Eliot Peper gets paid to dream about the future. He’s a science fiction writer who has stumbled into an unusual position: writing speculative fiction for Fortune 500 companies. He is also the Head of Story at Portola, which is an AI-companion company. Eliot is responsible for developing a whole new alien culture and forming the personalities of your new favorite AI creature. Karah and Eliot discuss the overlap between art and AI, what science fiction reveals about our current reality, and how he uses storytelling to help create ethical AI companions.

Eliot Peper gets paid to dream about the future. He&rsquo;s a science fiction writer who has stumbled into an unusual position: writing speculative fiction for Fortune 500 companies. He is also the Head of Story at Portola, which is an AI-companion company. Eliot is responsible for developing a whole new alien culture and forming the personalities of your new favorite AI creature. Karah and Eliot discuss the overlap between art and AI, what science fiction reveals about our current reality, and how he uses storytelling to help create ethical 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.

The Story: How Science Fiction Changes the Real World

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8760c2cc-651e-4a34-aa33-b3d2002a145c/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

How did nine rejection letters and “boring” data lead to “the biggest transformation in sport”? Americans might know Formula One Racing from the hit Netflix show “Drive to Survive.” But F1 has long been a fan favorite in Britain and Europe. Today’s guest, team principal James Vowles, sits down with Oz to discuss how he’s bringing his team, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, from a recent slump into the Top 5. His process involves being “data-rich”, pushing his team to the brink, and utilizing AI and technology to get that elusive tenth of a second in speed. 

Additional Reading: 
‘Get rid of the battery’: F1 under increasing pressure to make more changes to engine rules | Formula One 2026 | The Guardian
Formula One Went Green—and It’s Driving Everyone Crazy | WSJ  

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

How did nine rejection letters and &ldquo;boring&rdquo; data lead to &ldquo;the biggest transformation in sport&rdquo;? Americans might know Formula One Racing from the hit Netflix show &ldquo;Drive to Survive.&rdquo; But F1 has long been a fan favorite in Britain and Europe. Today&rsquo;s guest, team principal James Vowles, sits down with Oz to discuss how he&rsquo;s bringing his team, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, from a recent slump into the Top 5. His process involves being &ldquo;data-rich&rdquo;, pushing his team to the brink, and utilizing AI and technology to get that elusive tenth of a second in speed.&nbsp;
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/04/f1-under-increasing-pressure-engine-rules-battery">&lsquo;Get rid of the battery&rsquo;: F1 under increasing pressure to make more changes to engine rules | Formula One 2026 | The Guardian</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/formula-one-electric-73a176bd">Formula One Went Green&mdash;and It&rsquo;s Driving Everyone Crazy | WSJ</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
EXCLUSIVE&nbsp;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&nbsp;

Inside Formula One’s Speed Hunt with Atlassian Williams F1 Team Principal James Vowles - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8e41e50f-7e62-475f-b6da-b4480182f191/transcript

This week: AI regulation, dark money and data center backlash. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) helps decipher how the Trump Administration actually feels about AI oversight and it seems like a reversal of the hands-off approach they’ve taken so far. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes a dark money influencer campaign — one she was personally recruited for — that's paying creators to push pro-American AI, anti-China messaging on behalf of a Big Tech super PAC. And Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the fast-growing, bipartisan movement fighting data center construction in communities across the country. Plus: Sam Altman's leaked texts, 120,000 tech layoffs, and the GPT-5.5 launch party.

Additional Reading: 
So Long Jeeves and Ask.com, Relics of Yesterday’s Internet 
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released | The New York Times 
A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat | WIRED 
Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity | The Washington Post 
‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers | The New York Times 

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: AI regulation, dark money and data center backlash. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) helps decipher how the Trump Administration actually feels about AI oversight and it seems like a reversal of the hands-off approach they&rsquo;ve taken so far. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes a dark money influencer campaign &mdash; one she was personally recruited for &mdash; that's paying creators to push pro-American AI, anti-China messaging on behalf of a Big Tech super PAC. And Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the fast-growing, bipartisan movement fighting data center construction in communities across the country. Plus: Sam Altman's leaked texts, 120,000 tech layoffs, and the GPT-5.5 launch party.
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/business/ask-jeeves-shuts-down-internet-search-engine.html">So Long Jeeves and Ask.com, Relics of Yesterday&rsquo;s Internet</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/technology/trump-ai-models.html">White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released | The New York Times</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/super-pac-backed-by-openai-and-palantir-is-paying-tiktok-influencers-to-fear-monger-about-china/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending-bktb_295a9c71-1e1d-4763-a74d-aefc9ccd4e46_cygnus-personalized">A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat | WIRED</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/18/ai-doom-influencers-safety/">Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity | The Washington Post</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/us/politics/liberals-conservatives-data-centers.html">&lsquo;The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer&rsquo;: Opposition to Data Centers | The New York Times</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>

One Nation United Against Data Centers - Week in Tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/40ce52fe-ee79-4c4b-98cc-b444001799c4/transcript

The Story: How Science Fiction Changes the Real World

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