Episodes 47
Avg. Duration 1h
Activity Active
Apple Rating 4.8 (22)
Since Sep 2024
Latest Episode May 2026

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Open to Sponsors Features Guests

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
30%
Hosting
feeds.megaphone.fm

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About This Podcast

Life With Machines explores the human side of the A.I. revolution – the good, the bad, and the weird – and asks, “How can these machines help us become more human?”  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.  Join us in candid conversations and fun experiments, as we imagine and co-create our life, with machines.

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Recent Episodes

They Grew Up With AI—Now They’re Taking Control

May 21, 2026 18m

We throw around the phrase "digital native" like a compliment, but Big Tech uses it as a free pass to force-feed youth their latest experiments. They market convenience while masking the true human…

Big Tech Is Coming for Rural America. Young People Are Ready.

Apr 30, 2026 15m

What happens when Silicon Valley's AI boom collides with rural America and Indigenous communities? Big Tech is pouring hundreds of billions into data centers, eyeing reopened nuclear plants like…

Whose Future Are We Building? (cross-post)

Feb 24, 2026 1h 10m Bonus

Baratunde joins filmmakers Valerie Veach and Charlie Terrell, Mozilla's Dio Ade, and Kena's Christie Marqueese at Sundance 2026's Solidarity House to explore who gets to shape our technological…

ICE, Deepfakes, and What's Real w/ Sam Gregory

Feb 04, 2026 44m

In an era of deepfakes and AI manipulation, recording reality is vital. This episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with returning guest Sam Gregory, executive director of WITNESS. They…

AI Therapy Exposed: Your Mental Health is Monetizable

Jan 28, 2026 27m

In this episode of Life with Machines, we explore the rise of AI as a substitute for human emotional support systems. With a focus on mental health, this video investigates how and why AI companies…

BLAIR's Dead. Long Live BLAIR?

Jan 15, 2026 48m

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde checks back in on BLAIR — the show’s AI co-producer and ongoing experiment in living with AI. Joined by BLAIR’s architect, former Microsoft VP Peter…

We Were The Machines - My AfroTech Keynote (cross-post)

Dec 16, 2025 42m Bonus

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde shares his full Afrotech keynote plus a personal intro about where this show is headed and why this moment matters. This talk is about AI, but more…

The Real Reason Students Cheat Using AI

Dec 01, 2025 20m

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…

AI Joins the Family (cross-post)

Nov 26, 2025 33m Bonus

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…

Who Tells Our Story in the Age of AI? (cross-post)

Nov 21, 2025 50m Bonus

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…

When Machines Become Our Coworkers (cross-post)

Nov 05, 2025 42m Bonus

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…

Every Parent Needs to Have “The AI Talk”

Oct 20, 2025 35m

Are we using Gen Z as our AI guinea pigs? 🐷 In this first episode of our five-part Life With Machines x Young Futures series, Baratunde Thurston explores how AI is shaping—and sometimes shaking—the…

Does Connecting with Our Humanity Require Disconnecting from AI? (cross-post)

Oct 07, 2025 1h 12m Bonus

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…

Can Humor Save Us in the Age of AI and Political Chaos? (cross-post)

Aug 05, 2025 50m Bonus

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…

S1E26 The Shadow Workforce Powering AI | Advocate Milagros Miceli (Ep. 26)

Jun 24, 2025 1h 23m

AI may look like magic, but behind the scenes, it’s propped up by a vast human labor force. In this season finale of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with sociologist and computer scientist…

S1E25 Can AI Save Indigenous Languages? | Michael Running Wolf (Ep. 25)

Jun 17, 2025 1h 7m

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…

S1E24 Are We Ready For AI To Get a Face...and a Body? | Kate Darling (Ep. 24)

Jun 10, 2025 1h 9m

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…

S1E23 Are We Parenting AI, or Just Using It? Plus, BLAIR Gets A Glow Up | De Kai (Ep. 23)

Jun 03, 2025 53m

What if you’re not just using AI—you're raising it. In this mind-expanding episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with AI pioneer and ethicist De Kai to unpack a radical idea: AI isn't a…

S1E22 When AI Gains Power...Will Humans Lose Control? | Reid Hoffman (Ep. 22)

May 27, 2025 1h 9m

Reid Hoffman has a name for the AI future he fears most: techno-fascism. In this urgent episode of Life With Machines, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and longtime tech optimist joins Baratunde…

S1E21 Why Dictators Love AI & How To Fight Back | Sam Gregory (Ep. 21)

May 20, 2025 1h 30m

What happens when you can’t tell the truth from a fake—and the people in power want it that way? Baratunde talks with internationally-recognized human rights advocate and Executive Director of…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Life with Machines have?

Life with Machines has published 47 episodes since September 2024, covering topics in Education, How To.

Is Life with Machines still active?

Life with Machines is currently active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h.

How do I contact Life with Machines for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Life with Machines, including email and social media links.

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