Today, we’re featuring an episode from NPR’s science podcast Short Wave. In it, host Regina G. Barber talks to computer scientist Ilia Shumailov about maybe the buzziest topic around: AI. I’m sure you know AI models like OpenAI's ChatGPT are trained on millions of examples of human-written text. Nowadays, a lot of content on the Internet is written by these generative AI models. That means that AI models trained now may consume their own synthetic content and suffer the consequences. What's the harm? Find out with this episode of Short Wave.

Follow NPR's Short Wave podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more episodes like this, featuring new discoveries, everyday mysteries and the science behind the headlines.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre-Dame in Paris went up in flames, threatening the future of the centuries-old Gothic treasure. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the cathedral’s restoration, recounts the collective effort to bring the building back to life while honoring its history. Listen for a story of craftsmanship, devotion and innovation — and learn how more than 2,000 hands worked to return this landmark to the world.

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Artificial intelligence could cost many of us our careers — but that doesn’t mean we should stop its development, says journalist Megan J. McArdle. As she watches AI encroach on her own craft, she shares a fresh take on the 19th-century Luddites, who tried to destroy machines that would upend their trade. Looking back, McArdle reframes today’s fears with a poignant question: If we halt progress to protect the present, what might we be stealing from the future? After the talk, Sherrell highlights how AI might not be replacing human jobs---but creating new ones.

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This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innovative approach that turned Texas into a renewable energy powerhouse. It’s a story about what could get done before partisan politics got in the way of good climate policy, and it shows that economic incentives for consumers, government, and companies can play a huge role in supercharging clean energy.

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Who pays for an assassin on the internet? Dark web researcher Carl Miller spent years tracking down the answer to this question. In this chilling talk, he shares how he uncovered real kill orders placed online by seemingly ordinary individuals — and gives an unsettling look at what drives people to the brink. (Note: This talk contains descriptions of violence.)

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If food waste were  a country, it’d be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions after China and the US, says Apeel Senior VP of Operations Jenny Du. Following her talk at TED2025, Du sits down for a conversation with host Sherrell Dorsey on how her lab is creating plant-based coating that can help reduce food spoilage. From combating food deserts to extending shelf life, Jenny and Sherrell discuss how Apeel is using science and sustainability to revolutionize the global food system.

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Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity.

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The arrival of non-human intelligence is a very big deal, says former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt. In a wide-ranging interview with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt makes the case that AI is wildly underhyped, as near-constant breakthroughs give rise to systems capable of doing even the most complex tasks on their own. He explores the staggering opportunities, sobering challenges and urgent risks of AI, showing why everyone will need to engage with this technology in order to remain relevant. After the talk, Sherrell

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What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of platonic love. They also debate whether or not you have to learn to love yourself before loving someone else, and imagine a world in which AI agents vet potential partners before a first date.

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Cement is one of the most-consumed materials on Earth — second only to water — and it accounts for a whopping eight percent of the world's carbon pollution. What if we could turn this climate villain into a hero? Clean tech innovator and serial entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam reveals his company's surprisingly simple process for transforming waste from the cement-making process back into limestone using existing infrastructure, creating a competitive and eco-friendly product that could pave the way for gigaton-scale climate solutions.

After the talk, Sherrell reflects on the market for green cement and highlights other initiatives working to increase transparency and adopt lower-emission products.

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