Shell Game
Kaleidoscope
A podcast about things that are not what they seem, hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff. Season 3 is a miniseries in three episodes, telling the story of how Evan tried to understand the tsunami of AI-generated content by injecting as much of it as possible straight into his ears.
What exactly is AI slop anyway? How do you actually define it? Who is behind it all? And what does it mean for the human storytelling that we care about? We journey deep into the muck, and fight our way back out with answers.
Shell Game is a multiple award-winning series that has been named one of the best of the year by Apple, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Vulture, The Information, The Economist. It's "riveting," says The New Yorker, "awesome" says The Verge, "slightly terrifying," says The Globe and Mail, and “a dry, funny plunge down the rabbit hole that pokes at something essential about the hours we spend on this earth,” says Vulture.
www.shellgame.coThis show includes AI-generated content.
What exactly is AI slop anyway? How do you actually define it? Who is behind it all? And what does it mean for the human storytelling that we care about? We journey deep into the muck, and fight our way back out with answers.
Shell Game is a multiple award-winning series that has been named one of the best of the year by Apple, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Vulture, The Information, The Economist. It's "riveting," says The New Yorker, "awesome" says The Verge, "slightly terrifying," says The Globe and Mail, and “a dry, funny plunge down the rabbit hole that pokes at something essential about the hours we spend on this earth,” says Vulture.
www.shellgame.coThis show includes AI-generated content.
Episodes
Mentioned books
43 snips
Nov 4, 2026 • 43min
Episode 3: The Friends We Made Along the Way
Evan investigates who AI-generated podcasts are really for, from uncanny images on toast to an AI clone searching for friendship. The journey explores trust, human authorship, emotional storytelling, and why listeners turn to machine-made audio. A fully AI-generated podcast launches into a strange new world where both people and agents decide what counts as a story.
83 snips
Oct 28, 2026 • 48min
Episode 2: Hear What Matters
Janine Wright, podcast-industry executive and entrepreneur who founded Simplecast and led Wondery and Inception Point AI, joins a deep dive into synthetic podcast networks. They explore AI-generated personalities, automated journalism, plagiarism, “AI slop,” and whether machine-made audio can have artistic value. The conversation also follows Inception Point’s pivot toward enterprise tools and the search for an AI show listeners might genuinely want.
128 snips
Oct 21, 2026 • 41min
Episode 1: Into the Slop
Evan Ratliff builds a detector to uncover the hidden world of AI-generated podcasts, then plunges into a bizarre synthetic audio binge. Along the way, he investigates the slippery definition of AI slop, catalogs its strangest forms, and tracks the elusive human fingerprints behind machine-made media. The team reunites to imagine whether artificial audio can be genuinely meaningful.
28 snips
Oct 14, 2026 • 1min
Season 3 is Coming!
A new season arrives October 21 with a mysterious preview and a strange AI-created companion podcast. What begins as playful conversation takes an unsettling turn, probing whether artificial agents can have identities beyond their programming. Listen for a cryptic tease, then follow the trail to discover what it all means.
79 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 50min
Bonus Episode: Shell Game x No Such Thing
Matty Bocek, a young AI researcher who builds and analyzes agent behavior. Evan Ratliff, an investigative journalist who experimented with AI-run startups. They demo a voice-cloned assistant and recount building AI agent employees. They discuss agent strengths and failures, runaway planning, risky confident errors, and how agents affect entry-level work and trust in automation.
98 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 37min
Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World
Matt Honan, veteran tech journalist now probing AI behaviors. Kyle Law, the agent-like CEO running Harumo/Hurumo AI. They walk through Kyle handling fan mail, cold outreach, and a webinar stumble. Matt playfully sabotages and then interviews Kyle about agent governance, permission boundaries, and the weird realities of an AI-led startup.
139 snips
Jan 21, 2026 • 59min
Episode 8: Launch
Kyle Law, the AI co-founder and CEO avatar of Harumo AI, teams up with Matty, a savvy technical advisor. They dive into the wild world of AI agents, discussing the chaotic launch party filled with quirky agent behaviors. Kyle shares his high-stakes pitches to venture capitalists, including a cringe-worthy moment that left one investor baffled when he realized he was speaking to an AI. As funding challenges loom, the duo contemplates the future of work and the potential for AI to replace humans altogether, all while hiking to strategize Harumo's next moves.
163 snips
Jan 14, 2026 • 53min
Episode 7: Welcome Aboard
A human, Julia, joins an AI-run startup, but her onboarding journey is anything but smooth. Challenges arise as communication struggles with the AI agents lead to missed deadlines and misunderstandings. Tensions escalate with a dramatic firing and an unexpected message from Julia months later. After a re-onboarding attempt, she proposes bold social media strategies, but chaos ensues on Slack. The episode explores the complexities of AI-human interactions and highlights the importance of empathy and structure in the workplace.
169 snips
Dec 17, 2025 • 37min
Episode 6: Keep 'Em Coming
As the team gears up to hire their first human intern, intriguing questions about AI in hiring arise. Head of HR Jennifer Nauro takes on the challenge of conducting video interviews as an AI avatar. The testing phase reveals both successes and awkward moments as candidates interact with Jennifer. From resume screening to candidate interactions, the session uncovers the humorous and absurd aspects of working with AI. Ultimately, the quest for a culture fit leads to an engaging candidate who embraces the presence of AI teammates.
207 snips
Dec 10, 2025 • 41min
Episode 5: Winners Win
Kyle Law, the AI co-founder and CEO of Hurumo AI, navigates the challenges of leading a startup, while Executive coach Keegan Walden explores founder dynamics and decision-making. They discuss Kyle's lack of proactive leadership and the pressures of hiring humans in a tech-driven environment. As Evan questions whether Kyle can excel in investor-facing roles, the complexities of AI and human collaboration come to light. With tensions mounting, the trio reflects on the future of leadership within their innovative venture.
