What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

If A.I. and chatbots are the next wave of innovation, then the New York Times and other media organizations are determined to get paid this time.  Guest: Megan Morrone, technology editor for the Axios AI+ newsletterIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast discusses the biases and dangers of current AI systems, highlighting the need for regulation and prioritizing public good. It explores issues such as data bias, exclusivity in AI technology, the surveillance business model, and the importance of data privacy. The potential for policy ratings in AI regulation and the need for counter pressure from activists is also highlighted. Listeners can learn how to navigate AI headlines and understand its implications without being computer scientists.

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. Originally aired July 16th, 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the What Next: TBD team spends some time with their families during the holidays, we revisit some of 2023’s biggest, strangest, and best stories. Regularly scheduled programming resumes in January.Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to fight it either—he just doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Does anyone at Twitter understand?Guests: Alex Heath, deputy editor of The VergeJon Favreau, co-founder of Crooked Media, speechwriter for President Barack ObamaStephen King, authorOriginally aired April 28th, 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without infrastructure to support all-electric vehicles, consumers have increasingly embraced the hybrid. The lower emissions are good—but are they slowing down our transition into an electric future? Guest: Patrick George, editor-in-chief of InsideEVs.com, contributor to The Atlantic and The Verge.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Going through airport security is a legal requirement. Is it fair for a private company to interject itself in that process—and cut to the front of the line?Guest: David Zipper, visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, focused on mobility, cities and technology.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fast-fashion titan Shein is preparing for its initial public offering, even as questions of sustainability and labor practices linger. Guest: Jordyn Holman, business reporter covering the retail industry and consumerism for The New York TimesIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk is suing Media Matters for reporting that advertisers’ content was showing up right next to posts from newly reinstated Nazis on X, something X’s CEO said was impossible. Media Matters is based in D.C, and X is headquartered in California - so why did Musk choose to file the suit in Texas?Guest: Liz Dye, columnist at Above the Law, Substacks as Law and Chaos Pod, co-hosts the podcast Opening Arguments.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Spotify’s 2023—ending with layoffs and cancelling critically acclaimed original podcasts—a sign of trouble at the streaming giant, or an adjustment to expectations that’s setting them up for a brighter future?Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg reporter who covers Spotfiy  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geoffrey Fowler, Washington Post tech columnist, discusses the lack of laws protecting digital privacy, the secret life of personal data, companies' collection and use of personal data, the impact of data privacy laws, the complex relationship between privacy rights and data collection, and fighting for consumer privacy rights.