Podcast Episodes

• June 16, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #185: Authenticity Not Guaranteed

  This week Ian and Michael discuss the increasingly uncomfortable feeling that much of the internet is no longer populated by people but by bots talking to other bots. From there the conversation wanders into reality television and its occasionally tenuous relationship with reality, before moving on to language learning through books, films, and sheer persistence. As usual, the topics may not appear to have much in common, but questions of what is real, authentic, or merely convincing seem to crop up rather more often than expected. Plus a few tangents into video games and German pastries, and a new instalment of Emma Williams' Artificial Reflections.(This episode features AI-generated content and speech)

• June 9, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #184: The AI Backlash

  This week Ian and Michael discuss the growing backlash against AI, from public frustration with generative tools to mounting opposition against the ever-expanding fleet of data centres needed to power them. Along the way there is the usual mixture of scepticism, speculation, and mild exasperation. The question, ultimately, is whether the backlash can change the trajectory — or whether we're all just living in a future data centre that hasn't been fully built yet. (This description was written with the help of AI)

• June 2, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #183: AI Bubble, AI Val Kilmer, AI Art Ponderings

  This week, Ian and Michael ponder whether we're in too deep and to invested in AI for the bubble to burst, the death of privacy, an AI generated version of the late Val Kilmer starring in a new movie, and the implications for the creative arts in an AI-generated world.

• May 26, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #182: The Cognitive Surrender

  This week Ian and Michael discuss “cognitive surrender” — the increasingly common habit of accepting whatever an AI chatbot tells us without much scrutiny. From there the conversation moves into critical thinking, the uneasy role of AI in recruitment and hiring, and the broader question of whether convenience is eroding our willingness to verify information for ourselves. We also revisit one of the podcast’s recurring themes: AI chess algorithms. A mildly sceptical look at what happens when outsourcing thought becomes just a little too easy. (This description was written with the help of AI - because outsourcing thought is indeed just a little too easy...)

• May 19, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #181: Consumerism, the Afterlife, and Other Ponderings

  This week Ian and Michael begin with the suspicion that smartphones may have reached the end of meaningful innovation. From there the conversation drifts through second-hand furniture, the growing use of food banks in a wealthy society, consumer culture, Turku’s long-discussed tramway, and — with generous spoilers — the moral philosophy hidden inside the TV series The Good Place. (This description was written with the help of AI)

• May 12, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #180: Convenience Now, Laurels Later

  Ian and Michael discuss the ethical aspects of using AI-generated art instead of human artists, the use of AI and photo manipulation in marketing, and the dangers of resting on one's laurels after prolonged success. And, at long last, our AI-generated contributor Emma Williams returns with another instalment of Emma's Artificial Reflections!

• May 5, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #179: Star Wars and Other Bits and Bobs

  This week, Ian and Michael begin with Rogue One and the practice of digitally resurrecting actors from the original Star Wars films. That leads to a broader discussion about AI-generated likenesses, the ethics of bringing performers back from the dead, and whether future films might simply recycle familiar faces indefinitely. Ever coherent and never prone to tangents, we also cover a host of other topics — including bachelor taxes, Finnish tourism and industry, and a brief excursion into Norse mythology. (This description was written with the help of AI)

• April 21, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #178: Dial-Up Memories and Broken Toes

  This week’s episode begins with an unscheduled interruption when a chair, a foot, and a small toe collide — setting the tone for a slightly chaotic conversation. From there we wander through AI-generated spam, early internet memories involving dial-up modems and accidental faxes, and the generational gap between growing up with computers and discovering them later in life. Along the way we drift into laptops versus phones, collectible comic books, and the curious problem of remembering actors’ names. In other words: a fairly typical mixture of technology, nostalgia, and mild distraction. (This description was written with the help of AI)

• April 14, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #177: Housing, Conan Doyle, and Other Assorted Topics

  This week, Ian and Michael tackle a host of topics, including housing and affordability, Conan Doyle conspiracy theories, and AI and innovation and the notion that it's not necessarily advantageous to be the first player in a market.

• April 7, 2026Podcast Episodes

  #176: Remote Work, Coffee Machines, Germany

  This week we start with a small complaint about remote work — or rather the claim that working from home might be bad for the economy because people aren’t out buying lunches, clothes, and after-work drinks. From there the conversation wanders into price levels and inflation. We also detour into coffee machines, office habits, and travels to Germany. (This description was written with the help of AI)