The Internet is Crack

2026 Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction, Daniel Kraus spoke to us about his award-winning book, “Angel Down,” just before its release. We discuss AI, storytelling, and the future of human creativity.

This week’s guest, Maribeth Rauh, formerly of Google DeepMind, explains why people so often treat AI like a person and how that illusion can distort judgment and lead to real-world harm.

Dr. Ryan Jenkins explores a future where AI surpasses humans. He examines economic upheaval, artistic purpose, and the search for meaning when machines outperform us at nearly everything humans value.

Robot ethicist Professor Alan Winfield joins us to explore the real risks of robots and AI and what they mean for humanity’s future.  

Dr. Alan Winfield explores how robots evolve through error, imitation, and iteration, revealing surprising parallels with human learning, culture, and creativity, while questioning what “learning” really means for machines.                

We speak with Dr. Julie Carpenter about how technology encourages emotional bonds with robots and AI, exploring whether these relationships feel genuine, manipulative, or are just something new.

Those who own your data own you! In this episode, Aral Balkan exposes how billionaire corporations have seized control of the internet, turning us into products, and why reclaiming our digital rights is the fight of our lifetime.

This week, we had the honor of speaking with Alice E. Marwick, Director of Research at Data & Society, a nonprofit research institute that examines the social, political, and legal implications of data-driven technologies. We explored how online communication is warped by profit-driven systems, why bad actors thrive in digital spaces, and what makes civil discourse so elusive in the age of algorithmic manipulation.

Dr. Kasra Ghaharian joins us to discuss the rise of digital betting.

We talk with Dr. Randolph R. Lewis about his new book “Bummerland: Ruin and Restoration in Trump’s New America.” We explore how technology, politics, and culture are reshaping society and not always for the better.

We talk with Dr. Ben Green about what AI data centers really cost, from nonstop noise and pollution to the massive drain on water and energy. The bigger question is this the future we want, or are we pouring resources into something fundamentally unsustainable?

We sit down with Dr. Michael Nuccitelli, founder of iPredator, to examine how cyberstalking, trolling, and online harassment are escalating today. He breaks down the psychology behind the internet’s darkest behaviors and why they’re getting worse.

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Jarrahi joins us to tackle the big question…will AI take over society, or can we learn to work together? He argues that AI isn’t something we can stop. The real challenge is building a symbiotic relationship where humans and machines evolve together.    

Dr. Cansu Canca dives into the complicated world of AI ethics, including how hidden bias quietly shapes AI systems. It’s a clear, human, and surprisingly approachable overview of how we can attempt to fix ethical problems in AI models.

In this episode, we explore the future of humanity through the lens of AI and robotics with Dr. Michael Litman of Brown University. We tackle what these technologies mean for work, power, and human identity. It’s a conversation about where we’re headed and whether we’re truly ready for the world we’re building.                                

We talk with Stephen M. Fiore about his research on human-AI collaboration and how it extends from Earth-based decision systems to space missions. His work examines how people and intelligent systems coordinate, adapt, and solve problems together in complex, high-stakes environments.

Jocelyn Burnham is passionate about AI and shares that passion with her students. She invites audiences to experience AI firsthand, question assumptions, and form their own independent views.

Gambling is being radically transformed by the internet and AI, and Dr. Kasra Ghaharian joins us to break down what that shift really means. From there, we zoom out to explore how AI is reshaping the world at large and where it’s all headed next.

We talk with Daniel S. Schiff of Purdue University about how AI is reshaping culture, work, art, and everyday life, exploring what we gain, what we risk losing, and how humanity can adapt.

Together with Dr. Joanna Bryson, we explore what AI really is and discuss how humans can regulate this new technology in a way that benefits all.

This week on "The Internet is Crack," we talk with renowned actor/director Andy Lauer about raising kids in a screen-saturated world and the collapse of job security for actors in the age of internet streaming.

This week, we speak with Dr. Ryan Jenkins about the ethics of using AI in warfare and autonomous vehicles. How do we build these systems without losing what makes us human?

Dr. Williams is a roboticist trying to build robots that act with ethics, empathy, and imagination. He asks how robots can serve everyone, not just tech billionaires.

Cory Doctorow explains how tech giants seize control of the web and lock the rest of us out. He tells us what it will take to break their grip and reclaim the internet for everyone.

Bitcoin: brilliant innovation or pure speculative smoke? NYU’s David Yermack breaks down the blockchain hype, the real economics, and whether the bubble is finally ready to burst.      

We talk with Dr. Motahhare Eslami about the invisible algorithms that shape our online lives and how to manage their influence. This episode breaks down how these systems drive addiction, control, and what we experience.

Dr. David Gunkel joins us to explore whether AI can truly create on its own and what that answer means for human originality. We discuss how the law is already shifting to recognize machines and why failing to keep up with this technology could have serious consequences.

Adam Rodnitzky shares his journey of building businesses in Silicon Valley, from securing funding to scaling his startup's success. We get the inside scoop from the capital of the internet.

David Rodnitzky offers an insider's look at Silicon Valley's culture, power dynamics, and what shapes success in the tech world.

This week’s guest, Maribeth Rauh, formerly of Google DeepMind, breaks down why so many people treat AI like a person. She explains how that illusion can distort judgment and lead to real-world harm.

Brenda Sauter of the legendary bands The Feelies and Wild Carnation talks music, piracy, and the internet's influence on creativity.

Vanessa Briscoe Hay, lead vocalist of "Pylon Reenactment Society" and formerly of the legendary Athens, Georgia band "Pylon" joins "The Internet is Crack" to talk about the intersection of technology and music. From the evolution of music to the rise of AI, we discuss how artists adapt to technology, and we even create an AI-generated song together.

This week, we sit down with Professor Taha Yasseri to discuss how AI shapes the data we see and the ways we interpret it. We explore how small changes in data and design can create major real-world outcomes, from chatbot gender to data privacy.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Aram Sinnreich to talk about AI’s viability in a world increasingly dominated by corporate interests. Our conversation examines how powerful institutions influence and control this transformative resource, and how ordinary people can challenge and push back against overwhelming systems.

This week, we sit down with Anita Say Chan and discuss the past, present, and future of the use and misuse of data, along with the ethical lapses that have happened, are happening now, and will continue to emerge. We also talk about the sense of superiority this misuse fosters and the marginalization of groups who are most harmed by it.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Michael Zimmer to discuss data ethics: who has your data, and what they’re doing with it. We also dive into the Zuckerberg Files and the ethical challenges of studying digital data.

This week, we sit down with Jillian York, Director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). We discuss her work defending digital rights and the EFF’s broader mission to keep the internet free, open, and accessible for people around the world.

This week we sit down with Professor Luke Stark and discuss how humans interpret and make sense of digital technology, the ways we calculate and often miscalculate what these systems can actually do. Our conversation explores the messy, human side of digital life.

This week, we sit down with Professor Sarah T. Roberts of UCLA and discuss how Big Tech has twisted the internet into a tool for profit and control.  Our conversation asks what it means to push back and reclaim a web that serves people, not just powerful corporations.

This week, we sit down with Glen Reynolds, a veteran producer’s rep who has helped countless independent films find their way to audiences. With experience spanning production, sales, and distribution, Glen shares insights from every corner of the indie film business.

This week, we sit down with Professor Michael Littman of Brown University to break down the basics of AI and reinforcement learning. He does a brilliant job of explaining how it works, why it works, and whether AI is actually intelligent or just really good at faking it.  

This week, we sit down with acclaimed author Daniel Kraus and discuss his new book, Angel Down. We talk about AI, the internet, and writing and creativity in the digital era.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Michael Nuccitelli, founder of iPredator, to talk about the dark side of online behavior. From cyberstalking to internet trolling, he walks us through the disturbing ways people weaponize the web.  

This week, we sit down with Karen Woodward, a Digital  Marketing Consultant. We talk AI, the internet, and everything in between and how it all shapes the way we live, work, and think.

This week, we sit down with Dr. Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Professor at Brown University and co-author of the AI Bill of Rights, to talk about AI, fairness, accountability, and the future of algorithmic decision-making.

This week, we sit down with the amazing Jason Jenn to talk about art, AI, the Internet, and how technology is transforming creativity. Can there even be art without a human artist behind it?

Dr. Dustin Weissman joins "The Internet is Crack" to discuss the addictive nature of gaming, pornography, and online gambling. He shares insights on how to use the internet as a tool rather than becoming trapped.

We sit down with Dr. Justin Romano, a child psychiatrist and digital addiction expert, for a no-holds-barred conversation about how the internet is rewiring the minds of both kids. From toddlers to tech-addicted parents, this lively episode dives into why we’re all hooked and what it will take to break free.

This week we had the honor of speaking with Alice E. Marwick, Director of Research at Data & Society, a nonprofit research institute that examines the social, political, and legal implications of data-driven technologies. We explored how online communication is warped by profit-driven systems, why bad actors thrive in digital spaces, and what makes civil discourse so elusive in the age of algorithmic manipulation.

This week on “The Internet is Crack,” we cruise the digital superhighway with Shaun Steingold, CEO of Healthi, a longtime tech innovator and internet guru. From his health platform to artificial intelligence, we explore how the internet is evolving, what AI is enabling, and what it means for the future of connection, creativity, and control.