I was at South by Southwest this weekend for the Omidyar Network's Lighthouse event, and a young woman said something during an AI ethics panel that completely reframed how I understand an entire generation's relationship with the internet. She described growing up inside an algorithm that analyzed her interests faster than she could develop them, fed those interests back in a relentless loop, and effectively stole the messy exploratory phase you need to figure out who you are. As a result, her generation is deeply skeptical of everything — and when they want to express fear, they don't march or write letters. They crack jokes.

This connects directly to the core argument of my book The Loop: AI systems don't just serve you content, they narrow what you're exposed to, and in doing so, they shape who you become. The constant irony, the memes about climate change and unaffordable housing, the tongue-in-cheek TikToks about AI ruining work — those aren't a generation being glib. They're a generation that has learned earnestness doesn't get results, and humor is the only channel they have left. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

I also reflect on what it was like to attend SXSW with no agenda for the first time, why conferences are usually a nightmare for reporters, and why Alanis Morissette from a hotel balcony is one of life's great pleasures.

Originally published at The Rip Current. Paid subscribers get early access + full transcripts: https://theripcurrent.com