People vs Algorithms

Seen one way, AI has democratized the creative process. Seen another, we are swimming in a sea of mediocrity that inevitably crowds out attention to human-led creativity. Plus: Handicapping Hot AI IPO Summer, YouTubers as Hollywood's saviors, GLP-1s vs impulse manipulators and Breaker's Lachlan Cartwright on assesses the characters in the 60 Minutes dram that’s like Viagra for media newsletters. Finally, an ode to the old-standby of cocktail parties: pigs in a blanket.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:40 Welcome
* 02:11 AI Design Pet Peeve
* 06:25 What Field Notes Is
* 14:47 Abundance Versus Quality
* 24:34 Taste Process
* 32:19 YouTube IP Breakout
* 39:09 Fable 5
* 48:27 GLP-1 Economy Shock
* 50:58 PvA Overtime with Lachlan Cartwright
* 55:20 60 Minutes Drama
* 01:12:15 Good Product
* 01:21:48 Credits


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

ChatGPT is advertising it as a souped-up Clippy to help with date-night recipes and sibling road trips. What happened to superintelligence and curing cancer? Disruptive forces always invite pushback, as Bari Weiss is learning at CBS. In PvA OT: Anonymous Banker on People Inc's AI-hedge with MGM and why YouTube ecosystem events are far better than typical media events.
* Ballgame
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 01:06 Welcome
* 01:36 Ballgame
* 05:19 PvA Corrections
* 06:27 AI Regulation Arrives
* 11:10 Why Everyone Hates AI
* 18:14 Work Slop
* 26:40 Portable AI Memory Moats
* 35:26 60 Minutes Media Drama
* 45:36 AI Slop Culture War
* 52:50 World Cup and NBA Summer
* 54:55 PvA Overtime with AB: People Inc Eyes MGM
* 01:03:47 YouTube Events and Networking
* 01:10:51 Good Product
* 01:16:23 Credits


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

We debate the commodification of the human experience, why the upside-down token economics is a more pressing near-term concern, the religious zeal behind SpaceX's valuation, and why HR is the new boogeywoman of the aggrieved and powerful. Plus: Ana Andjelic on why not carrying a phone and having a personal philosopher are new luxury status symbols.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:47 Welcome
* 02:33 Pope Leo on AI
* 13:35 Capitalism vs Humanity
* 23:32 SpaceX IPO Faith
* 29:44 AI and HR Backlash
* 41:42 Counterculture to AI
* 45:38 Euromaxxing With Billionaires
* 49:38 New Status Symbols
* 59:41 Ferrari EV Identity Crisis
* 01:05:10 China Rewrites Luxury Rules
* 01:11:35 Good Product
* 01:17:24 Credits


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

This week, we discuss the chaotic transition to an AI-augmented era, the roiling backlash trying to slow it down, and how we’ll come to terms with a weird new world. Plus: The dénouement of the scale era in publishing and beginning of the “inversion” era of media brands.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 01:33 Welcome
* 04:55 Graduation Speech AI Backlash
* 05:46 Pope AI Encyclical Buzz
* 07:40 Why People Distrust AI
* 13:23 AI Book Quote Scandal
* 15:16 Steroid Olympics for Creators
* 19:23 Flood of Synthetic Content
* 22:31 Human Only Platforms
* 27:53 LLM Confidence and Hallucinations
* 31:55 Breaking the AI Loop
* 32:38 Google Ends Link Search
* 36:39 Vox Deal and Glue Factory
* 40:30 Inversion Strategy at People
* 43:52 Monetizing Brands via SKUs
* 46:04 Supernatural Comeback Economy
* 48:44 Good Product
* 57:52 Credits


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

Meanwhile, Anthropic is on a $50 billion run rate and raising at a $900b valuation. We look back to the dawn of the assembly line, when workers suffered from “Forditis," a condition of despair caused by a lack of agency and the pressure to keep up with a pace set by machines. Plus: learning from Ferrari, Ryan Cohen's use of the information space for his long-shot takeover bid for eBay, the decline of drinking as structural phenomenon, the end of the road for BuzzFeed, and Italian rock bands.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:38 Welcome
* 04:14 Ferrari Scarcity Mythology
* 11:27 From Ferrari To Anthropic
* 21:33 AI Backlash And Forditis
* 27:19 Thinking Machines New Interface
* 38:13 Narratives Beat Policy
* 41:23 Ryan Cohen Media Populism
* 48:01 BuzzFeed Byron Allen Deal
* 58:37 Good Product
* 01:09:08 Credits


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