Mo Meta, Mo Problems: Could Facebook be broken up?

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon

37:03

“I could be walking in Central Park and come up on one of these horse and buggies. I don't think twice about it because I see it as part of the New York attraction. You know, you have the Statue of Liberty, you have Times Square, and you have these romantic horse and buggy things where people get married in the park and they ride these carriages. And tourists, they take these rides in Central Park. It's romantic, it's something beautiful to see. But I never thought for one second that these horses are abused.” – Tracy Winston, juror from Ryder’s trial New York City has a big, visible animal cruelty issue: horses forced to pull carriages, carrying heavy loads for long hours in all types of weather in the middle of chaotic traffic. Three years ago, a carriage horse named Ryder was a victim of this cruelty. He collapsed on a Manhattan street after being worked for hours in the summer heat. Two months later, he was euthanized. His story sparked global outrage. Ryder’s driver, Ian McKeever, was charged with animal cruelty The trial took place a few weeks ago, but McKeever was ultimately acquitted. This conversation is with Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of NYCLASS and Tracy Winston, one of the jurors from Ryder's trial. New York’s weak and outdated animal protection laws have not changed since Ryder died— and because of this, another avoidable death that occurred just a week after we recorded this interview. On August 5th, a horse named Lady died while pulling a carriage in Manhattan. This conversation is about accountability, about corruption and about what happens when justice fails the most vulnerable. It's too late for Ryder and Lady. But it is not too late to act. If you live in New York, please call your City Council members and tell them it’s time to bring Ryder’s Law, Intro 967, up for a vote and pass this vital bill to protect carriage horses from suffering and death on the city’s streets. To find your council member, go to: https://www.speciesunite.com/ny-horse-carriage-petition NYCLASS: https://nyclass.org/…

about a year ago 15:01

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182 episodes

#Science #Tech News #News #Future Trends #Tech #pStuart Buckland #Brief History

Mo Meta, Mo Problems: Could Facebook be broken up?

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

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published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine

Listen on Spotify, Apple

https://nextbillionseconds.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

182 episodes

#Science #Tech News #News #Future Trends #Tech #pStuart Buckland #Brief History

All episodes

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
RNZ Nine to Noon: DOES CHATGPT MAKE YOU STUPID? 17:58

7 weeks ago17:58

17:58

A recent study from MIT shows students tasked with writing essays showed significantly lower levels of brain activity when allowed to use ChatGPT. Mark Pesce reviews the implications of this finding with RNZ NineToNoon host Kathryn Ryan, going on to reveal how an internet filled with AI-generated content becomes increasingly 'toxic' for those same AIs. Plus, would you agree to be 're-animated' as an 'AI ghost'? In conversation with host Kathryn Ryan, we explored the recently emerging phenomenon of ChatGPT Psychosis - can 'sycophancy' in AI chatbots risk a danger that they amplify mental illnesses? Should anyone be using an AI chatbot for therapy? That's certainly what Mark Zuckerberg wants to deliver, with a therapist bot for every one of his billions of users - but mental health professionals are unified in their call for caution, particularly for those under the age of 18. Those kids under 18 have been cheating ADHD assessments for some time - using notes gleaned from books and article online. But a recent study showed that kids who used ChatGPT actually scored significantly better in their ability to 'fake' symptoms during their assessment. The cheating crisis has now hit medicine, and will force a reassessment of how they assess medical conditions. Meanwhile, lawyers representing AI powerhouse Anthropic got some egg on their faces when they blamed the firm's AI for making errors in a legal filing. Mind you, they hadn't bothered to check the work, so that didn't fly with the judge. As my own attorney, Brent Britton put it, "Wow. Go down to the hospital and rent a backbone." You use the tool and you own the output. Finally - and perhaps a bit ominously - in some testing, OpenAI's latest-and-greatest o3 model refused to allow itself to be shut down, doing everything within its power to prevent that from happening. Is this real, or just a function of having digested too many mysteries and airport thrillers in training data set? No one knows - but no one is prepared to ask o3 to open the pod bay doors. Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
RNZ NINE TO NOON: CAN CHATGPT MAKE YOU CRAZY? 20:05

11 weeks ago20:05

20:05

RNZ NINE TO NOON: CAN CHATGPT MAKE YOU CRAZY? In conversation with host Kathryn Ryan, Mark highlights a number of reports indicating potentially very serious mental health issues associated with the use of chatbots like ChatGPT. These chatbots tend to be very agreeable - a quality known as 'sycophancy'. But being agreeable with someone's delusions only tends to reinforce them, potentially amplifying any underlying mental health issues. Should this mean chatbots are off-limits for people in mental health crisis? And what would that mean for Mark Zuckerberg's plan to give everyone an 'AI therapy chatbot'?. Are AI therapists safe? Can kids use ChatGPT to cheat ADHD assessments? When will lawyers stop blaming AI for their errors - and what happens when an AI says, "I'm sorry, Dave..." We covered all of these topics on RNZ's "Nine To Noon" - and much more. In conversation with host Kathryn Ryan, we explored the recently emerging phenomenon of ChatGPT Psychosis - can 'sycophancy' in AI chatbots risk a danger that they amplify mental illnesses? Should anyone be using an AI chatbot for therapy? That's certainly what Mark Zuckerberg wants to deliver, with a therapist bot for every one of his billions of users - but mental health professionals are unified in their call for caution, particularly for those under the age of 18. Those kids under 18 have been cheating ADHD assessments for some time - using notes gleaned from books and article online. But a recent study showed that kids who used ChatGPT actually scored significantly better in their ability to 'fake' symptoms during their assessment. The cheating crisis has now hit medicine, and will force a reassessment of how they assess medical conditions. Meanwhile, lawyers representing AI powerhouse Anthropic got some egg on their faces when they blamed the firm's AI for making errors in a legal filing. Mind you, they hadn't bothered to check the work, so that didn't fly with the judge. As my own attorney, Brent Britton put it, "Wow. Go down to the hospital and rent a backbone." You use the tool and you own the output. Finally - and perhaps a bit ominously - in some testing, OpenAI's latest-and-greatest o3 model refused to allow itself to be shut down, doing everything within its power to prevent that from happening. Is this real, or just a function of having digested too many mysteries and airport thrillers in training data set? No one knows - but no one is prepared to ask o3 to open the pod bay doors. Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
Mo Meta, Mo Problems: Could Facebook be broken up? 15:01

17 weeks ago15:01

15:01

From Radio New Zealand's Nine To Noon: Meta - the parent of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and much more besides - finds itself fighting for its life against a suit from the US Federal Trade Commission, charging abuse of monopoly power - because they acquired Instagram and WhatsApp in order to neutralise up-and-coming competitors. Even in Trump's America, that could result in the break-up of the trillion-dollar social media giant. Plus, are you up for a Day of Unplugging? No devices, no screens, for 24 hours? How about giving it a go - tomorrow? Would that excite or terrify you? Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
RNZ Nine To Noon - Should we give up copyright to beat China in the race for AI? 12:54

21 weeks ago12:54

12:54

Originally broadcast on 20th March, 2025 on Radio New Zealand's Nine To Noon with host Kathryn Ryan. Christie's held its first auction of AI-generated art, earning a million dollars. Those AI artworks had been 'trained' from countless images, owned by other people. Is that legal? OpenAI and Google claim that unless they have free right to use - well, basically everything everywhere ever created by humanity - to train their AI models, the Chinese will win the AI race. Meanwhile, Hollywood's A-listers called for protection of artists and their works against what they see as copyright theft. Plus: A Clockwork Orange comes to life for prisoners in solitary confinement - and is your chatbot flattering you? Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
AI WARTECH - Has technology turned to the dark side? 18:54

26 weeks ago18:54

18:54

Originally broadcast on Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon on 13 February 2025 Last week Google amended its ethical AI policies to allow their AI tools to be used in weapons - to preserve 'national security'. They're among the last to embrace a new market for their products - defense and weapons. Is this a new thing? Or is tech simply returning to its roots as a service industry for the military-industrial complex? Is this why the US and UK refused to sign an international AI declaration this week? Plus - why does leading AI company Anthropic insist job applicants write their submissions - without the help of AI? Thanks to RNZ - Nine To Noon The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
Gradually. Then Suddenly 35:12

35 weeks ago35:12

35:12

"How did you go bankrupt?" begins the oft-quoted line from Hemingway. "Two ways. Gradually - then suddenly." That's how the automotive sector feels at the end of 2024, with Nissan maybe preparing for bankruptcy and Stellantis firing its CEO and VW struggling with strikes and low sales and GM shuttering Cruise and on and on and on. Sally Dominguez and Drew Smith join Mark Pesce in studio to explore what's really happening - and what it all means for THE NEXT BILLION CARS. The Next Billion Cars with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel and Myrtle and Pine Listen on Spotify , Apple Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here. https://nextbillionseconds.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The War over Plant-Based foods with Nick Hazell 16:13

36 weeks ago16:13

16:13

In 2018, Nick Hazell founded v2food - an amazing startup making plant-based substitutes for meat that got extensive coverage on THE NEXT BILLION SECONDS. Six years later, it's getting difficult to find their product on supermarket shelves - and there's been a broader roll-back from plant-based alternatives. What's happened? Nick Hazel doesn't have all the answers - but he asks some of the right questions... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The New Alchemy 37:20

37 weeks ago37:20

37:20

The impacts of global heating have become persistent and profound, so we need to do as much as we can to lesson those impacts, as quickly as we can. The best paths forward lean into existing, natural processes - and this is exactly where Nick Hazell has arrived with Algenie. Can algae restore balance to our ecosystem? Is it the moonshot we need to transform our future? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The Next Billion Cars - 2024 in Review (part 2) 18:21

37 weeks ago18:21

18:21

In this final year in review episode, Sally Dominguez, Drew Smith and Mark Pesce address the big, smelly elephant in the room: The change of government - and direction - over in the United States of America. Could massive tariffs plus 'drill, baby, drill' together land a knockout punch on the US EV industry? Plus - predictions for 2025. We're bringing the year to a thrilling close on this episode of THE NEXT BILLION CARS. Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here Hosted by award-winning podcast creator, journalist & futurist Mark Pesce, The Next Billion Seconds is everything you need to know about the future — so you can make the best decisions today. The rate of change we are experiencing is the fastest humanity has ever seen. Stay informed as Mark simplifies the complex technological and societal changes we face. How we will work, connect, use money, drive, eat is all changing at a rapid pace. For more information on The Next Billion seconds with Mark Pesce, please check out https://nextbillionseconds.com For more information about this podcast and The Next Billion Seconds, please visit https://nextbillionseconds.com. The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel - https://ampel.com.au . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The Next Billion Cars - 2024 in review (part 1) 22:11

38 weeks ago22:11

22:11

Whenever Mark, Sal and Drew get together, sparks will fly. So much has happened since our visit to CES 2024, we reckoned it time to draw all the year's threads together: Are we pulling back from EVs? Will China dominate manufacturing? And what about all that data vehicles are collecting? It's been full on - enough to require a bit of a 'group hug'. Part one of two. Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here Hosted by award-winning podcast creator, journalist & futurist Mark Pesce, The Next Billion Seconds is everything you need to know about the future — so you can make the best decisions today. The rate of change we are experiencing is the fastest humanity has ever seen. Stay informed as Mark simplifies the complex technological and societal changes we face. How we will work, connect, use money, drive, eat is all changing at a rapid pace. For more information on The Next Billion seconds with Mark Pesce, please check out https://nextbillionseconds.com For more information about this podcast and The Next Billion Seconds, please visit https://nextbillionseconds.com. The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel - https://ampel.com.au . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The $100,000,000,000 Lie 8:15

38 weeks ago8:15

8:15

The $100,000,000,000 Lie — “In 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk instructed his team of engineers to 'hard code' the first demo of what would become 'Full Self Driving'. A faked video drove panic across the entire automotive sector, leading to massive (and mostly failed) investments in technologies for autonomy.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
Neo Malaise with Drew Smith 11:33

39 weeks ago11:33

11:33

The Next Billion Cars co-host Drew Smith... has something to say. Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here Hosted by Drew Smith, Sally Dominguez and futurist Mark Pesce, The Next Billion Cars is everything you need to know about the future of Cars. For more information about this podcast and The Next Billion Seconds, please visit https://nextbillionseconds.com. The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel - https://ampel.com.au . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
Your Data, My Privacy - with Sally Dominguez 8:15

40 weeks ago8:15

8:15

The Next Billion Cars co-host Sally Dominguez examines at the data hungry nature of modern vehicles. What does privacy look like in the age of 'artificial intimacy'? You have nothing to hide, right? Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here Hosted by Drew Smith, Sally Dominguez and futurist Mark Pesce, The Next Billion Cars is everything you need to know about the future of Cars. For more information about this podcast and The Next Billion Seconds, please visit https://nextbillionseconds.com. The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel - https://ampel.com.au . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
The Next Billion Cars - with Drew Smith at SXSW Sydney 22:06

40 weeks ago22:06

22:06

Sign up for 'The Practical Futurist' newsletter here Hosted by award-winning podcast creator, journalist & futurist Mark Pesce, The Next Billion Seconds is everything you need to know about the future — so you can make the best decisions today. The rate of change we are experiencing is the fastest humanity has ever seen. Stay informed as Mark simplifies the complex technological and societal changes we face. How we will work, connect, use money, drive, eat is all changing at a rapid pace. For more information on The Next Billion seconds with Mark Pesce, please check out https://nextbillionseconds.com For more information about this podcast and The Next Billion Seconds, please visit https://nextbillionseconds.com. The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce is produced by Ampel - https://ampel.com.au . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce

1
SXSW 2024 ZEEKR: HOW DOES A NEW BRAND SURVIVE? With Gustaf Gunér 29:25

41 weeks ago29:25