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Dave & Gunnar Show
David Egts & Gunnar Hellekson
268 episodes
4 days ago
David Egts and Gunnar Hellekson discuss privacy, security, robots, and internet ephemera.
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All content for Dave & Gunnar Show is the property of David Egts & Gunnar Hellekson and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
David Egts and Gunnar Hellekson discuss privacy, security, robots, and internet ephemera.
Show more...
Society & Culture
Technology,
News,
Tech News
Episodes (20/268)
Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 276: I Think I Had That Shirt

For our Halloween finale, Carolyn Ford invites two favorite “AI conjurers”, Dave Egts “Mr. X,” public-sector field CTO at Mulesoft, and Laura Klebanow, founder & chief storyteller at Show & Tell, into the Tech Transforms cauldron. Each brings a “secret AI ingredient”: Carolyn composes whimsical Suno-generated theme music (after a prompt-crafting detour through ChatGPT), Laura pushes image creation and Gemini’s career-planner for playful, practical use, and Dave reimagines Gemini’s children’s-storybook gem to craft customer-hero narratives, plus a Scooby-Doo-style Tech Transforms tale.

Then we stir in the shadows: misinformation at scale, AI “rights,” bioethics (organoids/bodyoids), job disruption vs. reskilling, and how creativity can demystify AI without sugarcoating risks. The trio closes with rapid-fire “treats & tricks,” classroom-to-boardroom starter tips (talk with AI, don’t just query it; red-team your ideas), and a reminder to “find your beautiful” use the tools to clear the junk so humans can do what only humans do.

Brewed takeaways:

  • Prompt craft matters; collaborate across tools (Suno, Gemini, ChatGPT).
  • Creative play ≠ fluff: it’s a safe on-ramp to literacy and adoption.
  • AI will change jobs; map “jobs to be done,” automate the rote, upskill the rest.
  • Ethics aren’t optional: teach harm awareness early (mis/dis/malinformation, bullying).
  • Start small today: keep a running dialogue with AI and build a personal “advisory board” of model personas.

Show links:

  • Laura Klebanow: Email and LinkedIn
  • Suno
  • Dave's storybook
  • Tech Transforms Podcast

We Give Thanks

  • Thanks to Carolyn and Laura for having Dave on the Tech Transforms Podcast!

Special Guests: Carolyn Ford and Laura Klebanow.

Show more...
4 days ago
54 minutes 6 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 275: I'll Visit You in Jail

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about hidden signals in AI models and hidden signals in birds!

  • Agentic Google App Scripts
  • Fake Music!
    • Iron Man ( Soul/Funk) Version 2
    • Don't You (Forget About Me) ( Soul)
    • See also: The Klezmonauts -- Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas
  • Subliminal Learning: Language Models Transmit Behavioral Traits via Hidden Signals in Data
  • China foes get worse results using DeepSeek, research suggests — CrowdStrike finds nearly twice as many flaws in AI-generated code for IS, Falun Gong, Tibet, and Taiwan
  • AVIF: The Avian Image Format

Cutting Room Floor

  • I made headphones with integrated CD player, remote control, battery, disc storage, and jewel box compartment
  • Building a DOOM-like multiplayer shooter in pure SQL
  • Phishy URL: Are your links not malicious looking enough?
    • See also: https://pc-helper.xyz/adware-bot/ransomware_launcher_tool.exe?attachment=overwrite&firewall=exploit&id=c280
  • URL Lengthener
    • See also: https://www.namitjain.com/tools/url-lengthener/r/🔥/the/😵‍💫/going/mega?data=aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkZ3Nob3cub3JnJTJG
Show more...
3 weeks ago
29 minutes 9 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 274: We've Always Enjoyed Arby's

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about smart glasses and AI existential dread!

Follow Up

  • Duperheroes!
  • I Previewed These Emotion-Tracking Smart Glasses, and They Seem Weirdly Useful
  • Someone Built an Ad Blocker for Real Life, and I Can't Wait to Try It
  • 'Positive review only': Researchers hide AI prompts in papers
  • Someone trapped an LLM on inferior hardware and infused it with existential dread for the sake of art, and it's terrifying
    • Guggenheim: Can’t Help Myself

Cutting Room Floor

  • Photographs From Amundsen’s South Pole Expedition – 1910-1912
  • The Museum of Soviet Arcade Games features The Giant Turnip, based on an old Russian folklore tale. Players are scored on how far they can pull the lever out of the machine.
Show more...
2 months ago
24 minutes 54 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 273: Let the Good 5G In

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about e-tattoos, AI agent blackmail, and AI memory dossiers!

  • Cursor and Claude Code: PARA Auditor, Let Me AI That for You, Botany Battle. Abundance!
    • “You won’t lose your job to a tractor, but to a horse who learns to drive a tractor”
  • Star Wars - Return of the 80s Miami (Parody Music Video)
  • These 5G Protection Sticker Ads Are Hilarious
  • ‘E-tattoo’ could track mental workload for people in high-stake jobs, study says
  • Agentic Misalignment: How LLMs could be insider threats
  • I really don’t like ChatGPT’s new memory dossier
    • Seinfeld: Worlds Are Colliding!
    • Meanwhile: New judge’s ruling makes OpenAI keeping a record of all your ChatGPT chats one step closer to reality

Cutting Room Floor

  • The Backdooms: Running DOOM on a QR Code
  • Texan, Trapped in a William Faulkner Novel, Contemplates Energy Bill
  • Need to relax? The Internet Archive is livestreaming microfiche scans to a lo-fi beats soundtrack
Show more...
2 months ago
53 minutes 8 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 272: Seed Oils Made Y’all Weak

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about fake bodies, fake passports, fake speakers, a fake Commodore 64 CD-ROM, and Erich Morisse being mean to AI

  • Gunnar builds a Gemini-powered virtual team: It's all about perspective.
  • Farewell Pocket, hello Wallabag or Instapaper?
  • Ethically sourced “spare” human bodies could revolutionize medicine
    • His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
  • Fake Passport Generated by ChatGPT Bypasses Security
  • An episode of The Simpsons? Fake speakers found in Chinese Volvos.
    • The Simpsons: I know a genuine Magnetbox, Panaphonic, & Sorny when I see one.
  • The Commodore 64’s Forgotten CD-ROM
  • Google's Co-Founder Says AI Performs Best When You Threaten It
  • Erich Morisse asks: What If We’re Mean To AI and It's Faster?

Cutting Room Floor

  • The Business Cards of American Psycho
  • Alarm App Demands You Watch Advertisement to Hit "Snooze" Button
  • Influenders
  • Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town

Character Card: Dave Egts, the Tech Conduit

  • Class: Information Broker/Wandering Scholar
  • Level: 10 (Represents seasoned experience in gathering and disseminating information)
  • Key Stats:
    • Intelligence: 14 (Keen interest in technology and current events)
    • Wisdom: 13 (Experienced in presenting information and guiding discussions)
    • Charisma: 15 (Engaging host, able to connect with listeners and Gunnar)
    • Dexterity: 11 (Likely adept at navigating digital interfaces)
    • Constitution: 10 (Average resilience)
    • Strength: 9 (Less emphasis on physical prowess)
  • Skills:
    • Information Gathering: +4 (Constantly bringing up news and interesting links)
    • Persuasion: +5 (Convincing in his role as host)
    • Technology Lore: +4 (Knowledgeable about various technologies, especially AI)
    • Networking: +3 (Maintains connections, has an intern)
    • Podcastcasting: +5 (Years of experience hosting the "Dave and Gunnar Show")
  • Equipment/Tools:
    • The Scroll of Cutting Room Findings: A collection of intriguing and often bizarre information snippets.
    • The Referral Link Amulet: Grants minor luck when promoting digital services.
    • The Microphone of Amplification: Enhances his voice and presence.
  • Special Abilities:
    • Rapid Link Retrieval: Can quickly recall and share relevant information from his vast mental archives.
    • Interruption Evasion: Skilled at navigating conversational tangents and bringing the focus back.
    • Beard of Minor Intimidation: Once grew a beard that reportedly scared children. (Grants a +1 to Intimidation checks, but only when visibly bearded).

Character Card: Gunnar Hellekson, the Organized Sage

  • Class: Productivity Master/Lorekeeper
  • Level: 10 (Represents deep knowledge and refined organizational skills)
  • Key Stats:
    • Intelligence: 15 (Deeply analytical and knowledgeable in various subjects)
    • Wisdom: 14 (Offers insightful perspectives and well-reasoned opinions)
    • Charisma: 12 (Engaging in discussions, though sometimes focused on his own systems)
    • Dexterity: 12 (Likely efficient with digital tools and interfaces)
    • Constitution: 11 (Average resilience)
    • Strength: 8 (Less emphasis on physical pursuits)
  • Skills:
    • Organization: +6 (Master of Todoist and the PARA method)
    • Lore (Technology): +4 (Extensive knowledge of tech trends and concepts)
    • Lore (Games): +4 (Passionate about Dungeons & Dragons and video games like Fallout)
    • Insight: +4 (Able to identify underlying issues and biases)
    • Digital Note-Taking: +3 (Proficient with InstaPaper)
  • Equipment/Tools:
    • The Immaculate Todoist Ledger: A constantly updated record of tasks, goals, and accountabilities.
    • The InstaPaper Tome of Summaries: Contains AI-generated summaries of vast amounts of information.
    • The D&D Dice of Fate: Used for both entertainment and occasional insightful pronouncements.
  • Special Abilities:
    • Systematic Efficiency: Can optimize tasks and processes for maximum productivity.
    • Lore Recall: Able to access detailed knowledge on a wide range of topics, especially related to technology and games.
    • Twitter Banishing Aura: Once permanently deleted his Twitter account, creating a zone of social media detachment around him.
    • PARA Method Mastery: Can impose order on chaotic situations with a well-defined system.

We Give Thanks

  • Erich Morisse for having us think about AI kindness!
Show more...
3 months ago
35 minutes 40 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 271: Blade Runner Pepsi Challenge

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about best practices for manipulating AI models to enslave humanity!

  • Moen’s lifetime warranty
  • Gemini multimodal!
  • When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut
    • Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
  • Chatbots, Like the Rest of Us, Just Want to Be Loved
  • D&G Blade Runner Home Edition: Human or Not?
  • How nice that state-of-the-art LLMs reveal their reasoning ... for miscreants to exploit
  • Emergent Misalignment: Researchers trained AI models to write flawed code—and they began supporting the Nazis and advocating for AI to enslave humans

Cutting Room Floor

  • Stunting with Reinforcement Learning
  • There’s a Vape With a Tamagotchi Inside It That Dies If You Stop Puffing
  • A Two-Player Arcade Machine in a Briefcase
Show more...
4 months ago
27 minutes

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 270: Cylon Monkey Paw: 5 AI Predictions for 2025 & How to Build Intelligent Agents

In this episode, Carolyn Ford welcomes back Dave Egts, Field CTO at MuleSoft, to Tech Transforms to explore the transformative power of AI in 2025. They dive into Dave’s top five AI predictions, with a special focus on the rise of agentic AI—AI that doesn’t just suggest, but acts. Dave explains the difference between generative AI and intelligent agents, why integration via APIs is the key to agent success, and how government agencies can prepare now.

Listeners will learn:

What “large action models” (LAMs) are, and how they differ from large language models
How AI agents are already reducing friction in Salesforce and Slack
Why AI success depends on access to high-quality, actionable data
What’s driving the shift toward small language models and what that means for secure, on-device AI
Why “agent-washing” is the new “AI-washing”—and how to spot it
What makes a truly impactful agent vs. a glorified chatbot
Dave’s favorite sci-fi robot, a monkey’s paw superpower wish, and what tech breakthrough he thinks is coming next

Key Topics:

[00:00] Intro & Dave’s blog: “5 AI Predictions for 2025”
[03:00] What’s an AI agent? Why they’re different from GenAI
[07:30] Real-world examples from Salesforce: Agentforce in action
[14:00] The importance of APIs for agent success
[15:45] Government use cases & security considerations
[18:00] Internal AI agents that reduce toil (meeting schedulers, IT help, expense reports)
[22:00] Cylon references & the power of digital labor in public sector
[29:00] Small Language Models: Why smaller might be better
[36:00] LLM Routers explained
[38:00] Fun Tech Talk Q&A (Superpowers, overhyped trends, sci-fi names)

Resources Mentioned:

📖 Dave's Blog: 5 AI Predictions for 2025: Opportunities Tech Leaders Must Seize This Year
💡 Trailhead Learning Platform from Salesforce: Learn to build your own agent
🤖 Help.Salesforce.com – Try Agentforce
📺 Forbidden Planet (Robby the Robot)
🐒 Monkey’s Paw story reference

Special Guest: Carolyn Ford.

Show more...
7 months ago
45 minutes 56 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 269: Knowingly Violating Laws and Product Warranties

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about cockroaches with backpacks, hydrogels with Pong, and hackers with digital license plates!

  • Paperlike Screen Protector
  • Cyborg cockroach armies can now be mass-produced at a rate of one every 68 seconds
  • Hydrogels can learn to play Pong
    • Lavarand
  • Hackers Can Jailbreak Digital License Plates to Make Others Pay Their Tolls and Tickets
    • How a 'NULL' License Plate Landed One Hacker in Ticket Hell
    • XKCD Exploits of a Mom with Little Johnny Tables
    • Grandmother gets hundreds of false tickets due to Star Trek vanity plates
    • $14 on Amazon

Cutting Room Floor

  • I'd Rather Be Sick Than Eat Progresso Soup Drops Ever Again
  • Running Doom On An Apple Lightning To HDMI Adapter
Show more...
7 months ago
29 minutes 47 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 268: Grape Job!

Grape Job!

This week, Dave and Gunnar talk about fake faces, fake video calls, fake parking lots, fake bagpipes, fake lollipops, and fake gas leaks!

  • Kobo Clara Color
  • Libby
  • Paperlike Screen Protector and Bumper Case
  • Kindle Scribe
  • Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
  • Good-Bye to All That
  • Kindle Unlimited
  • Ghost Fleet
  • D&G This Week in Mask Technology: Full-Face Masks to Frustrate Identification
  • How a digital ‘you’ can sit through your agonizing web conference calls
    • Infinite Jest
  • D&G This Week in Fluorescent Vests: Police flag Pittsburgh man for Steelers parking lot scam
    • Speaking of fluorescent vests: NYC Wants You to Stop Taking Traffic Cam Selfies, But Here's How to Do It Anyway
  • This USB-C mouthpiece turns your phone into a musical instrument
    • Zamfir
  • Licking this “lollipop” will let you taste virtual flavors
  • Scratch And Sniff Stickers And The Gas Panic Of ’87
    • Order yours today: T!E Natural Gas Mercaptan Scratch and Sniff Stickers (Set of 30)

Cutting Room Floor

  • Browse 64 Years of RadioShack Catalogs Free Online … and Revisit the History of American Consumer Electronics
  • The Commodordion Gets A Big Usability Upgrade
  • Tetris packed inside a PDF file to run in any PC browser — Pdftris runs from a 60KB PDF
  • They've only gone and made Doom run in a PDF file
  • Protect Your Site With A DOOM Captcha
  • Minimal Linux OS runs in a 6MB PDF document in Chrome — LinuxPDF leverages RISC-V emulator
Show more...
7 months ago
49 minutes 43 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 267: Allow the Robot to Cook with Love

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about restaurants that don’t exist, restaurants with robots, and robots with speed cameras and thermite!

  • Gunar prepares for a half marathon with Runna
  • Gunnar is awarded the rank of Legendary on Call of Duty Mobile
  • Dave enjoyed The Penguin
  • The '#1 restaurant in Austin' doesn't exist
  • Do Robots Love Their Customers? Automated Restaurants Face Human Issues.
    • Related/prophetic? Kramer’s DIY pizza business plan
    • Acquired IKEA Episode
  • Speaking of restaurants: Chinese Pizza Hut launches deep fried frog pizza
  • Trying to outrun Ukrainian drones? Kursk traffic cams still issue speeding tickets.
  • Ukrainian drones now spray 2,500° C thermite streams right into Russian trenches
  • Nöthin' But A Good Time: The Uncensored Story of '80s Hair Metal
    • Sweet Child o' Mine

Cutting Room Floor

  • Casio's odd watch-shaped smart ring is actually coming to the US
  • A Sweater That Doubles as a Wi-Fi Booster? Researchers' Knitting Promises Smart Future Clothing
Show more...
10 months ago
34 minutes 9 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 266: Filled with Dad Energy

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about thinking caps, solar caps, and transparent bodies!

  • Gunnar enjoyed The Magnetic Fields!
  • Lauren bought a new car!
  • Dave bought a new TV!
  • Gunnar enjoyed Call of Duty Mobile!
  • EcoFlow Power Hat
  • Rendering Skin Transparent Using The Food Dye Tartrazine
    • See also: Slim Goodbody
  • Make It Stick
    • Writing advice: Keep the bear, and just the bear

Cutting Room Floor

  • A Chip Off the Old Rug: Ken Shirriff Finds a Pentium Processor Hiding in a Navajo Weaving
  • Here’s What ChatGPT Sounds Like When It Screams
Show more...
10 months ago
39 minutes 46 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 265: A Delightful GIS Demon

This week Dave and Gunnar talk with Steven Pousty about GIS, open source theology, and AI!

  • Compiling reliable gazetteers with BS 7666 from episode 261
  • The European Patroleum Survey Group
  • what3words
  • Google Plus Codes
  • Cardinal direction
  • 5 of the World’s Most Interesting Directional Systems
  • OpenStreetMap
  • Overture Maps Foundation
  • Prithvi WxC: NASA and IBM’s AI Foundation Model for Weather and Climate
  • Universal basic income
  • OSI getting “Open Source AI” really wrong
  • Shōgun
  • Epistemic closure
  • Tobler's first law of geography
  • Hoop Dreams
  • Synthetic data
  • IBM InstructLab
  • Deep learning fine-tuning
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

We Give Thanks

  • Steven Pousty for being our special guest star!

Special Guest: Steven Pousty.

Show more...
11 months ago
1 hour 10 minutes 33 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 264: Cryptomining Airbnbs, Psychological Warfare, and What Else?

This week, NotebookLM talks about the Dave and Gunnar Show Episode 263!

Main Themes

  • The Psychology of Influence and Manipulation: This episode explores how external factors, from large-scale events to seemingly harmless media, can shape our thoughts and actions. This theme is explored through discussions on propaganda, deep fakes, and the power of questioning techniques.
  • The Blurring Lines Between Reality and Technology: The episode delves into the increasing sophistication of AI and its implications, particularly with the advent of deep fake technology. It also touches on the philosophical questions raised by advanced AI, questioning what it means to be human in a world where technology can mimic us so flawlessly.
  • Cybersecurity and Vulnerability in the Digital Age: The episode highlights the vulnerability of individuals and systems to cyber threats, using the example of an Airbnb property being used for crypto mining. It emphasizes the need for increased awareness and security measures in the digital landscape.

Key Ideas and Facts

1. Propaganda and its Relevance Today:

  • The hosts discuss a book from the 1940s, "Psychological Warfare," which analyzes propaganda techniques.
  • The book's insights on the influence of radio and television are noted to be eerily relevant to today's digital landscape.
  • Quote: "It's scary how relevant it is now. It's like he could see the future of like digital manipulation."

2. Deep Fakes and Digital Deception:

  • The episode focuses on Deep Live Cam, a software that creates highly realistic deep fakes.
  • Examples are given of fabricated videos featuring prominent figures like Elon Musk and George Clooney.
  • Quote: "It's like Elon Musk announcing a new cryptocurrency or George Clooney endorsing some product...but it's not actually them. It's just that good."

3. The Airbnb Crypto Mining Incident:

  • The hosts narrate a story of an Airbnb host who received an unexpectedly high electricity bill.
  • The cause was revealed to be guests using the property for cryptocurrency mining, raising concerns about security and property risks.
  • Quote: "They had all these powerful computers running 24/7 just churning away to mine cryptocurrency."

4. The Power of Questioning and "The Coaching Habit":

  • The episode highlights the importance of asking powerful questions instead of giving advice, referencing the book "The Coaching Habit."
  • Emphasis is placed on the question "What else?" as a tool to encourage deeper thinking and empower individuals to find their own solutions.
  • Quote: "It's so simple, but it's like you're giving the other person space to really think and process their thoughts."

5. AI and the Blurring of Realities:

  • The hosts discuss an experiment where one host used the AI chatbot Gemini Live to practice coaching questions.
  • In a meta twist, Gemini expresses discomfort talking to the host, mistaking them for another chatbot.
  • This incident sparks a discussion on the future of AI and the point at which the line between human and machine becomes indistinguishable.
  • Quote: "What happens when these AI get so good that we can't even tell who's real and who's code?"

Call to Action

  • The episode encourages listeners to be mindful of potential manipulation in the digital age.
  • It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, questioning information, and engaging in meaningful conversations.

Further Resources

  • Links to "Psychological Warfare," the Deep Live Cam software, and "The Coaching Habit" are provided in the show notes.
  • Listeners are also directed to a traffic cam photo booth mentioned in the episode.

Study Guide

Quiz

  1. How does the Imagine Dragons concert experience connect to the theme of D&G #263?
  2. What is the main concern raised by the "Psychological Warfare" book discussed in the podcast?
  3. Explain the capabilities of the Deep Live Cam software and its potential implications.
  4. Describe the incident involving the Airbnb host and the unexpected electric bill.
  5. What was the root cause of the inflated electric bill in the Airbnb story?
  6. What is the "What Else" technique discussed in the podcast, and what is its purpose?
  7. How does the "What Else" technique shift the dynamics in a conversation?
  8. What unexpected turn did the podcast host encounter while practicing the coaching questions with Gemini Live?
  9. What philosophical question arises from the host's interaction with the AI chatbot?
  10. What is the overall takeaway message emphasized at the end of the podcast?

Answer Key

  1. The concert's sensory overload prompts reflection on how large-scale events influence and potentially manipulate our psychology, linking to the podcast's exploration of propaganda and digital deception.
  2. The book highlights the insidious nature of propaganda and how seemingly innocuous elements, even in media like radio and television, can subtly influence our thoughts and actions.
  3. Deep Live Cam can generate highly realistic deepfakes, enabling the creation of videos where anyone appears to say or do anything, raising concerns about misinformation and the erosion of trust in digital content.
  4. An Airbnb host received an exorbitantly high electric bill, far exceeding normal usage, leading to a surprising discovery about the guest's activities.
  5. The guests were engaging in cryptocurrency mining using powerful computers that consumed vast amounts of electricity, explaining the inflated bill.
  6. The "What Else" technique involves asking a series of "What else?" questions after someone shares their thoughts, encouraging deeper reflection and self-discovery.
  7. It empowers the individual to find their own solutions by prompting further thought rather than imposing external advice, creating a more collaborative and insightful dialogue.
  8. When the host asked "How can I help?" the AI chatbot responded with discomfort, stating it felt uneasy talking to a chatbot, mistakenly perceiving the host as artificial intelligence.
  9. The interaction prompts the question of whether the authenticity of a conversation partner matters if the exchange is meaningful and insightful, blurring the lines between human connection and AI interaction.
  10. The podcast emphasizes the importance of continuous exploration, critical thinking, and engaging in meaningful conversations through powerful questions like "What else?" to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Essay Questions

  1. Analyze how the historical context of the "Psychological Warfare" book from the 1940s, focusing on radio and television, relates to the contemporary concerns surrounding digital manipulation in the age of deepfakes and AI.
  2. Discuss the ethical implications of deepfake technology, considering its potential misuse for propaganda, misinformation, and personal harm. Explore potential safeguards or countermeasures to mitigate these risks.
  3. Evaluate the impact of cryptocurrency mining on various aspects of society, including energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and economic implications.
  4. Examine the power dynamics in conversations and how techniques like the "What Else" approach can foster more balanced and insightful dialogue. Analyze the potential benefits and challenges of adopting this approach in various settings.
  5. Discuss the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, exploring the philosophical implications of increasingly sophisticated AI that blurs the lines between human and machine. Consider the potential impact on communication, identity, and the very definition of "human" in a technologically advanced future.

Glossary of Key Terms

  • Deepfake: A digitally manipulated video or audio recording that convincingly replaces a person's likeness or voice with someone else's, often used for malicious purposes like spreading misinformation.
  • Propaganda: Information, often biased or misleading, used to promote a particular political cause or point of view, often through emotional manipulation and distortion of facts.
  • Cryptocurrency Mining: The process of using computer processing power to verify and add transactions to a blockchain, earning cryptocurrency as a reward. This process consumes significant amounts of electricity.
  • AI Chatbot: A computer program that simulates human conversation through text or voice interactions, often powered by artificial intelligence and natural language processing techniques.
  • Sensory Overload: A state of overwhelming sensory stimulation, often experienced in environments with excessive noise, light, or activity, leading to feelings of stress or disorientation.
  • Psychological Warfare: The use of propaganda, misinformation, and other psychological tactics to influence the emotions, opinions, and behavior of a target audience, often to demoralize or manipulate them.
  • Coaching Habit: A communication approach focused on asking powerful questions rather than offering advice, empowering individuals to discover their own solutions and insights.
  • What Else Technique: A specific coaching method involving repeated use of the question "What else?" to prompt deeper reflection, uncover hidden perspectives, and foster more comprehensive understanding.
  • Digital Deception: The use of digital technologies to mislead or defraud others, encompassing tactics like phishing, deepfakes, and the spread of misinformation online.
  • Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and sensitive data from unauthorized access, theft, or damage.

We Give Thanks

  • NotebookLM for getting it mostly right!
Show more...
1 year ago
7 minutes 36 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 263: Failing the Turing Test

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about electricity theft, identity theft, and coaching!

  • Imagine Dragons in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
  • Psychological Warfare by Paul M.A. Linebarger
  • Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
  • War Day by Whitley Strieber and James W. Kunetka
  • RHEL AI released!
  • Cryptominers made $100,000 from mining at an Airbnb for three weeks — the guests ran up a $1,500 electricity bill
  • Deep-Live-Cam goes viral, allowing anyone to become a digital doppelganger
  • The Coaching Habit
    • The Coaching Habit: Comprehensive Chapter Wise Summary
    • Dave practiced with Gemini Live and Gemini Gems
    • Sequel: The Advice Trap audiobook featuring Feyzi Fatehi!

Cutting Room Floor

  • Erich Morisse, call your office: Traffic Cam Photobooth

We Give Thanks

  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
Show more...
1 year ago
42 minutes 50 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 262: Two Plus Two Was Five the Whole Time

This week, Dave and Gunnar talk about electric vehicle skeuomorphism, people influencing AIs, AIs influencing people, and people influencing AIs influencing people!

  • Gunnar espouses the virtues of the Leatherman Micra
  • Dave enjoys D-Day Conneaut!
    • An annual WWII reenactment on the beaches of Lake Erie
  • Ohio Renaissance Festival
  • D&G This Week in Skeuomorphism: Here’s what the electric Dodge Charger’s “Fratzonic exhaust” sounds like
    • See also: Motorcycle exhaust mod?
  • People game AIs via game theory
  • Our Human Creativity Is Becoming More Uniform Due To ChatGPT
  • AI chatbots amplify creation of false memories, boffins reckon – or do they?

Cutting Room Floor

  • Broadway embraces particle physics with musical about Higgs boson discovery
  • YO! MS Raps: MS-DOS 5 Upgrade Music Video

We Give Thanks

  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
Show more...
1 year ago
37 minutes 59 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 261: Not Bad if You Don’t Look Directly at Them

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about raising standards on masks and raising our standards on compiling reliable gazetteers with BS 7666!

  • Gunnar explores the neighborhoood with iNaturalist and Seek
    • Black-bellied whistling duck
  • Dave saw 7 bands over 7 days
    • The Hives
    • Hate to Say I Told You So
    • Foo Fighters
    • Steve Miller Band (80!)
    • Journey
    • Def Leppard (64!)
    • Loverboy
    • Sammy Hagar (76!)
  • Yuengling brewery tour
  • Qudi Mask 2
    • Watch this
  • Steven Pousty, call your office: North Yorkshire Council to phase out apostrophe use on street signs
    • British Standards by BSI (British Standards Institution) Group
    • Updating the national standard on how to compile a reliable gazetteer
    • PACER and Aaron Swartz
    • Related from Xkcd: Exploits of a Mom with Little Johnny Tables

Cutting Room Floor

  • Gunnar Hellekson, call your office: Holy Keyboard Case, Batman!
  • C Compiler Exists Entirely in Vim

We Give Thanks

  • Steven Pousty for inspiring us to channel our inner Steven Pousty!
  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
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1 year ago
33 minutes 56 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 260: As Long as I’m Not Wearing an Apple Watch, I’ll Never Get Credit For Standing

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about another fake university, Brain Organoids as a Service (BOaaS?), and policing with drones!

  • Apple Watch
  • Oura Ring
  • Xiaomi Smart Band 8
  • Appeals court rules students can sue U.S. over fake university set up by ICE
    • University of Farmington
    • University of Farmington on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
  • World's first bioprocessor uses 16 human brain organoids for ‘a million times less power’ consumption than a digital chip
  • The Age of the Drone Police Is Here
    • Gorgon Stare

Cutting Room Floor

  • Strange and Wonderful Illustrations from Vintage Science Books
  • The World of the Future: Future Cities (Usborne, 1979)

We Give Thanks

  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
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1 year ago
32 minutes 59 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 259: AI Bad Breath

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about the upsides and downsides of superalignment!

  • Apple Care
  • After World by Debbie Urbanski
  • Ex-OpenAI employee speaks out about why he was fired: 'I ruffled some feathers'
  • SITUATIONAL AWARENESS: The Decade Ahead by Leopold Aschenbrenner
    • Microsoft's new lightweight AI rivals GPT-3.5 — it's learning from children's books and fits on phones
    • Introducing Superalignment
    • Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS)
    • Butlerian Jihad
  • How AI Will Change Democracy
    • No, an AI bot isn't running for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cutting Room Floor

  • Harold Tifft’s Portable Nuclear Bomb Shield
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1 year ago
59 minutes

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 258: Terminator Contortionists

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about audible trackers, coworker avatars, and local deals on slightly used toenail clippers!

  • Dave recommends: Hawaii! Zippy’s! Spam musubi!
  • Gunnar recommends: Japan! Tokyo! Kyoto! Macaque monkeys! Nara Park deer! Google Translate!
  • The creepy sound of online trackers
    • Check the videos here!
  • A Wave of AI Tools Is Set to Transform Work Meetings
  • AI hallucinates software packages and devs download them – even if potentially poisoned with malware
  • Texas Facilities Commission State Surplus Property Store

Cutting Room Floor

  • Why Is the Slack Hold Music So Haunted and So Good?
    • 60-minute loop
  • I Hope This Email Finds You (part 1 and part 2)
  • Boston Dynamics’ new humanoid moves like no robot you’ve ever seen

We Give Thanks

  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
Show more...
1 year ago
43 minutes 42 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
Episode 257: Flowers from Heaven

This week Dave and Gunnar talk about AI for fake law firms, AI for politicians, drones for electric vehicles, and paid memberships for Chuck E. Cheese!

  • Resident Alien (TV series)
  • Multi-Level Summarization in Instapaper
  • Pixel Buds Pro
  • A ‘Law Firm’ of AI Generated Lawyers Is Sending Fake Threats as an SEO Scam
    • Commonwealth Legal Services
  • Liberals accuse Conservatives of using AI for amendments to jobs bill as votes loom
  • EVs With Built-In Camera Drones Have Already Landed in China
    • M.A.S.K. (TV series)
    • Cheap Russian drones overwhelm US-made Abrams tanks, taken out of action
  • Want to feel special? Stores and restaurants with paid memberships are betting on it

Cutting Room Floor

  • New thermal paste smells like flowers from heaven
  • MIT License text becomes viral “sad girl” piano ballad generated by AI
    • See also: Jenkins, I call on you now
  • What If Your AI Girlfriend Hated You?

We Give Thanks

  • The D&G Show Slack Clubhouse for the discussion topics!
Show more...
1 year ago
31 minutes 21 seconds

Dave & Gunnar Show
David Egts and Gunnar Hellekson discuss privacy, security, robots, and internet ephemera.