708: Spicy Mode

Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because this week's "Spicy Mode" episode of Grumpy Old Geeks proves that while things change, they mostly stay the same—just with more AI and less common sense. First up in FOLLOW UP, some poor schmoe automaker actually got a federal exemption for automated vehicles. Because what could possibly go wrong when we let robots drive?

Then we dive headfirst into IN THE NEWS, a veritable dumpster fire of artificial intelligence. Illinois, bless their hearts, decided to ban AI therapists, probably because even they realized a chatbot won't fix your existential dread. But don't worry, older Americans are totally embracing these digital companions, like ElliQ, your friendly AI sidekick for "happier, healthier aging." Meanwhile, Perplexity is still allegedly scraping websites like it's 1999, and Apple's cooking up a "stripped-down" AI chatbot, probably because all their good AI talent bailed. Even Wells Fargo is deploying AI agents, so now your bank can deny you a loan with even less human empathy. And naturally, the US government is totally on board with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic—because handing over the keys to Skynet to federal agencies sounds like a super solid plan. Oh, and of course, Grok now has a "spicy" NSFW mode, because what else would you expect? And just when you thought it couldn't get any dumber, Microsoft is "cautiously onboarding" Grok 4 after some minor Hitler concerns. Tesla, in a move that surprises absolutely no one, shut down Dojo, their AI training supercomputer. If you’re still using ChatGPT for your deepest, darkest secrets, be warned: a single poisoned document could leak all your data. Even the Swedish Prime Minister is apparently relying on ChatGPT for decision-making. In other news that doesn't involve robots taking over, Amazon split up Wondery and laid off a bunch of folks, and Microsoft's Windows XP Crocs are an actual thing. Yes, really.

For MEDIA CANDY, prepare for a dose of nostalgia and existential dread. We're talking Rogue One, Nate Bargatze's stand-up specials (because sometimes you just need to laugh), Portlandia, Craig Ferguson, and the OG AI movie, Colossus: The Forbin Project. Netflix keeps canceling everything we love, including Fubar, but hey, The Sandman Season 2 and Wednesday are still here. And just to prove that Hollywood is still stuck in the past, Universal Pictures is threatening to sue Big Tech for stealing their movies for AI. Over in APPS & DOODADS, Google's smart home ecosystem is apparently crumbling, because who needs a cohesive system when you can have a dozen disconnected devices? But hey, OpenAI released a free GPT model you can run on your laptop, so now you can build your own personal AI overlord right at home. And finally, THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE brings us Gravity Falls books and a new Star Wars movie with Matt Smith and Ryan Gosling. Oh, and Weird Science is on Netflix, because sometimes you just need to relive the 80s and pretend AI hasn't completely taken over. So grab your flannel, cue up some Oingo Boingo, and enjoy the show, you analog dinosaurs.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/708

FOLLOW UP

First U.S. automaker gets federal automated vehicle exemption

IN THE NEWS

Illinois is the first state to ban AI therapists

Older Americans turning to AI-powered chatbots for companionship

Meet ElliQ - Your AI sidekick for happier, healthier aging

Perplexity is allegedly scraping websites it's not supposed to, again

Apple reportedly has a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT in the works

Apple's Real AI Crisis Isn't Siri, But the Talent It's Losing to Rivals

Wells Fargo Deploys AI Agents Business-Wide

US adds OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to list of approved AI vendors for federal agencies

ElevenLabs launches its own royalty-free AI music service

Surprising no one, Grok's image and video generator now has an NSFW 'spicy' mode

Microsoft is cautiously onboarding Grok 4 following Hitler concerns

Tesla shuts down Dojo, the AI training supercomputer that Musk said would be key to full self-driving

A Single Poisoned Document Could Leak ‘Secret’ Data Via ChatGPT

Prime Minister of Sweden Dragged for Admitting He Uses ChatGPT to Help Him Make Decisions

Amazon splits up the Wondery podcast network and lays off about 110 employees

Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs are no joke

MEDIA CANDY

Rogue One

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American

Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid

Your Friend, Nate Bargatze

Portlandia

"I'm So Happy" | Craig Ferguson (Full Stand-up Special)

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 Comic-Con Teaser

‘Fubar’ Canceled By Netflix After 2 Seasons

The Sandman Season 2

28 Years Later

Wednesday

Universal Pictures to Big Tech: We’ll Sue If You Steal Our Movies For AI

APPS & DOODADS

Google’s Smart Home Ecosystem Is Crumbling

OpenAI releases a free GPT model that can run on your laptop

How to set up and run OpenAI's 'gpt-oss-20b' open weight model locally on your Mac

AT THE LIBRARY

Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk

Spotify's premium audiobook feature launches in the US

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Dave Bittner

The CyberWire

Hacking Humans

Caveat

Control Loop

Only Malware in the Building

Gravity Falls: Journal 3

Gravity Falls: The Book of Bill

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’: Matt Smith Lands Villain Role In New Lucasfilm Pic Starring Ryan Gosling

Weird Science

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