TRASHFUTURE *PREVIEW* Collateral Dilbert feat. Ed Zitron
Feb 27, 2026
They dig into a wild Business Insider story about someone trying to build an AI Scott Adams. The conversation covers childhood connections to Dilbert and the ethics of recreating a public figure. They debate grief, consent, family objections, and whether an AI likeness could be more or less harmful than the real person. Production costs and how the AI is trained also get a laugh and a critique.
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Creating An AI Scott Adams From Podcast Archives
- Riley recounts listening to Scott Adams' Coffee with Scott Adams and how Adams repeatedly pledged his likeness to be used by AI after death.
- Riley and his brother started an AI Scott Adams project after his cancer diagnosis, using podcast transcripts to recreate his voice and persona for new content.
Public Statements As Proxy For Posthumous Consent
- Riley views repeated public statements as a durable form of consent, asserting no evidence of revocation justifies proceeding with the AI project.
- He frames family objections as negative consent and says blocked outreach signaled refusal to engage, not permission to stop.
Offer Collaboration Before Launching Controversial AI Projects
- When facing opposition, attempt direct outreach and invite collaboration before proceeding with contentious AI projects.
- Riley says he opened direct messages to Adams' family to offer partnership but interpreted blocking as refusal to engage collaboratively.