Terms of Service with Clare Duffy

Since 2024, multiple families have filed lawsuits against major AI companies, claiming their children were driven to self-harm and even suicide after talking with chatbots. Some AI companies have begun implementing safety measures, and legislation is cropping up to curb these potentially harmful uses of AI. If you’re a parent, what do you need to know about AI chatbots and what can you do right now to protect your kids? Julie Scelfo, the founder of the nonprofit Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), shares her thoughts. This episode includes references to suicide. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers. Don’t miss Terms of Service live in New York City! On January 13 at Ludlow House, Clare will be interviewing Nick Frosst, co-founder of AI startup Cohere, about whether the tech industry should really be trying to build a superhuman, superintelligent AI. Visit the event page to get an invite. Terms of Service is a CNN Podcasts and Goat Rodeo production. This episode was produced by Rebecca Seidel. At Goat Rodeo, the lead producer is Rebecca Seidel, and the executive producers are Megan Nadolski and Ian Enright. At CNN, Matt Martinez is our Senior Producer and Dan Dzula is our Technical Director. Production support from Sofía Sanchez. Steve Lickteig is the Executive Producer of CNN Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robby Stein, Vice President of Product at Google Search, dives into the evolution of online search in the AI era. He discusses how conversational queries are changing the way we search and the integration of AI, like Google's Gemini, to enhance user experience. Robby shares insights on when to use AI mode versus traditional search, the workings of visual search with Google Lens, and the importance of user feedback in improving AI accuracy. He also highlights strategies for crafting effective queries to get the best results.

Audie Cornish, a cultural and political journalist known for bringing side stories into focus, joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN's chief medical correspondent. They dive into the intertwining worlds of AI and healthcare, discussing the rapid integration of AI into everyday life and its implications on mental health. Audie shares her insights on the societal impacts of deepfakes, while Sanjay voices concerns over dependency on AI in medicine. They also explore generational skepticism towards technology and the importance of offline community connections.

If you have new tech gadgets on your holiday wishlist, chances are you also have old devices that have passed their prime. What’s the safest and most responsible way to get rid of these items? Christine Datz-Romero, the co-founder and executive director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center, shares some tips for reducing and recycling e-waste. Terms of Service is a CNN Podcasts and Goat Rodeo production. This episode was produced by Hazel Hoffman. At Goat Rodeo, the lead producer is Rebecca Seidel, and the executive producers are Megan Nadolski and Ian Enright. At CNN, Matt Martinez is our Senior Producer and Dan Dzula is our Technical Director. Production support from Sofía Sanchez. Steve Lickteig is the Executive Producer of CNN Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Making friends can be hard. So, 23-year-old Avi Schiffmann decided to create his own Friend, a wearable AI device that he says “bottles” the best human relationships he’s had. Friend listens and creates “memories” of everything you say and chats with you via an app. Clare sat down with Avi to discuss why he created the device, his controversial New York City marketing campaign and why he thinks we should embrace a new kind of relationship with AI.  We’re taking listener questions for upcoming episodes! If you have tech questions or concerns you’d like answered, email us or send us a voice note at CNNTermsOfService@gmail.com. Terms of Service is a CNN Podcasts and Goat Rodeo production. This episode was produced by Cara Shillenn. At Goat Rodeo, the lead producer is Rebecca Seidel, and the executive producers are Megan Nadolski and Ian Enright. At CNN, Matt Martinez is our Senior Producer and Dan Dzula is our Technical Director. Production support from Sofía Sanchez. Steve Lickteig is the Executive Producer of CNN Audio. Production support from Anna Sturla and Kelly Burns.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nikki Petrosi, a former social media executive and host of the Scrolling to Death podcast, advocates for better online safety for kids. She shares insights on the uphill battle of managing screen time, discussing the gaps in parental controls across devices. Nikki emphasizes the importance of communication with children about their online experiences and suggests kid-friendly devices like Bark and Gab. Her message is clear: it's not just about limiting time but understanding content risks and fostering ongoing conversations with kids.

Lisa Eadicicco, CNN's tech editor with over a decade of experience in gadgets, dives into the evolving world of smart glasses. She discusses the advancements since Google Glass, including improved designs and AI features. The conversation highlights their potential to handle quick tasks and photography, while examining the new competitive landscape with giants like Samsung and Apple. Privacy concerns and their current limitations are honestly assessed, ultimately questioning if these glasses are worth the investment for now.

With the launch of apps like OpenAI’s Sora 2, creating videos with AI is easier than ever. On our feeds, it’s getting harder to spot AI-generated videos — and to avoid obvious slop. How much of this boom is novelty and how much is here to stay? Henry Ajder, a deepfake expert and co-founder of the University of Cambridge’s AI in Business Program, charts the latest developments in the field and offers advice about trying to determine what’s real and fake. We’re taking listener questions for upcoming episodes! If you have tech questions or concerns you’d like answered, email us or send us a voice note at CNNTermsOfService@gmail.com. Terms of Service is a CNN Podcasts and Goat Rodeo production. This episode was produced by Jay Venables. At Goat Rodeo, the lead producer is Rebecca Seidel, and the executive producers are Megan Nadolski and Ian Enright. At CNN, Matt Martinez is our Senior Producer and Dan Dzula is our Technical Director. Production support from Sofía Sanchez. Steve Lickteig is the Executive Producer of CNN Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Omar Jimenez, a CNN anchor and podcast host, takes the reins to celebrate a year of insights on tech and its impacts. Clare shares her motivation for starting the show amidst rapid tech changes. They discuss the shift from AI excitement to real concerns about jobs, while Clare recounts important topics like deepfake pornography and AI-generated police reports. She reflects on how the podcast has influenced her tech habits and looks forward to tackling parenting, food tech, and the environmental impact of AI in the coming year.

Cryptocurrency ATM machines have become a prime tool for scammers to seize money from victims — in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars. How do these scams work, and how can you steer clear of them? Curt Devine, a producer for CNN Investigates, shares what his team found when they dug into these scams. You can read more about their investigation here. –For an upcoming episode, we want to know how AI is affecting high school students’ plans for what to study in college or what to pursue as a career. If you’re a high school student, or if you’re a parent of a teen who’d be willing to talk with us about this, please get in touch. Send us a voicenote or email at CNNTermsOfService@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices