TikTok exploded to popularity not by giving users what they asked for—but by figuring out what users really were interested in, and serving that. 

What happens to this algorithm if Bytedance cedes control of it to the U.S.? 

Guest: Emily Baker White, senior writer at Forbes and the author of Every Screen on the Planet: The War Over TikTok

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When you’re getting out of an Uber, Tesla’s unintuitive door handle can embarrass you. In an emergency, getting out of the car quickly can be the difference between life and death.

Guest: Dana Hull, Bloomberg News reporter covering Tesla and Elon Musk 

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Why would Donald Trump rush to announce that Tylenol is a potential cause of autism, a claim unsupported by the research?

Guest: Dan Diamond, White House reporter for the Washington Post.

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.

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If you’re hunting for a job, the odds are increasingly likely you’ll have an interview with an artificial intelligence “recruiter.” And why not? It’s also increasingly likely you’ll be working with A.I. anyway. 

Guest: Danielle Abril, technology-in-the-workplace reporter for the Washington Post.

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TikTok—which was supposed to be banned again on Wednesday but, again, isn’t—may be legal once more. The Trump administration says it’s meeting with Xi Jinping Friday to finalize the agreement, which may involve—get this—a wealthy Trump-supporting tech mogul. 

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate.

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As the Charlie Kirk murder demonstrated, law enforcement, the government, and media all need more internet fluency. But their reactions in the wake of the murder don’t seem to be moving towards a better understanding. 

Guest:  Ryan Broderick, reporter on online culture, author of the newsletter Garbage Day.

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After their daughter committed suicide, they found her ChatGPT log—and where artificial intelligence helped her write her suicide note.

Guest:  Laura Reiley, writer for the Cornell Chronicle. 

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Graphic, violent videos like the shooting of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk circulate across social media moments after they happen, finding an audience even among people who have made no effort to seek them out.

Guest: Craig Silverman, journalist and cofounder of Indicator. 

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An Inflation Reduction Act subsidy for electric vehicles is being shut down by the Trump administration at the end of September, and automakers are preparing for sales of EVs to slow. Can this nascent industry survive? 

Guest: Ryan Felton, reporter covering the automotive industry for the Wall Street Journal

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We’ve been told that artificial intelligence can write, code, generate images—it can do everything…except feasibly turn a profit. But investing in A.I. has nevertheless become a pillar of the U.S. economy. Where is this leading us?

Guest: Ed Zitron, author of the newsletter Where’s Your Ed At and host of the podcast Better Offline.

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