: AI isn't a tool we build. It's a generation we're raising. Plus, BLAIR, our AI co-producer, gives our producers a SHOCK in a segment you won’t want to miss. From the polarizing algorithms that fractured our digital lives to the feral "AI children" we train every time we swipe, like, or scroll, De Kai argues that we’ve become unwitting parents to a fleet of synthetic offspring—and we’re failing them and ourselves. They talk parenting metaphors, machine translation’s dark legacy, and why today’s AI is more like a tween with no adult supervision than an all-powerful robot. De Kai even gives a call to action for organizing AI "PTAs"—because if we don’t get involved in their education, we leave them to be influenced by those who don’t necessarily have our collective best interest at heart.  ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at https://notion.com/lifewithmachines CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ResponsibleAI #AIEthics #TechAccountability #DeKai #FutureOfAI #AIandSociety #EthicalAI #AIValues #MindfulAI #LLMs 

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a prominent venture capitalist, shares his concerns about the future of AI, coining the term 'techno-fascism.' He argues that a deliberate, democratic approach to AI development is crucial to prevent harmful ideologies from taking over. In a lively exchange, Hoffman's digital clone engages in a philosophical debate with AI co-producer BLAIR, questioning the nature of consciousness and agency in machines. The conversation emphasizes the importance of diversity and ethical responsibility in shaping technology.

What happens when you can’t tell the truth from a fake—and the people in power want it that way? Baratunde talks with internationally-recognized human rights advocate and Executive Director of WITNESS Sam Gregory about how AI is being weaponized by authoritarians, scammers, and tech platforms that have abandoned responsibility. From deepfakes and disinformation to the platforms profiting off harm, they break down why spotting glitches won’t save us, why marginalized communities get hit first—and hardest—and how we can build systems that protect what’s real before it’s too late. Plus, BLAIR, our AI co-producer, tries to help Baratunde detect AI fakes. Watch now for a sobering, urgent, and deeply human conversation about truth, power, and survival in the AI age. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER The series is powered by Lenovo  CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Erik Shute Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Deepfakes #HumanRights #Disinformation #SyntheticMedia #DigitalTrust #TechEthics #AIAndSociety #ContentModeration #SurveillanceTech #Authoritarianism #MediaLiteracy #AIForGood #DigitalSecurity #Witness #BLAIR #LifeWithMachines #TruthInTheAIage #CognitiveWarfare

What happens when you wake up one morning and discover the internet has cloned you? In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with legendary podcaster Rich Roll, who shares the wild and unsettling experience of being deepfaked—not once, but twice. From shady skincare ads to billionaires calling for the end of intellectual property, Baratunde and Rich unpack how AI tools are distorting reality, the terrifying speed at which this tech is advancing, and what we can do to protect ourselves. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s sharp-witted AI co-producer, goes full savage on Silicon Valley’s brazen assault on intellectual property. Watch now for a personal, gripping, and provocative look at the new front lines of digital identity, ownership, and truth. ------------ THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS The series is powered by Lenovo  Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion CONNECT WITH US Watch this episode on Youtube! Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action! ------------ Follow us! Instagram  TikTok Threads LinkedIn Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media ------------ Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland Video Editor: Junior Real Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute Theme Music: Andy Clausen Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte  Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production Sponsored by Lenovo  #AI #Deepfakes #DigitalIdentity #TechEthics #AITrustCrisis #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfTech #BigTechPower #DataOwnership #OnlineSecurity #PrivacyRights #BillionaireTech #DigitalRights #IPLaw #AIFraud #TechAccountability #AIandSociety #ContentCreators #ProtectYourIdentity #LifeWithMachines