Big Small Talk

Everyone has an opinion on AI. Some say it's the inevitable future. Others think it'll take our jobs, fuel misinformation, and hand even more power to Big Tech and billionaires.
This week, Sarah sits down with bestselling author, technologist and journalist Cory Doctorow to unpack whether AI really is the future or just a wildly overhyped tech bubble.
They also dive into Cory's theory of the "reverse centaur", why bosses and billionaires are so obsessed with AI, why he believes it's one of the dumbest financial investments of our time, and where Australia fits into the global AI race.
Cory will be taking part of the Festival of Dangers Ideas in August.
Cory's books mentioned in this episode:
Enshittifcation: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It's Too Late
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First up, Hannah unpacks the ABC’s apology to Gina Rinehart over comments made during its new Gen Z-coded show, Race Around the World. What’s really upsetting people here – the fact the public broadcaster said sorry OR who it is saying sorry to?
Sarah talks about the OpenAI luxury influencer brand trip (yep you read that right). The theme? Eco-friendly summer camp. Think farm-to-table meals, beekeeping, and cognitive dissonance.
The girls how TikToker Sydney Towle changed the way we see cancer, and why Abdul El-Sayed’s monumental Michigan Senate nom could shake-up the Democratic party.
Plus, Role Model loves Dakota Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo’s normie finance boyfriend, and Gracie Abrams has Phoebe Bridges’ sheets!?
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This ep was co-produced by Sarah-Jane Adams and Justine Landis-Hanley
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When did women become expected to grow out of having fun?
This week, Sarah is joined by Happy Hour hosts Lucy & Nikki to chat about dating as a party girl, whether men are intimidated by fun, successful women, being on the apps and why your friendships shouldn't disappear just because you're in a relationship.
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BSTies – it’s been a week!
Sarah talks about Ariana Grande’s new album (which has sparked intense online debate around her appearance), as well as her decision to step away from public life. The girls chat about why we need to be careful in these conversations concerning Ariana’s body and health, but also about the dangers of collective silence.
Hannah dives into how a rogue OpenAI escaped its container and hacked another company. And just a few days later, Anthropic (the company behind Claude) revealed that THEIR model had done the same thing three times. Yay.
Plus, a Nantucket store goes viral for putting up a “No Influencers” sign, former NRL player and BookTok sweetheart Luke Bateman outs gambling companies at a Senate inquiry, and Nara Smith is actively walking back her #tradwife label.
Oh, and everybody please welcome producer Justine!
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This week, Sarah sits down with historian, author and educator Dr Esme Louise James, creator of Kinky History, to explore the fascinating history of sex, desire and shame. Esme explains how many of the things we consider "new" or "unnatural" have actually existed for millennia, and how our modern attitudes towards sex have been shaped by history, religion, medicine, law and power.
They also discuss Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated film The Odyssey, and why Esme believes it stripped away the complexity of its female characters and sanitised the role sex played in Homer's original epic.
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