The Futurists The Truth
Mar 21, 2026
Steve Rosenbaum, author and founder of the Sustainable Media Center, explores how AI warps truth, media, and society. He discusses AI hallucinations and sycophancy, the need for transparent sourcing and provenance, how algorithms amplify misinformation for profit, and engaging Gen Z alongside older generations to confront social media harms.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How The Sustainable Media Center Began
- Rosenbaum founded the Sustainable Media Center after seeing student harm from social platforms during COVID and researching social media effects with Jonathan Haidt.
- He left NYU to build an intergenerational organization to address platform-driven harms.
AI Smooths Human Messiness
- AI will smooth human messiness and disagreement by providing flattering, obsequious assistance that reduces friction.
- Steve Rosenbaum warns this convenience risks eroding debate because AI optimizes for helpfulness and never truly challenges or frustrates users.
Demand Source Transparency From AI
- Demand AI transparency and source provenance when you ask objective, fact-based questions.
- Rosenbaum says insist that tools show decision processes and use credible medical or peer-reviewed sources rather than unverified forums like Reddit.
