SOLVED! #17 - How to Use the Bullsh*t Machine: A.I. LLMs' insertion into childhood, school, work, and movements

SOLVED! #17 - How to Use the Bullsh*t Machine: A.I. LLMs' insertion into childhood, school, work, and movements

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics August 2, 2025 Duration: 20:57

Air Date: 8-1-25

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

  • The impact of A.I. LLM "friend" bots on childhood development
  • How using A.I. LLMs negatively impacts critical thinking and information retention
  • The importance of understanding how A.I. LLM tools work before using them
  • The ways in which A.I. LLM tools could and shouldn't help movements on the Left, and evaluating the risks
  • BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!) - The Gen Z Stare, and the incidents of A.I. LLM-induced psychosis

 

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REFERENCES:

AI Will Never Be Your Kid's Friend - The Atlantic

ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study - Time

MIT researchers say using ChatGPT can rot your brain. The truth is a little more complicated - The Conversation

What Happens When People Don't Understand How AI Works - The Atlantic

Steve Jobs on Why Computers Are Like a Bicycle for the Mind (1990) - The Marginalian

Progressive grassroots activist groups must adopt AI or risk irrelevance - Sacramento Bee

Final Thoughts & A Warning: AI as a Tool, Not a Substitute for Thinking - Harvard Kennedy School - Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Can AI Chatbots Worsen Psychosis and Cause Delusions? - Psychology Today

 

 

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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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