All Episodes

June 16, 2025 60 mins

Are today’s AI apps like ChatGPT really weapons that hand more power to tech billionaires?

Journalist Karen Hao (author, "Empire of AI: Dreams, Nightmares & Sam Altman’s OpenAI") and legendary tech investor-turned-watchdog Roger McNamee join Gil Duran to pull back the curtain on:

  • Sam Altman, Elon Musk and the quest for AI dominance
  • OpenAI’s hidden cost: Kenyan moderators paid poverty wages to sift horrific content
  • Digital colonialism from Africa to Chile to Arizona
  • Why U.S. lawmakers keep killing real AI regulation
  • State power + tech power: the new “British East India Company” playbook

Follow Karen Hao on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/karenhao.bsky.social

Follow Roger McNamee on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/moonalice.com

Buy "Empire of AI" at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/empire-o...

Subscribe to The Nerd Reich Newsletter: https://www.thenerdreich.com

Intro – Are AI apps tools or weapons?

Guest introductions: Karen Hao & Roger McNamee join the show

Hidden labor :The exploited Kenyan content moderators behind OpenAI Historical pivot: How Silicon Valley shifted from empowerment to extraction

Sam Altman deep-dive: The persuasion playbook driving OpenAI’s rise

Power grabs: Altman, Musk & Zuckerberg chase direct political influence

Digital colonialism: Data centers, water rights, and the new empire model

Empire mechanics: Four pillars that let Big Tech consolidate control

“Fruit of a poisoned tree”: Why today’s GenAI is fundamentally compromised

Reckoning ahead?: Can the AI empire be stopped or reined in?

Ground-level hope: Grassroots resistance and community wins

#tech #ai #aihype #samaltman #elonmusk #podcast #politics #zuckerberg #markzuckerberg #openai #chatgpt

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Ridiculous History

Ridiculous History

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.