Feb 20, 2026 · 1 hr 16 min · 10 segments
In this episode, we dive into the views of the people who think the AGI race is being oversold, misunderstood, or misframed. As you’ll hear, we break them down into three distinct camps: “AI Is Grift”…
Arvind NarayananGuest
Ed ZitronGuest
Gary MarcusGuestCan I just have you start off by describing what it is you do for a living these days?
I run a newsletter called Where's Your Red At, which is over 85,000 subscribers now, which is crazy.
I have a podcast called Better Offline on iHeartRadio and Cool Zone Media, where I cover the rot in tech and the powerful way in which they're using tech to control society.
I think of you as someone who has become almost like a professional critic of the whole world of tech.
He is an author, a blogger, a podcaster, and he was once described by a magazine writer as, quote, "...one of the most pugnacious critics of big tech." And as you'll hear, he is the embodiment of the belief that all of the concern and excitement around AI right now is totally misguided.
I think that if I was going to sum up all of your criticism, it is in the claim that you've made many times in the past that, quote, the main thing holding back AI is that it doesn't fucking work.
I mean that when you look at what is promised from AI, that it is this autonomous system that can complete distinct work units or what have you, I'm saying that's a lie.
Just look at what it does, or should I say what it doesn't do? It's one of the strangest things I've seen in my life, I'm going to be honest.
Can I just have you start off by describing what it is you do for a living these days?
I run a newsletter called Where's Your Red At, which is over 85,000 subscribers now, which is crazy.
I have a podcast called Better Offline on iHeartRadio and Cool Zone Media, where I cover the rot in tech and the powerful way in which they're using tech to control society.
I think of you as someone who has become almost like a professional critic of the whole world of tech.
He is an author, a blogger, a podcaster, and he was once described by a magazine writer as, quote, "...one of the most pugnacious critics of big tech." And as you'll hear, he is the embodiment of the belief that all of the concern and excitement around AI right now is totally misguided.
I think that if I was going to sum up all of your criticism, it is in the claim that you've made many times in the past that, quote, the main thing holding back AI is that it doesn't fucking work.
I mean that when you look at what is promised from AI, that it is this autonomous system that can complete distinct work units or what have you, I'm saying that's a lie.
Just look at what it does, or should I say what it doesn't do? It's one of the strangest things I've seen in my life, I'm going to be honest.
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