Episode 130: The Agency of AI, the Morality of Medical Debt Reporting, & Loneliness in Zion

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In this episode, the Shawn, Matt, & Porter discuss various topics including the role of AI in communication, medical debt, and the loneliness crisis in Utah. First up: AI is changing the way that people speak. Researchers analyzed 280,000 YouTube videos from academic channels and found that in the 18 months since ChatGPT was released speakers are using words favored by the chatbot (like delve, realm, and adept) 51% more frequently and they are using other words less frequently. Elder Bednar recently warned that the use of AI can threaten moral agency by causing us to be “acted upon” rather than acting for ourselves. Is this evidence of people giving their agency over to AI? Do we need to be more cautious in our use of AI?

Next up:  A federal judge in Texas reversed a Biden-era rule on Friday that permitted medical debt to be wiped from credit reports. Setting aside the legal question, what is the morally correct way to handle credit reports? Some things (a mortgage, student loans, auto loans, credit cards, bankruptcies) get reported, but others do not (civil judgments, tax liens, etc). Is medical debt something that should be on a credit report?

Finally:  We are now at the six month mark of the Trump presidency. New state-by-state polling shows his popularity across the United States. If you took the electoral college votes of the states where his disapproval is higher than his approval rating and counted that as votes to remove from office, Trump would be out in a landslide. Should there be a mechanism that allows public opinion to remove someone from office? Congress can impeach for bad behavior, the cabinet can remove for incompetence. Should Americans be able to do so? 

The Big Question: Utah ranks among the top five loneliest states in the nation, according to U.S. Census data. More than one in three Utah adults say they feel lonely “always” or “often.” Health officials say it’s more than just a side effect of the pandemic—it’s become a public health priority. Matt Draper, a therapist based in Springville, says that based on his work, the two groups most affected by loneliness in Utah are young adults and seniors. Meanwhile, Utah ranks #1 in the nation for the best economic outlook and #3 for economic performance. They say that money can’t buy happiness, is Utah proving that point? What is Utah doing wrong?

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
03:00 Debate on Socialism and Capitalism
06:02 Market Trust and Economic Principles
09:00 The Role of Government in the Economy
12:12 The Impact of AI on Language and Agency
17:56 AI's Influence on Decision Making
22:04 Medical Debt and Credit Reporting
31:39 Charity, Compassion, and Medical Debt
34:00 Trump's Approval Ratings and Political Mechanisms
39:00 Public Opinion and Political Accountability
44:02 Loneliness in Utah: A Public Health Concern
01:00:01