The IRS is using it. So are many filers. Here’s what you 

"I am more concerned about the IRS having really bad AI than I am about our tax software having decent AI. The IRS and AI—what could possibly go wrong?"

That's the question driving this episode of Techishly Jenn. Tax season is here, and for the first time, AI isn't just a feature—it's actively processing your return and the IRS system reviewing it. Algorithm vs. algorithm. And your biggest check of the year is sitting right in the middle.

Host Jennifer Jolly talks with Intuit executive Mark Notarainni about how TurboTax and Credit Karma are using AI with guardrails, human review, and serious security protections. But she doesn't stop there. She tracks down real users—like 26-year-old startup founder Musa Hakim Jr., who says AI made filing "easier, faster, clearer"—and skeptics like performer Barbara Kamara, who caught ChatGPT giving flat-out wrong tax advice.

From cost basis errors that cost people thousands, to the IRS using machine learning to flag side hustles and crypto, this episode breaks down what's hype, what's helpful, and what could bite you if you're not paying attention.

What You'll Learn

• How the IRS uses AI to flag higher-risk returns (and what triggers it)
• Why random chatbots are dangerous for tax advice—and what makes tax-specific AI different
• What "AI + human review" actually means inside TurboTax and Credit Karma
• How AI caught $12,000 in missing deductions for one type of filer alone
• Why transparency matters more than speed when your refund is on the line
• The real difference between automation and guardrails

• Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify
• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

Episode Resources

• TurboTax
• Credit Karma
• Consumer Reports insights on AI transparency
• Techish.com 

Tell Us What You Think

Would you trust AI to do your taxes? Have you already filed this year? Did it help — or just make things more confusing? Drop your thoughts below.

Support the Show

If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].

Recurring guest, Andrew Yang is back — and he’s not pulling punches. 

In this wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation, Jenn sits down with Yang to talk about the forces reshaping our lives right now: AI, money, power, politics, and what happens when technology moves faster than our institutions can handle.

This isn’t a campaign speech or a tech hype session, it’s a real, sometimes funny, sometimes unsettling conversation about why Americans feel squeezed, why trust in institutions is collapsing, and why AI is about to upend work, wealth, and opportunity whether we’re ready or not. 

Yang opens up about running for president (again), the broken two-party system, why Silicon Valley lost its moral compass, and what it actually takes to build businesses that help people instead of extracting from them.

Along the way, Jenn pushes Yang on a few topics like billionaires burning money on ego projects, why universal basic income is no longer a fringe idea, and how companies like Yang’s Noble Mobile are trying (quietly) to put cash back into people’s pockets. It’s candid, emotional, occasionally profane, and one of the most unfiltered conversations we’ve had on the show.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s really running the country — politicians, tech giants, or venture capital — this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Andrew Yang says the odds of him running for president again are “very high”
• How AI is already hollowing out jobs — and why worse disruption is coming fast
• Why Silicon Valley abandoned the idea of helping society and chased power instead
• How the two-party system is breaking down — and what could replace it
• Why universal basic income is becoming unavoidable, not radical
• How Noble Mobile works — and how your phone plan might actually save you money
• Why Americans feel poorer even when the economy says they’re “doing fine”
• Who Yang believes is still doing business the right way — and why that matters

• Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify
• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

Episode Resources

• Andrew Yang (website)
• Andrew Yang (newsletter)
• The War on Normal People
• Noble Mobile
• Forward Party

Tell Us What You Think

Do you think AI will actually make life better — or just make a few people richer? Would you ever trust a company that claims it wants to make you less broke? Drop your thoughts, push back, or tell us where you agree (or disagree) — this is one we expect people to argue about.

Support the Show

If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].

This is a can’t miss episode.

There’s a quiet rebellion happening — in kitchens, classrooms, and bedrooms — and it’s not coming from Silicon Valley. In this powerful episode of Techishly Jenn, Jenn sits down with Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, co-authors of the new book The Amazing Generation, to talk about what’s really happening to kids growing up with smartphones, social media, and now AI.

If The Anxious Generation helped parents understand what went wrong, The Amazing Generation is about what comes next — and why kids themselves are starting to say “enough.” 

This isn’t a tech-panic episode. Jenn, Jonathan, and Catherine make it clear: technology isn’t the enemy. But addictive design, unregulated platforms, and giving kids adult-grade tech before their brains are ready? That’s where things go sideways.

Together, they unpack how smartphones became “supercomputer slot machines,” why social media harms girls and the broader techno-sphere traps boys, and why AI may pose an even bigger developmental threat if we don’t slow down and get this right. Along the way, Jenn shares candid parenting moments, including the uncomfortable but essential question every parent should ask their child — and themselves.

This is one of the most honest, emotional, and practical conversations we’ve had on the show — about kids, screens, guilt, hope, and how we reclaim childhood without shame or lectures.

• Why kids don’t need smartphones — and what they actually need instead
• How social media and games are deliberately designed to hijack young brains
• Why the damage isn’t anecdotal anymore — and what the research really shows
• Why girls are hit hardest by social media and boys by the broader techno-sphere
• The heartbreaking question parents should ask their kids about phone use
• Why “no screens in bedrooms” is the single most important rule you can make
• How AI could be more dangerous than social media for child development
• Why kids themselves are leading the rebellion — and what gives real hope

• The Amazing Generation (website)
• The Amazing Generation (book)
• Jonathan Haidt (website) 
• Jonathan Haidt (Instagram)
• Catherine Price (website)
• Catherine Price (Instagram)

Tell Us What You Think

Have you already given your child a smartphone — and now wish you’d waited? What rules are working (or not) in your house? This episode isn’t about guilt — it’s about doing better together. Share your thoughts, questions, and hard moments with us.

Support the Show

Do us a favor. If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected]. 

• Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify
• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

There are tens of thousands of gadgets, gizmo’s and techy doo-dads at CES. But how many of them actually matter to you and me? What deserves a spot in your home and life this year and well into the future? Those are just a few of the questions Jenn and Producer Scott asked themselves and hundreds of other gadget-insiders for a solid week at the world’s most powerful tech convention in Las Vegas in early January. 

Jenn and Scott have more than 30-years of CES experience under their well-worn belts. In this 2026 recap episode of Techishly Jenn, the two of them break down what stood out, what surprised them, what made them laugh, and what made them both quietly whisper, “Oh… this might actually matter.”

From robots that crash (and occasionally charm), to AI health mirrors that claim to know you better than your doctor, to toilets that are doing way too much, this episode cuts through the hype to focus on the tech that feels real, useful, or at least entertaining enough to talk about. 

They also bring back everyone’s favorite segment — Marry, Fund, Kill — because nothing says serious tech analysis like ranking gadgets based on vibes, value, and whether we’d actually sleep with them or just take ‘em out for a one night stand. 

What You’ll Learn

• What was so insanely different about CES this year? (Spoiler: it has nothing to do with “booth babes.”) 
• Whether this the year we all get robot helpers in our homes…
• Why Tombot Jennie stole hearts (and why its purpose actually matters)
• Why toilet tech is “flush” with promise, but still has some crap to work out. 
• The TVs and display tech that genuinely impressed us (hello, Dolby Vision 2 and Wallpaper TV)
• The gadgets we’d marry, fund, or bury in the backyard next to our kids’ first pet hermit crab. 

Episode Resources

• Tombot Jennie and the future of robotic companionship
• Nuralogix Longevity Mirror and AI health monitoring
• Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses
• Hypershell Ultra X wearable exoskeleton
• OHM Home Resonance Lamp
• LG Wallpaper TV and next-gen display tech
• CES show highlights [Instagram]

Which CES gadget would you marry? Which one deserves funding? And which one made you say, “Absolutely not”? Drop your hot takes, disagreements, and favorite CES finds — because half the fun of CES is arguing about it afterward.

Do us a favor. If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected]. 

• Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify
• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly

LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

It’s the most wonderful — and tech-obsessed — time of the year. In this festive, no-holds-barred holiday special of Techishly Jenn, Jenn and Producer Scott unwrap the best gadgets of 2025, roast the biggest tech flops, and hand out the annual Naughty & Nice List to companies and CEOs who shaped the year — for better or worse.

This episode is equal parts gadget gossip, holiday confession, cultural critique, and consumer survival guide. From AirPods that finally live up to the hype, to AI tools that quietly save time (and sanity), to tech leaders who lost the plot entirely, Jenn pulls zero punches. Along the way, she shares the products she actually uses, the tech she refuses to tolerate, and why 2026 needs to be the year we demand more — from our gadgets, our platforms, and ourselves.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected] and find us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

*If you care about privacy, policing, tech ethics, or just want to understand who’s tracking your license plate and why — this episode is for you.*

It’s pretty safe to say we all want less crime — but what are we willing to trade for it? In this episode of Techishly Jenn, Emmy Award–winning journalist Jennifer Jolly steps into the rapidly expanding world of AI-powered safety tech — where license-plate readers scan our streets and data promises to solve crimes before we even know they’ve happened.

Flock Safety — America’s fastest-growing surveillance company — has quietly installed more than 80,000 cameras across 6,000+ communities, from school zones to shopping centers. Valued at $7.5 billion, it’s the crime-fighting giant most people have never heard of…until now.

Jennifer sits down with Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley to explore how license-plate readers, AI, drones, and data are changing modern policing — and what that means for safety, privacy, public trust, and everyday life.

What starts as a straightforward Q&A with a well-messaged CEO, quickly becomes a deeper conversation about crime prevention, civil liberties, data transparency, and how much responsibility technology companies should (or should not) have in how their tools get used.

This episode is part crime-tech explainer, part civil-liberties gut check — asking not just can we build this technology, but ultimately who’s responsible for how it gets used? It pulls back the curtain on the gadgets shaping our world — asking hard questions, while keeping it smart, human, and just a little bit funny.

NOTE: This episode was recorded in August 2025

• How Flock Safety became a $7.5B crime-tech powerhouse
• Why cities and neighborhoods are racing to install automated license-plate readers
• The controversies sparking lawsuits, watchdog warnings, and “Handmaid’s Tale vibes”
• Garrett Langley’s response to critics — and what he sees as the future of policing tech

• Jennifer’s YouTube video on Flock Safety
• Jennifer Jolly’s USA Today column: The $7.5 Billion Eye in the Sky
• Background on Flock Safety’s tech and controversies
• Follow Jennifer on Techish.com and Instagram

• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected]. 

If you’ve ever looked at your monthly cell bill and thought, “Why am I paying premium prices to get doom-scrolled into a bad mood?” — this one’s for you.

In this episode of Techishly Jenn, Emmy-winning tech journalist Jennifer Jolly sits down with Andrew Yang — yes, the former presidential candidate — who’s now CEO of a brand-new wireless carrier called Noble Mobile. The pitch: save real money, get rewarded for using your phone less, and stop being the product in a data-harvesting economy. Is this refreshingly human… or just really good branding? We dig in.

What starts as “new phone plan, who dis?” quickly turns into a bigger conversation about money, mental health, attention, trust, and how tech could reflect our values instead of hijacking them. We also go behind the curtain on politics, power, and why switching carriers after 25 years can feel like breaking up with your high school sweetheart — but in five minutes.

 What You’ll Learn

• The big idea behind Noble Mobile: why it charges less, how the month-end rebate works, and why your data isn’t for sale

• How a carrier can nudge you to doom-scroll less without turning into your nagging aunt

• Why so many famous folks are launching MVNOs — and what makes this one different (or not)

• The money–mental health loop: why saving $50–$100 a month actually changes how you feel

• Yang’s 10-year prediction: your phone as a reflection of your values, identity, and community

• A candid look at politics, polarization, and why “we are the adults in the room” now (weird, right?)

 Episode Resources

• Noble Mobile (plan details, rebates, referrals, and savings calculator)

• Andrew Yang’s recent talk on media, polarization, and optimism about the future

• Jennifer’s coverage and ongoing review notes at Techish.com

 Tell Us What You Think

If a carrier paid you to scroll less — would you switch? What would it take? Send questions and hot takes for our follow-up Q&A.

 Connect with Jenn 

• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly

 Support the Show

If this episode helped you think differently about tech (or your bill), please rate and review Techishly Jenn. It helps more people find the show — and keeps us from becoming just another boring tech podcast.

Ever wished your backup battery was, well, bigger? 

In this episode of Techishly Jenn, I sit down with Lynn Ames, GM’s behind-the-scenes “energy whisperer,” to unpack the bold idea behind GM Energy: electric vehicles that don’t just drive you to the store — they can keep your house running when the grid goes dark. We talk about vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), real-life blackout stories, safety, incentives, affordability, and what it takes to make 100-year-old industries work together.

Quick note: we recorded just before GM reported a $1.6B EV loss — so we also tackle the big question head-on: can cars that give back still move the company (and the country) forward?

Also — Producer Scott talks about his latest Techish review of the Garmin Bounce 2 smartwatch for kids. Can it give his kids a little more freedom and give him fewer worries about letting them roam? What works, and what doesn’t, for parents and kids alike. 

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• How V2H actually works in a blackout: what stays on, what switches over, and why it’s silent, seamless, and fume-free.
• From driveway to micro-grid: the path from V2H to V2G, where millions of EVs can stabilize the grid — and potentially earn you money.
• Control, safety, and security: who decides when energy flows, how protections work, and why mobility needs always come first.
• Real incentives, real numbers: rebates, utility programs, and why a $499 “generator” isn’t the only smart family investment we talked about.
• Access & affordability: under-$30K entries (hello, Bolt return), used-EV dynamics, lower maintenance, and where costs are falling fastest.
• Women leading the future of energy + mobility: two women talking candidly about the next era of vehicles, power, and family resilience.

📌 Episode Resources

• Can EV’s Save the Grid? Jenn’s USA Today article about powering her home with an EV for a week – [link]
• Jennifer’s Hands-on Video with the GMC Sierra –  [link]
• Jennifer’s Hands-on Video Powering Her Home – [link] 
• GM Energy: V2H, PowerBank, utility partnerships, and program eligibility – [link]
• Getting Started with V2H: home assessment, transfer switch basics, and safety checklist – [link]
• Find Incentives: federal, state, and utility rebates for EVs and home energy – [link]
• Techish coverage and hands-on tests from Jenn’s blackout experiences – [link]
• Scott’s Techish coverage and hands-on review of the Garmin Bounce 2 – [link]

💬 Tell Us What You Think

Would you let your car keep your lights on — or sell energy back to the grid for cash? What would it take for you to try V2H or V2G? Send questions and hot takes for our follow-up.

Q&A: Send feedback and questions to [email protected]. And if this episode helped you think differently about power, or even kids tech, please rate and review Techishly Jenn on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find the show.

A screen that fixes screens? That’s the bold new idea behind a brand-new gadget called Board — a 24-inch tabletop console where physical pieces are the controllers: knives that cut, stairs you build, spaceships you fly — all on a shared digital board.

Founder Brynn Putnam (who sold Mirror to Lululemon for half a billion dollars) and game veteran Seth Sivak (ex-Blizzard, World of Warcraft) join Jennifer to talk about their bigger bet: ending solo screen time and making face-to-face play effortless for toddlers, teens, parents, and grandparents alike.

We dig into how it works (and why an iPad can’t), why the “Best Family Game” can’t keep being single-player, what $499 actually buys at launch (12 original games and the pieces), and what it takes for a woman-led hardware startup to create a whole new category in 2025.

What starts as “Isn’t this just a big iPad on a table?” quickly turns into a deeper conversation about how we use screens, what real connection looks like, and why this one — powered by physical play — actually feels like magic.

🔑 What You’ll Learn

• Why Board exists: the problem with “family” tech that still keeps everyone alone on their own screens

• How the hardware + software + object recognition work together (and why a tablet can’t do this)

• Why Board’s games beat nostalgia, especially when the controller is a robot, a spaceship, or a stair block

• The intentional multi-generational design: From toddlers to grandparents, Board needed to figure out a way to make the platform seamless, regardless of age

• Price and value: why $499 aims to compete with consoles, not tablets, and what comes next

• Category creation in 2025: the realities of fundraising, shipping hardware, and a woman leading in gaming

📌 Episode Resources

• Board - ORDER TODAY [URL]

• lululemon athletica inc. to Acquire Home Fitness Innovator MIRROR [URL]

• Jenn’s Board review on Techish.com [URL] and USA Today [URL] 

💬 Tell Us What You Think

Would you spend $499 to bring everyone back to one screen? What game would sell you on the concept? What topic do you want us to tackle next? Drop a comment and send your questions and hot takes for our follow-up Q&A.

• Spotify: Techishly Jenn
• Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly
• YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
• TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish
• Instagram: @JennJolly
• Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly