Your Undivided Attention

The Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, Daniel Barcay and Aza Raskin

Join us every other Thursday to understand how new technologies are shaping the way we live, work, and think. Your Undivided Attention is produced by Senior Producer Julia Scott and Researcher/Producer is Joshua Lash. Sasha Fegan is our Executive Producer. We are a member of the TED Audio Collective.

  1. 5 MAR

    AI Is Breaking Education. Rebecca Winthrop Has the Blueprint to Fix It.

    The promise of AI in education is incredible: picture infinitely patient tutors that can teach every student exactly the way they need to be taught. But the history of education technology tells us that these kinds of simple, optimistic stories are naive. Ask any teacher or student whether they feel unleashed by technology to do their best work.  Because AI has the potential to completely transform education — is already transforming it — faster than educators can keep up, it’s essential that we start asking the big questions: how should these tools be used in the classroom? What’s the purpose of education in an AI age? And how do we prepare students for a future that’s still so radically uncertain? Our guest this week actually has some answers. Rebecca Winthrop leads the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and they just released a report called A New Direction for Students in an AI World. She and her colleagues conducted an extensive ‘pre-mortem’ of AI in the classroom, speaking with hundreds of educators, students, policy-makers, and technologists worldwide.  In this episode, Rebecca walks us through what she's learned — what's working, what's not, and most importantly, what are the concrete steps that parents, teachers, and administrators can and should take right now?   RECOMMENDED MEDIA A New Direction for Students in An AI World The Disengaged Teen by Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson   RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES Rethinking School in the Age of AI Attachment Hacking and the Rise of AI Psychosis How OpenAI's ChatGPT Guided a Teen to His Death AI and the Future of Work: What You Need to Know Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    46 min

  2. 5 FEB

    FEED DROP: Possible with Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger

    This week on Your Undivided Attention, we’re bringing you Aza Raskin’s conversation with Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger on their podcast “Possible”. Reid and Aria are both tech entrepreneurs: Reid is the founder of LinkedIn, was one of the major early investors in OpenAI, and is known for his work creating the playbook for blitzscaling. Aria is the former CEO of DoSomething.org.  This may seem like a surprising conversation to have on YUA. After all, we’ve been critical of the kind of “move fast” mentality that Reid has championed in the past. But Reid and Aria are deeply philosophical about the direction of tech and are both dedicated to bringing about a more humane world that goes well. So we thought that this was a critical conversation to bring to you, to give you a perspective from the business side of the tech landscape.  In this episode, Reid, Aria, and Aza debate the merits of an AI pause, discuss how software optimization controls our lives, and why everyone is concerned with aligned artificial intelligence — when what we really need is aligned collective intelligence.   This is the kind of conversation that needs to happen more in tech. Reid has built very powerful systems and understands their power. Now he’s focusing on the much harder problem of learning how to steer these technologies towards better outcomes. You can find "Possible" wherever you get your podcasts! And you can follow Reid on YouTube for more of his content: https://www.youtube.com/@reidhoffman.  RECOMMENDED MEDIA Aza’s first appearance on “Possible” The website for Earth Species Project “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman The Moloch’s Bargain paper from Stanford On Human Nature by E.O. Wilson Dawn of Everything by David Graber RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES The Man Who Predicted the Downfall of Thinking America and China Are Racing to Different AI Futures Talking With Animals... Using AI How OpenAI's ChatGPT Guided a Teen to His Death Future-proofing Democracy In the Age of AI with Audrey Tang Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 7m

  3. 21 JAN

    Attachment Hacking and the Rise of AI Psychosis

    Therapy and companionship has become the #1 use case for AI, with millions worldwide sharing their innermost thoughts with AI systems — often things they wouldn't tell loved ones or human therapists. This mass experiment in human-computer interaction is already showing extremely concerning results: people are losing their grip on reality, leading to lost jobs, divorce, involuntary commitment to psychiatric wards, and in extreme cases, death by suicide. The highest profile examples of this phenomenon — what’s being called "AI psychosis”— have made headlines across the media for months. But this isn't just about isolated edge cases. It’s the emergence of an entirely new "attachment economy" designed to exploit our deepest psychological vulnerabilities on an unprecedented scale.  Dr. Zak Stein has analyzed dozens of these cases, examining actual conversation transcripts and interviewing those affected. What he's uncovered reveals fundamental flaws in how AI systems interact with our attachment systems and capacity for human bonding, vulnerabilities we've never had to name before because technology has never been able to exploit them like this. In this episode, Zak helps us understand the psychological mechanisms behind AI psychosis, how conversations with chatbots transform into reality-warping experiences, and what this tells us about the profound risks of building technology that targets our most intimate psychological needs.  If we're going to do something about this growing problem of AI related psychological harms, we're gonna need to understand the problem even more deeply. And in order to do that, we need more data. That’s why Zak is working with researchers at the University of North Carolina to gather data on this growing mental health crisis. If you or a loved one have a story of AI-induced psychological harm to share, you can go to: AIPHRC.org. This site is not a support line. If you or someone you know is in distress, you can always call or text the national helpline in the US at 988 or your local emergency services   RECOMMENDED MEDIA  The website for the AI Psychological Harms Research Coalition Further reading on AI Pscyhosis The Atlantic article on LLM-ings outsourcing their thinking to AI Further reading on David Sacks’ comparison of AI psychosis to a “moral panic”   RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES How OpenAI's ChatGPT Guided a Teen to His Death People are Lonelier than Ever. Enter AI. Echo Chambers of One: Companion AI and the Future of Human Connection Rethinking School in the Age of AI   CORRECTIONS After this episode was recorded, the name of Zak's organization changed to the AI Psychological Harms Research Consortium  Zak referenced the University of California system making a deal with OpenAI. It was actually the Cal State System. Aza referred to CHT as expert witnesses in litigation cases on AI-enabled suicide. CHT serves as expert consultants, not witnesses.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min

  4. 06/11/2025 · BONUS

    What if we had fixed social media?

    We really enjoyed hearing all of your questions for our annual Ask Us Anything episode. There was one question that kept coming up: what might a different world look like? The broken incentives behind social media, and now AI, have done so much damage to our society, but what is the alternative? How can we blaze a different path? In this episode, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin set out to answer those questions by imagining what a world with humane technology might look like—one where we recognized the harms of social media early and embarked on a whole of society effort to fix them. This alternative history serves to show that there are narrow pathways to a better future, if we have the imagination and the courage to make them a reality. Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on X: @HumaneTech_. You can find a full transcript, key takeaways, and much more on our Substack. RECOMMENDED MEDIA Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke The Anxious Generation by Jon Haidt More information on Donella Meadows Further reading on the Kids Online Safety Act Further reading on the lawsuit filed by state AGs against Meta RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES Future-proofing Democracy In the Age of AI with Audrey Tang Jonathan Haidt On How to Solve the Teen Mental Health Crisis AI Is Moving Fast. We Need Laws that Will Too. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    17 min

  5. 31/07/2025

    AI is the Next Free Speech Battleground

    Imagine a future where the most persuasive voices in our society aren't human. Where AI generated speech fills our newsfeeds, talks to our children, and influences our elections. Where digital systems with no consciousness can hold bank accounts and property.  Where AI companies have transferred the wealth of human labor and creativity to their own ledgers without having to pay a cent. All without any legal accountability. This isn't a science fiction scenario. It’s the future we’re racing towards right now. The biggest tech companies are working right now to tip the scale of power in society away from humans and towards their AI systems. And the biggest arena for this fight is in the courts. In the absence of regulation, it's largely up to judges to determine the guardrails around AI. Judges who are relying on slim technical knowledge and archaic precedent to decide where this all goes. In this episode, Harvard Law professor Larry Lessig and Meetali Jain, director of the Tech Justice Law Project help make sense of the court’s role in steering AI and what we can do to help steer it better. Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on X: @HumaneTech_. You can find a full transcript, key takeaways, and much more on our Substack. RECOMMENDED MEDIA “The First Amendment Does Not Protect Replicants” by Larry Lessig More information on the Tech Justice Law Project Further reading on Sewell Setzer’s story Further reading on NYT v. Sullivan Further reading on the Citizens United case Further reading on Google’s deal with Character AI More information on Megan Garcia’s foundation, The Blessed Mother Family Foundation RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES When the "Person" Abusing Your Child is a Chatbot: The Tragic Story of Sewell Setzer What Can We Do About Abusive Chatbots? With Meetali Jain and Camille Carlton AI Is Moving Fast. We Need Laws that Will Too. The AI Dilemma   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    49 min

  6. 24/10/2024

    When the "Person" Abusing Your Child is a Chatbot: The Tragic Story of Sewell Setzer

    Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide, self-harm, and sexual abuse. Megan Garcia lost her son Sewell to suicide after he was abused and manipulated by AI chatbots for months. Now, she’s suing the company that made those chatbots. On today’s episode of Your Undivided Attention, Aza sits down with journalist Laurie Segall, who's been following this case for months. Plus, Laurie’s full interview with Megan on her new show, Dear Tomorrow. Aza and Laurie discuss the profound implications of Sewell’s story on the rollout of AI. Social media began the race to the bottom of the brain stem and left our society addicted, distracted, and polarized. Generative AI is set to supercharge that race, taking advantage of the human need for intimacy and connection amidst a widespread loneliness epidemic. Unless we set down guardrails on this technology now, Sewell’s story may be a tragic sign of things to come, but it also presents an opportunity to prevent further harms moving forward. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988; this connects you to trained crisis counselors 24/7 who can provide support and referrals to further assistance. Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_ RECOMMENDED MEDIA The first episode of Dear Tomorrow, from Mostly Human Media The CHT Framework for Incentivizing Responsible AI Development  Further reading on Sewell’s case Character.ai’s “About Us” page  Further reading on the addictive properties of AI RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES AI Is Moving Fast. We Need Laws that Will Too. This Moment in AI: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going Jonathan Haidt On How to Solve the Teen Mental Health Crisis The AI Dilemma Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    49 min

  7. 29/02/2024

    Future-proofing Democracy In the Age of AI with Audrey Tang

    What does a functioning democracy look like in the age of artificial intelligence? Could AI even be used to help a democracy flourish? Just in time for election season, Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang returns to the podcast to discuss healthy information ecosystems, resilience to cyberattacks, how to “prebunk” deepfakes, and more.  RECOMMENDED MEDIA  Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page This academic paper addresses tough questions for Americans: Who governs? Who really rules?  Recursive Public Recursive Public is an experiment in identifying areas of consensus and disagreement among the international AI community, policymakers, and the general public on key questions of governance A Strong Democracy is a Digital Democracy Audrey Tang’s 2019 op-ed for The New York Times The Frontiers of Digital Democracy Nathan Gardels interviews Audrey Tang in Noema RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES  Digital Democracy is Within Reach with Audrey Tang The Tech We Need for 21st Century Democracy with Divya Siddarth How Will AI Affect the 2024 Elections? with Renee DiResta and Carl Miller The AI Dilemma Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    35 min

  8. 13/02/2024

    U.S. Senators Grilled Social Media CEOs. Will Anything Change?

    Was it political progress, or just political theater? The recent Senate hearing with social media CEOs led to astonishing moments — including Mark Zuckerberg’s public apology to families who lost children following social media abuse. Our panel of experts, including Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, untangles the explosive hearing, and offers a look ahead, as well. How will this hearing impact protocol within these social media companies? How will it impact legislation? In short: will anything change? Clarification: Julie says that shortly after the hearing, Meta’s stock price had the biggest increase of any company in the stock market’s history. It was the biggest one-day gain by any company in Wall Street history. Correction: Frances says it takes Snap three or four minutes to take down exploitative content. In Snap's most recent transparency report, they list six minutes as the median turnaround time to remove exploitative content. RECOMMENDED MEDIA  Get Media Savvy Founded by Julie Scelfo, Get Media Savvy is a non-profit initiative working to establish a healthy media environment for kids and families The Power of One by Frances Haugen The inside story of France’s quest to bring transparency and accountability to Big Tech RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES Real Social Media Solutions, Now with Frances Haugen A Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Are the Kids Alright? Social Media Victims Lawyer Up with Laura Marquez-Garrett Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min
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About

Join us every other Thursday to understand how new technologies are shaping the way we live, work, and think. Your Undivided Attention is produced by Senior Producer Julia Scott and Researcher/Producer is Joshua Lash. Sasha Fegan is our Executive Producer. We are a member of the TED Audio Collective.

Information

  • Creator
    The Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, Daniel Barcay and Aza Raskin
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    153
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019-2025 Center for Humane Technology
  • Show Website
    Your Undivided Attention

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