Tag: Internet
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#173: Blessed are the Contentmakers
This week’s conversation starts with a small moral dilemma: why is it so easy to consume endless hours of online content, yet oddly difficult to part with even a few euros to support the people making it? From there we wander through the economics of the modern “content economy” and the accumulation of monthly fees that comes with living online. Along the way we reflect on how value is assigned (or not) to digital work, whether audiences have simply hit subscription fatigue, and what happens when AI joins the ranks of the contentmakers. As usual, the discussion drifts into neighbouring territory: the changing role of universities, the consumerist society, and the slightly unsettling sense that information - and perhaps expertise - is becoming both cheaper and harder to price. (This description was generated with the help of AI; this episode features AI-generated speech)
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#171: Claude Code and App Creation on Demand
This week Ian and Michael test the limits of “vibe coding” and find that it might actually work. From there, naturally, we drift into the idea of apps-on-demand, AI minions, and subscription creep, with detours into rainforest guilt, insecure software libraries, hallucinating language models, second-hand drinks cabinets, and the small question of superintelligence wiping us out. Along the way: The Fermi Paradox, universal basic income, and the possibility that in solving convenience we may be accelerating something rather less convenient. (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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#163: The Mistake-Doing Episode: A Tale of L1 Interference
In this harrowing instalment of AI Unfiltered, Ian and Michael venture deep into the treacherous world of L1 interference: the subtle, sinister force that causes second-language mishaps, awkward phrasing, and, in Michael’s case, one truly unforgivable linguistic blunder committed live on air. The consequences? Tragic. Catastrophic. Entirely self-inflicted.
From grammar gremlins to cross-lingual chaos, the hosts unpack how native-language patterns sneak into speech — and why some mistakes echo far beyond the recording studio. Listener discretion advised: contains scenes of grammatical violence. (This description was written with the help of AI) -
#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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#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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#150: GPT-5 Reception, Digital Ecosystems
Ian and Michael discuss the mixed reception to the recently released GPT-5, as well as our reliance on digital ecosystem providers.
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#146: Business Ideas and Niches, Metal Bands, Collectible Vinyls
Ian and Michael discuss some recent novel business ideas, like opening a chain of burrito restaurants in India, or a book store in Somerset focusing solely on books on ecology and the environment. Plus, a discussion on the resurgence of vinyls as a format for distributing music and their value as collectibles in the digital era. Last, but least, how many metal bands can Ian name that Michael hasn't heard of? Tune in to find out!
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#145: The Ragebait Episode
Prepare to be outraged! Or not; Ian and Michael discuss the concept of ragebait, rather than produce anything particularly ragebaity.