The AI Paradox: More Information, Less Shared Reality

Today's guest is Lyn Alden, one of the world's leading macroeconomic analysts and the author of Broken Money and The Stillguard Incident.We explore one of the defining questions of the modern era: humanity has more information, more connectivity, and more problem-solving capability than ever before, yet trust in institutions is falling and agreement on basic facts appears increasingly difficult.Topics include:• AI generated content and the future of truth• Social media algorithms and attention economics• Bitcoin, cryptographic verification, and digital authenticity• The historical relationship between technology and progress• Energy, hydrocarbons, and human prosperity• Fiscal dominance, inflation, and rising asset prices• Demographics, debt, and the long term economic outlook• Portfolio construction in an era of persistent deficits• Lyn's new investment venture, Orange JuiceIf you enjoy thoughtful conversations about economics, technology, investing, Bitcoin, and long-term human progress, please subscribe.Subscribe to my Substack for more in depth analyses of these topics: Thank you very much to our sponsors: Foundation: Protect your Bitcoin using the latest off-line technology with easy-to-use Passport. Their next product, Passport Prime will protect all passwords off-line with even-better technology. https://foundation.xyz/River Financial: If not cold storage for your Bitcoin, I’d highly recommend River for buying and holding- River is engineered to protect your Bitcoin over the long run. Use this link for discounts: https://river.com/signup?r=T7GGAF7GTimestamps:00:00 Introduction: The Shared Reality Problem- HIghlights01:20 How Technology Changed Shared Reality02:40 AI, Deepfakes, and the Verification Crisis04:20 Will We Retreat to Local Sources of Truth?05:40 Social Media Algorithms and Attention Economics09:10 Sponsor Break09:50 Can Bitcoin Help Verify Reality?14:40 Hunter Gatherers, Agriculture, and Human Progress19:00 Markets, Entrepreneurship, and Problem Solving21:20 Debt, Governments, and Fiscal Dominance24:00 Why Stocks Keep Rising Despite Growing Pessimism27:40 Demographics, Deficits, and the K-Shaped Economy30:20 Ray Dalio, Empires, and Avoiding Conflict33:30 How Lyn Alden Is Positioning Her Portfolio34:50 Why the Traditional 60/40 Portfolio May Be Changing38:10 Orange Juice: Lyn's New Investment Venture40:10 Writing Fiction, Building Ideas, and Long-Term Thinking41:30 Closing Thoughts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertdewey3.substack.com/subscribe