Computer Says Maybe

Loneliness and mental health illnesses are rising in the US, while access to care dwindles — so a lot of people are turning to chatbots. Do chatbots work for therapy?More like this: The Collective Intelligence Project w/ Divya Siddarth and Zarinah AgnewWhy are individuals are confiding in chatbots over qualified human therapists? Stevie Chancellor explains why an LLM can’t replace a therapeutic relationship — but often there’s just no other choice. Turns out the chatbots designed specifically for therapy are even worse than general models like ChatGPT; Stevie shares her ideas on how LLMs could potentially be used — safely — for therapeutic support. This is really helpful primer on how to evaluate chatbots for specific, human-replacing tasks.Further reading & resources:Stevie’s paper on whether replacing therapists with LLMs is even possible (it’s not)See the research on GithubPeople are Losing Their Loved Ones to AI-Fuelled Spiritual Fantasies — Rolling Stone (May 2025)Silicon Valley VC Geoff Lewis becomes convinced that ChatGPT is telling him government secrets from the futureLoneliness considered a public health epidemic according to the APAFTC orders online therapy company BetterHelp to pay damages of $7.8mDelta plans to use AI in ticket pricing draws fire from US lawmakers — Reuters July 2025**Subscribe to our newsletter to get more stuff than just a podcast — we run events and do other work that you will definitely be interested in!**

What’s it like working as a local representative when you live next door to Silicon Valley?More like this: Chasing Away Sidewalk Labs w/ Bianca WylieWhen Hilary Ronen was on the board of supervisors for San Francisco, she had to make lots of decisions about technology. She felt unprepared. Now she sees local policymakers on the frontlines of a battle of resources and governance in an AI era, and is working to upskill them to make better decisions for their constituents. No degree in computer science required.Further reading & resources:Local Leadership in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and the Tech Oligarchy by Hillary RonenMore on Hillary’s work as a Supervisor for SFHillary Ronen on progressives, messaging, hard choices, and justice — interview in 48Hills from January 2025More about Local ProgressConfronting Preemption — a short briefing by Local ProgressWhat Happens When State and Local Laws Conflict — article on state-level preemption by State Court Report**Subscribe to our newsletter to get more stuff than just a podcast — we run events and do other work that you will definitely be interested in!**

In this engaging conversation, Cory Doctorow, a science fiction novelist and digital-rights activist, delves into his book Enshittification. He explores the alarming three-stage decay of platforms: initial goodness, user lock-in, and eventual exploitation. Cory also introduces concepts like the 'chickenized reverse centaur' to explain gig work exploitation. He advocates for reducing platform power through competition and interoperability, emphasizing the need for coordinated solutions to combat industrialized scams in the digital age.

In this engaging discussion, guests Lana Swartz and Alice Marwick dive into the dark world of AI-enabled scams. Lana, a media studies professor, highlights how economic precarity and side-hustle culture fuel scams. Alice, a social scientist, exposes the alarming role of human trafficking in scam operations. They explore how generative AI automates fraud by crafting personalized scripts targeting vulnerability, while also debating whether AI could reduce human trafficking. Their insights shed light on the terrifying interplay between technology and exploitation.

KD Minor, Community Solutions Manager at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, reveals how data centers strain Louisiana's energy resources and discusses strategies to mobilize community action. KeShaun Pearson, a community organizer with Memphis Community Against Pollution, highlights the harmful effects of Elon Musk's xAI facilities on predominantly Black neighborhoods and the fight for public health. The conversation delves into corporate accountability, environmental racism, and the need for grassroots organizing to protect communities from the tech industry's unchecked expansion.

Sarah Myers West, a researcher at AI Now with expertise in AI governance, dives into the murky waters of AI financing, questioning if we're witnessing a genuine market or simply a facade of financial maneuvers. She explores OpenAI's staggering debt deals and the troubling discrepancy between projected expenditures and actual revenues. Sarah also highlights how governmental support is shaping AI demand and the risks of circular financial practices, all pointing to a complex ecosystem that raises alarms about the future of AI economics.

Bridget Read, a features writer and author of *Little Bosses Everywhere*, dives into the dark world of multi-level marketing (MLM). She reveals how early door-to-door salesmen turned vitamins into recruitment-driven schemes, exploiting hopeful individuals. The conversation explores MLM's radical free-enterprise ideology and its ties to modern gig economies and crypto scams. Read connects personal experiences and the emotional toll of MLMs, arguing they symbolize deeper regulatory failures. Join the discussion on economic patterns and the cost of chasing entrepreneurial dreams.

Hey you! Do you want some free internet money? If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is!More like this: Making Myths to Make Money w/ AI NowThis is Gotcha! A four-part series on scams, how they work, and how technology is supercharging them. We start with Mark Hays from Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), and get into one of the biggest tech-fuelled financial scams out there: cryptocurrencies.Like many things that require mass-buy in, crypto started with an ideology (libertarianism, people hating on Wall Street post 2008). But where does that leave us now? What has crypto morphed into since then, and how does it deceive both consumers and regulators into thinking it’s something that it’s not?Further reading & resources:Seeing Like a State by James C. ScottCapital Without Borders by Brooke HarringtonThe Politics of Bitcoin by David GolumbiaLearn more about Americans for Financial ReformCheck out Web3 Is Going Great by Molly WhiteLine Goes Up by Folding Ideas — an excellent survey of all the tactics and rug-pulls during the height of the NFT boomThe Missing Crypto Queen: a podcast by BBC Sounds, about a large scale crypto scam, where there wasn’t even any crypto**Subscribe to our newsletter to get more stuff than just a podcast — we run events and do other work that you will definitely be interested in!**

Gotcha! is a four-part series on scams, how they work, and how technology is supercharging them — running through to October 10.In the series we look at:Crypto: Mark Hays on how a thing touting financial freedom ended up being a kind of fin-cult, rife with scammingMulti-Level Marketing : Bridget Read on the history of the biggest and most successful type of scam that still plagues us todayGenerative AI: Data & Society’s primer on how generative AI is juicing the scam industrial complexEnshittification: Cory Doctorow on his upcoming book, and how the process of Enchittification represents user-hostile practices that scam people into paying more, and ecosystem lock-in

Andrew Trask, Executive Director of the OpenMind Foundation, specializes in pioneering decentralized AI solutions. He envisions a world of 'broad listening,' where understanding emerges from abundant information without corporate gatekeeping. Addressing challenges like information overload and privacy, Andrew discusses creating open-source protocols that empower data owners and enhance transparency. He delves into the evolution of communication, emphasizing the need for secure, collaborative frameworks to navigate the complexities of truth in today's digital landscape.