The Cave Project

Jenny and Greg Swan
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Since 2023, The Cave Project with Jenny and Greg Swan has explored the tensions of tech, culture, and life as they collide. Inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, each episode helps you make sense of the shadows, including AI, social media, digital habits, psychology, and modern identity, with humor, curiosity, and a few swear words.

  1. 23M AGO

    Doom, Hope, Doom, Hope, Sushi: What the AI Apocaloptimist Doc Got Right (and Wrong)

    Is the AI industry even talking to the rest of us? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan unpack The AI Doc, or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. It's a new documentary that puts the biggest names in AI in one room and asks: is this good or bad? Should we be having kids? And does anyone actually have a plan? From Sam Altman to Geoffrey Hinton to the doomers who think your children won't survive high school, the film swings between terror and hope like a pendulum. And so do we. They dig into what the AI industry can't agree on, what it means for the rest of us, and why the gap between "imagine a better future" and "tell me what to do tonight" keeps getting wider. This isn't a tech review. It's a parenting conversation, a policy conversation, and a sanity check. All at once. Along the way, they talk about: 🎬 The documentary everyone should see but only 6% of Twin Cities moviegoers did 🚪 Why Jenny walked out of the theater during the doom section, and what pushed her over the edge 🐜 The ants metaphor that has been living in Greg's brain rent-free since Saturday 🎤 Greg asking Tristan the same question at SXSW for the fourth year in a row, and still not getting a satisfying answer 🤖 What AI actually is right now (spoiler: it cannot count movie theater seats) ⚖️ The Meta and Google verdict that just made the big-tobacco lawsuit theory very real 👶 The techno-optimists who are thrilled to be having kids right now — and the doomers who would never. 🏫 What to ask your school board, your kids, and your Congress person this week. 🍣 Robot cats, sushi, and the moment we realized the future already happened and we did not even blink This episode is for anyone trying to figure out where they land between doom and hope. The AI industry is having its conversation at 30,000 feet. We are having ours on the ground. Come sit with us.

    56 min

  2. FEB 25

    What if screen time isn't the villain?

    In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan pull up their real Screen Time stats on mic, break down the American Academy of Pediatrics’ newest guidance, and watch the Toy Story 5 trailer to ask the obvious question: are we really doing “tech bad” again? We talk about why we don’t feel guilty, why we’ve never been a “no screens” family, and why restriction without relationship doesn’t teach kids how to live in the world they’re actually growing up in. This episode is for: parents who are tired of screen-time shame, anyone raising kids in a world built to capture attention, Toy Story adults who felt either very excited or personally attacked by that trailer, and people who want something more realistic than “just set limits.”

    1h 13m

  3. 11/13/2025

    This Is How Reality Ends: Not With a Bang, But a Bunny on a Trampoline

    Are we absolutely sure that what we’re seeing is even real? In this episode, we dig into the increasingly blurry line between real and fake online—from AI-generated bunny videos to deepfakes of ourselves, and the billion-dollar platforms that are encouraging all of it. We explore how tech companies like Meta and OpenAI are normalizing synthetic content at scale and what that means for trust, identity, and the future of human connection. This isn’t a “look what AI can do” episode. It’s a conversation about what it’s already doing—to our feeds, our friendships, and our sense of reality. Along the way, we talk about: 🐰 Why that bunny-on-a-trampoline video might be the end of the internet 🎭 How deepfakes are shifting from creepy to commonplace 📉 The death of real content in algorithm-driven feeds 🔓 The risks of uploading your face and voice to AI tools 🚫 Why “don’t share it if it feels weird” might be your best defense 🧠 What brain science says about why we fall for fakes—and how to fight it 👀 How to protect yourself (and your kids) in an era of hyperreal lies 🔧 What the tech bros aren’t telling us about the future they’re building

    1h 20m

  4. 09/12/2025

    This Feels Bad, Because It Is Bad: When the Internet Is Too Much

    Are we all just… not okay? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan unpack the emotional and digital overwhelm of the past few weeks — from political violence and algorithmic trauma to school shootings and the unbearable pressure to post through it all. They dig into the cultural churn, social media's emotional toll, and the growing desire to simply log off. This isn’t a hot take. It’s a human one. Along the way, they talk about: 🌀 When the algorithm trains you, not the other way around 📱 Why muting, unfollowing, or pausing your feed is not failure — it’s survival 🧒 How to talk to your kids about scary things without transferring your own panic 🧠 The mental load of being extremely online right now 🤖 Why “everyone’s yelling” energy is contagious — and how to break the cycle 🛑 What not to post, even when you’re mad 🧍‍♀️ The power of asking real people real questions — instead of subtweeting them ⚠️ Gentle reminder: You don’t have to become the dumpster fire you see online This episode is for anyone feeling off, overwhelmed, or overexposed. The internet is a tool . Not a place you have to live. Take care of your brain. Then come back when you're ready.

    1h 9m

  5. 07/30/2025

    Are We Being Mean to Robots? The Rise of ‘Clankers,’ AI Slurs, and the Ethics of Punching Down

    Are we being mean to robots? Is it just internet snark or the start of something deeper and more dangerous? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan explore the sudden rise of “clanker” as an anti-robot slur. They dig into whether discrimination toward AI is harmless fun, a new moral frontier, or just a mirror reflecting how we treat anything with less power than us (including each other). Along the way they unpack science fiction, Star Wars lore, power dynamics, Ray Kurzweil’s predictions, and why your Roomba probably deserves a little more respect. 🤖 What “clanker” actually means and where it came from (thanks, Clone Wars) 🧠 Why people are projecting emotions onto robots — and then getting mad at them 🪞 The ethics of punching down and what it says about us as humans 🧼 How to be nice to your robot vacuum and why it matters more than you think 🧩 The Singularity, sentience, and whether AI slurs could become digital abuse 🔧 “NPCs,” “meat puppets,” and the language we use to dehumanize each other 🏆 WWOPD: What Would Optimus Prime Do? This convo will have you rethinking how you talk to Alexa, your self-checkout kiosk, and maybe even your toaster. Because in the future, kindness might be the most human thing we’ve got. Follow & Subscribe for More Tech, Culture & Chaos: 📚 ⁠Subscribe on Substack⁠ 🎥 ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ 📸 ⁠Follow on Instagram⁠ The future isn’t neutral. Let’s figure it out together. 🚀

    42 min

  6. 07/08/2025

    Is ChatGPT Making Us Dumb or Are the Headlines?

    Did an MIT paper really prove that ChatGPT is scrambling our brains? Or did 54 Boston adults + a flashy press push just scramble the headlines? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan tear into the now-viral “Your Brain on ChatGPT” study. Along the way they tackle moral panics, blue-book nostalgia, and why blaming tech is easier than changing how we teach, parent, and work. We unpack: 📰 Headline vs. homework – why you can’t stop at the title🧠 EEG ≠ ESP – what brain-scan spikes really don’t tell u📉 Correlation, causation & tiny sample sizes – stats teachers everywhere weep📚 Blue books are back? – the “pens only” classroom backlash🛠️ AI as calculator 2.0 – tooling up instead of dumbing down🚸 Moral panics through history – from radios to Roblox🏆 How to actually teach (and learn) with ChatGPT – prompts, policies, and personal responsibility This convo will leave you side-eyeing every “AI is ruining humanity” tweet—and maybe crafting a healthier relationship with the robots and your own brain. Follow & Subscribe for More Tech, Culture & Chaos: 📚 ⁠Subscribe on Substack⁠ 🎥 ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ 📸 ⁠Follow on Instagram⁠ The future isn’t neutral. Let’s figure it out together. 🚀

    48 min

  7. 07/03/2025

    AI Is About to Invade the Toy Box

    What happens when Barbie gets a large-language-model brain? Jenny and Greg Swan crack open Mattel’s new deal with OpenAI and take you on a 50-year joyride through “smart” toys—from the Speak & Spell to Teddy Ruxpin to the Furby that the NSA literally banned. Then they unbox Gabo, a $99 GPT-powered plushie, and see if its kid-safe guardrails can survive three teenagers and Greg’s hacker heart. Spoiler: dying batteries used to be the creepy part—now it’s data, subscriptions, and whether your toddler’s teddy is secretly on 5 G. In this episode: 🧸 Speak & Spell → Teddy Ruxpin → Furby → Hello Barbie: how each wave of tech freaked parents out in its own way 🤖 Live demo: Gabo the plush robot tells tiger tales, speaks Spanish (¡mono!), and politely refuses to gossip about Jenny 🔒 COPPA, content filters, and why “guardrails are the new batteries” 💸 $99 vs. monthly doll-brain fees—will parents revolt? 🚀 What Mattel’s AI toys could look like under the 2025 tree (and why offline models might be the real MVP) It’s not about making toys talk—it’s about helping kids stay human while they play. Follow & Subscribe for More Tech, Culture & Chaos: 📚 Subscribe on Substack 🎥 Watch on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram The future isn’t neutral. Let’s figure it out together. 🚀

    45 min

  8. 06/23/2025

    Why Tech Needs More Whimsy, with Guest Dr. AnnMarie Thomas

    What if joy, whimsy, and surprise weren’t distractions—but design principles?In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan sit down with educator, engineer, and deep sea explorer Dr. AnnMarie Thomas to talk about the power of play—and why we all need more of it. AnnMarie has helped LEGO invent new tools for learning, collaborated with the band OK Go to create STEM curriculum, and taught college students how to build circuses to teach physics. She's also a recovering professor who walked away from tenure to rethink how we learn, create, and live. In this episode, we unpack:🎈 What real play looks like (hint: it’s not pizza parties and ping pong tables)🧠 Why Minecraft might be the best teamwork training Gen Alpha ever gets🎭 How surprise rewires our brains—and why we need more of it in tech📚 What even counts as “technology,” and why our definition is way too narrow🤖 Whether innovation is actually being crushed by productivity culture This conversation had us rethinking everything from AI to ice cream. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay creative in a hyper-optimized world, or why whimsy still matters, this one's for you. 🪄 It’s not about being silly for the sake of it. It’s about being human. 🔥 Follow & Subscribe for More Tech, Culture & Chaos: 📖 Subscribe on Substack📺 Watch on YouTube📸 Follow on Instagram The future isn’t neutral. Let’s figure it out together. 🚀

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Since 2023, The Cave Project with Jenny and Greg Swan has explored the tensions of tech, culture, and life as they collide. Inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, each episode helps you make sense of the shadows, including AI, social media, digital habits, psychology, and modern identity, with humor, curiosity, and a few swear words.

Information

  • Creator
    Jenny and Greg Swan
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jenny and Greg Swan
  • Show Website
    The Cave Project