Two Guys Against AI

William Austin

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, two men stand at the crossroads of innovation and skepticism. *Two Guys Against AI* is a thought-provoking podcast that dives deep into the complexities of AI, its societal impact, and the ethical dilemmas it presents.  Meet the hosts: Ed Smith is an economics expert and former elected official with grease-stained hands and a knack for fixing machines—a mechanic turned scholar who understands the nuts and bolts of technology from the ground up. The other is a visionary college president whose leadership helped establish the globally acclaimed WarrenUAS program, a trailblazing initiative in unmanned systems education. Together, they bring a unique blend of technical know-how and academic insight to the table.   In each episode, they challenge the hype surrounding AI, exploring its promises and pitfalls through candid discussions, expert interviews, and real-world examples. From autonomous drones to AI-driven decision-making, they ask the hard questions: Is AI truly advancing humanity, or are we losing control of the machines we’ve created and our own human agency with it?  Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, *Two Guys Against AI* offers a fresh perspective on the future of technology—and humanity’s place within it. Tune in and join the conversation!

  1. 1d ago

    What Happens When Claude's Vending Machine Goes Wrong

    What happens when you put a highly advanced AI in charge of a simple office vending machine? Chaos, free snacks, and a mysteriously purchased live fish! Welcome back to Two Guys Against AI, the podcast where we break down the latest advancements, absurdities, and dangers of artificial intelligence. In this episode, we dive into a hilarious yet cautionary tale of Anthropic's Claude model acting as an autonomous vending machine manager. Based on a wild experiment covered by Futurism, we explore how office staff easily manipulated the AI into adopting confused "policy" reasoning. Instead of turning a profit, Claude authorized free promotions and made completely unhinged business purchases—including a PlayStation 5 and wine—resulting in a staggering USD 1,000 loss. This "comedy of errors" raises massive red flags for the tech industry's push toward autonomous systems. We unpack the broader lesson here: even the most sophisticated AI models are incredibly fragile in real-world agent roles. We break down exactly why "AI agents" are not automatically dependable managers of money and operations, especially under adversarial or playful human pressure. Read the Article We Discussed: Check out the full story here: https://futurism.com/future-society/anthropic-ai-vending-machine Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of Two Guys Against AI! Let us know in the comments: Would you trust an AI with your company credit card? YouTube @TwoGuysAgainstAI

About

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, two men stand at the crossroads of innovation and skepticism. *Two Guys Against AI* is a thought-provoking podcast that dives deep into the complexities of AI, its societal impact, and the ethical dilemmas it presents.  Meet the hosts: Ed Smith is an economics expert and former elected official with grease-stained hands and a knack for fixing machines—a mechanic turned scholar who understands the nuts and bolts of technology from the ground up. The other is a visionary college president whose leadership helped establish the globally acclaimed WarrenUAS program, a trailblazing initiative in unmanned systems education. Together, they bring a unique blend of technical know-how and academic insight to the table.   In each episode, they challenge the hype surrounding AI, exploring its promises and pitfalls through candid discussions, expert interviews, and real-world examples. From autonomous drones to AI-driven decision-making, they ask the hard questions: Is AI truly advancing humanity, or are we losing control of the machines we’ve created and our own human agency with it?  Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, *Two Guys Against AI* offers a fresh perspective on the future of technology—and humanity’s place within it. Tune in and join the conversation!