Evan Ratliff is an investigative journalist and podcast host. His Wired article, “The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians,” marked the culmination of a two-year deep-dive into a group of young tech radicals and their spiral into violence. Ratliff sits down with Oz to unpack how the group formed, what they believed – the parts we can decipher, at least – and how those beliefs led to alleged murder.

Evan Ratliff is an investigative journalist and podcast host. His Wired article, &ldquo;The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians,&rdquo; marked the culmination of a two-year deep-dive into a group of young tech radicals and their spiral into violence. Ratliff sits down with Oz to unpack how the group formed, what they believed &ndash; the parts we can decipher, at least &ndash; and how those beliefs led to alleged murder.

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.

The Story: The Silicon Valley “Death Cult” w/ Evan Ratliff

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3e56200c-25d3-42eb-88fe-b2cf006dc6fc/transcript

The Week in Tech is back and it’s growing. Starting this Friday, Oz will be joined by a panel of the brightest minds covering Silicon Valley. Each week, they will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.

This week, TechStuff asked Taylor Lorenz, Stephen Witt and Nitasha Tiku to share a story. Nitasha catches us up on the drama unfolding between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Stephen covers another tragic case of AI psychosis with fatal consequences. And Taylor makes the case for why 'social media addiction' is a harmful framework — and how age-verification laws could lead to mass surveillance and censorship of adults and children alike.

Additional Reading: 
Anthropic Sues Pentagon Over National Security Risk Label - The Washington Post
Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead. - WSJ 
Congress Is Considering Abolishing Your Right to Be Anonymous Online - The Intercept 
The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz | The Guardian 

This episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.

The Week in Tech is back and it&rsquo;s growing. Starting this Friday, Oz will be joined by a panel of the brightest minds covering Silicon Valley. Each week, they will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week, TechStuff asked Taylor Lorenz, Stephen Witt and Nitasha Tiku to share a story. Nitasha catches us up on the drama unfolding between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Stephen covers another tragic case of AI psychosis with fatal consequences. And Taylor makes the case for why 'social media addiction' is a harmful framework &mdash; and how age-verification laws could lead to mass surveillance and censorship of adults and children alike. Additional Reading:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/09/anthropic-lawsuit-pentagon/">Anthropic Sues Pentagon Over National Security Risk Label - The Washington Post</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/gemini-ai-wrongful-death-lawsuit-cc46c5f7?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfNQqzA43J2WcJZgt6-yLIuD7dP7s3przenZi5zWoYYoF42tgiH6Vl2cL7bJL0%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69b35b5d&amp;gaa_sig=cU-F05ld3yjT0hpa4S1FKepFhK7sz1I-VVQKTU2OL50VcaBrKjLVrGX7URdPmNiMMBIlgzd5oomA3R52TeFdZA%3D%3D">Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead. - WSJ</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://theintercept.com/2026/03/05/kosa-online-age-verification-free-speech-privacy/">Congress Is Considering Abolishing Your Right to Be Anonymous Online - The Intercept</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/02/ban-children-social-media-biometic-data-surveilled">The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz | The Guardian</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
This episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, contact the 988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.

Did Anthropic Have the Best Week in Tech?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/44cc64c1-bb23-4901-b0e3-b40c004337e5/transcript

This week, we're talking 'human technology' — specifically, neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP. If you have any interest in modern day cults like NXIVM or Twin Flames Universe, you may have heard of it. But did you know that NLP also has roots in therapeutic practices like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or that Tony Robbins was an NLP practitioner before becoming a motivational speaker?

In the new podcast Mind Games, journalists and best friends Alice Hines and Zoë Lescaze investigate the origins of NLP, from its roots in the new age movement in 1970s California through the pick-up artist trend of the early 2000s. They even try their hand at hypnotizing themselves. But does it work? 

Check out Mind Games from Kaleidoscope and iHeartPodcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, we're talking 'human technology' &mdash; specifically, neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP. If you have any interest in modern day cults like NXIVM or Twin Flames Universe, you may have heard of it. But did you know that NLP also has roots in therapeutic practices like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or that Tony Robbins was an NLP practitioner before becoming a motivational speaker? In the new podcast Mind Games, journalists and best friends Alice Hines and Zo&euml; Lescaze investigate the origins of NLP, from its roots in the new age movement in 1970s California through the pick-up artist trend of the early 2000s. They even try their hand at hypnotizing themselves. But does it work?&nbsp;
Check out Mind Games from Kaleidoscope and iHeartPodcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

What Do EMDR, Tony Robbins, and NXIVM Have in Common? NLP - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e3bb8cfc-0267-4ba2-8bd1-b40a000bd530/transcript

When documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough set out to make a movie about OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, he hoped to get an interview with his main character. But when that didn’t happen, Adam found a workaround — he created a chatbot version of Sam Altman. From San Francisco to India to Los Angeles, Adam takes “Sambot” and the audience on a journey through the possibilities of what can happen when you deepfake a real person, and that person becomes your friend.

Karah sat down with Adam to discuss the secretive, cult-like nature of OpenAI, Adam’s relationship with “Sambot,” and whether AI chatbots are the future of friendships. 

If you’d like to see the film, check out deepfakingsamaltman.com/buy-tickets.

When documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough set out to make a movie about OpenAI&rsquo;s CEO Sam Altman, he hoped to get an interview with his main character. But when that didn&rsquo;t happen, Adam found a workaround &mdash; he created a chatbot version of Sam Altman. From San Francisco to India to Los Angeles, Adam takes &ldquo;Sambot&rdquo; and the audience on a journey through the possibilities of what can happen when you deepfake a real person, and that person becomes your friend.
Karah sat down with Adam to discuss the secretive, cult-like nature of OpenAI, Adam&rsquo;s relationship with &ldquo;Sambot,&rdquo; and whether AI chatbots are the future of friendships.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;d like to see the film, check out <a href="https://deepfakingsamaltman.com/">deepfakingsamaltman.com/buy-tickets</a>.

What Happens When You Deepfake the CEO of OpenAI? - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b4d6fe2f-8252-4eae-badc-b405003a8a3e/transcript

The Story: The Silicon Valley “Death Cult” w/ Evan Ratliff

TechStuff

In 1 playlist(s)

TechStuff

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips