What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future podcast

What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

 

#544

Elon's Endgame

As someone whose companies receive billions of dollars from the government, it’s worth ask... more

Yesterday

36 MINS

36:31

Yesterday


#543

Can You Pay Attention, Please?

The infinite scroll has no purpose other than keeping your attention. But that doesn’t mea... more

16 Feb 2025

30 MINS

30:07

16 Feb 2025


#542

Is Elon Actually Trying to Buy OpenAI?

Is Elon Musk’s $97.4 billion offer to buy OpenAI genuine—or an irresistible opportunity to... more

14 Feb 2025

27 MINS

27:09

14 Feb 2025


#541

Why Trump’s Data Purge is a Digital Book Burning

Using Github, you can watch as government websites are brought into compliance with Donald... more

09 Feb 2025

29 MINS

29:50

09 Feb 2025


#540

Bonus: The Discourse | Why is Elon Musk Cheating at Video Games?

Elon Musk is supposed to be running several companies and a new government department—so w... more

07 Feb 2025

06 MINS

06:59

07 Feb 2025


#539

Is Elon Musk Unstoppable?

You can’t doubt the enthusiasm of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. You can... more

07 Feb 2025

30 MINS

30:03

07 Feb 2025


#538

The DeepSeek Panic

The artificial intelligence industry was thrown for a loop when the Chinese start-up DeepS... more

02 Feb 2025

28 MINS

28:57

02 Feb 2025


#537

RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Tapped by Trump for the role of health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presents himself a... more

31 Jan 2025

30 MINS

30:26

31 Jan 2025


#536

The A.I. Will See You Now

Artificial intelligence is coming to a doctor’s office near you—if it isn’t already there,... more

26 Jan 2025

26 MINS

26:43

26 Jan 2025


#535

Bonus: The Discourse | The Bro-ligarchs Take Washington

Choice seats for Donald Trump’s second inauguration were filled with tech founders and CEO... more

24 Jan 2025

06 MINS

06:28

24 Jan 2025


#534

Department of Government Elon

The Department of Government Efficiency was made to Elon Musk’s specifications, right down... more

24 Jan 2025

26 MINS

26:18

24 Jan 2025


#533

As Fires Approached LA, Angelenos Turned to Watch Duty

Looking for up-to-the-minute updates on where the fires are, LA residents have been turnin... more

19 Jan 2025

25 MINS

25:46

19 Jan 2025


#532

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta-Morphosis

Misinformation, disinformation, politics—Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is not going to shield use... more

17 Jan 2025

29 MINS

29:53

17 Jan 2025


#531

Why Tech Is Bending the Knee

How the FCC and its incoming head, Brenden Carr, could enact Trump’s top policy goal: puni... more

12 Jan 2025

29 MINS

29:29

12 Jan 2025


#530

Will the Supreme Court Save TikTok?

Will a First Amendment defense keep TikTok running in America?  Guest: Emily Baker White, ... more

10 Jan 2025

31 MINS

31:50

10 Jan 2025


#529

Bitcoin Takes the White House

Cryptocurrency spent generously on this last election cycle, and now they’ve got their top... more

05 Jan 2025

26 MINS

26:52

05 Jan 2025


#528

Musk vs. MAGA

On Christmas Eve a fracas erupted on X, when Elon Musk posted in favor of H1-B visas for s... more

03 Jan 2025

29 MINS

29:02

03 Jan 2025


#527

The Cost of Suicide Prevention Software

Between a third and half of American schoolchildren have a form of “mental health monitori... more

29 Dec 2024

30 MINS

30:58

29 Dec 2024


#526

2024 In Review: Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?

“Fecal microbial transplants” treat someone’s unhealthy gut with poop from someone else’s ... more

27 Dec 2024

27 MINS

27:17

27 Dec 2024


#525

Influencer vs. Influencer

One influencer working for Amazon sued another influencer who works for Amazon for creatin... more

22 Dec 2024

33 MINS

33:53

22 Dec 2024


#524

Drones!??!!!?!!!

Reports of flocks of drones, flying overhead nightly, are coming in from New Jersey down t... more

20 Dec 2024

25 MINS

25:42

20 Dec 2024


#523

The Surveillance State Trump Is Inheriting

Our lives, and our communication in particular, are increasingly conducted over the intern... more

15 Dec 2024

28 MINS

28:27

15 Dec 2024


#522

Elon Musk and Trump’s Shadow Transition Team

Elon Musk has been down in Florida with Donald Trump, inviting his fellow rich Silicon Val... more

13 Dec 2024

30 MINS

30:09

13 Dec 2024


#521

Spotify Trapped

Spotify is shaping listening habits, so much so that musicians are shaping themselves for ... more

08 Dec 2024

29 MINS

29:39

08 Dec 2024