#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism

#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics October 20, 2025 Duration: 4:18:56

Air Date 10/19/2025

Robber Barons™ of The Gilded Age™ told themselves stories about how they were ushering in progress for all which is why, they argued, they shouldn't be constrained by things like safety regulations or worker unions - impoverishing millions while injuring and killing thousands in the process. It took a stock market crash, the Great Depression, WWII, and The New Deal to finally wrench the power away and redistribute it for the sake of building a middle class that could work in relative safety in the US. Today's Robber Barrons™ ushering in techno-feudalism under the banner of AI-For-All are no different but with even higher stakes in the balance.

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Full Show Notes

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: We're in Our AI Slop Era Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-7-25

KP 2: What AI Means for Your Money, Music and Love Life Part 1 - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 9-26-25

KP 3: AI Slop Part 1 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-23-25

KP 4: Family Accuses ChatGPT of Helping Their Son Commit Suicide - The Briefing - AIr Date 8-30-25

KP 5: The REAL Reason Trump and Big Tech Want AI in Our Schools - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-2-25

KP 6: AI and the Demise of College Writing Part 1 - Adam Walker - Close Reading Poetry - Air Date 7-15-25

KP 7: AI, Energy, and Climate Data Center Water Use Alexis Abramson, Julio Friedmann and Angela Yuan Part 1 - The DSR Network - Air Date 10-7-25


(00:56:20) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the pattern of capitalism's social costs


DEEPER DIVES

(01:05:22) SECTION A: AL SLOP

(02:05:43) SECTION B: SOCIAL ASPECTS

(02:47:46) SECTION C: LABOR AND EDUCATION

(03:46:34) SECTION D: DATA CENTERS

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: AI-generated image of robot hands holding up a small globe against a desolate dessert background.

Credit: "ai-generated-robot-earth" via geralt, Pixabay | Pixabay License

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
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