People vs Algorithms

• Getting Mad At Toasters

  We start with Charlie Warzel’s essay in The Atlantic, “AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event”, a sober reframing of where we are with AI right now. Pablos insists LLMs are “average engines,” not wisdom machines—good at language, terrible at judgment. Stop anthropomorphizing. These are tools that make daily processes cheaper, faster, or more efficient. Drop illusions of creativity or sentience. From there, we shift to the next disruption wave: hard tech. Pablos sketches self‑sailing wind cargo ships, space‑based solar that beams power down, and small borehole nuclear reactors. He argues hyperscalers’ compute demands will inadvertently fast‑track clean energy. We finish on media. Why Michael Wolff’s perfectly framed summertime Amagansett Instagram missives find beautiful tension reframing sharp political commentary as a kind of lifestyle content. Good media always finds new intersectionality. Enjoy these last wonderful weeks of summer.* 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 TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:36 Welcome* 03:48 AI, what is it good for?* 21:16 Is AI conscious or not?* 25:14 What's next in tech innovation?* 35:24 Is it worth the investment?* 39:52 Exciting or Scary Tech* 42:44 The Force of Media* 55:47 Good Product 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

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• AI Is Not Your Friend

  Plus: the case for media cooperatives and aperitivo, and why running agencies inside publishers is tough.* 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 TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:31 Welcome* 01:41 Summer Stories* 02:30 Food 52* 13:17 Newsette* 15:46 GenZ vs AOL* 18:07 GPT 5* 20:16 Chatbots vs Loneliness* 32:30 Travel Log: Italy* 35:41 Media Co-ops* 42:28 Good Product* 46:26 Outro 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

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• Performative Intelligence

  We explore how new tools like Snipd and AI chat bots promise frictionless access to knowledge, but may be trading comprehension for convenience. Along the way: the slow death of the open web, the rise of moral disgust with AI-generated culture, and the parallel media worlds being built by tech and alternative voices. At the center of it all is a question: are we getting smarter, or just better at pretending we are?* 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 TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:35 Intro* 05:12 Welcome* 08:30 Quick Hits: Google Traffic* 15:43 Processing Information* 37:27 Moral Disgust With AI* 46:44 Parallel Media Worlds* 54:42 Outro 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

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• Winners Take All

  These aren’t companies operating in a different industry than media; they’re different universes. They’re hoarding compute, restarting nuclear reactors, and offering $1 billion pay packages to AI superstars—while laying off hired help. Meanwhile, The New York Times gets over $20 million a year from Amazon in an AI licensing deal that almost no other publisher can touch. The superintelligence economy is starting to look like the ultimate winners-take-all system. We also debate whether the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad campaign was designed to provoke, Astronomer’s quick turnaround to make lemonade out of its CEO and HR head’s Coldplay dalliance and why AI models are inevitable but won’t be like what we saw in the Guess campaign in Vogue.* 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 TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:50 Welcome* 04:36 Vox Media* 15:08 NY Times Deal* 20:01 Meta Returns* 28:04 Superintelligence* 47:02 Advertising & New Path To Attention* 01:05:12 Good Product* 01:15:27 Outro 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

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• Institutional Collapse

  As the old order gives way, the contours of the new media world are coming into view: video and audio are eating text, performance and participation are mandatory, individuals matter more than formats, and being a brand is better than being a publisher.We get into the Washington Post’s third-newsroom experiment, the rise of Pablo Torre's performance investigative journalism, and why Colbert was AOL-dead long before the cancellation. Also: TikTok talent flight, the return of conspiracy as entertainment, and why most magazine brands are now running some version of the Forbes playbook.* 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 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

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