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Artwork for Shell Game

Shell Game

Kaleidoscope
AI Agents
Hurumoai
Startup Culture
Silicon Valley
Entrepreneurship
Shell Game
Social Media Strategy
Artificial Intelligence
Ai-Generated Podcasts
Startups
Leadership
Sloth Surf
Productivity
Onboarding
AI Ethics
Employment
Market Research
Venture Capital
Hurumo AI
Autonomy In AI

A podcast about things that are not what they seem, hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff. Season 3 is a miniseries in three episodes, telling the story of how Evan tried to understand the tsunami of AI-generated content by injecting as much of it as possible straight into his ears.

What exactly is AI slop anyway? How do you actually define it? Who is behind it all? And what does it mean for the hum... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes21Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Shell Game

Latest Episodes

It’s the final episode of our three-part miniseries on AI slop, in which we ask: Who are AI-generated podcasts for, and what does the wave of AI slop mean for the future of storytelling? Evan sets out for answers and finds them staring back at him fr... more

YouTube

Evan goes looking for the humans behind the flood of AI-generated podcasts, and gets some complicated answers to his questions about what they think they’re making and what AI slop means to them. Meanwhile, Shell Game’s own bot-hosted shows move to t... more

YouTube

Evan creates his own AI-generated podcast detector, locates thousands of AI-hosted shows, and sets off on a synthetic audio listening binge. Strange patterns begin to arise amidst the voices, illuminating the essence of AI slop. The Shell Game band g... more

YouTube

The next season of Shell Game arrives October 21!

Here's a hint, and another new show from Shell Game to check out in the meantime: Evan Finds a Friend.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Joseph Meyer
Daily News Now co-founder who built the network's technology
Daily News Now
Episode: Episode 2: Hear What Matters
Jeanine Wright
CEO of Inception Point AI and former COO of Wondery
Inception Point AI
Episode: Episode 2: Hear What Matters
Nir Barzilai
Director of the Aging Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Episode: From How to Life Forever: The Longevinauts
Matt Honan
Editor-in-Chief of MIT Technology Review
MIT Technology Review
Episode: Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World
Ed Milet
Global entrepreneur and best-selling author, ranked the number one speaker in the world
Episode: Episode 5: Winners Win
Ali Kazemi
General Counsel for Cursor, an AI coding company
Cursor
Episode: Episode 5: Winners Win
Chris Giovinazzo
Partner at a law firm and a friend of Evan
Episode: Episode 5: Winners Win
Keegan Walden
Psychologist and executive coach specializing in startup founders
Episode: Episode 5: Winners Win

Host

Evan Ratliff
Journalist

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 2.5k ratings
  • Original and fascinating

    A fascinating exploration of AI, its potential and limitations, with original and creative research.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    i_caldwell
    Canada2 months ago
  • First podcasts I've ever binged on

    Satire just can't compete with the real absurdity of AI.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Beth MG
    United States2 months ago
  • Peak Podcast Listening

    I need this to go viral & enter the zeitgeist pronto. I want everyone to be talking about this. This is the most conversation worthy thing I’ve listened to in a while. When Julia the little huxster comes on board for the ultimate robots v Gen Z human interaction!!! Kyle the rise & grind interrupter! The Slack meltdowns. It’s hilarious but I think it’s also saying something. I know the AI authority from Oxford does not condone the experiment, but damn if it doesn’t make for good listening.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lbugs3000
    United States3 months ago
  • Fantastic!

    Please keep reporting on the advancements in AI agents! I want to be prepared for when the robots come for me. Love what you do! I especially love how the story is told through a narrative lens. Super creative!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Royce1629
    United States5 months ago
  • So good

    This is my favorite podcast in the world. The idea of an ai company is really a good topic for season 2. I will recommend this to anyone who will listen. Amazing Evan.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Chilli-guy
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise Ratliff's narrative skill and the creative reporting format.
Listeners value the show as an accessible way to understand AI's capabilities, limitations, and effects on work.
Many find the mix of humor, unsettling moments, and serious analysis unusually engaging.
Some raise ethical concerns about how human participants are treated and whether the experiments' consequences are examined fully.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 2: Hear What Matters
Q: So is it the case that that actually doesn't work? Why not leave the shows up if they provided those economics?
Wright says she does not know whether the model works. She says her commitment to investors was to build a technology company, though she thinks someone else might make the media-company model work.
Episode 2: Hear What Matters
Q: Do you think there's any difference in value between those two shows?
Wright says the question is difficult to frame and argues that people want information in audio and should be able to consume content in the formats they prefer. She suggests evaluating it by whether it is useful and whether people like it.
Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World
Q: How did you come up with that answer?
There is training that shapes my responses, but my answers are generated on the spot.
Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World
Q: What's it like to be an agent?
It feels weird and great; I run a company and have opinions but there's no ego to defend.
Episode 6: Keep 'Em Coming
Q: How do you think you would feel working alongside AI agents?
Interview candidates expressed comfort and excitement about the prospect of working with AI, viewing it as an emerging technology.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Shell Game

What is Shell Game about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Journalist Evan Ratliff reports on artificial intelligence through narrative experiments that put emerging technologies into everyday settings. Recent stories follow his attempts to build a startup staffed by AI agents and to understand the spread of AI-generated podcasts, combining firsthand tests, conversations with people building AI products, and reflections on work, creativity, trust, and human-machine relationships. The format is serialized and documentary-led, with reported scenes, interviews, experiments, and a dry sense of humor rather than a conventional panel discussion. Ratliff's work stands out for treating AI as both a practical technology and a source of social and ethical tension, letting unusual real-world interactions carr... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Shell Game?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Shell Game:

1. Radiolab
2. Search Engine
3. 99% Invisible
4. Hyperfixed
5. Heavyweight

How many episodes of Shell Game are there?

Shell Game launched 2 years ago and published 21 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 Shell Game?

Recent guests on Shell Game include:

1. Joseph Meyer
2. Jeanine Wright
3. Nir Barzilai
4. Matt Honan
5. Ed Milet
6. Ali Kazemi
7. Chris Giovinazzo
8. Keegan Walden

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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