Rephonic
Artwork for Better Offline
Openai
Generative AI
Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia
Microsoft
Tech Industry
Venture Capital
Anthropic
Consumer Electronics Show
Chatgpt
Google
Data Centers
Meta
Softbank
Sam Altman
Robotics
Oracle
Technology
CES 2025
Las Vegas

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.

Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes an... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes253Founded2 years ago
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Technology

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Artwork for Better Offline

Latest Episodes

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through how AI is inflating the price of memory across the board by diverting fab capacity to building high bandwidth memory for GPUs, and how this situation may end in disaster for everyone... more

This week’s Better Offline is the first joint episode with Riley, November, Hussein from TrashFuture, covering SoftBank’s crazy annual shareholder meeting and the general collapse of the AI bubble.

Ed Zitron and the TF Crew are on both your feeds th... more

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through Meta’s plans to sell its AI compute, and how this is an admission to the grim fact that there isn’t really a reason for anyone to be building all these AI data centers.

Ed Zitron on... more

YouTube

In this week’s Better Offline, Ed talks with the Wall Street Journal’s Caitlin Ostroff and Katherine Long about how Polymarket is working with influencers to show videos of fake bets cashing out - and how the prediction markets have grown into a larg... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Katherine Long
Wall Street Journal reporter
Wall Street Journal
Episode: The WSJ On Polymarket's Questionable Ads
Caitlin Ostroff
Wall Street Journal reporter
Wall Street Journal
Episode: The WSJ On Polymarket's Questionable Ads
Cory Doctorow
Writer, activist, and Clarion West instructor; founder/longtime advocate for digital rights
Electronic Frontier Foundation (past)
Episode: CZM Rewind: Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron on Enshittification and the Rot Economy
Cal Newport
Commsci professor and commentator
Boston College (assumed based on common bio)
Episode: Cal Newport on Mythos and Anthropomorphization
Adam Becker
Author of More, Everything Forever; journalist and astrophysicist
Author/Journalist
Episode: More, Everything, Forever With Adam Becker
Ronan Farrow
Correspondent from The New Yorker who co-authored a major piece on Sam Altman
The New Yorker
Episode: Investigating Altman With Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz
Andrew Marantz
Writer for The New Yorker with background on tech and big tech reporting
The New Yorker
Episode: Investigating Altman With Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz
Paul Kedrosky
Economist
Independent economist
Episode: The Reality of AI Economics With Paul Kedrosky
Rebecca Ungarino
Barron's reporter on gambling and Wall Street
Barron's
Episode: Prediction Markets with Rebecca Ungarino and Nick Devor

Host

Ed Zitron
Host of Better Offline; tech industry veteran with a focus on accountability and scrutiny of AI, big tech, and venture-backed narratives.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 2.7k ratings
  • EZ is refreshing

    EZ says all the stuff everyone is “secretly” thinking in tech if they have half a brain or do math or communicate with other humans. Much appreciated EZ.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MattMcLaren88
    United Statesa month ago
  • Brilliant

    Brilliant analyses Ed, thank you for sharing your findings.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Obi-IBANkanobi
    Germanya month ago
  • Rationale voice is a clown show world

    I enjoy Ed’s approach to scrutinizing the claims of the tech industry, especially AI. I’m glad there’s a rationale voice in those world to call out all the AI hypesters! PS I find it amusing that some episodes start with AI advertising.

    I do wish he were a bit more pragmatic though as there are a lot of folks who can probably benefit from his information (since he’s one of the only ones sharing this) but may be put off by some of his attacks against people instead of ideas (like attacking all m... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    RHM444
    United Statesa month ago
  • Skepticism is good but the repetitiveness gets old

    I have to use LLMs as part of my work, and understand the technology pretty well, as far as any skeptically minded generalist computer idiot can. Honestly, the tools are not as terrible as what is done to force them down our throats, or the lies told in service of promoting them. I respect Ed's perspective, and it's fun to listen to the occasional rant, but hearing the same message repeated in the extremely similar words from episode to episode gets tiresome. We need critical thinking, we need s... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    sdmouton
    United States2 months ago
  • Better not talk to people who don’t agree with you

    Ed sort of falls apart when he talks to people who don’t agree with him. So long as he’s on here or the Tech Report he’s fine but when he talks to an informed AI expert his ad hominem attacks and sarcastic comebacks (which he repeats day after day “Really Jensen?!!”) etc show him to be a light weight. Check out Karen Hao instead she’s actually done the work.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Bunny Cub
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Critics note the host's aggressive style but acknowledge the provocative, thought-provoking analysis.
Some praise the guest diversity and depth of industry context.
Listeners appreciate the data-driven skepticism and willingness to challenge hype around AI.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The WSJ On Polymarket's Questionable Ads
Q: What are the regulatory implications discussed in the episode?
There is ongoing or suspected regulatory scrutiny (CFTC investigation) into Polymarket, while Kalshi has pursued US-regulated status; the episode notes a broader regulatory vacuum affecting prediction markets and advertising truth standards.
The WSJ On Polymarket's Questionable Ads
Q: How did the researchers uncover that these were fake, and what clued you in to the true nature of the site?
The team cross-referenced a database of Polymarket trades and noticed discrepancies; a clue came from the URL of a fake site (POIYMarket) found in one creator's video, which helped distinguish fake sites from the real Polymarket.
The WSJ On Polymarket's Questionable Ads
Q: Okay, walk me through exactly what Polymarket was doing with these influencers and what they were paying for.
The influencers produced videos showing bets and profits on a simulated Polymarket-like site, but the bets and the platform were fake, meaning the wins were often not real and the website was not Polymarket.
The AI Industry Must Stop Doom Trolling w/ Cal Newport
Q: Why is it important to separate hype from actual product capabilities when communicating about AI?
Separating hype from reality helps prevent investor and consumer anxiety, guides better product development, and avoids undermining trust in legitimate AI advancements by tying progress to tangible, usable features.
The AI Industry Must Stop Doom Trolling w/ Cal Newport
Q: What do you see as the real limitations of current AI tools like Claude Code or LLMs in everyday software development?
They point out that many claimed capabilities are overstated, with real, reliable functionality often limited to narrow domains; progress tends to be incremental and business-model dependent rather than revolutionary across all use cases.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Better Offline

What is Better Offline about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, opinionated tech-focused program that consistently challenges the profitability and public narratives around AI, big tech, and venture-backed hype. Across episodes, the host and guests dissect the economic incentives, governance, and societal impact of Silicon Valley's growth-at-all-costs mindset, often pairing data-driven critique with provocative storytelling and bold takes. Noteworthy aspects include frequent fielding of insider anecdotes, policy-oriented angles on antitrust and regulation, and a confrontational, unapologetic delivery that appeals to listeners seeking a candid counterpoint to tech industry cheerleading. The show often features guests from technology policy, journalism, and industry critique, making it a potentia... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Better Offline?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Better Offline:

1. Tech Won't Save Us
2. Weird Little Guys
3. Kill The Computer
4. It Could Happen Here
5. Behind the Bastards

How many episodes of Better Offline are there?

Better Offline launched 2 years ago and published 253 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Better Offline?

Recent guests on Better Offline include:

1. Katherine Long
2. Caitlin Ostroff
3. Cory Doctorow
4. Cal Newport
5. Adam Becker
6. Ronan Farrow
7. Andrew Marantz
8. Paul Kedrosky

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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