Deep Questions with Cal Newport

A recent New York Times op-ed reveals the true nature of “brain rot,” and in doing so reveals a much larger problem affecting us all. In this episode, Cal explores this broader problem then draws from an unlikely source from his childhood to help identify a dramatic solution. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) The truth about brain rot (31:31) Will you address Immanuale Kants “Critique of Pure Reason” in your upcoming book about thinking? (33:42) What is the difference between the strategic plan and vision document? (36:59) Can I buy the “Deep Life” on pre-order? (39:30) Cal discusses his recent newsletters  (41:54) My small business uses Claude. Is that ok? (44:45) Are any AI companies responsible to use? (45:28) The truth about LLMs (45:45) What are some AI book recommendations? (46:42) AI and regulation (50:25) What Cal is up to? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePNs-G7puA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIeeDcnu9Ck https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/opinion/gen-z-tiktok-ig-reels.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlnmQbPGuls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRKcUtOkbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zYn-HHcyA   Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.quo.com/deep https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a week spent debating AI’s impact on humanity, Cal wants to turn his attention back to AI’s impact on humans. To support this shift, he brings on the writer Brad Stulberg who recently decided that he was “done” with AI. They explore whether this is a resistance movement in the making… Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia More from Cal Download Cal’s FREE guide to cultivating a deeper life: calnewport.com/ideas Learn more about Cal’s books: calnewport.com/books Listen to Cal’s podcast: thedeeplife.com/listen Chapters (0:00) A new paper calls LLMs a "cognitive virus" (4:03) Brad gave AI a real shot — then quit (8:13) Why everything online now sounds the same (13:22) Plank 1: Effort, struggle, and the click-of-a-button economy (20:11) You can take a gondola to the summit, but you didn't climb it (28:30) Plank 2: AI is an average maker (33:39) AI swirl: pseudo-productivity turned up to 11 (49:40) Treat AI like ultra-processed food (55:08) Getting it off your phone, and the lesson of sports analytics (1:00:13) Team Human and the humanist resistance Sponsors: https://www.horizon3.com/deep https://www.calderalab.com/deep https://www.notion.com/cal https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off (Use code "deep50off") Credits: Podcast Production: Jesse Miller Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler Theme Music: Jay Kerstens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) How Worrisome is GPT-6’s “Stealth Thinking”?  (8:58) Reasoning models (15:30) Astra (21:02) The Good (24:48) The Bad (28:28) The Hype Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QNsdr-Qx_I https://www.theinformation.com/articles/secret-technique-behind-openais-astra-model-sparks-security-concerns?rc=1ycz3a https://x.com/_NathanCalvin/status/2094957301564092914 https://x.com/sjgadler/status/2094959837691908214?s=61 https://x.com/merettm/status/2095023204993490967?s=20 https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11473 Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s that time of year again when Cal tunes up his organizational systems for the onslaught of the fall. In this episode, Cal walks through the exact system he’s personally adopting for the next few months. He also discusses why such systems are key to thriving in our current frenetic technological world, why it’s important to continue to tweak your systems, and best practices for constructing your own setup. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) How I’m organizing my life this fall (24:36) An Irish novelist talks about her use of AI (30:11) Developing a more balanced approach to tech products (35:04) Cal’s opinion on an AI article (41:55) Large corporations move away from all enterprise AI (48:46) What Cal is up to August 2026 Books The New Dark Age (Nigel Biggar) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/  https://culturedcode.com/things/ https://www.timeblockplanner.com/   Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.superhuman.com https://www.shopify.com/deep https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.mybodytutor.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Does OpenAI create “secret AI civilizations”? (1:59) What’s the deal with “agent swarms”? (8:54) Should we be worried that the agents are plotting? (17:39) How should we be thinking about all of this? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/openai-huggingface https://calnewport.com/has-ai-gone-rogue/ https://calnewport.com/are-we-at-war-with-ai-agent-civilizations/ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices