Superintelligent

Channeling an off-the-cuff AM radio program, Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini explore today’s relentlessly negative tech discourse. Are algorithms—and human nature—trapping us in a doom loop? Maybe. But most AI problems are likely temporary. They explore authenticity in a synthetic world, unpack AI FOMO, and celebrate the fact that you can podcast globally for free during a blizzard—even if the cameras still can’t get their skin tones right.

Links
How data helped Mexico City reduce high-impact crime by more than 50%
How Mexico City is Tackling Air Pollution
Emily’s Website
Mike’s Blog
Community Notes Help Reduce the Virality of False Information on X
Apple Launches Video Podcasts
Viral, AI-generated apocalypse social media post - “Something Big Is Happening”

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini -Website |PC Mag |Bluesky |X |TikTok

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3.1 via Kagi (Mike’s son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).

Keywords
tech optimism, authentic communication, AI hallucinations, prompt engineering, Uber in Mexico City, disinformation, social media algorithms, AI ethics, tech journalism, content creation, AI FOMO, video podcasting, AI moderation, fact-checking, personal blogging, AI and creativity, technology and society, future of AI, honest journalism


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

In this episode of Superintelligent, hosts Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini get philosophical. They debunk the myth of the screenless revolution and argue that upcoming AI devices from OpenAI, Google, Apple and others are mere peripheral devices to screens. They applaud the bipartisan movement to ban smartphones in schools, but society is far from saved. Case in point: Daters now have to worry about getting recorded on smart glasses. The episode ends with an exploration of what it means to observe our world, and what our methods of doing so say about us.
Links
Jony Ive and OpenAI’s wedding announcement
OpenAI and Jony Ive’s Screenless AI Device Could Release in the Next Two Years
Why There’s No ‘Screenless’ Revolution
Parents and Teens Support School Cellphone Bans
Can a Dumb Phone Improve Your Life? I Talked to 6 People Who Made the Switch
New Philosopher magazine
Lapham’s Quarterly
Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini - Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode
01:32 The Impact of Opinion Columns
03:11 The Future of Screenless Devices
06:40 Banning Phones in Schools
09:34 Bipartisan Support for Phone Bans
13:21 The Irony of Intergenerational Phone Use
17:23 The Role of Screenless Wearables
20:10 The Rise of AI Glasses and Privacy Concerns
26:57 Creepy Technology and Privacy Concerns
28:31 The Impact of Observation on Behavior
31:25 The Observer Effect and Its Implications
34:03 Media Consumption and the Quest for Knowledge
37:07 The Challenge of Information Overload
40:03 The Importance of Critical Thinking
47:34 Wisdom in Observation vs. Immediate Reaction

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).
Keywords
Superintelligent podcast, Mike Elgan, Emily Forlini, Jony Ive, OpenAI, AI hardware, screenless devices, smart glasses, Ray-Ban Meta, smartphone bans in schools, tech addiction, ambient computing, smart rings, digital privacy, observer effect, media consumption, RSS feeds, tech news, haptic technology, educational technology, wearable tech


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Here comes Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini to dissect the chaotic and unpredictable state of AI chatbots in this episode of Superintelligent. They explore the rampant commodification of models like ChatGPT and Gemini while slamming useless benchmarks. The hosts ponder the future of AI hardware and the dangers of OpenClaw. Discover why writing is thinking and how to avoid cognitive atrophy in the age of AI.Images
Links
The 2026 Super Bowl ads
Sam Altman’s posts on Anthropic’s ads
OpenClaw Is the Hot New AI Agent, But Is It Safe to Use?
OpenClaw: The AI agent that’s got humans taking orders from bots
AI Agents Launched a Social Network and Spawned a Digital Religion Overnight
No Humans Allowed: AIs Get Their Own Religion, Social Media, and Hired Help

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini - Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Here comes Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini to dissect the chaotic and unpredictable state of AI chatbots in this episode of Superintelligent. They explore the rampant commodification of models like ChatGPT and Gemini while slamming useless benchmarks. The hosts ponder the future of AI hardware and the dangers of OpenClaw. Discover why writing is thinking and how to avoid cognitive atrophy in the age of AI.
Links
The 2026 Super Bowl ads
Sam Altman’s posts on Anthropic’s ads
OpenClaw Is the Hot New AI Agent, But Is It Safe to Use?
OpenClaw: The AI agent that’s got humans taking orders from bots
AI Agents Launched a Social Network and Spawned a Digital Religion Overnight
No Humans Allowed: AIs Get Their Own Religion, Social Media, and Hired Help

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini -Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).

KeywordsSuperintelligent podcast, Mike Elgan, Emily Forlini, AI chatbots, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Kagi Search, AI hardware, Apple glasses, smart jewelry, AI commodification, prompt engineering, AI hallucinations, OpenClaw, Moltbook, vibe coding, Crustafarianism, artificial intelligence ethics, cognitive atrophy, AI in journalism, Meta AI, AI slop, Super Bowl AI ads, Sam Altman, agentic AI, tech podcast, large language models, AI agents, automated texts


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Why can’t you trust your weather app in a snowstorm? Join hosts Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini as they navigate the chaos of the weekend storm and debate the reliability of modern weather apps versus traditional TV meteorologists, and now TikTok weather experts. (RIP Farmer’s Almanac.) Plus, your favorite hosts ask the questions nobody has the answer to: What’s the best way to do social media in 2026?

Links
https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-apps-forecast-accuracy-snow-weather-9768afec5fc53b4faba19f3cfd06a86c
Emily on TikTok
Dark Sky is done. Here’s how Apple’s Weather app succeeded it
Yes, ‘The Farmer’s Almanac’ Is Closing—But Don’t Panic Just Yet
Hail Cannon in the Wikipedia
EMP in the Wikipedia
Kagi Assistant is now available to all users

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini -Website |PC Mag |Bluesky |X |TikTok

Chapters
00:00 Weather Wonders: A Tale of Two Climates
02:14 The Evolution of Weather Forecasting
05:12 The Role of Meteorologists in Modern Society
08:04 The Impact of Weather on Agriculture
11:10 The Future of Weather Information
13:48 The Intersection of Technology and Tradition
16:48 Cultural Perspectives on Weather Communication
19:32 The Legacy of the Farmer’s Almanac
28:10 The Lively Chaos of Latin American Streets
31:24 Navigating Information in a Digital Age
38:47 The TikTok Experiment: Finding Engagement
53:06 Connecting Through Content Creation

Keywords
Superintelligent podcast, Mike Elgan, Emily Forlini, weather apps, meteorology, TikTok meteorologists, severe weather tracking, Dark Sky app, AI hallucinations, chatbot accuracy, Farmer’s Almanac, subscription economy, Netflix business model, emergency alert systems, megaphone trucks, content creation strategy, video marketing, DJI drones, Kagi Search, social media engagement, Fediverse, Mastodon, viral video strategies, authentic storytelling

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com