In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive into a wide-ranging and characteristically lively discussion that spans the launch of Andrew’s new book AI and the Art of Being Human, the rise of OpenAI’s Sora 2video platform, and the surprising partnership between Walmart and ChatGPT that could reshape the economics of online retail. They explore how AI is eroding traditional search and ad models, speculate on whether we’re living inside an “AI bubble,” and ask what happens when an entire digital economy is built on venture debt rather than real profit. Along the way, they unpack themes from the book—how to thrive with AI without losing your humanity—and debate open-source models like Nous Research, guardrails, and the tension between fact and truth in AI’s age of persuasion. The conversation then turns reflective and irreverent, from “pod-slop” fatigue and synthetic media burnout to a tongue-in-cheek Futures Improv segment imagining subscription-based immortality and AI-powered nightclubs. Equal parts thoughtful and hilarious, the episode captures the heart of Modem Futura: exploring how technology, culture, and curiosity shape what it means to be human in a world racing toward its algorithmic future.

Andrew's new book: AI and the Art of Being Human [Amazon]

PEW Research Center: How People Around the World View AI [Web]

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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We celebrate a full year of Modem Futura with an open, in‑studio debrief on what’s worked, what’s changed, and why we double‑down on being a relational—not transactional—podcast. Sean and Andrew look back on 52+ weekly episodes that turned the studio into a “living laboratory,” where listeners pull up a chair to conversations spanning AI and AGI, simulation hypotheses, autonomous mobility (including a ride in a Waymo), radical creativity, robots and bio‑hybrids, space futures, media theory, education, and more. We unpack how care became a guiding frame for our topics and tone; why parasocial dynamics matter when you’re building community; and how year‑one feedback—from teams using episodes to spark discussion to a certain astronaut’s seal of approval—shaped the show. Then we fast‑forward: “liquid media,” NotebookLM → Hux and 24/7 AI radio streams, the risks of “work slop” and extra cognitive load in organizations, and the line between helpful AI tools and losing the human voice. A playful “Futures Improv” lightning round tackles AI pets, brain‑to‑brain headbands, meditation‑mandating robotaxis, and (naturally) Jurassic Park…on the Moon. We close with what’s next—Vision Pro, Meta’s new glasses, and Andrew’s new book AI and the Art of Being Human—plus a nudge to rate/review so more people can join the conversation.

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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This week, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard welcome venture capitalist and AI Salon founder Jeffrey Abbott to launch the new book AI and the Art of Being Human—a practical, hands‑on guide to thriving with AI while rediscovering what matters most. Together, they unpack where the idea came from, why they fast‑tracked the project, and how they co‑created with AI (moving from ChatGPT to Anthropic’s Claude) using a “shared compass,” voice training, and a living “lore book” to keep characters and story arcs consistent. Instead of dry case studies, the book uses vivid, cinematic global vignettes and 21 simple tools (from reflection prompts to the “conductor triangle” of data–context–intuition) to help readers shift away from competing with AI and toward value rooted in relationships, meaning, and personal dharma. The team also explores the four‑posture compass—Curiosity, Clarity, Intentionality, and Care—and how compassion and responsible innovation thread through every chapter (right down to a physical pocket card). Beyond writing, the episode pulls back the curtain on indie publishing (Waymark Works), the realities of e‑book production, and why the book is available via Amazon and mainstream book channels—alongside a call to grow intentional communities through AI Salon’s 70+ chapters worldwide. It’s an honest, practical, and hopeful conversation about building protopian futures with AI—without losing yourself.

Learn more about the book: 

• Book Launch Website [Web]
• Pre-Order on Amazon [Web]
• Jeffrey Abbott - LinkedIn

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew sit down with veteran educator Tara Menghini to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the formative years of K–6 learning. Tara brings over 25 years of classroom experience and a passion for helping young learners build healthy technology habits from the very start. Together, they discuss the growing comfort children have with iPads compared to pencils and scissors, the tension between hands-on physical learning and digital fluency, and the importance of teaching balance rather than banning screen time. Tara shares vivid classroom examples—from coding without screens to design-thinking projects—that cultivate creativity, resilience, and judgment while preparing kids for a future in which AI is ever-present. The conversation also dives into the myths of “digital natives,” how children imagine AI as robots or companions, and why it’s crucial to guide them in understanding both the promises and perils of new technologies. Along the way, the group touches on privacy concerns, digital citizenship, group chat anxieties, and the role parents must play in AI literacy. It’s a thoughtful, often funny, and deeply human look at what it means to introduce the next generation to technology that will define their world.

Links: 

• Tara Menghini [LinkedIn]
• Doug Unplugged [Book / TV series]
• Nerdy Birdy Tweets [Book] 

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this lively milestone episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive into the strange cultural moment where AI hype collides with social backlash. The conversation begins with Apple’s latest tech updates—live translation in AirPods and cinematic filmmaking features in the iPhone 17 Pro—before shifting gears into the growing online phenomenon of the term “clanker.” Originally a Star Wars slur for battle droids, “clanker” has become a pejorative for AI systems—and increasingly, for people who use them. Sean and Andrew unpack how this meme-like insult is evolving into a marker of distrust, frustration, and resistance toward generative AI tools.

Drawing comparisons to the 1990s “Frankenfood” moment, when public sentiment turned sharply against GMOs, they explore whether “clanker” could become AI’s equivalent trigger for social pushback. The hosts discuss the psychology of labeling, from Non-GMO food stickers to potential “Non-AI” labels on creative work, and how signals of authenticity—or lack thereof—shape public trust. They also dig into deeper risks: what happens when personal relationships, workplace trust, and even grief are outsourced to AI-generated messages? Along the way, they introduce the sister term “slopper”for low-quality AI content, debate whether AI-literate etiquette is keeping pace with use, and preview looming copyright battles, including Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement with authors.

As always, Sean and Andrew bring a mix of humor, cultural critique, and futures thinking, asking what these small linguistic shifts reveal about the possible, probable, and preferable futures of human-AI coexistence.

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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Stuck in traffic and daydreaming about an eVTOL escape, Sean and Andrew use “flying cars” (and a new Blackmagic URSA spatial camera that gobbles terabytes) to make a larger point: tech doesn’t fix congestion—or much else—without a systems view that includes people, policy, and behavior. From there, they unpack futures thinking as a mindset, not fortune‑telling: exploring possible, probable, and preferable futures to make better choices today. You’ll hear how horizon scanning (signals, trends, megatrends), scenario building, and backcasting turn uncertainty into actionable paths—while avoiding “used futures,” reducing future shock, and stress‑testing for unintended harms, especially to vulnerable communities and the planet. The conversation ranges from SimCity lessons and Mars‑city thought experiments to risk innovation, protopian versus dystopian frames, and why the plural “futures” matters. They dig into where foresight lives in organizations (embedded roles and external consultancies), why every team needs it, and how to infuse K–12 without piling on: layer a futures lens into existing subjects and use pop culture (e.g., The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future) as safe space for tough ideas. The episode closes on agency—concrete ways anyone can start practicing futures today—plus a timely reminder that we’re living in a moment of extraordinary promise and peril.

Strategic Foresight Toolkit [Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies]

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this episode of Modem Futura, hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard dive into Andrew’s book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies, and the course it inspired, The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future. Together, they explore how blockbuster films—from Jurassic Park and Minority Report to Limitless, Ex Machina, Elysium, and Contact—become more than entertainment: they serve as mirrors reflecting society’s hopes, fears, and ethical dilemmas around technology. The conversation ranges from the philosophical weight of Never Let Me Go and its meditation on mortality, to the prescient warnings of predictive policing in Minority Report, and the unsettling manipulations of AI in Ex Machina. Along the way, Sean and Andrew highlight how film and media shape our perceptions, act as cultural playgrounds for exploring futures, and inspire debates that spill far beyond the classroom.

They also reflect on the communal experience of movies, the tension between science and storytelling, and the importance of using narrative as a vehicle to unpack complex issues like AI ethics, biotechnology, inequality, and human agency. What emerges is not just a tour through iconic sci-fi films, but a passionate argument for why stories matter in helping us navigate the possible, probable, and preferable futures of being human.

Links: 

• The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future (FIS 338) [Official Course Page] 
• Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies [The Book on Amazon]
• Films from the Future: an authors note [Andrew's website]

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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In this episode of Modem Futura, Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard take to the skies—literally exploring the promise and pitfalls of eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft). From personal one-seat “flying pod” drones to futuristic air taxis, eVTOLs are being touted as the next leap in personal and urban transportation. But do they represent a bold solution to gridlock and emissions, or a risky Jetsons-inspired fantasy?

We dive into the history of flying car dreams dating back to the 1940s, the technological advances in drones, batteries, and sensors that make eVTOLs possible today, and the regulatory landscape beginning to emerge around their use. Along the way, we weigh the benefits—time savings, lower emissions, new mobility options—against serious challenges, including safety risks, infrastructure needs, urban noise, environmental impacts, and questions of equity and access. What happens when futuristic transport serves the few rather than the many? And how might this reshape the very design of our cities and societies?

By comparing the rise of automobiles to the uncertain future of aerial mobility, we ask listeners to consider not just canwe build these systems, but should we—and under what conditions. Is this the start of a new era of human flight, or another techno-fantasy with unintended consequences?

Links:

• NASA AAMM [Website]
• FAA Regulatory Info [Website] 

Special Acknowledgment 

We'd like to acknowledge the partial funding support provided by the US Department of Transportation-sponsored Travel Behavior and Demand National University Transportation Center led by The University of Texas at Austin. The Center, of which Arizona State University is a consortium member, has helped make this podcast episode, and the research we're discussing, possible.

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard welcome ASU’s Punya Mishra back to unpack what “agentic AI” could—and shouldn’t—mean in education. After a nostalgic cold open on AOL’s September 30, 2025 dial‑up shutdown and why the show’s intro samples the 56K handshake, they question recent AI “study” and “agent” releases and the industry’s habit of mistaking prompts and dashboards for pedagogy. Mishra contrasts gamified nudges with deep, personal motivation, sharing how he used AI to begin reading Odia so he could finally engage with his mother’s writing—learning driven by belonging, not badges. Grounding the conversation in John Dewey’s four natural impulses (inquiry, construction, communication, and expression) and Seymour Papert’s constructionism, the trio argues for moving from AI playpens to playgrounds where students build with AI (including examples from ASU’s Herberger Young Scholars Academy) rather than being optimized by it. They challenge LMS‑first thinking (“management” over “learning”), highlight the power of subverting assumptions versus breaking rules, and frame courses as crafted experiences that shape identity and community. When AI agents automate coursework, who’s learning? The hosts distinguish classic intelligent tutoring systems from today’s LLMs, warn about surveillance‑and‑efficiency logics (TikTok‑style profiling, datafication of kids), and call for transparent, local, personal AIs—with a literal kill‑switch—that help people become, not become X. Sean closes by showing how an AI‑built Final Cut Pro “course” nails mechanics but misses the art (like J/L cuts)—a reminder that human judgment and aesthetics still carry the soul of learning. Mishra also previews his “Education by Design” class that centers on building educational tools with AI, not just chatbots.

Guest Info: 

Punya Mishra, Ph.D.
Punya Mishra is Director of Innovative Learning Futures at the Learning Engineering Institute(LEI) and Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching & Learning Innovation at Arizona State University (with an affiliate appointment in the Design School).

Punya's Blog [punyamishra.com]
 

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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Summer-mode serendipity turns into a sharp tour of today’s tech hype and what actually matters. Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard open with the rapid-fire AI news cycle—GPT-5 rumors, Claude 4.1, and OpenAI’s new open‑weight releases (120B/20B under Apache 2.0 license)—and why running local models (think Whisper on M‑series Macs, or other local models) is accelerating “garage‑scale” experimentation. From there, Andrew shares a candid writer’s-eye view of co‑authoring with AI: Claude can produce moving, “too perfect” drafts, but the human editor’s job is to re‑introduce voice, variation, and those unmistakable personal “tells.” The conversation then zooms out to the Gartner Hype Cycle—peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment—and why “agentic AI” sits at the peak while generative AI is sliding into the trough. Blending this with diffusion‑of‑innovation, the hosts offer a practical lens for thinking about how technological innovations move through societies. Finally, they pivot to spatial and ambient computing (Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest pass‑through), personal‑area networks, and a world saturated with invisible data—Wi‑Fi sensing that can “see” through walls included—asking what happens when AIs interpret patterns across these sensor-rich environments in ways that exceed human comprehension. It’s a lively mix of hype‑busting, craft, and futures thinking—with a few sci‑fi threads for dessert (and to be honest - a lot of really good potential band names).

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Modem Futura is a production of the Future of Being Human initiative at Arizona State University. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. To learn more about the Future of Being Human initiative and all of our other projects visit - https://futureofbeinghuman.asu.edu

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @ModemFutura

Follow us on Instagram: @ModemFutura

Host Bios:

Sean M. Leahy, PhD - ASU Bio
Sean is an an internationally recognized technologist, futurist, and educator innovating humanistic approaches to emerging technology through a Futures Studies approach. He is a Foresight Catalyst for the Future of Being Human Initiative and Research Scientist for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scholar with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University.

Andrew Maynard, PhD - ASU Bio
Andrew is a scientist, author, thought leader, and Professor of Advanced Technology Transitions in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He is the founder of the ASU Future of Being Human initiative, Director of the ASU Risk Innovation Nexus, and was previously Associate Dean in the ASU College of Global Futures.

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