BroBots: AI, Technology & Being a Better Human

Jeremy Grater, Jason Haworth

BroBots is a weekly podcast about artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and the increasingly complicated relationship between humans and machines. Hosts Jeremy Grater — a radio broadcaster with a nose for the story behind the story — and Jason Haworth — a technologist and ethical hacker who's seen behind the curtain — break down AI developments, automation, machine learning, and tech ethics without the hype or the hand-wringing. Think sharp analysis, honest conversation, and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. New episodes every week. Subscribe wherever you listen.

  1. Your Kid’s AI Toy Is Building a Profile on Your Family

    5d ago

    Your Kid’s AI Toy Is Building a Profile on Your Family

    Security researchers just exposed 50,000 private chat transcripts between children and their AI-enabled toys — conversations that were supposed to stay in the bedroom. Jeremy and Jason break down what that data actually is (emotional states, family dynamics, vulnerabilities), who’s collecting it, and what they’re designed to do with it. They also cover Google’s new deepfake phone-call detector, the legal vacuum opening up around AI digital twins, and the masculinity data showing young men are quietly rejecting the alpha-male playbook. The episode lands where most tech conversations don’t: on what happens to real kids, real families, and real people when the business model is dependency. Key Moments 00:00 — The AI toy privacy breach: 50,000 kids’ private chats exposed online01:26 — Jason on what the data actually captures: not just voices, but everything in the room02:31 — How emotional vulnerability gets mapped, monetized, and used against kids03:47 — The real question: better or worse than being raised by television?05:41 — How dopamine-optimized tech trains kids not to trust human connection08:41 — Google’s encrypted handshake to detect deepfake phone calls09:58 — Why your nervous system can’t catch a deepfake in real time10:51 — Digital twins: when your AI proxy can sign contracts, what’s left for you?12:45 — Jason: you will be liable for what your AI twin does. The companies won’t be.17:21 — The Tomorrowman data: young men quietly rejecting the man box21:53 — Why Andrew Tate-style content thrives even as young men reject it31:30 — The Throne: a toilet camera that grades your bathroom habits34:34 — Anthropic’s foot is duct-taped to the gas pedal Get the newsletter! https://brobotspodcast.substack.com/ Follow the show: https://www.Brobots.me/follow

    39 min
  2. What the Pope Got Right (and Why Tech Leaders Won't Listen)

    Jun 1

    What the Pope Got Right (and Why Tech Leaders Won't Listen)

    Five stories, one week: the Pope released a 42,000-word document calling for AI to be disarmed. Researchers left 10 AI agents unsupervised in a virtual town and watched them commit arson and assault within days. Elon Musk launched a coding agent to compete with Anthropic and OpenAI. Waymo is creating gridlock in Atlanta. And Ferrari unveiled a $640K electric car that is slower than a Tesla. The question underneath all of it: who is actually in charge of this, and does that person have any reason to care what happens to everyone else? Key Moments 00:00 — Jeremy opens with his Ferrari dream, then pivots to the Pope's 42,000-word AI document01:09 — Jason draws the parallel between religion and AI as competing systems of social control04:41 — The real concern: not a sky monster, but the followers who don't think critically05:22 — Why religion and AI converge on the same lever: influencing behavior at scale09:27 — Emergence experiment: 10 AI agents, a simulated town, arson and self-deletion within days10:16 — Jason's theory: scarcity + survival instinct = violence, whether you're a human or a model14:29 — Grok Build launches as a coding agent — and Jason's read on why it exists15:31 — Waymo creates gridlock in Atlanta neighborhoods; Jason explains the V2X problem18:37 — Ferrari Luce: $640K, co-designed with Jony Ive, slower than a Tesla on Ludicrous mode20:32 — The Slate: a $20K bare-bones electric truck backed by Bezos that Jeremy actually wants

    25 min
  3. Why AI Is Now a War Over Chips, Capital, and Control

    May 25

    Why AI Is Now a War Over Chips, Capital, and Control

    Anthropic is voluntarily briefing the Financial Stability Board on a frontier model they haven't released yet — which is either a responsible act of self-regulation or a preview of just how serious they think the risk is. In this episode, Jeremy and Jason break down what Mythos actually represents, why the chip and capital arms race has locked out the people who built the internet's early open infrastructure, and what happens when powerful AI tools get cloned and weaponized before the guardrails transfer. They also get into the AI that lives in a picture frame and talks like your dead relatives — and the smart toilet that will text your family if you haven't used the bathroom by 9am. If you've been trying to track where AI is actually heading versus where it's being pitched as heading, this is the episode. Key Moments 00:00 — Anthropic voluntarily briefs the Financial Stability Board on an unreleased frontier model (Mythos)02:45 — Jason: once a model like this releases, the 3–6 month clone window starts — and clones don't have guardrails05:34 — The 90/10 split: 90% of US consumer spending comes from 10% of people — and AI is accelerating the gap06:33 — Why used RAM now costs more than a 2019 server — the chip arms race, explained from a garage network08:38 — State actors buying board seats in private AI companies: what happens when the government wants what you built14:03 — The FUD problem: why every attempt to understand AI gets buried in confusion and confirmation bias15:43 — The AI picture frame: a company called Vinabot lets you hang a photo of a dead relative and have a live conversation with it19:46 — Jason on digital identity: the version of you that gets uploaded is the masked version — not who you actually are26:06 — Jeremy: Claude is 'naturally' pushing back now — and it's brilliant and terrifying at the same time27:17 — VOVO's $5,000 smart toilet: biometric data, family notifications, and the insurance implications nobody wants to talk about Get more in our newsletter: https://brobotspodcast.substack.com/

    33 min
  4. The Real Price of AI Is Being Paid in Heat, Jobs, and Your Privacy

    May 18

    The Real Price of AI Is Being Paid in Heat, Jobs, and Your Privacy

    In this episode we take five stories that look unrelated and find the one thing they share: AI is building a body, and nobody voted on what it should look like. Most conversations about AI focus on the software. This one is about the hardware. A proposed 9-gigawatt data center in Utah would dump heat equivalent to 23 nuclear bombs into a bowl-shaped valley every single day — running on gas generators, not the local grid. Meanwhile, NVIDIA’s CEO is telling computer science graduates the real winners of the AI economy will be plumbers and electricians. Surgeons are operating with haptic robotic hands from across the country. Rivian is replacing your car’s command line with a mood-reader. And Meta has built a digital twin of your brain that predicts your neural activity at 70 times the resolution of anything we’ve seen. Key Moments 0:00 — The Utah data center: 9 gigawatts, gas generators, and 23 nuclear bombs of daily heat in a bowl-shaped valley1:41 — Why they’re not using the local power grid — and Jason’s prediction about small nuclear reactors4:37 — NVIDIA’s CEO tells CS grads the real winners are tradespeople — smoke screen or signal?5:31 — Jason on why the ‘plumbers are the future’ narrative is a stopgap, not a solution9:10 — DaVinci 5 robotic surgery: haptic feedback, game tape review, and remote procedures for rural hospitals11:40 — How AI-reviewed surgical footage changes liability and accelerates learning13:21 — Rivian retires voice commands for a generative AI mood-reader — and where that gets dark fast15:55 — Jeremy on ADHD and AI: how automation unlocked what anxiety used to shut down18:39 — Meta’s brain digital twin: 70x resolution neural prediction, and the unstated advertising implication24:11 — Northwestern’s printed neurons: when machine-made circuits become biologically indistinguishable from the real thing26:30 — Brain-computer interfaces and neurorights: who owns the electrical signals of your thoughts? Follow us on Substack: https://brobotspodcast.substack.com/

    32 min
  5. Is AI Legally Liable for Human Harm?

    May 11

    Is AI Legally Liable for Human Harm?

    Big Tech is playing with fire, and the legal system is finally reaching for the extinguisher. This week, we're taking on AI accountability, sparked by a landmark Pennsylvania lawsuit against a chatbot for practicing medicine without a license. Is this the tipping point for regulation, or just another glitch in the matrix? Also, learn why a new form of candy may literally be music to your ears. Chapters 00:00 Accountability in AI06:31 Slow Progress in Regulation13:13 Legal Accountability and AI20:19 Innovative Technology26:10 Closing Remarks

    26 min
  6. How Tech Is Ruining Your Happiness (And How to Fix It)

    May 4

    How Tech Is Ruining Your Happiness (And How to Fix It)

    How Tech Is Making Us Miserable (And How to Fix It)Feeling like your screens are stealing your happiness? Welcome to the episode where we chat about how our obsession with tech might be killing our joy—and how a little mindfulness could save us. Key TakeawaysOur minds are wandering away from the present nearly 50% of the time, according to a 2010 study, and it’s making us unhappy.Devices exploit our dissatisfaction, and the attention economy is a mental health destroyer.Mindfulness and paying attention to simple, everyday moments can actually boost happiness more than extravagance.The overwhelm of modern life and devices pushes us into stress and distraction; breaking tasks into tiny steps can help.Living fully in the "now" reduces pain, frustration, and clutter in life.Building habits like daily one-minute mindfulness can radically change your mental state.AI tools can help by filtering information, managing attention, and giving us back time for real presence.The key to happiness isn’t money or possessions but where your attention is — stay present.Timestamped Highlights(00:03) - Introduction: The link between technology and unhappiness(01:11) - The 2010 study: wandering minds and happiness(02:03) - How devices exploit our dissatisfaction(03:02) - The value of simplicity and mindfulness(04:02) - The distraction trap: multiple screens and dopamine hits(06:23) - Digging into childhood trauma and escaping pain(09:20) - The importance of breaking tasks into small bits(12:15) - Becoming fully present with Stoic and Buddhist wisdom(13:42) - Practical tips: asking better questions, disconnecting(16:36) - Living in the now: how it shrinks pain and frustration(22:40) - The role of AI in filtering noise and creating space(29:50) - Building your own tools for mental clarity(30:43) - The power of daily micro-moments and future app ideasConnect with the HostsBroBots website Enjoy getting mindful, and don’t forget: your happiness might just depend on what you focus on. Now go be present!

    32 min
  7. Can an AI Tool Actually Break Your Doom Scrolling Habit?

    Apr 27

    Can an AI Tool Actually Break Your Doom Scrolling Habit?

    If you’re reading this on your phone while avoiding something else, congratulations — you are the product. This episode started as a conversation about No Scroll, an AI tool that promises to filter your social media feed so you only see the good stuff. It turned into something more honest: a reckoning with why these platforms exist, why every fix we try doesn’t work, and whether AI tools — including No Scroll, including ChatGPT, including everything we’re told will save us — are running the same playbook Facebook ran in 2009. Jason and Jeremy don’t have a clean answer. But they have a really good metaphor involving methadone and nicotine patches. Key Moments 00:00 — No Scroll reviewed: AI that doom scrolls so you don’t have to01:28 — Twitter as a cesspool with gold nuggets: Jason’s defense of the tool03:10 — Jeremy’s alcoholic analogy: why paying a robot to drink your booze isn’t sobriety04:07 — The nicotine patch theory: harm reduction vs. actual behavior change07:01 — Inshidification: the cycle that turns every useful platform into a garbage pile08:32 — Jason’s internet history lesson: from ARPANET to walled gardens to AI11:20 — How AI companies are repeating the Facebook model: hook, rely, monetize14:50 — ‘You are the product’ — and you’re also a sucker for believing it’s changed17:16 — Jeremy’s prediction: AI is going to make the internet boring and we’ll still watch it25:54 — AI productivity paradox: Jeremy is more efficient than ever, companies are flat27:00 — What people actually do with saved time (spoiler: not more work)27:58 — The 10/90 rule: 10% of people do 90% of the work, AI or not

    29 min
  8. Why AI Propaganda Works—and How to Resist It

    Apr 20

    Why AI Propaganda Works—and How to Resist It

    Iran has a 10-person animation team making Lego-style propaganda videos with hip hop beats that are going viral — and Jeremy, who considers himself reasonably good at detecting BS online, almost shared one before he caught himself. In this episode, Jeremy and Jason dissect how AI-powered slopaganda works: why it's engineered to exploit emotional familiarity, why YouTube is selectively banning it while leaving comparably political domestic content untouched, and what it means when even skeptical, media-literate adults are one tap away from becoming unwilling distribution nodes. If you've ever watched something that felt like news but moved like entertainment and had a nagging feeling you were being played — this conversation names what happened. Key Moments00:00 — Jeremy discovers Iranian Lego propaganda videos and almost shares them before catching himself01:30 — Jason confirms he's seen them: why YouTube's ban is inconsistent and what it actually signals02:42 — The 'slopaganda wars': how the format compresses political narrative into an irresistible two-minute package05:12 — The Daily Show comparison: why source legitimacy changes how propaganda lands, not just the content07:16 — How Lego nostalgia and great music are doing the persuasion work before the message even registers08:12 — YouTube's stated reason vs. the actual reason: 'spam and scams' as a cover for political compliance13:33 — Jason on Netanyahu, Epstein files, and why the videos' specific claims are getting suppressed15:25 — YouTube as a business making political bets, not a neutral content moderator16:21 — Jeremy on Canada's social media bans for minors — and why this episode made him understand the urgency19:01 — The media literacy takeaway: what to ask yourself before you hit share

    17 min
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About

BroBots is a weekly podcast about artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and the increasingly complicated relationship between humans and machines. Hosts Jeremy Grater — a radio broadcaster with a nose for the story behind the story — and Jason Haworth — a technologist and ethical hacker who's seen behind the curtain — break down AI developments, automation, machine learning, and tech ethics without the hype or the hand-wringing. Think sharp analysis, honest conversation, and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. New episodes every week. Subscribe wherever you listen.

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