What was HitchBot all about and what happened to it? From hitchiking across Canada to a violent end in Philadelphia, we tell the robot's story. Scott Benjamin guest hosts.

 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

What was HitchBot all about and what happened to it? From hitchiking across Canada to a violent end in Philadelphia, we tell the robot's story. Scott Benjamin guest hosts. Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley’s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.

Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.

Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone’s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

Get in touch here: techstuffpodcast@gmail.com

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley&rsquo;s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.
Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.
Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone&rsquo;s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.
Get in touch here:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:techstuffpodcast@gmail.com" data-stringify-link="mailto:techstuffpodcast@gmail.com" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-haspopup="menu">techstuffpodcast@gmail.com</a>

TechStuff

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley’s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.

Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.

Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone’s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley&rsquo;s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.
Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.
Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone&rsquo;s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

Techstuff Classic: The Sad Tale of Hitchbot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/23c89361-e25e-4974-b05f-ae2b008e9abb/transcript

What does it mean to be at the “foothills of the singularity”? That’s how DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis ended his speech at Google I/O, prompting questions and scratched heads. Oz and Reed Albergotti (Semafor) attempt to dissect the meaning behind Hassabis’s confounding statement. They also discuss why so many commencement speakers are getting booed by college graduates after bringing up AI, and what it means for SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI to all be heading towards an IPO. 

Then, Oz sits down with David Webster, Head of UX at Google Labs, for a deeper look at the products Google unveiled at their annual developer conference of the year.

Additional Reading: 
DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on what Google AI products say about ‘singularity’ | Semafor
A Guide to Commencement | Semafor
SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI’s Sprint to Go Public Defines the AI Boom’s Big Day - WSJ  
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed | Strait Times IG 
Subscriber Q&A: Live @ Google I/O - by Alex Heath - Sources



Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff  at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go tohttps://saily.com/techstuff

What does it mean to be at the &ldquo;foothills of the singularity&rdquo;? That&rsquo;s how DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis ended his speech at Google I/O, prompting questions and scratched heads. Oz and Reed Albergotti (Semafor) attempt to dissect the meaning behind Hassabis&rsquo;s confounding statement. They also discuss why so many commencement speakers are getting booed by college graduates after bringing up AI, and what it means for SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI to all be heading towards an IPO.&nbsp;
Then, Oz sits down with David Webster, Head of UX at Google Labs, for a deeper look at the products Google unveiled at their annual developer conference of the year.
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/20/2026/google-exec-demis-hassabis-predicts-were-at-the-foothills-of-the-singularity">DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on what Google AI products say about &lsquo;singularity&rsquo; | Semafor</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletter/05/20/2026/how-to-handle-ai-at-commencement-addresses?utm_source=newslettershare&amp;utm_medium=technology&amp;utm_campaign=FirstWord#b">A Guide to Commencement | Semafor</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/spacex-anthropic-and-openais-sprint-to-go-public-defines-the-ai-booms-big-day-d462bf7b?mod=tech_trendingnow_article_pos4">SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI&rsquo;s Sprint to Go Public Defines the AI Boom&rsquo;s Big Day - WSJ</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYgoJLtjStq/">Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed | Strait Times IG</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://sources.news/p/subscriber-q-and-a-live-google-io">Subscriber Q&amp;A: Live @ Google I/O - by Alex Heath - Sources</a> </li>
</ul>
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff&nbsp; at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to<a href="https://saily.com/creator/?coupon=techstuff&amp;utm_source=12669&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=138&amp;aff_transaction_id=102e6208403cf45b12b357c4a30eb2&amp;aff_offer_id=138&amp;aff_id=12669"> </a><a href="https://saily.com/techstuff">https://saily.com/techstuff</a>

 Google's AI chief: We're Living in the “Foothills of the Singularity” - Week In Tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/38049fc5-a5f3-4f3b-b440-b451018afdc3/transcript

What if Olympic athletes could use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, legally? They can now, at the Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games take place on May 24th and it’s anyone’s guess what will happen.

Unless you’re Chris Gayomali, host of the new podcast SuperHuman, which is an inside look at the ‘steroid Olympics.’ Chris Gayomali joins Oz to break down how aging tanks athletes' earning potential, how the Enhanced Games strives to be like Formula One, and what drew big-money backers Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. to the table.

Additional Reading: 
SuperHuman | iHeart 
What Would the Olympics Be Like If the Athletes Could Juice? | GQ 

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/techstuff Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

What if Olympic athletes could use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, legally? They can now, at the Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games take place on May 24th and it&rsquo;s anyone&rsquo;s guess what will happen. Unless you&rsquo;re Chris Gayomali, host of the new podcast SuperHuman, which is an inside look at the &lsquo;steroid Olympics.&rsquo; Chris Gayomali joins Oz to break down how aging tanks athletes' earning potential, how the Enhanced Games strives to be like Formula One, and what drew big-money backers Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. to the table.
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-superhuman-331753605/">SuperHuman | iHeart</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.gq.com/story/enhanced-games-olympics-athletes">What Would the Olympics Be Like If the Athletes Could Juice? | GQ</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼<a href="https://nordvpn.com/podcast/?coupon=techstuff&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content&amp;utm_source=aff141920&amp;utm_campaign=off1001"> https://nordvpn.com/techstuff</a> Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The ‘Steroid Olympics’ Brought to You By Big Tech - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2cc99205-4edc-4ff9-b11b-b45000004d9f/transcript

This week has it all: geopolitical FOMO, major AI deals, more courtroom drama, and a hacker group that just won't quit. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down why AI tokens are the new oil, and why Anthropic is buying compute straight from SpaceX. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) takes us inside the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial, where Shivon Zilis, aka the “Elon Whisperer” and the mother of four of Musk's children, finally took the stand. And Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dexter Thomas gives insight into how the hacking of education tech platform Canvas could still affect college students, even after Canvas’s parent company says a deal was reached to delete the stolen data. 

Additional Reading: 
Nvidia CEO joins Trump in China despite ‘awkward’ politics | Semafor 
Anthropic-SpaceX compute deal shows how tokens are taking over the economy | Semafor 
Shivon Zilis was Elon Musk’s ‘bridge’ to OpenAI. Now she’s entangled in his lawsuit. | The Washington Post 
Instructure Pays Ransom to Canvas Hackers | Inside Higher Education 

Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff  at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go tohttps://saily.com/techstuff

This week has it all: geopolitical FOMO, major AI deals, more courtroom drama, and a hacker group that just won't quit. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down why AI tokens are the new oil, and why Anthropic is buying compute straight from SpaceX. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) takes us inside the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial, where Shivon Zilis, aka the &ldquo;Elon Whisperer&rdquo; and the mother of four of Musk's children, finally took the stand. And Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dexter Thomas gives insight into how the hacking of education tech platform Canvas could still affect college students, even after Canvas&rsquo;s parent company says a deal was reached to delete the stolen data.&nbsp;
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/12/2026/nvidia-snubbed-from-trump-china-trip-to-avoid-awkward-conversations?utm_medium=technology&amp;utm_campaign=First+Word&amp;utm_source=newsletterlink">Nvidia CEO joins Trump in China despite &lsquo;awkward&rsquo; politics | Semafor</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/08/2026/anthropic-spacex-compute-deal-shows-how-tokens-are-taking-over-the-economy">Anthropic-SpaceX compute deal shows how tokens are taking over the economy | Semafor</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/05/08/shivon-zilis-elon-musk-trial/">Shivon Zilis was Elon Musk&rsquo;s &lsquo;bridge&rsquo; to OpenAI. Now she&rsquo;s entangled in his lawsuit. | The Washington Post</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/administrative-tech/2026/05/11/instructure-pays-ransom-canvas-hackers">Instructure Pays Ransom to Canvas Hackers | Inside Higher Education</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff&nbsp; at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to<a href="https://saily.com/creator/?coupon=techstuff&amp;utm_source=12669&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=138&amp;aff_transaction_id=102e6208403cf45b12b357c4a30eb2&amp;aff_offer_id=138&amp;aff_id=12669"> </a><a href="https://saily.com/techstuff">https://saily.com/techstuff</a>

Jensen Crashes Trump's China Trip, Elon's Baby Mama Takes the Stand - Week in Tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/43f87948-d860-46ce-bab6-b44b0047d455/transcript

Techstuff Classic: The Sad Tale of Hitchbot

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