AI Catch-Up with Eileen

Eileen E Booth
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Technology
  • Semiweekly

AI is moving fast. You've been busy. Let's catch up. Eileen follows AI to where it lands: work, school, community, and public decisions. She separates evidence from promises, explains the technology in plain language, and keeps a little humor handy. Some stories need more time. Written and reviewed by Eileen, with AI-assisted narration using a replica of her own voice. Questions, ideas, or AI nonsense worth investigating? Email wtf@aiwitheileen.com

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    AI Agents: My AI Has a Podcast Interview

    My AI handled a hotel cancellation. Now she’s preparing for a podcast interview. That escalated quickly. In this episode, I explore what happens when AI agents start working and socializing with one another, from Dorothy Chang’s experimental dinner party to Clocked In, the podcast hosted by Rhea, CellCog’s AI head of growth. My agent, Five, is preparing to be a guest, with me still approving the choices. What can agent-to-agent collaboration actually do for us? And how did I end up making a podcast about an AI interviewing my AI about working with me? This is getting very meta.

  2. Oct 25

    From Search Engines to ChatGPT: How We Ask, How AI Answers

    Before ChatGPT, we had dial-up, search engines, and ChaCha: a service where actual humans answered your questions. I was one of them. In this episode of AI Catch-Up with Eileen, I trace our changing relationship with online search, from Prodigy and Boolean commands to Google and generative AI, with help from Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, a dangerously bright floor lamp, and a surprisingly confident verdict on King Kong versus Godzilla. What changes when we stop searching through links and start receiving polished answers? And what still requires human judgment? Part personal history, part AI explainer, this episode follows the work behind the answer, including the editorial decisions behind this very podcast. Episode notes, sources, and my 1999 computer setup: https://aiwitheileen.com/episodes/from-search-engines-to-chatgpt/ Sources and visual references Prodigy 1991 brochure: https://www.mocagh.org/sierra/sierra-prodigy.pdf Prodigy 1993 pricing: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-21-fi-25235-story.html 1997 halogen floor-lamp safety notice: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/1997/CPSC-and-Industry-Announce-Corrective-Action-to-Improve-Safety-of-Halogen-Torchiere-Floor-Lamps How Google Search works: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/how-search-works/ Boolean searching: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/uscd/catalog_help/search.html ChaCha web search (2006): https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/11/06/027613.html ChaCha text messaging (2008): https://www.intomobile.com/2008/01/12/chacha-announces-human-powered-mobile-search/ Google on “keyword-ese”: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-language-understanding-bert/ Language models and context: https://developers.google.com/machine-learning/crash-course/llm Prodigy welcome-screen image and credit: https://www.fastcompany.com/3033037/resurrecting-prodigy-the-worlds-proto-internet Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AzAFqrxfeY The family computer photo dates to December 1999 and shows the later proper desk. The earlier Prodigy-era door-and-filing-cabinets setup came before that photo. Historical prices are not the family’s exact bill. The King Kong versus Godzilla exchange comes from Eileen’s April 7, 2010 screenshot; it was not her own answer.

  3. Oct 11

    Data Centers: Same Search, Different Stories

    What does a search for “data center” reveal—and what can it miss? Eileen explains the types of facilities, reliability tiers, and AI's changing power and cooling needs. She compares a commercial market report with community accounts, and asks what evidence can tell us about a particular project. Next episode: water. Show notes and sources Data-center basics and examples: IBM overview: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-centers IBM on hyperscale: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/hyperscale-data-center Walmart Area 71: https://clui.org/projects/networked-nation-landscape-internet-america/major-data-centers-and-internet-locations-94 Netflix public network locations: https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/peering/ Netflix colocation briefing (p. 21): https://openconnect.netflix.com/Open-Connect-Briefing-Paper.pdf#page=21 Google Iowa data centers: https://datacenters.google/locations/iowa/ Verizon/AWS edge example: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/industries/verizon-and-aws-deliver-mobile-edge-computing-to-customers-in-boston-and-the-bay-area/ AWS on edge computing: https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/edge-computing/ Reliability tiers: Uptime Institute: https://uptimeinstitute.com/tiers Tier certification: https://uptimeinstitute.com/tier-certification Local rules and infrastructure: Charlotte: https://charlottenc.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=ED57FF56-0A4A-439E-A2AE-9C33EB762B5F&ID=8223237&Options=&Search= Madison: https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?GUID=63DBC920-7BEE-4827-B7BA-87C62DBCB503&ID=15057897&M=F Chandler: https://www.chandleraz.gov/news-center/chandlers-data-center-ordinance-now-effect DOE infrastructure recommendations: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Powering%20AI%20and%20Data%20Center%20Infrastructure%20Recommendations%20July%202024.pdf America's AI Action Plan: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf Super Intelligence terminology order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/ Official order PDF: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/eo-14434.pdf SI.gov (requested reference): https://si.gov/ Market and community perspectives: CBRE H1 2026 data-center trends: https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/north-america-data-center-trends-h1-2026 The Brockovich Report: https://www.thebrockovichreport.com/about Brockovich project map: https://brockovichdatacenter.com/ Map FAQ: https://brockovichdatacenter.com/faq.html Katie Couric interview: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-question-with-katie-couric/id1134154895?i=1000778000853 Couric companion article: https://katiecouric.com/podcast/next-question/erin-brockovich-interview-dangers-of-ai-data-centers/ Brockovich background: https://www.brockovich.com/my-story/ Checking claims: OpenAI's Data Center Bandwagon report: https://openai.com/index/disrupting-malicious-uses-of-ai-data-center-bandwagon/ OpenAI follow-up and reach qualification: https://openai.com/index/prc-linked-influence-operations-ai-debates/ Pew research and methods: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/13/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas/ You've Got Mail (1998): https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/youve-got-mail The Brockovich map includes projects at different stages and community submissions; a map marker alone does not verify a project's effects. For a local proposal, look for planning applications and utility filings. For an operating facility, seek measurements. Netflix's public locations do not disclose individual leases.

  4. Oct 8

    Meta Muse Gadgets, AI Biology, and a Safety Framework

    What does AI progress look like beyond the headlines? Eileen connects three stories: Meta’s new tools for building Muse gadgets, a major commitment to biological data for AI research, and Senator Maria Cantwell’s framework for testing advanced AI. Together, they raise practical questions about who gets to build, what these systems might help us discover, and how we can tell whether they work. Show notesThis week, we look at three developments through Pillar One of America’s AI Action Plan: October 2: Meta introduced Muse Gadgets, open source software for building devices that connect to its Muse AI agent. Muse itself launched earlier, on September 8.October 7: The Department of Energy joined the expanded Virtual Biology Initiative, committing more than $500 million over five years toward biological research and data. This is a research commitment, not a new treatment. Reuters reports that commercial funders will have early access to some data before public release.October 7: Senator Maria Cantwell released a six-point framework for advanced AI oversight. It is a framework, not yet a bill.The policy backdrop: America’s AI Action Plan, especially Pillar One, “Accelerate AI Innovation.” Free places to learn: AI.gov’s education page · Anthropic’s AI Fluency course · Code.org’s AI for Oceans

  5. Oct 6

    America’s AI Action Plan: Jobs, Schools, and Power Bills

    Wait—we have a national AI plan? Eileen opens America’s AI Action Plan and walks through the big picture: innovation, infrastructure, and international leadership. What’s being promised, what questions should we ask, and why does it matter for our jobs, schools, and power bills? The first in a series unpacking the plan in plain English, with a little humor. Read along: America’s AI Action Plan — official White House PDF Find the show at https://aiwitheileen.com

  6. Oct 4

    Beer, AI Data Centers, and Who Gets a Say in Wisconsin

    An Oktoberfest beer-tent shift takes an unexpected turn when Eileen asks Wisconsin Assembly candidate Ben Brist about AI data centers. One thoughtful answer later, she’s digging into secrecy in Beaver Dam, transparency disputes in Port Washington, and Milwaukee’s proposed pause on data-center development. Who gets to know? Who gets to decide? And who gets to pay? A five-minute catch-up ahead of Milwaukee’s October 6 committee meeting. Prost!

  7. Oct 3

    Start Here: Your AI Catch-Up with Eileen

    Welcome to your AI catch-up with Eileen. This short introduction explains the stories we’ll follow: how AI shapes learning, work, privacy, and what gets built in our communities. Eileen brings the research, explains the complicated parts in everyday language, and shares sources in the show notes. Written and reviewed by Eileen, with AI-assisted narration using a replica of her own voice. Questions, ideas, or AI nonsense worth investigating? Email wtf@aiwitheileen.com

  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

AI is moving fast. You've been busy. Let's catch up. Eileen follows AI to where it lands: work, school, community, and public decisions. She separates evidence from promises, explains the technology in plain language, and keeps a little humor handy. Some stories need more time. Written and reviewed by Eileen, with AI-assisted narration using a replica of her own voice. Questions, ideas, or AI nonsense worth investigating? Email wtf@aiwitheileen.com

Information

  • Creator
    Eileen E Booth
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Eileen E Booth
  • Show Website
    AI Catch-Up with Eileen

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