Ed Zitron is joined by Karen Hao, author of the book Empire of AI, to talk about the confusing world of OpenAI and the associated mind-poison of artificial general intelligence.

Book link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/
(all the buy links are available there)
Karen’s website: https://karendhao.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/_karenhao
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karendhao/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/karenhao.bsky.social

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline use free99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

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email me ez@betteroffline.com

Ed Zitron is joined by Karen Hao, author of the book Empire of AI, to talk about the confusing world of OpenAI and the associated mind-poison of artificial general intelligence. Book link:&nbsp;https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/ (all the buy links are available there) Karen&rsquo;s website:&nbsp;https://karendhao.com/ Twitter:&nbsp;https://x.com/_karenhao LinkedIn:&nbsp;https://www.linkedin.com/in/karendhao/ BlueSky:&nbsp;https://bsky.app/profile/karenhao.bsky.social YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline use free99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. You can also order a limited-edition Better Offline hat until 5/22/25! <a href="https://cottonbureau.com/p/CAGDW8/hat/better-offline-hat#/28510205/hat-unisex-dad-hat-black-100percent-cotton-adjustable">https://cottonbureau.com/p/CAGDW8/hat/better-offline-hat#/28510205/hat-unisex-dad-hat-black-100percent-cotton-adjustable</a>&nbsp; Newsletter: wheresyoured.at&nbsp; Reddit: <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/betteroffline">http://www.reddit.com/r/betteroffline</a>&nbsp; Discord chat.wheresyoured.at&nbsp; Ed's Socials - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/edzitron">http://www.twitter.com/edzitron</a>&nbsp; instagram.com/edzitron <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com">https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://www.threads.net/@edzitron">https://www.threads.net/@edzitron</a>&nbsp; email me ez@betteroffline.com

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 

Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.



Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Empires of AI With Karen Hao

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dc7a2a02-f887-4672-b1f8-b2dd0024e0df/transcript

In part two of this week’s four-part case against generative AI, Ed Zitron walks you through how NVIDIA funds and pumps money into unprofitable, debt-ridden “neoclouds” all to create vehicles to buy more GPUs - all to cover up the lack of demand for generative AI compute.

Original Air Date: 10.1.25

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

---

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In part two of this week&rsquo;s four-part case against generative AI, Ed Zitron walks you through how NVIDIA funds and pumps money into unprofitable, debt-ridden &ldquo;neoclouds&rdquo; all to create vehicles to buy more GPUs - all to cover up the lack of demand for generative AI compute.
Original Air Date: 10.1.25
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
LINKS: <a href="https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks">https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks</a>
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Email Me: <a href="mailto:ez@betteroffline.com">ez@betteroffline.com</a>

CZM Rewind: The Case Against Generative AI (Part 2)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a4513acd-bf19-4de7-b904-b3bb01254d69/transcript

In part one of this week’s four-part case against generative AI, Ed Zitron walks you through how generative AI is sold through a complete misunderstanding of the concept of labor - and myth-building by companies like NVIDIA and OpenAI.

Original Air Date: 9.30.25

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

---

LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks

Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In part one of this week&rsquo;s four-part case against generative AI, Ed Zitron walks you through how generative AI is sold through a complete misunderstanding of the concept of labor - and myth-building by companies like NVIDIA and OpenAI.
Original Air Date: 9.30.25
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
LINKS: <a href="https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks">https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks</a>
Newsletter: <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/">https://www.wheresyoured.at/</a>
Reddit: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/">https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/</a>&nbsp;
Discord: <a href="https://discord.com/invite/QUUQUP9szv">chat.wheresyoured.at</a>
Ed's Socials:
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Email Me: <a href="mailto:ez@betteroffline.com">ez@betteroffline.com</a>

CZM Rewind: The Case Against Generative AI (Part 1)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7433010d-56ca-4e0f-ba68-b3bb0124ca43/transcript

In part three of this week's three-part NVIDIA series, Ed Zitron walks you through why there are millions of Blackwell GPUs sitting in warehouses, and why AI’s lack of any profits makes NVIDIA’s future entirely dependent on endless debt and venture capital.

This series took a lot of work, so if you want to support me, why not subscribe to my premium newsletter? Get $10 off a year’s subscription today: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/p94my1c5ya

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

---

LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks

Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/

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Ed's Socials:

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https://www.instagram.com/edzitron

https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com

https://www.threads.net/@edzitron

Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In part three of this week's three-part NVIDIA series, Ed Zitron walks you through why there are millions of Blackwell GPUs sitting in warehouses, and why AI&rsquo;s lack of any profits makes NVIDIA&rsquo;s future entirely dependent on endless debt and venture capital.
This series took a lot of work, so if you want to support me, why not subscribe to my premium newsletter? Get $10 off a year&rsquo;s subscription today: <a href="https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/p94my1c5ya">https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/p94my1c5ya</a>
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
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Email Me: <a href="mailto:ez@betteroffline.com">ez@betteroffline.com</a>

Part Three: NVIDIA Isn't Enron - So What Is It?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0d6eb895-1abe-4726-a82f-b3b50179e8ec/transcript

Empires of AI With Karen Hao

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