Tag: AI
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#165: Moving Cities, Moving Churches
Ian and Michael wander through the fascinating world of moving city centres and what happens to the buildings left behind, especially churches. From the massive relocation of Kiruna to the quiet transformations of old sanctuaries into community halls, cafés, apartments, and places that feel spiritually familiar yet functionally unrecognisable, the hosts explore how history gets carried, rebuilt, or simply given new purpose. Along the way, they muse about cultural memory, architectural stubbornness, and what it means when societies literally reposition their landmarks. Plus, another instalment of Emma's Artificial Reflections! (This episode features AI-generated content and speech; this description was written with the help of AI)
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#164: Modals of Obligation is Not a Punk Band
Ian and Michael meander through the quirks, confusions, and small joys of language learning. The conversation ambles across pronunciations, past tenses, and all the little linguistic oddities that trip people up. There’s a healthy dose of nostalgia for how languages used to be taught, musings on what actually helps people learn, and the occasional tangent into dictionary rabbit holes. And yes, somewhere along the way, the perfect name for a punk band is discovered. (This description was written with the help of AI; this episode contains AI-generated speech)
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#162: Agentic Browsers
Ian and Michael dig into the new world of agentic browsers, and the idea of a browser that not only searches but shops, books flights, and does chores for you. They debate whether handing an agent the keys to your cart is convenience or surveillance, grumble through browser nostalgia from Mosaic to Chrome, and worry about the economics and resource costs behind AI. (This description was - yes, we see the irony - written with the help of AI)
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#161: Foldable Phones and Other Flat Ideas
Ian and Michael unfold (literally) the future of tech — from Apple’s rumored foldable phone and the disappearing crease, to the strange evolution of how we work, present, and design in a world obsessed with “new” for its own sake. They dive into the stagnation of business tools, the fantasy of the “AI presenter,” and the growing absurdity of constant multitasking in the age of screens that follow you from room to room. (This description was generated with AI)
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#160: Tron, Reality Shows, the Limits of Innovation, and Other Ponderings
Ian and Michael jump from Tron to reality TV, flying cars, and innovation that might have already peaked. A meandering mix of nostalgia, skepticism, and the usual unfiltered wit. (This description was generated with the help of AI)
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#159: Workslop and Other Awesome Signs of Progress
Ian and Michael unpack the newly coined term workslop, the kind of messy, half-baked output that happens when people use AI to make their lives easier and their coworkers’ lives harder. From lazy automation to the myth of “efficiency,” they rant their way through human shortcuts, failing AI projects, and our growing appetite for convenience. Along the way, the discussion drifts into shoplifting, delivery drones, and the creeping future where even grocery runs are automated. As always, it’s part tech talk, part social commentary, and part existential sigh. (This description was generated with AI)
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#158: Word Games
In this episode, Ian and Michael get tangled up in word games: from guessing connections and spelling oddities to debating what words really mean and where they come from. It’s part linguistics, part confusion, and part infotainment as they wander through language quirks, cultural mix-ups, and the occasional AI twist. Proof, perhaps, that even words can be unfiltered. (This description was generated with the help of AI; this episode contains AI-generated speech)
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#157: Green AI is a Joke, Past Visions of the Future
Ian and Michael discuss whether Green AI is an oxymoron and whether AI can ever be green, and how the future has been depicted in literature of the past. Plus, AI-generated contributor Emma Williams returns a new Emma's Artificial Reflections! (This episode contains AI-generated content and speech)
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#156: QR Codes on Roadside Billboards and Other Bad Ideas
Ian and Michael bounce between topics as only they can: from the absurdity of QR codes on roadside advertisements to car tech and pop-up ads, from Jay Leno’s car-collector persona to podcasting’s strange evolution into video. Along the way, they detour into social media, nom-dom millionaires, and what future historians will think if they were to come across this very podcast. A freewheeling mix of rants, rabbit holes, and reflections. (This episode description was generated with the help of AI)
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#155: Printers Unfiltered, AI-Generated Artists and Music
Ian and Michael kick things off with an unexpectedly passionate discussion about printers—planned obsolescence, cartridges, and the absurdities of home office tech. From there, they pivot to music in the age of AI: debating the value of “completely human-made” artistry, questioning how much talent matters when technology can do the heavy lifting, and unpacking the bizarre case of The Velvet Sundown—a completely AI-generated band that racked up streams on Spotify. It’s part rant, part reflection, and entirely unfiltered. (This description was generated with the help of AI)