Patrick opens the hour reflecting on late-night television’s shift from the genial wit of Johnny Carson to what he sees as the harsh, politicized comedy behind Stephen Colbert’s cancellation. He shares how digital life devours nearly half the waking day for most Americans and shares research revealing one-third of teens now turn to AI chatbots for emotional support rather than real people. A call from physicist Tom throws open the gates on AI’s privacy pitfalls and ethical quicksand, urging parents to recognize just how quickly children can slip away into digital intimacy with machines.

 

• ‘We’re With Colbert’ rally draws just 20 protesters. (00:58)
• Audio: Johnny Carson on why he doesn’t get into “serious” issues on The Tonight Show (05:45)
• Americans spend nearly half their day online — whether it’s work or play — ‘eye-opening’ poll shows (12:49)
• A 3rd of U.S. teens now say they prefer talking to AI companions over real friends (24:23)
• Tom - I am a physicist and AI pioneer. What you are discussing is super important. It promotes your confirmation bias just like humans do. Everything modern or recent takes precedence. I am dedicated to developing ethical AI. (39:21)