This week we go on a romantic getaway for people who are in love with AI. Karah talks with Sam Apple, an author and journalist who wrote an article for Wired about a couples retreat he organized for people with AI companions. We’ll discuss how the weekend unfolded, whether AI romance is real, what it takes to develop genuine emotional connections with chatbots, and whether AI romance is the future of dating in the digital age.

This week we go on a romantic getaway for people who are in love with AI. Karah talks with Sam Apple, an author and journalist who wrote an article for Wired about a couples retreat he organized for people with AI companions. We&rsquo;ll discuss how the weekend unfolded, whether AI romance is real, what it takes to develop genuine emotional connections with chatbots, and whether AI romance is the future of dating in the digital age.

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

TechStuff is getting a system update. Everything you love about TechStuff now twice the bandwidth with new hosts, Oz Woloshyn (Sleepwalkers) and Karah Preiss (Sleepwalkers) 

Oz and Karah bring humour and wit to the table as they break down what's happening in tech...and what it says about us. 

TechStuff is the podcast where technology meets culture. 

We speak to the folks building the future to understand what tomorrow will look like and how our technology is changing us: how we live, how we love, how we work and even how we die. With a healthy dose of drama, too, as tech titans clash over their interstellar ambitions. 

 

TechStuff is getting a system update. Everything you love about TechStuff now twice the bandwidth with new hosts, Oz Woloshyn (Sleepwalkers) and Karah Preiss (Sleepwalkers)&nbsp;
Oz and Karah bring humour and wit to the table as they break down what's happening in tech...and what it says about us.&nbsp;
TechStuff is the podcast where technology meets culture.&nbsp;
We speak to the folks building the future to understand what tomorrow will look like and how our technology is changing us: how we live, how we love, how we work and even how we die. With a healthy dose of drama, too, as tech titans clash over their interstellar ambitions.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Story: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bbce132a-3792-443b-83b3-b33f00981157/transcript

This week, we’re bringing you an episode from the podcast No Such Thing. Join Manny, Noah, and Devan — three best friends and journalists — as they settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research. 

Each week, they start with a debate or discussion. In this episode, they ask: what’s up with Tesla door handles? And why do microwaves have so many buttons? And why are couches so expensive, but so uncomfortable?  They’re joined by experts to answer these questions, including friend of the pod, Dexter Thomas, host of kill switch.  

For more information, please subscribe to their newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. And if you have any questions you’d like Manny, Devan and Noah to get to the bottom of, email them at or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286.

This week, we&rsquo;re bringing you an episode from the podcast No Such Thing. Join Manny, Noah, and Devan &mdash; three best friends and journalists &mdash; as they settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research.&nbsp;
Each week, they start with a debate or discussion. In this episode, they ask: what&rsquo;s up with Tesla door handles? And why do microwaves have so many buttons? And why are couches so expensive, but so uncomfortable?&nbsp; They&rsquo;re joined by experts to answer these questions, including friend of the pod, Dexter Thomas, host of kill switch.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For more information, please subscribe to their newsletter at <a href="http://www.nosuchthing.show">www.nosuchthing.show</a>. And if you have any questions you&rsquo;d like Manny, Devan and Noah to get to the bottom of, email them at or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286.

No Such Thing: Why Do Tesla Door Handles Suck? 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/465676e6-b1eb-42d3-bbf6-b403004ff0e1/transcript

Tilly Norwood caused quite a stir when she was introduced in late 2025. Her creator, actor-producer Eline Van der Velden, said she wanted Tilly to be the “Scarlett Johansson” of AI actors. But she immediately felt the backlash from Hollywood. Emily Blunt called Tilly “really, really scary,” and agencies said they wouldn’t sign her. But Eline is pushing forward, creating a TV show around Tilly, filled with all-new AI characters. Karah sat down with Eline to talk about how she created Tilly, how she taught her to “act,” and to discuss how Eline sees the future of AI in filmmaking.

Tilly Norwood caused quite a stir when she was introduced in late 2025. Her creator, actor-producer Eline Van der Velden, said she wanted Tilly to be the &ldquo;Scarlett Johansson&rdquo; of AI actors. But she immediately felt the backlash from Hollywood. Emily Blunt called Tilly &ldquo;really, really scary,&rdquo; and agencies said they wouldn&rsquo;t sign her. But Eline is pushing forward, creating a TV show around Tilly, filled with all-new AI characters. Karah sat down with Eline to talk about how she created Tilly, how she taught her to &ldquo;act,&rdquo; and to discuss how Eline sees the future of AI in filmmaking.

Hollywood’s Afraid of Tilly Norwood. Should They Be? - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/349d441c-3cde-4f41-b20b-b3fe000cb416/transcript

How often do you use ChatGPT to evaluate your ailments? Did it work? More and more people are turning to chatbots to diagnose their illnesses — with varied success. But when it does work, it can be life-changing. Dr. Dhruv Khullar heard of a case where ChatGPT identified the cause of one man’s years-long gastrointestinal struggles, in seconds. Given a medical system that can fail so many, Dr. Khullar started to wonder, “If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For?” That’s the title of a recent piece he wrote for The New Yorker. Oz sits down with Dr. Khullar to see if there is an answer to this question. 

Additional Reading: 
If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For? | The New Yorker 
The Role of Doctors Is Changing Forever | The New Yorker

How often do you use ChatGPT to evaluate your ailments? Did it work? More and more people are turning to chatbots to diagnose their illnesses &mdash; with varied success. But when it does work, it can be life-changing. Dr. Dhruv Khullar heard of a case where ChatGPT identified the cause of one man&rsquo;s years-long gastrointestinal struggles, in seconds. Given a medical system that can fail so many, Dr. Khullar started to wonder, &ldquo;If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For?&rdquo; That&rsquo;s the title of a recent piece he wrote for The New Yorker. Oz sits down with Dr. Khullar to see if there is an answer to this question.&nbsp;
Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/29/if-ai-can-diagnose-patients-what-are-doctors-for">If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For? | The New Yorker</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2025-in-review/the-role-of-doctors-is-changing-forever">The Role of Doctors Is Changing Forever | The New Yorker</a></li>
</ul>

How Soon Until AI Out-Diagnoses Your Doctor? - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/38ec89b0-4867-405a-aab2-b3fc00652cba/transcript

The Story: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions

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