On this week's episode on The AmberMac Show: We dig into how Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms are raking in billions by scamming online users through deceptive ads and, speaking of scams, Elon Musk is taking his Tesla board for a ride for a cool one trillion dollars - thankfully, not all billionaires are built the same. This week’s guest is billionaire investor Frank McCourt, Executive Chairman of McCourt Global and Founder of Project Liberty, who discusses his bid to buy TikTok and his mission to build a better Internet for all. Finally, in this week’s TheOtherMac, Jeff talks about dating apps, AI, chatbots, and the loneliness epidemic.

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• Frank McCourt - Author & Executive Chairman of McCourt Global and Founder of Project Liberty: Book | Website

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On this week’s show, which tech companies are shedding thousands of jobs in the age of AI, why Character.ai is finally banning teens from its chatbot, what are the politics around one of the most popular video doorbells, and why Canadians are stepping up and opening their wallets for a better Facebook. Plus, Jeff unpacks the problem in the promise of personal robots on TheOtherMac; Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University, on how much we know about misinformation and how little is being done to stop it; and The Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines, on Canada’s identity and global leadership in ethical resources.

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• Joan Donovan – Assistant Professor of Journalism & Emerging Media Studies at Boston University: LinkedIn
• The Honourable Stephen Lecce – Ontario’s Minister of Energy & Mines: LinkedIn
• This is Mining Podcast

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This week on The AmberMac Show, author Cory Doctorow joins us to talk about his new book, why everything is worse, and what we can do about it. We talk with Taylor Owen, founding director of The Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy (and host of Machines Like Us), and Sasha Havlicek, CEO of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, about how the world’s leading democracies need to chart a new path forward in tech. In The Other Mac, Jeff unpacks what you need to know about Amazon deals. Plus, in this week’s headlines, how an AI metal detector at a school in the U.S. flagged a Doritos bag as a gun, and which Oscar-winning director likened tech bros’ irresponsible A.I. obsession to the blind arrogance of Victor Frankenstein.

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• Cory Doctorow – Author of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It: Website | Book
• Taylor Owen – Founding Director at The Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy + Host of Machines Like Us: LinkedIn | Website
• Sasha Havlicek – CEO at Institute for Strategic Dialogue: LinkedIn | Website

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This week on The AmberMac Show, the makers of ChatGPT want to be a new home for erotic content. TechRadar Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff joins us to talk about what this means and why it’s so controversial. We also dive into the dangers of embracing crypto and why Pinterest is going to give you the option for less AI in your feeds. In The Other Mac, Jeff delves into how Elon Musk plans to combat the rise of bots on X. Finally, Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist at ESET, joins the show to discuss cyber resilience in the face of increasing scams and online criminal activity.

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• Lance Ulanoff – Editor-at-Large at TechRadar: LinkedIn

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This week on The AmberMac Show, we discuss why it should concern you that OpenAI wants ChatGPT to be the new operating system of the internet, plus Sora’s copyright issues, and Jeff dives into OpenAI (and others’) circular financing and related issues that may cause the AI bubble to burst. We also talk about Deloitte’s $300,000 Australian government report that was found to contain levels of AI hallucinations that may surprise you, how sidewalk delivery robots may be coming to a city near you,  and why Tesla is once again in the crosshairs for self-driving accidents. We’ve also got a very special guest with Dave Sanderson, the last person off the Miracle on the Hudson plane crash, who joins us to talk about moments that matter and why he launched a new magazine on this topic.

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• Dave Sanderson – Leadership & Resilience Keynote Speaker & Author: LinkedIn

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On this week’s episode: the latest on OpenAI’s new AI-only TikTok clone (which seems like an AI slop nightmare), the AI actor taking on Hollywood, and the increasing amounts of money President Trump receives from media and tech companies in legal settlements. In The Other Mac, Jeff uncovers how scammers are spending millions on allegedly forbidden Meta ads. Finally, our guests this week include the Director of the Tech Transparency Project, who joins us to discuss how to hold social media companies accountable for their shady actions, plus ESET’s Chief Security Evangelist on how to stay safe from the latest online scams.

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• Katie Paul – Director of the Tech Transparency Project: LinkedIn | Website
• Tony Anscombe – Chief Security Evangelist at ESET: LinkedIn | Website

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On this week’s episode, we have a conversation with the Honourable Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of AI and Digital Innovation, about why this new government is all in on artificial intelligence. Speaking of AI, we share how this technology is working to keep Indigenous languages alive. Moving south of the border, we unpack why Elon Musk is accusing OpenAI of stealing secrets plus the latest on the DOGE fallout, including data privacy concerns and begging fired workers to come back. On TheOtherMac, Jeff talks about why AI labelling needs to be widely adopted (and why that may not be what Spotify’s new AI rules accomplish).

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• Evan Solomon – Canada’s Minister of AI & Digital Innovation: LinkedIn

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On this week’s episode, Tesla’s door handles are dumb and dangerous. Amber and Jeff share more on what the car company plans to do about it in the wake of recent investigations. Speaking of dumb and dangerous, OpenAI is trying to make ChatGPT safer for teens, but age-specific accounts are not enough. In TheOtherMac, Jeff unpacks why Ticketmaster is getting sued and what it means for music fans. Our guests this week are Brent Toderian, who shares the truth about the politics of bike lanes, and Rosalie Wyonch, Associate Director of Research at the C.D. Howe Institute, who has some ideas about what we can do in the face of Canada’s healthcare crisis.

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• Brent Toderian – City Planner, TODERIAN UrbanWORKS: LinkedIn | X/Twitter
• Rosalie Wyonch – Associate Director of Research at C.D. Howe Institute: LinkedIn

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On this week’s episode, Amber and Jeff discuss the rise in hate that’s turning into real-world violence, and what happened online in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Plus, what you should know about Apple’s latest devices, including a very cool feature that makes travel more accessible. In TheOtherMac, Jeff talks about the growing power and influence of China, and why it should be a cause for concern. This week’s guest is Douglas Soltys, the Editor-in-Chief of Betakit, who joins Amber to talk about Canada’s AI plans and some startups making a difference in tech.

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• Douglas Soltys – Editor-in-Chief of Betakit: LinkedIn | X/Twitter

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In this week’s episode, we discuss the chaos happening in Washington alongside America’s biggest tech leaders. Plus, there’s always a lot of talk about a minimum wage, but in the face of Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, maybe it’s time we have a maximum wage. Rob Breakenridge, a columnist at the Calgary Herald, joins us this week to talk about the politics behind Alberta’s school book ban (and what literary icon Margaret Atwood thinks of it all). Speaking of the next generation, in the face of high youth unemployment, we share which industry is hiring young workers and needs their help.

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• Rob Breakenridge – Host/Columnist for The Line Alberta & Columnist for Calgary Herald: LinkedIn | X/Twitter

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