Ep. 1 | The Soul of Tech: Jobs, Musk, and the Next Inflection Point | Michael Stern & Tom Hershenson

Thirty years ago, the team at General Magic invented the smartphone concept — and helped usher in a revolution that reshaped how we work, communicate, and relate to each other. They also didn't see the dark side coming.In this first episode of General Magic and the Soul of Tech, hosts Michael Stern and Tom Hershenson sit down with the General Magic documentary co-director Sarah Kerruish for a wide-ranging conversation about what General Magic got wrong the first time — and why the rise of AI may be humanity's only chance to get it right.They cover the original vision at General Magic, the invention of software agents (yes, before AI agents were a thing), why “Jobs vs. Musk” is the title of their upcoming book, and what a "call to conscience" for technologists, policymakers, and investors looks like in 2026.This isn't despair. It's a summons.Topics in this episode:• Why General Magic matters now, not just as history• The soul of tech: Steve Jobs vs. Elon Musk• How GM invented agents — and what that means for AI today• Safety-first architecture: what Telescript got right that modern AI hasn't• The K-shaped economy and who benefits from the AI boom• What social movements teach us about the road aheadJoin the conversation: Substack → spellboundproductions.substack.com General Magic documentary → generalmagicthemovie.comGeneral Magic and the Soul of Tech is produced by Spellbound Productions II LLC.#GeneralMagic #SiliconValley #Innovation #Technology #Ethics #FutureOfAI #HumanCenteredDesign #TheSoulOfTech #Podcast #spellboundproductions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit spellboundproductions.substack.com