Could you resist falling for an AI companion? We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes of 2025: author and journalist Sam Apple takes us on romantic getaway for people who are in love with their AI companions He wrote a piece for Wired about what he observed that weekend, whether the love between humans and AI is real, and what the future of dating could look like in a world with AI companions.

Could you resist falling for an AI companion? We&rsquo;re revisiting one of our favorite episodes of 2025: author and journalist Sam Apple takes us on romantic getaway for people who are in love with their AI companions He wrote a piece for Wired about what he observed that weekend, whether the love between humans and AI is real, and what the future of dating could look like in a world with AI companions.

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

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

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 Redux: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9413ad2d-c314-4609-b126-b3bd000651b4/transcript

How much of what you see online is actually real? This week, Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down Anthropic's latest clash with the Trump Administration. Is Anthropic’s own messaging to blame? Then, Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) talked to students that walked out on Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement speech at Stanford. Their protest was about much more than AI. Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes the fake "caught cheating" videos flooding social media, which are secretly ads for vibe-coded apps promising to catch the unfaithful.

Additional Reading: 
US Limits Use of Anthropic AI Models Fable 5 and Mythos | Semafor 
The White House Said Anthropic’s Powerful AI was ‘jailbroken.’ Here’s What That Means | The Washington Post
Sundar Pichai faces boos, walkout at Stanford graduation ceremony over Google's Israel, ICE ties | TechCrunch 
The Secret Stanford Off-Campus Class for Tech’s Next Titans - The Story | TechStuff 

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

How much of what you see online is actually real? This week, Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down Anthropic's latest clash with the Trump Administration. Is Anthropic&rsquo;s own messaging to blame? Then, Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) talked to students that walked out on Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement speech at Stanford. Their protest was about much more than AI. Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes the fake "caught cheating" videos flooding social media, which are secretly ads for vibe-coded apps promising to catch the unfaithful.
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/06/12/2026/us-limits-use-of-anthropic-ai-models-fable-5-and-mythos">US Limits Use of Anthropic AI Models Fable 5 and Mythos | Semafor</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/06/18/surprisingly-simple-ways-ai-can-be-tricked-into-breaking-its-own-rules/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzgxNzU1MjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzgzMTM3NTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3ODE3NTUyMDAsImp0aSI6IjUyYTg1MGQ2LTJjNTktNDAzNS05NDY3LTk2YzEzNTMwYTUxMCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5LzIwMjYvMDYvMTgvc3VycHJpc2luZ2x5LXNpbXBsZS13YXlzLWFpLWNhbi1iZS10cmlja2VkLWludG8tYnJlYWtpbmctaXRzLW93bi1ydWxlcy8ifQ.pTmfFPgUhW7ZfgCcJ-LP1Iedn_9NsSF-yCOt02INv3w">The White House Said Anthropic&rsquo;s Powerful AI was &lsquo;jailbroken.&rsquo; Here&rsquo;s What That Means | The Washington Post</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/15/sundar-pichai-faces-boos-walkout-at-stanford-graduation-ceremony-over-googles-israel-ice-ties/">Sundar Pichai faces boos, walkout at Stanford graduation ceremony over Google's Israel, ICE ties | TechCrunch</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-stanford-off-campus-class-for-techs-next/id282795787?i=1000772004594">The Secret Stanford Off-Campus Class for Tech&rsquo;s Next Titans - The Story | TechStuff</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>

Would You “Cheat” On Your Partner For Money? - Week in Tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/80f3a527-4d41-4944-a796-b46e003285ca/transcript

Is AI happening to you — or for you? Pew Research found that 50% of Americans are more concerned than excited about artificial intelligence. Michele Jawando and John Palfrey think that's a signal that more people need to get involved. 

Oz sits down with Michele, CEO of the Omidyar Network, and John, president of the MacArthur Foundation, to unpack Humanity AI: a coalition of ten major philanthropies pooling $500 million to ensure the future of AI is shaped by — and for — everyone. Along the way, they get into why Michele believes "AI is not destiny, it is design," how Humanity AI grantees are using the technology to serve the public good and what success will look like for the collaborative effort. 

Additional Reading: 
What the data says about Americans’ views of artificial intelligence | Pew Research Center 
Humanity AI

Is AI happening to you &mdash; or for you? Pew Research found that 50% of Americans are more concerned than excited about artificial intelligence. Michele Jawando and John Palfrey think that's a signal that more people need to get involved.&nbsp;
Oz sits down with Michele, CEO of the Omidyar Network, and John, president of the MacArthur Foundation, to unpack Humanity AI: a coalition of ten major philanthropies pooling $500 million to ensure the future of AI is shaped by &mdash; and for &mdash; everyone. Along the way, they get into why Michele believes "AI is not destiny, it is design," how Humanity AI grantees are using the technology to serve the public good and what success will look like for the collaborative effort.&nbsp;
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/">What the data says about Americans&rsquo; views of artificial intelligence | Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://humanityai.ai/">Humanity AI</a></li>
</ul>

You Didn't Get a Vote on AI's Future. Someone's Fighting to Change That - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5681eeb1-ffac-4624-9861-b46c0022274b/transcript

Evan takes his experiment in a new direction by having his AI-powered voice agent converse with … another of his AI-powered voice agents. What can these surreal and hilarious conversations between two AI incarnations of Evan Ratliff tell us about identity, authenticity, and the best and worst of human interaction? Enter this digital hall of mirrors to find out.Shell Game is made by humans. More specifically, it's made by three humans: Evan Ratliff (host and writer), Sophie Bridges (producer), and Samantha Henig (executive producer). Visit shellgame.co to find out more and support the show. 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shellgame.co/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan takes his experiment in a new direction by having his AI-powered voice agent converse with &hellip; another of his AI-powered voice agents. What can these surreal and hilarious conversations between two AI incarnations of Evan Ratliff tell us about identity, authenticity, and the best and worst of human interaction? Enter this digital hall of mirrors to find out.Shell Game is made by humans. More specifically, it's made by three humans: Evan Ratliff (host and writer), Sophie Bridges (producer), and Samantha Henig (executive producer). Visit shellgame.co to find out more and support the show.&nbsp; This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shellgame.co/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shell Game: Conversations With Myself

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/70f10df4-d1b6-4fbf-9901-b469004843ba/transcript

TechStuff Redux: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions

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