Zuckerberg, TikTok, and Treadmills That Sniff

The FAIK Files

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! When tech gets weird, we're here to help make sense of it all.

This week, we’re tackling:

• Meta’s latest moves—from layoffs to fact-checker cuts and a "Community Notes" pivot.
• The TikTok vs. U.S. showdown, its ripple effects, and why users are flocking to RedNote.
• Your exercise equipment’s creepy secrets—is your treadmill sniffing you?
• Opening the conversation about power consumption of AI systems and its implications.

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*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***

Meta Making Choices:

• Meta Announces Layoffs and Fact-Checker Cuts
• Meta’s Shift to Community Notes
• Mark Zuckerberg on Corporate Culture

TikTok and U.S.-China Relations:

• TikTok Ban Updates and RedNote’s Rise
• History of the Little Red Book and Its Symbolism
• Chinese AI Models and Their Growing Power

Exercise Equipment and Privacy:

• Consumer Reports: Your Exercise Bike Knows a Lot About You—and It Doesn't Keep Every Secret
• Not mentioned on the show, but Consumer Reports also has an interesting app called Permission Slip aimed at helping you take control of your digital footprint, manage what companies know about you, and take steps to limit invasive data collection practices.

AI Power Consumption:

• The Growing Energy Demands of AI -- we give some initial thoughts and ask for help with research!

*** THE BOILERPLATE ***

About The FAIK Files:

The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.

• Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
• Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com

Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
• Other: https://digitalfolklore.fm

Want to connect with us? Here's how:

Connect with Perry:

• Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
• Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
• Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social

Connect with Mason:

• Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
• Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pregnantsonic.com

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