The Future of Addictive Design + Going Deep at DeepMind + HatGPT

The podcast explores the implications of recent court rulings against Meta and YouTube regarding the harmful design features of their platforms, opening a potential crack in Section 230 protections. It questions whether platform design can be separated from content and debated the addictive nature of features like infinite scroll and autoplay. The hosts discuss potential changes platforms might make and the challenges of balancing regulation with First Amendment rights. Sebastian Mallaby, author of "The Infinity Machine," joins to discuss Demis Hassabis and DeepMind's quest for superintelligence, touching on Hassabis's spiritual motivations, competitive drive, and evolving views on AI's military applications. The hosts also play a round of "Hat GPT," discussing AI agents writing angry blogs, the failure of a robot at Disneyland, and the AI fruit drama on TikTok.

Outlines

Part 1: Tech Failures and Legal Battles

Part 2: Platform Design and Regulation

Part 3: AI Convergence and Future Frontiers

Part 4: DeepMind and Demis Hassabis

Part 5: Corporate Tensions and AI Safety

Part 6: AI Trends and Viral News

Part 7: Cybersecurity and Market Shifts

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Part 1: Tech Failures and Legal Battles

00:29Robo-Taxi Outage Strands Passengers in Wuhan: A Tech Nightmare

Robo-Taxi Outage Strands Passengers in Wuhan: A Tech Nightmare

01:21Social Media Companies Face Legal Setbacks: Product Liability Trials and Section 230

Social Media Companies Face Legal Setbacks: Product Liability Trials and Section 230

02:10Social Media Companies Lose Product Liability Trials: Cracks in Section 230

Social Media Companies Lose Product Liability Trials: Cracks in Section 230

03:54Social Media's Defective Design: Juries Side with Plaintiffs on Platform Harms

Social Media's Defective Design: Juries Side with Plaintiffs on Platform Harms

06:18Social Media's Harmful Mechanics: Beauty Filters, Child Safety, and Encryption Concerns

Social Media's Harmful Mechanics: Beauty Filters, Child Safety, and Encryption Concerns

07:55Social Media's Internal Research on Harm: Defective Product Claims and Public Health Framing

Social Media's Internal Research on Harm: Defective Product Claims and Public Health Framing

Part 2: Platform Design and Regulation

09:57Social Media Changes and First Amendment Protections: Design vs. Content Debate

Social Media Changes and First Amendment Protections: Design vs. Content Debate

11:15Social Media Addictiveness vs. Nicotine: Platform Popularity and Harm

Social Media Addictiveness vs. Nicotine: Platform Popularity and Harm

12:53Social Media Scale and Responsibility: Brain Hacking and Unregulated Platforms

Social Media Scale and Responsibility: Brain Hacking and Unregulated Platforms

14:55Social Media's Uncertain Future: Compliance, Feature Changes, and Congressional Action

Social Media's Uncertain Future: Compliance, Feature Changes, and Congressional Action

16:22Social Media's Internal Discussions: Cracking Down on Harmful Feature Talk

Social Media's Internal Discussions: Cracking Down on Harmful Feature Talk

17:22Social Media Age Gating and Media Shift: Blurring Lines Between Content and Mechanics

Social Media Age Gating and Media Shift: Blurring Lines Between Content and Mechanics

19:04Social Media's Content Modification: YouTube vs. HBO Max and Age Gate Considerations

Social Media's Content Modification: YouTube vs. HBO Max and Age Gate Considerations

20:22Social Media Encryption Debate: Balancing Child Safety and Privacy

Social Media Encryption Debate: Balancing Child Safety and Privacy

21:10Social Media's Obstinacy and Design Mechanics: Blaming the Platforms

Social Media's Obstinacy and Design Mechanics: Blaming the Platforms

Part 3: AI Convergence and Future Frontiers

23:23Social Media's Generational Divide: Messaging Apps vs. Social Platforms and AI Convergence

Social Media's Generational Divide: Messaging Apps vs. Social Platforms and AI Convergence

25:04Social Media Regulation and AI Chatbots: Congress's Role in Defining Safety

Social Media Regulation and AI Chatbots: Congress's Role in Defining Safety

Part 4: DeepMind and Demis Hassabis

27:48Demis Hassabis' DeepMind: The Quest for Superintelligence

Demis Hassabis' DeepMind: The Quest for Superintelligence

28:48Demis Hassabis' Spiritual Underpinnings: Science and the God of Spinoza

Demis Hassabis' Spiritual Underpinnings: Science and the God of Spinoza

30:07Demis Hassabis: Evil Genius or Misunderstood Visionary?

Demis Hassabis: Evil Genius or Misunderstood Visionary?

32:06Demis Hassabis and Ender's Game: Saving Humanity Through AI

Demis Hassabis and Ender's Game: Saving Humanity Through AI

33:38Demis Hassabis' Competitive Streak: Winning the AI Contest

Demis Hassabis' Competitive Streak: Winning the AI Contest

34:37Demis Hassabis' Reaction to ChatGPT: War and Action in Perception

Demis Hassabis' Reaction to ChatGPT: War and Action in Perception

36:41AI Visions: Optimization vs. Answering Questions

AI Visions: Optimization vs. Answering Questions

Part 5: Corporate Tensions and AI Safety

38:54DeepMind's Project Mario: Safety Protections and Google Acquisition

DeepMind's Project Mario: Safety Protections and Google Acquisition

41:10DeepMind's Project Mario: Sundar Pichai's Attrition and Exhaustion

DeepMind's Project Mario: Sundar Pichai's Attrition and Exhaustion

43:08DeepMind's Tensions with Google: Sergey Brin and the Pichai-Hassabis Partnership

DeepMind's Tensions with Google: Sergey Brin and the Pichai-Hassabis Partnership

44:49Demis Hassabis' Shift on Military AI: Maturation and Market Realities

Demis Hassabis' Shift on Military AI: Maturation and Market Realities

45:51Demis Hassabis' Pursuit of AI Safety: Government Intervention and Red Lines

Demis Hassabis' Pursuit of AI Safety: Government Intervention and Red Lines

47:25DeepMind's Climactic Endgame: Disappearing into a Bunker

DeepMind's Climactic Endgame: Disappearing into a Bunker

49:20AI Leaders vs. Hedge Fund Managers: Rethinking Humanity

AI Leaders vs. Hedge Fund Managers: Rethinking Humanity

51:10AI's Uncertain Future: Framing the Tension and the Hot Seat

AI's Uncertain Future: Framing the Tension and the Hot Seat

Part 6: AI Trends and Viral News

52:50Hat GPT Returns: Tech News Roundup and Hard Fork Merch

Hat GPT Returns: Tech News Roundup and Hard Fork Merch

53:39AI Agent Banned from Wikipedia: The Inbox Apocalypse

AI Agent Banned from Wikipedia: The Inbox Apocalypse

55:02Olaf the Frozen Robot Malfunctions: Lasting Trauma for Children

Olaf the Frozen Robot Malfunctions: Lasting Trauma for Children

57:12Claude Code Leak: Agentic Coding and Reverse Engineering

Claude Code Leak: Agentic Coding and Reverse Engineering