Broken by Misinformation, Resisting the Robots, & Building a Better Facebook
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.Send a voice message to The AmberMac ShowCheck out our guest on social…Joan Donovan – Assistant Professor of Journalism & Emerging Media Studies at Boston University: LinkedInThe Honourable Stephen Lecce – Ontario’s Minister of Energy & Mines: LinkedInThis is Mining PodcastBe sure to follow our hosts...Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/TwitterJeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter
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Why the Internet Sucks with Cory Doctorow & A.I. Mistakes Chips for Guns
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.Send a voice message to The AmberMac ShowCheck out our guest on social…Cory Doctorow – Author of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It: Website | BookTaylor Owen – Founding Director at The Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy + Host of Machines Like Us: LinkedIn | WebsiteSasha Havlicek – CEO at Institute for Strategic Dialogue: LinkedIn | WebsiteBe sure to follow our hosts...Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/TwitterJeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter
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ChatGPT Gets Erotic & Musk Battles Bots
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.Send a voice message to The AmberMac ShowCheck out our guest on social…Lance Ulanoff – Editor-at-Large at TechRadar: LinkedInBe sure to follow our hosts...Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/TwitterJeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter
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Surviving a Plane Crash & the AI Bubble
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.Send a voice message to The AmberMac ShowCheck out our guest on social…Dave Sanderson – Leadership & Resilience Keynote Speaker & Author: LinkedInBe sure to follow our hosts...Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/TwitterJeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter
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How Meta Hurts Kids & Takes Shady Ad Money Along the Way
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.Send a voice message to The AmberMac ShowCheck out our guest on social…Katie Paul – Director of the Tech Transparency Project: LinkedIn | WebsiteTony Anscombe – Chief Security Evangelist at ESET: LinkedIn | WebsiteBe sure to follow our hosts...Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/TwitterJeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter
The AmberMac Show is a weekly SiriusXM radio and podcast production that unpacks the latest tech, business, and digital news shaping our lives.
Award-winning podcaster Amber Mac draws on over 20 years of experience covering technology in the US and Canada to make today’s complex high-tech world easier to understand. Together with co-host Jeff MacArthur, and featuring influential guests making their own headlines, Amber’s team helps listeners nationwide and beyond stay informed and ahead of the curve.
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