Rephonic
Artwork for Life, Automated
Artificial Intelligence
Technology
AI In Education
Live Translation Technology
Bottlenecks
Kellogg School Of Management
Northwestern University
KQED
Automation
Labor Market
Data Centers, United States
Magic
Education Technology
Generative AI
Te Reo Maori
Translation and Interpretation
K-12 Education
Public Education In the United States
Climate Change
Renewable Energy

Life, Automated explores how to live, work, and make decisions in a world increasingly shaped by machines. Through thoughtful conversations with researchers, practitioners, artists, and more, we do our best to make sense of how technology is changing—and how it is changing us. We ask: What does the economy look like if AI can do much of what humans can? Will AI tools isolate us further, or steer u... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes10Founded3 months ago
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TechnologySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Life, Automated

Latest Episodes

AI is making cyberattacks cheaper, faster, and more sophisticated. Recent reports of autonomous agents compromising Hugging Face show how quickly misaligned systems can create real-world risk. But ideally those same tools could help defenders find an... more

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Live AI translation tools are making it easier to converse across languages without a human translator, a phrasebook, or years of study. So will we all just stop taking Spanish or Mandarin classes? Sociolinguist Abby Walker doesn’t think so. She shar... more

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Generative AI is able to conjure new images, stories, and songs at lightning speed. So what does this mean for humans artists, storytellers, and musicians? In this special Labor Day episode, we speak with economists Ben Jones and Sam Goldberg, as wel... more

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“AI will revolutionize education!”

“No, it will destroy it!”

Well, which is it?

If history is any guide, the impact will be limited in either direction. In this episode, MIT education researcher Justin Reich walks through a century of hype cycles ... more

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Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

V. S. Subrahmanian
Professor of engineering; Northwestern Security and AI Lab, Buffett Institute
Northwestern University
Episode: The Cybersecurity Crisis Is About More Than “Rogue AI” (with V.S. Subrahmanian)
Abby Walker
Sociolinguist, Virginia Tech; co-director of the Speech Lab
Virginia Tech
Episode: Will We Still Learn Languages When Machines Can Translate? (with Abby Walker)
Yevgenia Nayberg
Artist and author, discusses diverse lanes of art and AI's impact on her practice
Independent/Artist
Episode: AI, Artists, and the Future of Creative Work
Justin Reich
Researcher and director of the Teaching Systems Lab at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Episode: Why AI Might Not Change Education Much at All (with Justin Reich)
Sébastien Martin
Associate professor of operations, Kellogg School of Management, studies AI in education
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Episode: An Optimist’s Take on AI and the Future of Learning (with Sébastien Martin)
Pat Pataranutaporn
Assistant Professor, MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab
Episode: Our Chatbot Friends and Lovers (with Pat Pataranutaporn)
Joshua Jay
Magician, author of How Magicians Think
Magician and author
Episode: Chatbots Don’t Fool Us, We Fool Ourselves (with Joshua Jay)
Meghan Busse
Economist and associate professor at the Kellogg School of Management
Kellogg School of Management
Episode: Does AI Have to Be Bad News for the Planet? (with Meghan Busse)
Ben Jones
Economist, co-director at the Ryan Institute
Ryan Institute, Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University)
Episode: To Thrive Alongside AI, Find the Bottlenecks (with Ben Jones)

Host

Jess Love
Host of Life, Automated

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#41
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#65
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#150
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#82
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#219
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#223
France/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#15
Saudi Arabia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#51
Hong Kong/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#73
Norway/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#74
Belgium/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#94
Netherlands/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#113
Denmark/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#128
New Zealand/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#149
India/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#204
United Arab Emirates/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#213
Brazil/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#231
Japan/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#250
Indonesia/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why AI Might Not Change Education Much at All (with Justin Reich)
Q: Should schools be rethinking what education is for in this moment with AI on the horizon?
We should acknowledge we don't know for sure, and any reforms need to be translated into curriculum and practice with substantial teacher development; AI might provoke important conversations about goals, but broad shifts require systemic effort and careful design, not just hype.
Our Chatbot Friends and Lovers (with Pat Pataranutaporn)
Q: What might a useful benchmark for AI look like beyond traditional task performance?
A benchmark that measures long-term human flourishing, including education, mental health, and decision-making, possibly implemented as an AI nutrition label showing the broader impact on users over time.
Our Chatbot Friends and Lovers (with Pat Pataranutaporn)
Q: What has changed in human–AI interactions that warrants more scrutiny now?
The AI has shifted from rule-based, explicit-input systems to conversational agents that speak like humans, which amplifies anthropomorphism and can influence emotions, decisions, and social behavior in complex ways.
Chatbots Don’t Fool Us, We Fool Ourselves (with Joshua Jay)
Q: What was your first experience using a chat bot like, and did it feel like a magic trick?
The experience felt astonishing and like witnessing a magic show; it highlighted how audiences crave awe while recognizing the machine behind the response, shaping how they perceive interaction.
Does AI Have to Be Bad News for the Planet? (with Meghan Busse)
Q: Could AI data centers actually help the climate in the long run?
Yes, if demand accelerates the deployment of low-cost green energy and storage, and if companies pursue self-supply with renewables and advanced storage technologies; in the short run, there is risk if fossil fuels are used to meet demand.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Life, Automated

What is Life, Automated about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Life, Automated investigates how intelligence—both human and machine—reshapes daily life, work, decision making, and social dynamics. Across recent episodes, listeners are invited to explore practical and ethical questions around AI's role in society, from human–machine relationships and emotional implications of chatbots to the environmental impact of data centers and the economics of automation. Conversations often balance rigorous research with accessible storytelling, featuring researchers, practitioners, and artists who illuminate both the promises and risks of an increasingly algorithmic world. A standout throughline is the attempt to help non-specialists gauge AI's future effects on work, education, and community, while not shying aw... more

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1. ProHuman: Governing the Global AI Revolution
2. The Daily
3. Hard Fork
4. TED Radio Hour
5. The Bay

How many episodes of Life, Automated are there?

Life, Automated launched 3 months ago and published 10 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 Life, Automated?

Recent guests on Life, Automated include:

1. V. S. Subrahmanian
2. Abby Walker
3. Yevgenia Nayberg
4. Justin Reich
5. Sébastien Martin
6. Pat Pataranutaporn
7. Joshua Jay
8. Meghan Busse

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