08 May 2026
1h 12m

Can the U.S. Rein in Prediction Markets? + Joanna Stern on Her Year of A.I. Experiments + Our Producer Goes to Attention School

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Hard Fork

Prediction markets are currently operating in a regulatory "Wild West," characterized by rampant insider trading and manipulation, such as the use of AI-generated disinformation to influence temperature-based bets. While these platforms promise to harness collective wisdom, they often incentivize betrayal and lack the oversight necessary to maintain market integrity. Meanwhile, technology journalist Joanna Stern explores the practical limits of artificial intelligence in her book *I Am Not A Robot*, detailing how AI can both improve productivity and facilitate deceptive upselling in industries like dentistry. Finally, the rise of the "Attention School" movement highlights a growing cultural counter-reaction to the attention economy, where participants engage in non-productive, human-centric exercises to reclaim their focus from digital commodification. These developments reflect a broader societal struggle to balance technological integration with the preservation of human agency and authentic experience.

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