PODCAST · technology
Taylor Lorenz’s Power User
by Taylor Lorenz
Taylor Lorenz explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, she explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Wednesday for regular episodes and every Friday for "Free Speech Friday," her series on tech policy and the fight for civil liberties online.
Episodes
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The Real Reason Instagram Feels Worse: The Case Against Social Media Doomerism
Is "enshittification" real, or are we just refusing to take accountability for our own screen time? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Power User, I sat down with...
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Everything You Know About Police Body Cameras Is Wrong
Before you call for more body cameras watch this!! If you value my reporting, please, please support my work 👇👇👇 Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz Subscribe to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Body cameras were supposed to hold police accountable. So why is police...
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The Billionaire Tech Cult That Just Collapsed
SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Some of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest tech elites have a radical new dream, to abandon modern democracy completely and build their own sovereign nations.…
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AI Spy Towers And Mass Surveillance Tech Coming To Your Town Next
Have you noticed surveillance cameras appearing in your community? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz For decades, the US-Mexico border has served as a proving ground for invasive,...
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People Are Secretly Dating AI And Wont Stop: Everything You Know About AI Girlfriends Is Wrong:
Why are so many people falling in love with ChatGPT, and what do sensational headlines about AI relationships leave out? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Power User I...
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The Govt Wants Your ID To Browse Online
AI agents are rapidly becoming the next major way people interact with the internet. They can browse websites, research topics, compare prices, schedule reservations, respond to emails, shop and increasingly take actions on our behalf. But as your agent is going off and scanning websites, or...
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Why Big Tech Wants You to Think AI Is Alive
Can AI actually be conscious and why are some of the biggest AI companies in Silicon Valley pushing this idea? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Power User, I talk with...
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[SUBSTACK/PATREON PREVIEW] The Brutal Truth Behind The AI Bubble w/ Garrison Lovely
To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻 Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon…
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AI Agents Are Infiltrating Group Chats: The Internet Can No Longer Tell Who Is Human
For decades, the entire internet was built on one simple assumption: the person on the other end of the screen is actually human. That assumption is officially dead. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon:...
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The Disturbing Cult Taking Over Silicon Valley (Inside Davos For The Tech Elite)
What happens when Silicon Valley tries to optimize everything, from AI and politics to dating, reproduction, friendship and even human behavior? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Every...
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Countries Are Hiding Censorship in 'Cybercrime' Laws
The New Global Plan To Control What You Post SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz A new United Nations cybercrime treaty is being sold as a way for governments to fight hacking, phishing…
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Are We All Going to Die!?!?! The Dark Money Behind AI Doomer Panic
Why does everyone suddenly think AI could kill humanity?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Power User, I'm joined by tech journalist Natasha Tiku to investigate the…
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Why You Cant Trust YouTube News: The Secret AI Farms Gaming YouTube
Who is really behind the fastest-growing political channels on YouTube? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free...
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Why Palantir Is Selling Tennis Skirts (w/ Lawrence Schlossman)
Why are people buying OpenAI sweatshirts, Claude “Thinking” hats and Palantir chore coats? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus...
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ICE Is Hunting Down TikTok Journalists
ICE shot a TikTok journalist covering raids in Los Angeles then locked him in desert detention for 300 days (he is still there) with a festering gunshot wound, worms in his drinking water and cockroaches in his cell. This is the story of Carlitos Ricardo Parias known online as Richard LA or…
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Inside the Towns Saying Hell No to AI Data Centers w/ Jasmine Sun
Small towns across America are revolting against massive AI data centers. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free...
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Congress Wants to Track Every Device You Own
A New Law That Could Destroy Open Source Forever SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience…
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The Pause AI Movement Is Winning
The movement to pause AI is gaining momentum, but can anyone actually stop the race toward more powerful artificial intelligence? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full...
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AI Text Now Has a Secret Tracking Code
To access an ad-free listening experience, get bonus episodes, and receive my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻 Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Anthropic just announced...
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The Truth About Zuck's 6,500 Word AI Manifesto w/ Mike Isaac
Zuckerberg Wants AI to Know Everything About You SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Mark Zuckerberg just published a massive 6,500-word manifesto laying out an aggressive vision for the...
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[PATREON PREVIEW] Inside America's First Venture Backed Bot Farm
To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻 Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz...
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Your iPhone Could Send You to Jail: The Terrifying Truth About Prairieland
Inside the Case That Could Change Protesting Forever FOR AD-FREE EPISODES SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz This week on Free Speech Friday, I sat down with independent investigative...
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The Insane Collapse of Silicon Valley's 'Nostradamus of AI'
The Wild Rise and Fall of Leopold Aschenbrenner LISTEN AD-FREE!! 👇🏻 Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Until a week ago, Leopold Aschenbrenner was hailed as the "Nostradamus of AI". A 24-year-old former...
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The Viral Elon Musk Lawsuit Everyone Is Getting Wrong
Everyone got this viral lawsuit totally wrong. FOR AD-FREE EPISODES, BUY A PAID SUBSCRIPTION TO MY PATREON OR SUBSTACK!! SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz This week, a viral story claimed...
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AI Is Destroying Millions of Books (But Not For The Reason You Think)
Is AI destroying human literature? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz You might have seen the viral videos of a "book guillotine" slicing the spines off thousands of books in a massive...
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Inside The Nantucket Influencer War
Nantucket's "No Influencers" Sign Started a Gender and Class War, Here's What It's Really About SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Last week, the internet exploded after a small Nantucket...
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Trump's Plan to Destroy 'Woke AI'
If AI becomes the foundation of search, education, government, and everyday life, the fight over who controls AI outputs could shape the future of the internet. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon:...
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The AI War Just Went Nuclear: Everyone Hates Anthropic Now (Even Denny's Diner)
The biggest fight in AI isn't about chatbots anymore, it's about who gets to control the future of artificial intelligence. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Is Anthropic trying to lock...
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The Secret Plan to Kill Super PACs (How We Finally End Citizens United)
The Secret Court Case That Could Destroy Super PACs Forever SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz You've been told that Citizens United created Super PACs… but that's not the full story. In...
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OpenAI Could Lose Everything w/ Alex Kantrowitz
🔒 Get 20% off DeleteMe by going to https://joindeleteme.com/TAYLOR20 and use code TAYLOR20 to protect your privacy! 🙌 🚨 Apple is officially suing OpenAI and the allegations are insane. 🚨 SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on...
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[PATREON PREVIEW] Bill Gates Daughter's $43M Tech Scandal
To listen to this and other bonus episodes, buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co or support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz. Affiliate marketing is one of the biggest industries on the internet, and according to researcher Ben Edelman, one of...
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How the Government Uses AI to Spy on You
The government is using powerful AI tools to build massive digital dossiers on everyday citizens, and it’s happening with zero oversight. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode...
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A Physicist Destroys Elon Musk's Mars Fantasy
We are never going to Mars. And the billionaires selling you the dream are lying to your face. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz The idea of living on Mars has become one of Silicon Valley's biggest...
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Kids Aren't Addicted to Phones — Here's the Data (The Top Academic Studying Social Media & Children Breaks Things Down)
Is social media actually destroying a generation, or are we in the middle of a massive political moral panic? For this week's Free Speech Friday I sat down with one of the world's leading researchers studying young people, technology, and mental health to answer one question: Did social media...
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Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time w/ Amy Odell
Are we living through the dawn of a permanent Surveillance Summer? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Kylie Jenner is the new face of Meta's AI smart glasses and suddenly, mass surveillance is a…
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Bars Are Secretly Scanning Your Face And Tracking You
Most people hand their ID to a bouncer without thinking twice. But what if your local bar was monitoring way more than your age? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Cydney Hayes is a tech and business...
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The Terrifying New Bounty Economy w/ Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd) & Aidan Walker
The internet has entered a terrifying new era where reality itself has become a marketplace. Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd) & Aidan Walker join me to break it all down. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon:...
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Congress Just Declared War on the Internet: The Patriot Act For Online Spaces Is Here
The Kids Act Could End Internet Freedom As We Know It. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz A massive new package of legislation, dubbed the "Kids Act," is moving through Congress with unprecedented...
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The Riskiest Bet in Tech History: Elon Musk's Most Dangerous Company Yet
SpaceX just pulled off the biggest IPO in history and made Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. But is it all built on a fantasy? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this week's episode of…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] What Is Peter Thiel Doing In Argentina? (and what's with his secret cult) w/ NYT's Ryan Mac
Subscribe to my Patreon or newsletter to listen to the full episode! SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Over the past few months, Peter Thiel has become fully infatuated with Argentina. He bought a...
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Hasan Piker Reveals The New Censorship Playbook: The Twitch Streamer on KOSA, Section 230, jawboning, travel bans and more
Hasan Piker On The Terrifying Future Of Internet Surveillance SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: patreon.com/taylorlorenz Hasan Piker joined me for this week's Free Speech Friday for a wide-ranging conversation about online...
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Why Timothée Chalamet Is Shilling Kalshi: Inside The Plan To Monetize Everything
Why is Kalshi suddenly everywhere? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have become one of the most powerful forces in American media, politics, and…
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The Anti-LGBTQ Internet Censorship Bill Is Back
Just in time for Pride month, Marsha Blackburn and the Heritage Foundation's anti-LGBTQ censorship is back (now supported by OpenAI). SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz The Kids Online Safety Act…
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Exposing OpenAI's Secret Meme Army: A $125M Propaganda Network
Exposing The Dark Money Machine Behind AI Propaganda SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz I break down my investigation into a network of pro-AI and anti-AI meme accounts that I found were secretly…
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Are You On A Govt Watchlist? Cops Are Tracking Anyone Who Hates AI
Are you on a government watchlist just for criticizing AI? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz A shocking new investigation from The Intercept...
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The Data Center Boom Is More Toxic Than You Think
Are AI data centers destroying the environment, driving up power bills, and consuming massive amounts of water, or is the backlash overblown? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more:...
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Visa Could Ruin the Internet
What if you woke up tomorrow and completely lost access to your bank account, credit cards, PayPal, and Venmo, all because of something you posted online? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A…
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Why AI Doom Content Is Everywhere
Have you noticed your social media feeds suddenly flooding with terrifying content about AI existential risk? From TikTok clips warning about "AI psychosis" to viral YouTube shorts claiming chatbots are pushing people to the brink, the anti-AI movement has taken over the internet... But what if...
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Elon Musk’s Final Plan: A Dangerous Blueprint For World Domination
Elon Musk has evolved far beyond a billionaire CEO. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz According to political theorists Quinn Slobodian and Ben...
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The AI Job Apocalypse: Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass w/ Jasmine Sun
What happens if AI becomes smarter than humans at most jobs? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Researchers, economists, and top AI executives are...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Taylor Lorenz explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, she explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Wednesday for regular episodes and every Friday for "Free Speech Friday," her series on tech policy and the fight for civil liberties online.
HOSTED BY
Taylor Lorenz
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