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The lawsuit that could reclaim the internet, and the AI hype cycle is eating its own tail

The lawsuit that could reclaim the internet, and the AI hype cycle is eating its own tail

Author: BKBT Productions March 30, 2026 Duration: 40:48
Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
TechnologyCultureSocietySociety & Culture
When was the last time a news headline about AI actually told you something true? George K. and George A. recorded this one from opposite sides of the planet — George K. fresh off RSA in San Francisco, George A. embedded at a global trust and safety conference in London. The distance didn't slow them down. This month's System Check has a theme: we're living inside a story that powerful institutions are writing for us, and most of us aren't stopping to ask who's holding the pen. Meta and YouTube just lost a landmark lawsuit — not over what they published, but over how they designed their products to keep you hooked. The legal strategy that finally worked was the one used against Big Tobacco. Meanwhile, 82% of journalists now use some form of AI tool in their work. The people covering AI are increasingly shaped by it. The snake is eating its tail. The arms race math doesn't add up either. Forty billion dollar bridge loans. Circular investments. Credit-based bets assuming a revenue base that doesn't yet exist. And somewhere in rural Mississippi, kids are developing breathing problems because gas turbines got trucked in to power a datacenter the community never voted for. The question running underneath all of it: are we making decisions based on outcomes, or based on vibes? And if it's vibes — whose vibes are they, and how did they get there? Mentioned: * Meta and YouTube verdict news coverage [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/technology/social-media-trial-verdict.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V1A.wqyR.v21PP8eaW4dc&smid=url-share] * Center for Humane Technology's podcast "Your Undivided Attention" episode on the Meta and YouTube lawsuit verdicts [https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/why-the-meta-verdicts-are-a-big-deal-and-what-it-was-like-to-testify] * Ed Zitron's recent monologue [https://youtu.be/D0q7qMKbBcc?si=2NORoOT0GBuTHJwt] * Research into how media covers AI [https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/05/how-uncritical-news-coverage-feeds-the-ai-hype-machine/] * UK Study on AI media coverage [https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/video/research-finds-60-uk-media-coverage-about-artificial-intelligence-industry-led] * Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism Report [https://media.muckrack.com/documents/State_of_Journalism_2026_1.pdf] * WSJ: CFOs expect to reduce headcount because of AI [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-admin-job-market-6a1c3436] * Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark on not being able to idle AI systems [https://youtu.be/no9ACSFUMsU?si=-Ds_bQH-atVYuSL7&t=2878] * Iran War affects world helium supply, creating semiconductor bottleneck [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/business/helium-chips-iran-war.html] * Environmental effects of Elon Musk using gas turbines to power data centers in rural communities [https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/03/18/a-battle-over-data-centers-heats-up-along-the-mississippi-tennessee-state-line/]

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: 50

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Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
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