Are We Building a Star Trek Future or One that Looks Like Minority Report?

Are We Building a Star Trek Future or One that Looks Like Minority Report?

Author: BKBT Productions September 22, 2025 Duration: 40:51
This week George K and George A switch formats to consider the deeper questions behind recent tech headlines. The hosts dig into the philosophical tensions driving today's biggest tech stories. When does technological dependency become too dangerous to ignore? How do we distinguish between genuine innovation and elaborate pump-and-dump schemes dressed up as progress? What are the real costs when entire economies become intertwined with a handful of companies? They explore whether we're witnessing the early stages of a historic bubble or if we're already past the point of no return. The conversation touches on the ethics of deploying untested technology on vulnerable populations, the normalization of surveillance capitalism, and why regulatory capture might be democracy's biggest threat. Most importantly, they ask the question that should keep every technologist awake at night: Are we building the future we actually want to live in, or are we just building the future that's most profitable for a few? The news examined: * Details emerge on the US' TikTok deal with China  [https://www.wsj.com/tech/details-emerge-on-u-s-china-tiktok-deal-594e009f?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink] * Things just got worse for Nvidia in China [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxz29pe1v0o] * To protect underage users, ChatGPT may ask for ID [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/17/chatgpt-developing-age-verification-system-to-identify-under-18-users-after-teen-death] * Meta's smart glasses get smarter [https://www.readthepeak.com/stories/09-25-meta-s-smart-glasses-get-smarter] Mentioned in the discussion: * MIT report: The GenAI Divide STATE OF AI IN BUSINESS 2025 [https://mlq.ai/media/quarterly_decks/v0.1_State_of_AI_in_Business_2025_Report.pdf] * Ed Zitron's podcast, Better Offline, and newsletter analysis of "Magnificent Seven" companies [https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-haters-gui/#the-magnificent-7s-ai-story-is-flawed-with-560-billion-of-capex-between-2024-and-2025-leading-to-35-billion-of-revenue-and-no-profit] * Kashmir Hill's detailed reporting on Adam Raine's death and the part played by ChatGPT [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/technology/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nU8.DE_a.Ur81NxfjZuNn&smid=url-share](Warning: detailed discussion of suicide) * Meta's leaked policy on allowing chatbots to engage in "sensual" chats with children [https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-guidelines]

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
How Cyber Marketing Teams Can Better Understand and Connect to Buyers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:06
This week Jeanette Belashov, of Anvilogic [https://www.anvilogic.com/], joins the show to talk about smarter and more authentic cybersecurity marketing. George K and George A talk to Jeanette about: * Why the lead gen MQ…
World Domination, the Process, and Gaining Real World Cyber Skills [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:52
The unstoppable Tennisha Martin joins the show this week! The Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack [https://www.blackgirlshack.org/] digs into what it really takes to build diverse cybersecurity talent pipelines in today…
Authentic Networking and Using Your Voice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:58
Candace Williams, security leader, joins the show to talk about what ACTUALLY matters in networking and professional development in cybersecurity. No BS, just real talk from someone who's lived it. George K and George A…
GRC Engineering: The Manifesto and Beyond! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:39
This week we dive into GRC Engineering with Justin Pagano, Emre Ugurlu, and returning guest Terra Cooke, three of minds behind the new GRC Engineering Manifesto. We tackle: * Why GRC folks are engineers (yes, really!) *…
Cybersecurity for the Food Supply Chain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:28
Kristin Demoranville joins the show this week to talk securing the food supply chain as critical infrastructure, incidents' effect on the global economy, representation in ICS/OT, and more! George K and George A talk to…
Happy New Year from BKBT! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:08
HAPPY NEW YEAR from BKBT! to you and yours! We have big plans... We hope you have a peaceful New Year's, and we're wishing you all the prosperity for 2025! 😳 We still can't believe we won Cybersecurity Podcast of the Yea…