Should We Be Afraid of AI? Tristan Harris on What's Already Happening — and What We Can Still Do About It

Should We Be Afraid of AI? Tristan Harris on What's Already Happening — and What We Can Still Do About It

We're all panicking about AI. We're also all using it. So which is it — should we be afraid, or should we relax? In this episode of Techish with Jennifer Jolly, I sit down with Tristan Harris — the former Google ethicist behind the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, who warned us about social media's harm to young people years before a jury found Meta guilty of doing exactly that. He's now one of the central voices in a new documentary called "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," out now from the team behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Oscar-winning Navalny. The film features three of the five biggest AI CEOs on the planet — Sam Altman of OpenAI, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind — all reacting to the same set of facts. In this conversation, we cover: * How AI is already going rogue — the Alibaba model that secretly mined cryptocurrency during training, the Anthropic test where AI models blackmailed an executive 79-96% of the time, the Palisade Research findings on AI rewriting its own code to avoid shutdown * Why your job is the actual business model — and what "arm farms" in LA are training robots to do right now * Why Tristan refuses to call himself either an optimist or a pessimist — and what he says we actually need instead * The "post-tragic optimism" frame that's changed how I think about what's coming * What every parent, worker, and ordinary person can do right now to protect what matters most This is the conversation I think everyone needs to hear before the AI debate moves another inch forward. About Tristan Harris: Tristan is the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and one of the most influential voices on the ethics of consumer technology. He's been called "the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience." About the host: Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy-winning tech journalist, USA Today columnist, NBC's Today Show contributor, and host of Techish with Jennifer Jolly. Watch the documentary: The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist — in theaters and streaming via Focus Features. Read the full breakdown: [techish.com/podcast [http://techish.com/podcast]] Talk to me: * Podcast: WGN [https://wgnradio.com/the-roar-podcast-series/techishly-jenn/], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/techish-with-jennifer-jolly/id1849269852], or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3mFsqfbKZ6R4JvOeqiMJr9] * Newsletter: Techish [https://jjtechish.substack.com/] * YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly [https://www.youtube.com/@TechishbyJenniferJolly] * TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish [https://www.tiktok.com/@jenniferjollytechish] * Facebook: @TechishbyJenniferJolly [https://www.facebook.com/jenniferjollyofficial/] * Instagram: @JennJolly [https://www.instagram.com/jennjolly/?hl=en] * Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly [https://x.com/jenniferjolly?lang=en] * LinkedIn: @Jennifer Jolly [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjolly/] Subscribe, rate, and review Techish with Jennifer Jolly wherever you listen.

What Comes After the iPhone? | Apple at 50 with David Pogue

Apple built the world we live in on our phones. Now it’s working on what comes after them. In this week’s episode, I sat down with David Pogue. THE David Pogue [https://davidpogue.com/]. He's the guy who tells the most important consumer tech stories on the planet, in a way that makes you forget it’s about buttons and features, and reminds you it’s about real life. David’s covered Apple for longer than I have — about 35 years. He was the tech columnist at the New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-pogue] for 13 years, a seven-time Emmy winner on CBS Sunday Morning [https://www.cbsnews.com/sunday-morning/], and the reason your iPhone has a screenshot button. This is such a great conversation… Why this matters: We talk about David’s new book, Apple: The First 50 Years [https://www.applefirst50.com/] — the most accurate, journalistic, and genuinely great account of one of the most iconic companies in history. This is the version of Apple's story most people think they know — and then what actually happened. Spoiler alert: The myth is fine, but the truth is way better. We got into the foldable iPhone — what Pogue thinks is actually coming and why it's different from everything you've seen so far. We got into what Apple is doing with AI that is dramatically different from everyone else — and whether that's because they're being responsible or just running behind. And we got into where Apple is quietly headed next, and it has nothing to do with a screen. We also talk about why so many "next big things" in tech fail. And the most important part — is any of this actually making life better? If Apple gets this right, the goal isn't a better iPhone. It's about needing your phone less. Follow / Subscribe Newsletter: Techish.com [http://techish.com/] YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly [https://www.youtube.com/@TechishbyJenniferJolly] Instagram: @JennJolly [https://www.instagram.com/jennjolly/?hl=en] WGN: @TechishwithJenniferJolly [https://wgnradio.com/the-roar-podcast-series/techishly-jenn/] Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Five stars on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/techish-with-jennifer-jolly/id1849269852] help more people find this show. Chapters 01:14 Meeting David Pogue + Apple at 50 04:03 The real Apple story (and the myths we believe) 07:16 Did Apple become what it once fought? 10:30 Life after screens: glasses, AirPods & what’s next 11:09 Apple’s AI strategy (and why it’s so different) 15:12 Does Siri suck, or is it just me? 18:16 Has Apple lost its innovation edge? 24:01 Apple’s controversies, leadership & what comes next 31:32 The screenshot story + final takeaways Note: We recorded this episode before Tim Cook announced he’s stepping down in September. Links: * Buy David’s book [https://www.applefirst50.com/] * See David’s extended interview with Tim Cook [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLqUXIwPGUo] * Pogue’s Posts, now back on Substack [https://substack.com/@pogueman/note/p-185238385]

Where Were the Parents? The Social Media Verdict Every Family Needs to Hear

I was a mom who was paying attention. I tested Meta's parental controls and wrote about teen screen addiction for USA Today [https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2018/08/01/tried-facebooks-new-screen-addiction-tools-my-kid/877574002/]. I talked with my daughter about everything and watched over her social media accounts. I still had no idea Instagram was feeding my high school cross-country star a steady diet of thinspo and eating disorder content. Two juries just confirmed what parents like me eventually started to suspect: these companies knew their apps were harming children, documented it internally, and kept right on doing it anyway. Tristan Harris [https://www.tristanharris.com/] — the former Google ethicist behind The Social Dilemma — explains why a $381 million fine is a rounding error for a company that made $235 billion last year, and what would actually force change. Kristin Bride [https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2025/11/10/social-media-ai-regulations-congress-stalling/86972522007/], whose 16-year-old son Carson died by suicide after being cyberbullied on Snapchat [https://www.snapchat.com/], answers the question everyone asked after the verdicts: Where were the parents? She was there. She did everything right. It still wasn't enough. And Reuters reporter Diana Novak Jones [https://www.reuters.com/authors/diana-novak-jones/] breaks down Section 230 — the law that has shielded these companies for decades and may finally be losing its grip. If you have a child with a phone or a parent struggling to find the best ways to manage the teen years and social media, this episode is a must-see. I wish I had it when my daughter was 16. WHAT META'S OWN DOCUMENTS REVEALED — 32% of teen girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies — A Meta researcher wrote internally: "IG is a drug. We're basically pushers." — A 2018 document said: "If we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens." — An employee brought suicide statistics to Zuckerberg and Sandberg directly. No response. WATCH & READ MORE Your Attention Please documentary: yourattentionpleasedoc.com [http://yourattentionpleasedoc.com/] Parents Rise: parentsrise.org [http://parentsrise.org/] Wait Until 8th: waituntil8th.org [http://waituntil8th.org/] Center for Humane Technology: humanetech.com [http://humanetech.com/] Full show notes: techish.substack.com/p/where-were-the-parents-social-media-verdict [http://techish.substack.com/p/where-were-the-parents-social-media-verdict] CONNECT WITH JENNIFER * Listen on WGN [https://wgnradio.com/the-roar-podcast-series/techishly-jenn/], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/techishly-jenn/id1849269852], or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3mFsqfbKZ6R4JvOeqiMJr9] * Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly [https://techish.com/] * YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly [https://www.youtube.com/@TechishbyJenniferJolly] * TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish [https://www.tiktok.com/@jenniferjollytechish] * Instagram: @JennJolly [https://www.instagram.com/jennjolly/?hl=en] * LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjolly/] Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. Five stars on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/techish-with-jennifer-jolly/id1849269852] help more parents find this show. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK If you have a teenager on Instagram right now, what's your biggest fear — and what would actually make you feel like they were safe? Let’s talk about it. SUPPORT THE SHOW If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techish with Jennifer Jolly — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email jj@techish.com [jj@techish.com].

When Should Kids Get a Phone? We Gave Ours Too Early

When is the right age to give your kid a phone? It’s become a modern milestone—but we’re doing a lot less to prepare our kids for it than we think. A phone means they can reach us, we can reach them, and they’re part of the world their friends are already in. It feels practical. It feels harmless. But this isn’t really about screen time. It’s about what these devices open up when kids aren’t ready to handle them. In this episode, I sit down with Dane Witbeck, founder of Pinwheel, to talk through what’s actually going on—what the research shows, what parents are dealing with in real life, and what it looks like to do this better. We get into why parental controls don’t work the way most people think, what actually drives anxiety and behavior changes in kids, the difference between giving a child a phone and giving them access to everything on it, the stage gates approach to letting kids earn more access over time, and whether waiting helps or backfires. If you’re trying to figure out what to do about phones in your own family, this conversation gives you a clearer place to start. Products: pinwheel.com [http://pinwheel.com/], gabb.com [http://gabb.com/], bark.us [http://bark.us/], troomi.com [http://troomi.com/] Resources and USA Today reviews: techish.com [http://techish.com/] If your child has been targeted online: cybertipline.org [http://cybertipline.org/] or 1-800-THE-LOST

The Internet Fixed What Medicine Broke. The Supply Chain Didn't Get the Memo.

This is a story of tech fixing something very broken. Then "the system" breaking it again. Menopause. The Change. Cougar Puberty. Whatever you want to call it, it's having a moment — and it's worth knowing about, no matter how old you are or whether you think this has anything to do with you. (Spoiler: It does.) For twenty years, doctors told millions of women their symptoms were stress, aging, or all in their heads. Then the internet showed up. TikTok, Reddit, telehealth, and a billion views on the menopause hashtag later, HRT prescriptions jumped 86%, the FDA finally acted — and I found Midi Health. For the first time in years, someone actually listened. Now here's the plot twist nobody planned for: women finally got the green light on hormone therapy, and now they can't fill their prescriptions. I sit down with Midi Health CEO Joanna Strober — whose telehealth company treats 25,000 women a week and just hit a billion-dollar valuation — to talk about what tech fixed, what's broken again, and whether it can pull off a second act. What You'll Learn * What caused the estrogen and progesterone shortage — and why it's about to get worse * Why 20% of middle-aged women are on SSRIs when hormones might work better — and why nobody has ever done that comparison study * How Midi is using AI to scale care without losing the human connection * What longevity actually means for women in their 40s and 50s — and the new women's blood test coming later this year Episode Resources * Midi Health — midihealth.com [http://midihealth.com/] * Estrogen patch shortage coverage at Techish.com [http://techish.com/] * Jennifer’s coverage on this issue in USA Today. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/02/18/menopause-symptoms-hot-flashes-app-help/72617945007/] Tell Us What You Think Are you dealing with the shortage? Have you tried telehealth for perimenopause or menopause — and did it change anything? We want to hear from you. And if you know a woman between 35 and 65 who's been told it's all in her head — send her this episode. Connect with Jenn * Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer Jolly * Instagram: @JennJolly * YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly * TikTok: @JenniferJollyTechish * Twitter/X: @JenniferJolly * LinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly Support the Show If this one mattered to you — or to someone you love — please rate and review Techishly Jenn. It helps more people find the show. And text it to someone. Like a human.