Keen On America
Andrew Keen
Nobody asks sharper or more impertinent questions than Andrew Keen. In KEEN ON, Andrew cross-examines the world’s smartest people on politics, economics, history, the environment, and tech. If you want to make sense of our complex world, check out the daily questions and the answers on KEEN ON.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best-known technology and politics broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running show How To Fix Democracy and the author of four critically acclaimed books about the future, including the international bestselling CULT OF THE AMATEUR.
Keen On is free to listen to and will remain so. If you want to stay up-to-date on new episodes and support the show, please subscribe to Andrew Keen’s Substack. Paid subscribers will soon be able to access exclusive content from our new series Keen On America – keenon.substack.com
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best-known technology and politics broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running show How To Fix Democracy and the author of four critically acclaimed books about the future, including the international bestselling CULT OF THE AMATEUR.
Keen On is free to listen to and will remain so. If you want to stay up-to-date on new episodes and support the show, please subscribe to Andrew Keen’s Substack. Paid subscribers will soon be able to access exclusive content from our new series Keen On America – keenon.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 15, 2026 • 43min
Two Years Till We're Cooked: The Death of White Collar Work and Other Human Things
Keith Teare, serial entrepreneur, investor and publisher of That Was The Week, riffs on the AI moment. He contrasts a water-vs-spiders metaphor, demos building venturebets.io in a day, and explains agentic models like Claude 4.6 and Codex 5.3. He reflects on automation trimming his newsletter work and cites predictions that white-collar roles could vanish within two years.
Feb 14, 2026 • 38min
What is Love? Paul Eastwick on the New Science of Attraction
Paul Eastwick, a UC Davis psychology professor who studies attraction and author of Bonded by Evolution, challenges the market view of romance. He explains why attractiveness judgments vary widely. He argues dating apps undercut slow-burn chemistry and suggests rebooting social networks and throwing intimate gatherings to let connection grow.
Feb 13, 2026 • 46min
Politics Without Politicians: Hélène Landemore's Case for Citizen Rule
Hélène Landemore, Yale political scientist who champions citizen assemblies, makes the case for politics as an amateur sport. She explains Greeks’ use of lotteries, describes citizens’ assemblies as “jury duty on steroids,” and defends ordinary people over professional elites. Short, provocative, and focused on practical pilots like Connecticut’s state assembly.
Feb 12, 2026 • 43min
Can Billionaire Backlash Save Democracy? Pepper Culpepper on our Age of Corporate Scandal
Pepper Culpepper, Oxford political scientist and author of Billionaire Backlash, explores how major corporate scandals expose elite networks and awaken public demand for regulation. He traces scandals from Cambridge Analytica to Epstein and Samsung, shows how latent opinion becomes political force, and explains why outrage can spur lasting reform rather than just chaos.
Feb 11, 2026 • 41min
Yes, It's Fascism: Jon Rauch on Trump and the F Word
Jonathan Rauch, Brookings senior fellow and Atlantic writer on democracy and truth, defends his viral essay arguing Trump meets an 18-point fascism checklist. He discusses dehumanizing rhetoric, Carl Schmitt’s friend-enemy theory, macho territorial talk, postmodern media tactics, and how institutions might blunt or outlast anti-democratic moves.
Feb 10, 2026 • 37min
Californian True Crime: A Killing in Cannabis
Scott Eden, investigative journalist and author of A Killing in Cannabis, explores the murder of Tushar Atre and California's chaotic cannabis gold rush. He traces tech money flowing into weed, the blurry line between legal businesses and the black market, and the violent, countercultural underworld that shaped a tragic, risk-soaked story.
Feb 9, 2026 • 47min
Rage in the American Republic
Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law and bestselling legal author, explores why the American Revolution avoided the French Revolution’s bloodshed. He contrasts Paine’s rage with Madison’s constitutional safeguards. Topics include Robespierre’s turn to terror, contemporary attacks on institutional checks, and risks from AI-driven mass unemployment creating a “kept population.”
Feb 8, 2026 • 33min
Documenting America: How to See Beyond the Algorithm
Erika Dilday, executive producer and filmmaker who led POV on PBS and is co-directing Emancipation to Exodus, talks about documentary film as a way to cut through algorithmic noise. Short, vivid stories and public broadcasting pressures come up. She discusses working with Ken Burns, screening films at San Quentin, and why platforms like YouTube shape what we discover.
Feb 7, 2026 • 37min
Whoosh! That Really Was a Week in Tech: Winner-Take-All AI and the $1 Trillion Selloff
Keith Teare, British-American entrepreneur and longtime Silicon Valley analyst, reflects on a seismic week in AI. He discusses multi-agent systems that can replace custom software. They unpack the Anthropic-OpenAI ad spat, the trillion-dollar selloff hitting legacy SaaS, big tech’s AI pivots, and even Elon Musk’s plan for space-based data centers.
Feb 6, 2026 • 49min
Catching More Than Passes From Bobby: Stephen Schlesinger on what RFK Can Still Teach America
Stephen Schlesinger, historian and foreign policy analyst from the Schlesinger family, shares personal memories of the Kennedys and his long view of American division. He discusses recurring national fractures and whether elections still resolve crises. He recalls Bobby Kennedy’s vulnerability, toughness at Hickory Hill, and the Kennedys’ blend of charisma, media skill, and internationalism.
