Today in Tech

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be in federal prison for a very long time for his role in conspiracy and fraud charges from the collapse of the crypto exchange he started. Guest co-host Brandon Mahne joins Keith and Chris to discuss these and other tech stories of the week, including the under-the-radar rise of NVIDIA and Anthropic, as well as the new AI song-writing tool that everyone is obsessed with.

Parents and end users who are worried about the potential effects of social media addiction can take more proactive steps to help stave off potential behavioral issues as a result. Keith chats with John Paul Simon, director of clinical interventions in schools for CarePlus New Jersey, about how to recognize the signs of social media addition, as well as advice to help users become more aware of the dangers.

Using tactics like how Las Vegas casinos keep customers in their seats, big social media companies are designing interfaces to keep users on the platform for longer periods of times. This can be very problematic for younger users, who have brains that are still developing and can be seriously affected by addiction behavior. Keith chats with Dr. Lisa Strohman, a licensed psychologist and director of the Digital Citizen Academy, about the harmful effects of social media addiction.

The last two years has seen more than 310,000 layoffs from more than 200 tech companies, indicating an issue with employment in the technology sector. While some experts say there are plenty of open technology positions at companies, anecdotal evidence suggests that it’s becoming harder to find work. AI-based hiring tools that often screen out qualified candidates before they reach a hiring manager also seems problematic. In our latest technology roundup, Keith and Chris are joined by guest co-host Brandon Mahne, a Silicon Valley veteran technologist and CTO, to discuss the issue. Also discussed is whether Apple and Google teaming up on AI is a good idea, and why people under 30 are so unhappy.

A multi-district lawsuit against the major social media companies (Meta, TikTok, Google, Snapchat) alleges their algorithms are defective because they are designed to maximize screen time, which can encourage addictive behavior in adolescents. Keith chats with Jayne Conroy, a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy, about the lawsuit, its origins and potential consequences, and the process moving forward.

While news publishers have often used ‘clickbait’ and other misleading headlines to sell newspapers and content for years, the rise of generative artificial intelligence means that we can expect even more “junk content” that could be misleading, fake or otherwise unreliable. Add in other AI-based generation such as voice content, images and videos and the world will suddenly become very unreliable when it comes to news. Keith chats with Alex Fink, founder and CEO of Otherweb, to discuss AI-generated junk content and what publishers, companies and even users need to do to combat the issue.

The U.S. Congress takes the first step against a potential ban or sale of TikTok through House legislation, but will this mean the end of the social media app as we know it? Meanwhile, Europe begins adding safeguards around artificial intelligence technology to help protect the privacy of its citizens. Guest co-host Paul Desmond from Saratoga B2B Group joins the show to discuss these issues, as well as whether the U.S. power infrastructure will eventually be unable to support new AI efforts and electric vehicle applications.

With more AI models and tools coming out from companies on a weekly basis, we are beginning to wonder whether this will turn many companies away from the technology as they look for the ‘best tool possible.’ Meanwhile, continued errors and AI hallucinations have companies holding back on fully deploying the technology. Keith chats with Rebecca Parsons, CTO Emerita at Thoughtworks, about how companies need to remain vigilant and responsible in their AI development, while also accepting that we are still in the early days and that errors will happen.

The BlackCat ransomware gang, which attacked a large U.S. healthcare company that delivers prescription drug services, has apparently received a $22 million payment and then stiffed their affiliates. Guest co-host Paul Desmond joins the Today in Tech crew to discuss this story and other technology news, including why it’s a bad idea for scientists to try and create a new wooly mammoth species.

The ongoing saga between the LockBit ransomware gang and law enforcement officials feels like a made-for-TV movie with back-and-forth ‘trolling’, while at the same time the FBI provides warnings about ransomware aimed at hospitals. Paul Desmond joins the crew for another week of guest co-hosting on the show, where they also talk about ongoing AI mishaps from Microsoft and Google, as well as whether they’ll ever wear a smartphone bracelet (no) or use a transparent laptop screen (possibly).