Life With Machines explores the human side of the A.I. revolution ā the good, the bad, and the weird ā and asks, āHow can these machines help us become more human?āĀ
In this video podcast, host Baratunde Thurston helps us understand our rapidly emerging future, and encourages us to shape it and laugh at the absurdity. Baratunde demystifies A.I. and makes it personal with a wide range of guests: entrepreneurs, artists, policymakers, technologists, business leaders, creators, educators, and scientists. Maybe even an A.I. or two. Everyone should have a say in where technologies like A.I. take us, not just a handful of people in California who think nitro cold brew on tap should be a human right.Ā
Join us in candid conversations and fun experiments, as we imagine and co-create our life, with machines.
Life with Machines is sponsored by Lenovo and produced in partnership with Rich Roll and Voicing Change Media.
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In this episode of Life With Machines, we explore the widespread issue of students using AI to cheat in school, and ask the hard question: Is this just laziness, or is it reflective of a deeper problem within the modern education system?
We dug deeper into the impact of artificial intelligence on school systems and why using ChatGPT to do your homework may not be the problem itself, but a symptom of a bigger issue.Ā
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LINKS MENTIONED
Episode 1
ESAI
Khan Academy
Khanmigo
Brisk Teaching
Graidients
NotebookLM
Other resources not mentioned in the episode:
The Learner Studio
The Rithm Project
The Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard's Graduate School of Education
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Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston
Showrunner and Producer: Alie Kilts
Executive Producer: Roya Lotfi
Video Editor & Audio Engineer: Erik Shute
Special Thanks to Zamaan Qureshi, Poonam Sharma, Katya Hancock and Dr. Kristine Gloria
Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production
This series was made in partnership with Young FuturesĀ
#ai #artificialintelligence #plagiarism #chatgpt #education
AI Joins the Family (cross-post)
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 ⢠Duration 33:25
We've got another cross-post for you featuring Raising Us host Elise Hu talking with Baratunde about how children and adults can navigate the evolving world of AI. Drawing on their own experiences with technology, Baratunde and Elise offer practical advice for parents on setting boundaries and learning about AI tools alongside their kids. They discuss collaborative storytelling, safeguarding against AI misuse, and fostering a shared journey of discovery through candid and insightful discussion.
#ParentingAndAI #RaisingUsPodcast #LifeWithMachines #AIandKids #DigitalParenting #TechForGood #FamilyConversations #AIExplained #ModernParenting #YouthAndAI
Who Tells Our Story in the Age of AI? (cross-post)
Friday, November 21, 2025 ⢠Duration 50:05
In today's cross-post, Baratunde is the guest on an episode from the acclaimed podcast 'No Small Endeavor' hosted by Lee C. Camp, an award-winning theologian. They explore the profound questions of what it means to be human in the era of AI. Covering topics like our humanity in the face of technological advancements, the role of storytelling, and the impact of AI on democracy and society.
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Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.Ā
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#NoSmallEndeavor #BaratundeThurston #LeeCCamp #AIandDemocracy #Storytelling #CommunityBuilding #LifeWithMachines
When Machines Become Our Coworkers (cross-post)
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 ⢠Duration 42:36
In this cross-post from the Pioneers of AI podcast, Baratunde and Dr. Rana el Kaliouby dive into the wild world of AI as a teammate, not just a tool. From the experiment of adding an AI co-producer to the team to the big questions about power, agency, and what it means to be human, this episode is a fast-paced, eye-opening look at the future of work and connection in the age of artificial intelligence.
#AIRevolution #HumanizingAI #FutureOfWork #TechAndHumanity #AICollaboration
Every Parent Needs to Have āThe AI Talkā
Monday, October 20, 2025 ⢠Duration 35:42
Are we using Gen Z as our AI guinea pigs? š·
In this first episode of our five-part Life With Machines x Young Futures series, Baratunde Thurston explores how AI is shapingāand sometimes shakingāthe lives of young people.
From mental health and loneliness to the future of jobs, AI āfriends,ā and school life, Gen Z is facing more tech-fueled change than any generation before. Baratunde and his guests unpack whatās really happening and how we can help the next generation shape their AI future, not just survive it.
š” Watch for insights from youth advocates, educators, and Young Futuresāa movement giving teens a real voice in the technologies shaping their world.
š As part of this mission, Young Futures has launched the āOops!ā¦AI Did It Againā Challenge. They are offering GRANTS in a national call for bold, youth-informed ideas to help teens navigate AI with agency, empathy, and creativity.
š Apply by October 24: https://bit.ly/yf-funding-challenge
Join us as we explore the delicate balance between leveraging AI for good and protecting the humans growing up with it.
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CONNECT WITH US
Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.Ā
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Newsletter / https://newsletter.lifewithmachines.mediaĀ Ā
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Threads / https://www.threads.net/@baratundeĀ Ā
LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/in/baratundeĀ
Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media
Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
For partnerships, speaking engagements, and other opportunities to work together, contact: lifewithmachines@smoothmedia.co
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Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston
Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts
Associate Producer & Social Media Producer: Roya Lotfi
Video Editor & Audio Engineer: Erik Shute
Special thanks to Samin Bhan, Katya Hancock and Dr. Kristine Gloria
Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production
This series is in partnership with Young Futures
Does Connecting with Our Humanity Require Disconnecting from AI? (cross-post)
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 ⢠Duration 01:12:05
In this episode of Shaping Freedom, host Lisane Basquiat sits down with Baratunde Thurston, a thought leader, author, and media creator, to discuss the deeper meaning of freedom and the role of technology in our lives. Thurston shares insights into his journey of personal growth, the lessons learned from his parents, and the importance of human connection in today's technologically advanced society. They explore the concept of 'citizen' as a verb, emphasizing active participation in democracy and collective power. The conversation also delves into the relationships between humans, AI, and how we can navigate the complex landscape of artificial intelligence while maintaining our humanity and connections with one another. Join them for an enriching discussion that promises to challenge your perspectives and inspire personal and communal growth.
CONNECT WITH US
Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.Ā
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Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
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#ShapingFreedom #LisaneBasquiat #BaratundeThurston #LifeWithMachines #AIandHumanity #citizening
Can Humor Save Us in the Age of AI and Political Chaos? (cross-post)
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 ⢠Duration 50:36
In this special episode, Baratunde Thurston shares a vibrant conversation from his guest appearance on the AI for All Tomorrows podcast, hosted by Dylan Thomas Doyle. The discussion covers a wide range of themes, including the historical roots of democracy in indigenous practices, the role of technology and AI in society, and the importance of humor in making sense of today's fast-paced, tech-driven world. He and Dylan highlight AI-assisted collaboration in creative processes and the need for a people-centered approach to technology. Tune in for an enlightening dialogue about democracy, innovation, and maintaining humanity amidst rapid technological advancements.
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Subscribe to our Youtube and our Substack newsletter which is experiencing a major overhaul that includes AI news you need to know, hot takes, and meaningful steps we can take to shape our future.Ā
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Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
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#AIForAllTomorrows #LifeWithMachines #BaratundeThurston #Democracy #TechnologyAndSociety #IndigenousWisdom #FutureOfAI #EthicsInAI #CreativityAndAI #DigitalDemocracy #PowerToThePeople #ComedyInTech
The Shadow Workforce Powering AI | Advocate Milagros Miceli (Ep. 26)
Season 1 Ā· Episode 26
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 ⢠Duration 01:23:24
AI may look like magic, but behind the scenes, itās propped up by a vast human labor force. In this season finale of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with sociologist and computer scientist Milagros Miceliāaka Milaāwhoās spent years documenting the hidden workforce behind AI systems. From Kenya to Bulgaria to Venezulea, millions of people are generating, labeling, and cleaning the data that keeps our so-called āautonomousā systems running. Some are even pretending to be the AI you think youāre talking to. In one of AIās crueler twists, tech platforms are quietly paying refugees, gig workers, even journalists to train the very models threatening their livelihoods. And this labor force isnāt shrinkingāitās growing exponentially. Together, Mila and Baratunde unpack the scale of this invisible labor, its deeply human costs, and the possibilities for something better.Ā
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THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER
The series is powered by LenovoĀ
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Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
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Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston
Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts
Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone
Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland
Video Editor: Erik Shute
Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute
Theme Music: Andy Clausen
Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter LoforteĀ
Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production
Sponsored by LenovoĀ
#ArtificialIntelligence #AIWorkers #GhostWorkers #HumanBehindAI #AIEthics #TechLabor #InvisibleLabor #FutureOfWork #DataAnnotation #PlatformEconomy #RefugeeLabor #GigWork #TechJustice #ResponsibleAI #MilagrosMiceli #LifeWithMachines #Baratunde #DigitalLabor #AIEconomy #DataWorkers
Can AI Save Indigenous Languages? | Michael Running Wolf (Ep. 25)
Season 1 Ā· Episode 25
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 ⢠Duration 01:07:57
Every two weeks, the world loses a language. Most of those losses are happening in the U.S. In this episode of Life with Machines, Baratunde talks with Michael Running Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne technologist using AI to help Indigenous communities reclaim their languagesāand their power. But hereās the twist: itās not just that AI can help save these languages. It turns out AI needs them.Because when you train language models on Indigenous languagesālanguages that are dense, precise, and built for oral transmissionāthe models perform better. More accurate. Less prone to error. Thatās not a diversity talking point. Thatās a systems upgrade. Michael shares his remarkable journey from growing up without electricity on a reservation to working on Amazon Alexaāand now building VR classrooms and community-owned data systems. His work flips the script on who gets to shape the future of technology, and on what terms.
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THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNER
The series is powered by LenovoĀ
CONNECT WITH US
Watch this episode on Youtube!
Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action!
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Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media
Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media
Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
------------
Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston
Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts
Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone
Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland
Video Editor: Erik Shute
Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute
Theme Music: Andy Clausen
Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter LoforteĀ
Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production
Sponsored by LenovoĀ
#AIforGood #IndigenousTech #LanguageRevitalization #EndangeredLanguages #MichaelRunningWolf #LifeWithMachines #NativeVoices #AIandCulture #DataSovereignty #TechForJustice #IndigenousAI #AIethics #OralTradition #VRinEducation #AIandEquity #FutureOfLanguageĀ #Cheyenne #AIInnovationĀ
Are We Ready For AI To Get a Face...and a Body? | Kate Darling (Ep. 24)
Season 1 Ā· Episode 24
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 ⢠Duration 01:09:36
Why do we cry over broken robots but ignore suffering humans? In this provocative episode of Life With Machines, robot ethicist Kate Darling joins Baratunde to explore our emotional relationships with machinesāand what they reveal about us. From robot dogs in war zones to kids bonding with chatbots, Kate explains how we project care, fear, and even love onto technology. The real danger, she argues, isnāt that we treat robots like peopleāitās that we start treating people like robotsāAKA less than human. Also: if your robot pet comes on a subscription plan, does that make it yours, or the corporationās? Then, in a first-of-its-kind experiment, our AI co-producer BLAIR undergoes a live āavatar tasting.ā AI designer Peter Loforte walks Baratunde through a series of digital looks and voices for BLAIR, testing what it means to give an artificial entity a face, a tone, a vibe. The choices are aestheticābut theyāre also political. What kind of AI do we want to represent us? Who gets to decide how intelligence should look and sound? Watch to the end for a funny, uncanny, and unexpectedly moving conversation about identity, empathy, and the machines weāre learning to love.
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THANKS TO OUR BRAND PARTNERS
The series is powered by LenovoĀ
Notion Mail: Get it for free right now at Notion
CONNECT WITH US
Watch this episode on Youtube!
Get our newsletter for deeper insights, chances to influence the show, and more experiments and calls to action!
------------
Follow us!
InstagramĀ
TikTok
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LinkedIn
Work with Life With Machines: partnerships@voicingchange.media
Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: contact@lifewithmachines.media
Write to Blair: blair@lifewithmachines.media
------------
Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston
Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts
Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone
Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland
Video Editor: Junior Real
Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute
Theme Music: Andy Clausen
Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter LoforteĀ
Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production
Sponsored by LenovoĀ
#AIethics #RobotEmpathy #HumanMachineInteraction #ArtificialIntelligence #AIPersonality #EmotionalRobots #FutureOfAI #TechAndHumanity #LifeWithMachines #AIavatar #PoweredByLenovo
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