After a week spent debating AI’s impact on humanity, Cal wants to turn his attention back to AI’s impact on humans. To support this shift, he brings on the writer Brad Stulberg who recently decided that he was “done” with AI. They explore whether this is a resistance movement in the making…
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Below are the questions covered in today’s episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
INTERVIEW:
(0:00) A new paper calls LLMs a “cognitive virus”
(4:03) Brad gave AI a real shot — then quit
(8:13) Why everything online now sounds the same
(13:22) Plank 1: Effort, struggle, and the click-of-a-button economy
(20:11) You can take a gondola to the summit, but you didn’t climb it
(28:30) Plank 2: AI is an average maker
(33:39) AI swirl: pseudo-productivity turned up to 11
(49:40) Treat AI like ultra-processed food
(55:08) Getting it off your phone, and the lesson of sports analytics
(1:00:13) Team Human and the humanist resistance
YOUTUBE TITLE:
– The AI Resistance is Forming
LINKS:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow
Order a signed copy of “Slow Productivity” here: https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
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Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.
