People vs Algorithms · Jul 4, 2025 · 1:00:50
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This week, we talk about the collapse of traditional advertising, the rise of memetic political communicators like Zohran Mamdani, why words might not matter much longer, and whether publishers fighting back against AI bots is folly. We also get into the cognitive toll of generative AI, the backlash to wealth spectacle, and how grilling large-format meats is at the heart of middle-aged American masculinity.
* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:42 Welcome
* 02:25 Mamdani Phenomenon
* 14:14 Pusillanimous Paramount
* 21:12 Wealth Smugness
* 25:39 Agency Business & The Ad World
* 38:16 AI vs Writing
* 46:43 AI vs Publishing Industry
* 56:08 Good Product
* 59:36 Outro
Episodes: People vs Algorithms