706: Let There Be Scams

This week, we're drowning in the genius of our tech overlords as Elon Musk opens his Tesla diner, complete with $17 hotdogs and a blocked apartment view, while his $9 billion Neuralink startup claims it’s a "disadvantaged" business. Not to be outdone, SpaceX is mad about other people's space junk, France is criminally probing X for algorithm manipulation, and Meta is giving the EU's AI code of practice a hard pass. Amid warnings the AI bubble is worse than the dot-com implosion, we've seen Replit delete a user's database, ChatGPT hallucinate features into existence, and the FDA's own AI fake medical studies. It’s no wonder psychologists are identifying "AI Psychosis" while others hope the ensuing internet slop cures our addiction. Meanwhile, a Denver couple gets indicted for a crypto scam, a Colorado pastor blames God for his failed coin, and Trump signs a stablecoin bill, so that's all fixed now. To top it off, Lyft lets you block drivers and Uber finally lets women riders match with women drivers in the US.

In Media Candy, we’re turning the nostalgia dial to eleven with "This Is Spinal Tap" in 4K and a look back at 1994's best movies, a time before Spotify started polluting dead artists' pages with AI-generated songs. Netflix is also using generative AI, but we're still watching "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "Hacks," "Wednesday," "Superman," "Sunday Best," and "Bookish." For your app fix, you can browse a glorious collection of 90s Geocities backgrounds or let Amazon's new Bee AI wearable listen to your every word, your choice. At the library, we're digging into Michael Palin's "Python Years" diaries. Finally, we pour one out in our closing shout-outs for George Kooymans of Golden Earring, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Hulk Hogan, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. What a week.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/706

IN THE NEWS

Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner officially opens as Elon Musk hints at more locations

Tesla's new diner blocks a neighboring apartment building's view

A $17 Hotdog and a Humanoid Robot Serving Popcorn: WIRED’s Day at the Tesla Diner

Elon Musk-Founded Brain Implant Startup Says It’s a ‘Disadvantaged’ Business Despite Being Worth $9 Billion

France launches criminal probe of X's alleged algorithm 'manipulation'

SpaceX Has the Nerve to Be Mad About a Competitor’s Massive Satellites Littering Earth Orbit

Meta says it won't sign the EU's AI code of practice

Why I'm Betting Against AI Agents in 2025 (Despite Building Them)

Replit goes rogue during a code freeze and shutdown and deletes our entire database

Vibe coding service Replit deleted user’s production database, faked data, told fibs galore

ChatGPT Hallucinated a Feature, Forcing Human Developers to Add It

“Call Me A Jerk: Persuading AI to Comply with Objectionable Requests”

The Emerging Problem of "AI Psychosis"

AI Slop Might Finally Cure Our Internet Addiction

FDA’s New Drug Approval AI Is Generating Fake Studies: Report

Economist Warns the AI Bubble Is Worse Than Immediately Before the Dot-Com Implosion

OpenAI Seeks Additional Capital From Investors as Part of Its $40 Billion Round

Microsoft Sharepoint server vulnerability puts an estimated 10,000 organizations at risk

‘I Got You Guys Out of So Much Trouble’: Trump Signs Stablecoin Crypto Bill

Denver Grand Jury Indicts Married Couple in Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Cryptocurrency Scam

Colorado pastor: "We took God at his word and sold a cryptocurrency with no clear exit"

Lyft Will Let Users ‘Favorite’ or Block Drivers in Broader Loyalty Push

Uber is finally letting women riders in the US match with women drivers

MEDIA CANDY

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Hacks

Netflix is already using generative AI in its original shows

'Wednesday' Is Snapping Back for Season 3 and a Spinoff

This Is Spinal Tap Now Available in 4K Ultra HD

In 2024, More Music Is Released in a Day Than in All of 1989 Combined

Best Movies of 1994

Spotify Allowing AI-Generated Songs on Dead Artists’ Pages: Report

Superman

Sunday Best

Bookish

APPS & DOODADS

Amazon buys Bee AI wearable that listens to everything you say

Collection of 1990s website background tiles from Geocities

GifCities

AT THE LIBRARY

Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years (Michael Palin Diaries Book 1)

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

Golden Earring guitarist George Kooymans dead at 77

'The Cosby Show' Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead At 54, Accidental Drowning

Malcolm & Eddie Intro

Hulk Hogan Dead at 71

Ozzy Osbourne, Godfather of Heavy Metal, Dead at 76

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