Topic: China

2 chapters in Jul – Sep 2026 · See all time

The Gods We Make
Episode 51 • • 1:04:38 - 1:11:04

51: The Gods We Make

Jared Lanier on the Digital God Illusion

Jared Lanier argues that the tech industry is driven by a "compulsive religion" to create a successor species to humanity. He explains that the "Turing test" is being used to fool people into treating software as living entities, leading to social addictions and political distortions. Lanier suggests that the U.S. adds expensive "illusion" overhead to its AI models, whereas China focuses on cheaper, functional performance because they already have the Communist Party as their "god."

The Architecture of Fear
Episode 50 • • 58:46 - 1:01:54

50: The Architecture of Fear

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance on AI Hoaxes

President Donald Trump dismissed AI extinction warnings as a "sick conspiracy" and a hoax designed to benefit China, asserting that a "high IQ president" is the only necessary guardrail. Vice President J.D. Vance described the tech companies' plea for regulation as a "Trojan horse." Meanwhile, former Senator Joe Manchin called for emergency action to stop AI development, citing a 10% chance of family annihilation.