Dave & Gunnar Show

Dave & Gunnar Show

By David Egts & Gunnar HelleksonSociety & CultureNewsTechnologyTech News
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Dave & Gunnar Show episodes

  • Episode 278: I Know How the Butlerian Jihad Works

    This week Dave and Gunnar talk about weaponized AI and seemingly conscious AI!

    • Virtual Customer Panels with Gemini Gems
    • Dave vs. Ticketmaster
      • Totally unrelated: Cool Dad Raising Daughter On Media That Will Put Her Entirely Out Of Touch With Her Generation
      • Weaponizing image scaling against production AI systems
      • Anthropic's Claude stocked a fridge with metal cubes when it was put in charge of a snacks business
      • Seemingly Conscious AI (SCAI)
        • We must build AI for people, not to be a person
        • Microsoft’s AI Chief Says Machine Consciousness Is an ‘Illusion’
        • Ohio lawmaker proposes comprehensive ban on marrying AI systems and granting legal personhood

          • Cutting Room Floor

          • Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape
          • How Many Phones Sport A 5 And 1/4 Diskette Drive? This One.
          • 1990 Airstream NASA 025 Command Vehicle. A Once-in-a-Lifetime Investment Opportunity
          • Steamed Hams but it's a Critically Acclaimed Feature Film
            • See also:
            • Steamed Hams but it was banned in the USSR
            • Steamed Hams but it's a German Expressionist Film
            • Steamed Hams but it's in Nazi Germany
            • The Simpsons - Worker and Parasite
            • Possible inspiration for Worker and Parasite?
              • 38 min
            • Episode 277: Mission Accomplished

              This week Dave and Gunnar are joined by Dan Walsh on the eve of his retirement!

              • What is new in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0: “The most significant security update is the transition from AppArmor to SELinux as the default Mandatory Access Control (MAC) framework.”
              • Bootc
              • Dan Walsh Red Hat Obituary
              • SELinux
              • Dan’s Russian Blog
              • Cursor
              • Podman In Action
              • RamaLama
              • vLLM
              • Llama.cpp
              • Red Hat Lightspeed
              • Multimodal learning
              • SELinux Coloring Book
              • “Not for Sharing, Kindergarten fan club”

                • We Give Thanks

                • Dan Walsh for being our special guest star!

                  • Special Guest: Dan Walsh.

                  57 min
                • Episode 276: I Think I Had That Shirt

                  For our Halloween finale, Carolyn Ford invites two favorite “AI conjurers”, Dave Egts “Mr. X,” public-sector field CTO at Mulesoft, and Laura Klebanow, founder & chief storyteller at Show & Tell, into the Tech Transforms cauldron. Each brings a “secret AI ingredient”: Carolyn composes whimsical Suno-generated theme music (after a prompt-crafting detour through ChatGPT), Laura pushes image creation and Gemini’s career-planner for playful, practical use, and Dave reimagines Gemini’s children’s-storybook gem to craft customer-hero narratives, plus a Scooby-Doo-style Tech Transforms tale.

                  Then we stir in the shadows: misinformation at scale, AI “rights,” bioethics (organoids/bodyoids), job disruption vs. reskilling, and how creativity can demystify AI without sugarcoating risks. The trio closes with rapid-fire “treats & tricks,” classroom-to-boardroom starter tips (talk with AI, don’t just query it; red-team your ideas), and a reminder to “find your beautiful” use the tools to clear the junk so humans can do what only humans do.

                  Brewed takeaways:

                  • Prompt craft matters; collaborate across tools (Suno, Gemini, ChatGPT).
                  • Creative play ≠ fluff: it’s a safe on-ramp to literacy and adoption.
                  • AI will change jobs; map “jobs to be done,” automate the rote, upskill the rest.
                  • Ethics aren’t optional: teach harm awareness early (mis/dis/malinformation, bullying).
                  • Start small today: keep a running dialogue with AI and build a personal “advisory board” of model personas.

                    • Show links:

                    • Laura Klebanow: Email and LinkedIn
                    • Suno
                    • Carolyn's storybook
                    • Dave's storybook
                    • Tech Transforms Podcast

                      • We Give Thanks

                      • Thanks to Carolyn and Laura for having Dave on the Tech Transforms Podcast!

                        • Special Guests: Carolyn Ford and Laura Klebanow.

                        55 min
                      • Episode 275: I'll Visit You in Jail

                        This week Dave and Gunnar talk about hidden signals in AI models and hidden signals in birds!

                        • Agentic Google App Scripts
                        • Fake Music!
                          • Iron Man ( Soul/Funk) Version 2
                          • Don't You (Forget About Me) ( Soul)
                          • See also: The Klezmonauts -- Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas
                          • Subliminal Learning: Language Models Transmit Behavioral Traits via Hidden Signals in Data
                          • China foes get worse results using DeepSeek, research suggests — CrowdStrike finds nearly twice as many flaws in AI-generated code for IS, Falun Gong, Tibet, and Taiwan
                          • AVIF: The Avian Image Format

                            • Cutting Room Floor

                            • I made headphones with integrated CD player, remote control, battery, disc storage, and jewel box compartment
                            • Building a DOOM-like multiplayer shooter in pure SQL
                            • Phishy URL: Are your links not malicious looking enough?
                              • See also: https://pc-helper.xyz/adware-bot/ransomware_launcher_tool.exe?attachment=overwrite&firewall=exploit&id=c280
                              • URL Lengthener
                                • See also: https://www.namitjain.com/tools/url-lengthener/r/🔥/the/😵‍💫/going/mega?data=aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkZ3Nob3cub3JnJTJG
                                  • 30 min
                                • Episode 274: We've Always Enjoyed Arby's

                                  This week Dave and Gunnar talk about smart glasses and AI existential dread!

                                  Follow Up

                                  • Duperheroes!
                                  • I Previewed These Emotion-Tracking Smart Glasses, and They Seem Weirdly Useful
                                  • Someone Built an Ad Blocker for Real Life, and I Can't Wait to Try It
                                  • 'Positive review only': Researchers hide AI prompts in papers
                                  • Someone trapped an LLM on inferior hardware and infused it with existential dread for the sake of art, and it's terrifying
                                    • Guggenheim: Can’t Help Myself

                                      • Cutting Room Floor

                                      • Photographs From Amundsen’s South Pole Expedition – 1910-1912
                                      • The Museum of Soviet Arcade Games features The Giant Turnip, based on an old Russian folklore tale. Players are scored on how far they can pull the lever out of the machine.
                                        • 25 min
                                      • Episode 273: Let the Good 5G In

                                        This week Dave and Gunnar talk about e-tattoos, AI agent blackmail, and AI memory dossiers!

                                        • Cursor and Claude Code: PARA Auditor, Let Me AI That for You, Botany Battle. Abundance!
                                          • “You won’t lose your job to a tractor, but to a horse who learns to drive a tractor”
                                          • Star Wars - Return of the 80s Miami (Parody Music Video)
                                          • These 5G Protection Sticker Ads Are Hilarious
                                          • ‘E-tattoo’ could track mental workload for people in high-stake jobs, study says
                                          • Agentic Misalignment: How LLMs could be insider threats
                                          • I really don’t like ChatGPT’s new memory dossier
                                            • Seinfeld: Worlds Are Colliding!
                                            • Meanwhile: New judge’s ruling makes OpenAI keeping a record of all your ChatGPT chats one step closer to reality

                                              • Cutting Room Floor

                                              • The Backdooms: Running DOOM on a QR Code
                                              • Texan, Trapped in a William Faulkner Novel, Contemplates Energy Bill
                                              • Need to relax? The Internet Archive is livestreaming microfiche scans to a lo-fi beats soundtrack
                                                • 54 min
                                              • Episode 272: Seed Oils Made Y’all Weak

                                                This week Dave and Gunnar talk about fake bodies, fake passports, fake speakers, a fake Commodore 64 CD-ROM, and Erich Morisse being mean to AI

                                                • Gunnar builds a Gemini-powered virtual team: It's all about perspective.
                                                • Farewell Pocket, hello Wallabag or Instapaper?
                                                • Ethically sourced “spare” human bodies could revolutionize medicine
                                                  • His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
                                                  • Fake Passport Generated by ChatGPT Bypasses Security
                                                  • An episode of The Simpsons? Fake speakers found in Chinese Volvos.
                                                    • The Simpsons: I know a genuine Magnetbox, Panaphonic, & Sorny when I see one.
                                                    • The Commodore 64’s Forgotten CD-ROM
                                                    • Google's Co-Founder Says AI Performs Best When You Threaten It
                                                    • Erich Morisse asks: What If We’re Mean To AI and It's Faster?

                                                      • Cutting Room Floor

                                                      • The Business Cards of American Psycho
                                                      • Alarm App Demands You Watch Advertisement to Hit "Snooze" Button
                                                      • Influenders
                                                      • Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town

                                                        • Character Card: Dave Egts, the Tech Conduit

                                                        • Class: Information Broker/Wandering Scholar
                                                        • Level: 10 (Represents seasoned experience in gathering and disseminating information)
                                                        • Key Stats:
                                                          • Intelligence: 14 (Keen interest in technology and current events)
                                                          • Wisdom: 13 (Experienced in presenting information and guiding discussions)
                                                          • Charisma: 15 (Engaging host, able to connect with listeners and Gunnar)
                                                          • Dexterity: 11 (Likely adept at navigating digital interfaces)
                                                          • Constitution: 10 (Average resilience)
                                                          • Strength: 9 (Less emphasis on physical prowess)
                                                          • Skills:
                                                            • Information Gathering: +4 (Constantly bringing up news and interesting links)
                                                            • Persuasion: +5 (Convincing in his role as host)
                                                            • Technology Lore: +4 (Knowledgeable about various technologies, especially AI)
                                                            • Networking: +3 (Maintains connections, has an intern)
                                                            • Podcastcasting: +5 (Years of experience hosting the "Dave and Gunnar Show")
                                                            • Equipment/Tools:
                                                              • The Scroll of Cutting Room Findings: A collection of intriguing and often bizarre information snippets.
                                                              • The Referral Link Amulet: Grants minor luck when promoting digital services.
                                                              • The Microphone of Amplification: Enhances his voice and presence.
                                                              • Special Abilities:
                                                                • Rapid Link Retrieval: Can quickly recall and share relevant information from his vast mental archives.
                                                                • Interruption Evasion: Skilled at navigating conversational tangents and bringing the focus back.
                                                                • Beard of Minor Intimidation: Once grew a beard that reportedly scared children. (Grants a +1 to Intimidation checks, but only when visibly bearded).

                                                                  • Character Card: Gunnar Hellekson, the Organized Sage

                                                                  • Class: Productivity Master/Lorekeeper
                                                                  • Level: 10 (Represents deep knowledge and refined organizational skills)
                                                                  • Key Stats:
                                                                    • Intelligence: 15 (Deeply analytical and knowledgeable in various subjects)
                                                                    • Wisdom: 14 (Offers insightful perspectives and well-reasoned opinions)
                                                                    • Charisma: 12 (Engaging in discussions, though sometimes focused on his own systems)
                                                                    • Dexterity: 12 (Likely efficient with digital tools and interfaces)
                                                                    • Constitution: 11 (Average resilience)
                                                                    • Strength: 8 (Less emphasis on physical pursuits)
                                                                    • Skills:
                                                                      • Organization: +6 (Master of Todoist and the PARA method)
                                                                      • Lore (Technology): +4 (Extensive knowledge of tech trends and concepts)
                                                                      • Lore (Games): +4 (Passionate about Dungeons & Dragons and video games like Fallout)
                                                                      • Insight: +4 (Able to identify underlying issues and biases)
                                                                      • Digital Note-Taking: +3 (Proficient with InstaPaper)
                                                                      • Equipment/Tools:
                                                                        • The Immaculate Todoist Ledger: A constantly updated record of tasks, goals, and accountabilities.
                                                                        • The InstaPaper Tome of Summaries: Contains AI-generated summaries of vast amounts of information.
                                                                        • The D&D Dice of Fate: Used for both entertainment and occasional insightful pronouncements.
                                                                        • Special Abilities:
                                                                          • Systematic Efficiency: Can optimize tasks and processes for maximum productivity.
                                                                          • Lore Recall: Able to access detailed knowledge on a wide range of topics, especially related to technology and games.
                                                                          • Twitter Banishing Aura: Once permanently deleted his Twitter account, creating a zone of social media detachment around him.
                                                                          • PARA Method Mastery: Can impose order on chaotic situations with a well-defined system.

                                                                            • We Give Thanks

                                                                            • Erich Morisse for having us think about AI kindness!
                                                                              • 36 min
                                                                            • Episode 271: Blade Runner Pepsi Challenge

                                                                              This week Dave and Gunnar talk about best practices for manipulating AI models to enslave humanity!

                                                                              • Moen’s lifetime warranty
                                                                              • Gemini multimodal!
                                                                              • When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut
                                                                                • Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
                                                                                • Chatbots, Like the Rest of Us, Just Want to Be Loved
                                                                                • D&G Blade Runner Home Edition: Human or Not?
                                                                                • How nice that state-of-the-art LLMs reveal their reasoning ... for miscreants to exploit
                                                                                • Emergent Misalignment: Researchers trained AI models to write flawed code—and they began supporting the Nazis and advocating for AI to enslave humans

                                                                                  • Cutting Room Floor

                                                                                  • Stunting with Reinforcement Learning
                                                                                  • There’s a Vape With a Tamagotchi Inside It That Dies If You Stop Puffing
                                                                                  • A Two-Player Arcade Machine in a Briefcase
                                                                                    • 27 min
                                                                                  • Episode 270: Cylon Monkey Paw: 5 AI Predictions for 2025 & How to Build Intelligent Agents

                                                                                    In this episode, Carolyn Ford welcomes back Dave Egts, Field CTO at MuleSoft, to Tech Transforms to explore the transformative power of AI in 2025. They dive into Dave’s top five AI predictions, with a special focus on the rise of agentic AI—AI that doesn’t just suggest, but acts. Dave explains the difference between generative AI and intelligent agents, why integration via APIs is the key to agent success, and how government agencies can prepare now.

                                                                                    Listeners will learn:

                                                                                    What “large action models” (LAMs) are, and how they differ from large language models

                                                                                    How AI agents are already reducing friction in Salesforce and Slack
                                                                                    Why AI success depends on access to high-quality, actionable data
                                                                                    What’s driving the shift toward small language models and what that means for secure, on-device AI
                                                                                    Why “agent-washing” is the new “AI-washing”—and how to spot it
                                                                                    What makes a truly impactful agent vs. a glorified chatbot
                                                                                    Dave’s favorite sci-fi robot, a monkey’s paw superpower wish, and what tech breakthrough he thinks is coming next

                                                                                    Key Topics:

                                                                                    [00:00] Intro & Dave’s blog: “5 AI Predictions for 2025”

                                                                                    [03:00] What’s an AI agent? Why they’re different from GenAI
                                                                                    [07:30] Real-world examples from Salesforce: Agentforce in action
                                                                                    [14:00] The importance of APIs for agent success
                                                                                    [15:45] Government use cases & security considerations
                                                                                    [18:00] Internal AI agents that reduce toil (meeting schedulers, IT help, expense reports)
                                                                                    [22:00] Cylon references & the power of digital labor in public sector
                                                                                    [29:00] Small Language Models: Why smaller might be better
                                                                                    [36:00] LLM Routers explained
                                                                                    [38:00] Fun Tech Talk Q&A (Superpowers, overhyped trends, sci-fi names)

                                                                                    Resources Mentioned:

                                                                                    📖 Dave's Blog: 5 AI Predictions for 2025: Opportunities Tech Leaders Must Seize This Year

                                                                                    💡 Trailhead Learning Platform from Salesforce: Learn to build your own agent
                                                                                    🤖 Help.Salesforce.com – Try Agentforce
                                                                                    📺 Forbidden Planet (Robby the Robot)
                                                                                    🐒 Monkey’s Paw story reference

                                                                                    Special Guest: Carolyn Ford.

                                                                                    46 min
                                                                                  • Episode 269: Knowingly Violating Laws and Product Warranties

                                                                                    This week Dave and Gunnar talk about cockroaches with backpacks, hydrogels with Pong, and hackers with digital license plates!

                                                                                    • Paperlike Screen Protector
                                                                                    • Cyborg cockroach armies can now be mass-produced at a rate of one every 68 seconds
                                                                                    • Hydrogels can learn to play Pong
                                                                                      • Lavarand
                                                                                      • Hackers Can Jailbreak Digital License Plates to Make Others Pay Their Tolls and Tickets
                                                                                        • How a 'NULL' License Plate Landed One Hacker in Ticket Hell
                                                                                        • XKCD Exploits of a Mom with Little Johnny Tables
                                                                                        • Grandmother gets hundreds of false tickets due to Star Trek vanity plates
                                                                                        • $14 on Amazon

                                                                                          • Cutting Room Floor

                                                                                          • I'd Rather Be Sick Than Eat Progresso Soup Drops Ever Again
                                                                                          • Running Doom On An Apple Lightning To HDMI Adapter
                                                                                            • 30 min

                                                                                          About Dave & Gunnar Show

                                                                                          From the publisher's feed

                                                                                          David Egts and Gunnar Hellekson discuss privacy, security, robots, and internet ephemera.