Cargo Cult

Apple's launching a new set of generative AI tools and making privacy promises about integrating with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Elon Musk is OpenAI's #1 hater, and also bad at dating. Grok needs a new name probably.

We watch 20 hours of the two-day "AI Expo for National Competitiveness" so you don't have to, and talk about Eric Schmidt's new kamikaze drone company. Photo: Eric Schmidt

Google and Meta are scrambling to bring the internet to Africa. And private U.S. corporations like Google and Meta mediating access to the internet is lowkey goated when digital colonialism is the vibe. Photo: Mark Zuckerberg

Scarlett Johansson is suing OpenAI for using a voice "eerily similar" to hers for ChatGPT 4o. We also yap about NYC Mayor Eric Adams's voice clone speaking Yiddish, ElevenLabs turning every news article into a podcast, BBL Drizzy, Joaquin Phoenix's high-waisted pants, and Google entering its "Gemini era."

We're talking about the iPad commercial, German anti-Tesla activists, AI dating concierges, and the underwater internet cables of the deep sea bourgeoisie. Photo: Jeff Bezos

We discuss the "Friends of the IDF" in leadership roles at Interscope (Kendrick’s label), UMG (Drake’s label and Interscope’s parent company), NBC Universal (UMG’s parent company), and Comcast (NBC Universal’s parent company). We apologize for our tardiness and this cop-out pop culture ep. We both had crazy schedules the last couple of weeks (on top of our side hustle as outside agitators on college campuses). We will return to our regularly scheduled program next week ... BBL Drizzayyyy. Photo: Lucien Grange

We talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which will enable a new level of financial surveillance and social control. And we’re joined by John F O’Donnell, a guy with horrible karaoke etiquette. We promise we're not a con op lim hang !!! Photo: Jerome Powell--Kitty History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Lvv1f5Qu4Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2023: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5776?s=1&r=42#:~:text=Introduced%20in%20House%20(09%2F27%2F2023)&text=This%20bill%20directs%20the%20Department,the%20ages%20of%2018%2D65.A Proposal for CBDC based UBI: https://www.institute.global/insights/tech-and-digitalisation/proposal-web3-based-universal-basic-incomeIMF’s CBDC Virtual Handbook: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/fintech/central-bank-digital-currency/virtual-handbook“Greatest backdoor Wall Street bailout of all time”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579183680751473884Digital Currency vs. Existing Electronic Currency: https://www.nttdatapay.com/blog/types-of-digital-currency/#:~:text=What%20distinguishes%20digital%20currency%20from,those%20connected%20to%20the%20Internet.CBDC vs. Crypto: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/cbdcs-how-different-cryptocurrency-stablecoin/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20between%20CBDCs,data%20protection%20and%20online%20privacy.The Federal Reserve Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SxNyL3YFaMIMF Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4NpCf5Phj0BIS Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mvSsM1uqGoThe benefits of a cashless society: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/benefits-cashless-society-mobile-payments/Atlantic Council CBDC Tracker: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/cbdctracker/Atlantic Council Donors: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/2022-annual-report/IMF Working Hard on Global CBDC Platform Concept, Georgieva Says: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-19/imf-working-hard-on-global-cbdc-platform-concept-georgieva-says?embedded-checkout=trueBIS Survey on CBDCs: https://www.bis.org/publ/bppdf/bispap136.pdfBIS Explained: https://www.bis.org/about/index.htmBIS Livestream, “Central bank digital currencies, digital payments, and the future of money”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVD1ZFPzcbgBiden Executive Order on CBDCs: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/09/executive-order-on-ensuring-responsible-development-of-digital-assets/Statement from Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on the Release of Reports on Digital Assets: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0956US Policy Objectives for a CBDC System: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/09-2022-Technical-Evaluation-US-CBDC-System.pdfThe IMF on Nigeria’s CBDC: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2021/11/15/na111621-five-observations-on-nigerias-central-bank-digital-currencyU.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announces “Catalyst: Inclusive Cashless Payment Partnership” for India: https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/india/press-releases/oct-14-2016-usaid-launches-catalyst-drive-cashless-payments-indiaIndian PM Modi Announces Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to be Pulled Out of Circulation immediately: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rs-500-and-rs-1000-notes-pulled-out-of-circulation-immediately-pm-narendra-modi/articleshow/55315473.cmsThe Federal Reserve on Programmable CBDC: https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/money-and-payments-20220120.pdfJP Morgan on Programmable Money: https://www.jpmorgan.com/onyx/programmable-payments-purpose-bound-moneyBank of England calls on ministers to decide whether a CBDC should be programmable: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/21/bank-england-tells-ministers-intervene-digital-currency-programming/#:~:text=Bank%20of%20England%20tells%20ministers%20to%20intervene%20on%20digital%20currency%20'programming',-Digital%20cash%20could&text=The%20Bank%20of%20England%20has,is%20spent%20by%20the%20recipient.Eswar Prasad on the “Future of Money” at the WEF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyANVmHJB3cFactchecking the Eswar Prasad Quote: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-world-economic-forum-cashless-society-false-cbdc-592718364311Ron DeSantis on CBDC and “Woke Banking”: https://www.c-span.org/video/?532981-1/governor-ron-desantis-campaigns-hampton-nhRepublican Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Ban a CBDC in the U.S.: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/02/27/republican-lawmakers-introduce-legislation-to-ban-a-cbdc-in-the-us-again/Trump Campaign Vows to Block CBDC: https://thehill.com/business/4416139-trump-vows-to-block-creation-of-digital-dollar/Trump Admin Floats Idea of “USDC,” US Digital Currency: https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/17/22888225/jared-kushner-us-treasury-mnuchin-government-federal-cryptocurrency-trump-white-houseBetter than Cash Alliance: https://www.betterthancash.orgDigital Dollar Project: https://digitaldollarproject.orgThe IMF’s Tobias Adrian on a Synthetic CBDC: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2019/05/13/sp051419-stablecoins-central-bank-digital-currencies-and-cross-border-paymentsThe IMF’s Tobias Adrian used to be at the NY Fed Before the IMF: https://www.tobiasadrian.com/AboutJohn’s 17 Plugs: https://linktr.ee/therealjfod

We talk about Israel’s automated kill lists generated by an “AI” assassination machine named Lavender and Amazon’s automated checkout experience called “Just Walk Out.”

Talking about Truth Social and killer robots.

Boeing has certainly helped kill people in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But did it also kill a Southern funcle? Fasten your seatbelt, because this Boeing story has it all. Plane crashes, union busting, offshoring, whistleblowers, and a mysterious parking lot death. We also talk about the Justice Department’s new lawsuit against Apple for monopolizing smartphone markets. Btw rejected titles for this episode include No Plane No Gain, Error Plane Mode, Airline Fractures, Plane in the Neck, and Boeing Pains.

Here we discuss the TikTok ban and Clearview AI, a US company with a database of more than 40 billion facial images from the public internet. We also listen to big tech kingmaker Peter Thiel explain why artificial intelligence and facial recognition are "kind of communist." And we're joined by Pat Burtscher (https://www.instagram.com/patburtscher/), the nation's foremost cabbage diet expert. Photo: Hoan Ton-ThatFor nerds who like to sign petitions: https://www.banfacialrecognition.com/

We explore Reddit’s journey from online community to data business. We also cover NYT suing OpenAI for copyright infringement and Google laying off a group of striking contractors. RIP Aaron Swartz. Photo: Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman

They say the next dystopian surveillance technology will be launched by a gay CEO ... Really makes you feel like part of history. Photo: Tim Cook

In Part 2 of this series on Neuralink and the brain-computer interface (BCI), we discuss the current human trials for the N1 implant, FDA commissioner Robert Califf, and key figures in the movement of transhumanism such as Julian Huxley (President of the British Eugenics Society), Ray Kurzweil (Director of Engineering at Google), and Zoltan Istvan (Bus Driver). Sorryyyyyyyy this is late. This was recorded on Feb 4th but we couldn't edit it until now. Naomi was on tour doing comedy and Michele had to dance in the Super Bowl. Photo: Ray Kurzweil

Founded in 2016, Neuralink has developed a device that can implant ultra-thin threads inside the brain. The threads connect to a custom-designed chip with electrodes that can read data from groups of neurons. It’s a yarmulke homie no cap. In Part 1 of this series on Neuralink and the brain-computer interface (BCI), we explore the cruel and unusual monkey torture that built the company and Elon Musk’s plan for “human/AI symbiosis.” We recorded this ep before Daddy Musk’s Monday announcement that the first human received a Neuralink implant.

Fortune Tellers and Cameos are in. Sam Altman and Tom's Toothpaste are out. Welcome to Season 2. Send your burning questions to cargocultpod@gmail.com. Photo: Sam Altman

This one is about having feelings for "AI." We look into Replika, the company whose chatbot was in the news because it encouraged a 19-year-old to become an assassin. Then we learn about InflectionAI, the second-best-funded generative AI startup (behind OpenAI) whose owners want to create "personal AI for everyone."

We debate the viability of solar geoengineering and learn about the Drapers, a "venture capital family" with a pretty racist and eugenicist history. Then, we try to figure out how a Silicon Valley-based robot pizza company called Zume failed to turn a profit.

On this 4th of July, it's time to meet Palantir, a powerful and Patriotic software company that helps Western countries derive insights from their data and whose first client was the CIA. In this episode, we disclose the company's underreported origins, make fun of the eccentricities of its bipartisan founders, and cover its controversial work with the US military, cops, border patrol, and more. We discover some Lord of the Rings lore.

We consider how the gamification of love affects our sanity and the shape online dating might take in the future. We also investigate how Match Group (parent company of Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, and more) dominates the dating app industry and discover a new conservative-only dating app funded in part by Peter Thiel. Then we investigate the bizarre and untimely death of Peter Thiel's side piece. This episode also includes a brief and just okay Jordan Peterson's impression.More information on the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act:https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/congress-must-stop-graham-blumenthal-anti-security-bill