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What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future

Slate Podcasts
Artificial Intelligence
SHEIN
Pedestrian Fatalities
Elon Musk
British Library
Initial Public Offering (IPO)
CLEAR
Suvs
Domestic Violence
Data Privacy
Cyber Attack
Filterworld
Electric Vehicles
Twitter
Openai
Litigation
Free Speech
Retail Industry
Fast Fashion
Sustainability

Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

PublishesDailyEpisodes636Founded8 years ago
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Artwork for What Next: TBD

Latest Episodes

The Trump administration wants NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2027. They also want them to do it with their budget slashed, a leadership carousel and competing views that Mars is more important.

Guest: Joel Achenbach, freelance journalist an... more

Artificial intelligence boosters spent the year wedging the tech into our lives – whether we wanted it or not. But one new product brought A.I. from every app and website into the meatspace, forcing you to face it eye-to-eye.

Guest: Nitish Pahwa, st... more

With so much online content, it can be hard for a meme to stay in the collective consciousness for more than a few days. But one meme this year managed to capture seemingly everyone’s attention - and challenge the definition of a meme altogether.

Gu... more

All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in those conversations to see how things have – or haven’t – changed. This episode originally aire... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Eric Berger
Space reporter at Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Episode: Data Center Space Race
Peyton Bigora
Reporter for Grocery Dive
Grocery Dive
Episode: Whole Shopping List
David Rand
Professor of information science, marketing, and psychology
Cornell University
Episode: Ready for Chatbot Canvassers?
Josh Keating
Senior correspondent at Vox and fellow at the Outrider Foundation
Vox
Episode: If You Give A.I. a Nuke
Cassie Ho
Fitness entrepreneur and designer of the Pirouette Scort
Popflex
Episode: Rebroadcast: Dupes!
Faiz Siddiqui
Tech reporter at The Washington Post and author of Hubris Maximus, The Shattering of Elon Musk
The Washington Post
Episode: Why Tesla Is Paying Elon a Trillion Bucks
Ali Breland
A staff writer at The Atlantic, covering politics and technology
The Atlantic
Episode: The Nick Fuentes Problem
Alex Kirshner
Contributing writer at Slate, writes about crypto
Slate
Episode: Why Trump Keeps Pardoning Crypto Criminals
Renée DiResta
Associate research professor at Georgetown, who studies online manipulation and abuse
Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy
Episode: Did The Trump Administration Censor Speech?

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 351 ratings
  • Just advert after advert

    Tried to bear it but I’m out

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Flash0983
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Too much ads

    Sick

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    FuuuuuuckThisGame
    United States2 years ago
  • I love this podcast, but …

    It’s played in What Next? also, so I decided to unsubscribe, so I wouldn’t have the same episode show up on my feed. Lizzie O’Leary is awesome. I used to enjoy hearing her in Marketplace. I’m happy to here her again

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    semipenguin
    United States2 years ago
  • Shallow summaries of tech issues filled with ads

    There is a huge demand for deep dive podcasts into the hot topic tech issues like AI and the Metaverse etc. This podcasts taps exactly into that but fails miserably. After summarizing an issue, which basically takes the entire episode because of all the ads (funded by the same companies they critique i.e. Apple), they end each episode with a “ok so what does this all mean?” segment. Except this segment lasts 30 sec followed by more ads and then the podcast ends.

    So if you are looking for dee... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Samd199
    United States2 years ago
  • OMG… now I realize why trump will get re-elected

    Generally enjoy the show, but just listened to

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    bluebill987
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Many enjoy the provocative questions raised about technology's role in society, though some feel that certain episodes may lack depth and detail.
There are concerns about excessive advertising interrupting content, which some find frustrating and detracting from the overall listening experience.
Listeners appreciate the engaging discussions on relevant tech issues, often highlighting the well-researched content and the expertise of guests.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#129
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#124
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#108
Belgium/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#112
New Zealand/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#112
Argentina/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#115
Ireland/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

2025: The Meme of the Year
Q: How have memes evolved over the years?
Memes have transitioned from simple images to encompass broader internet moments and events, now heavily influenced by video and audio content.
2025: The Meme of the Year
Q: What is the meme of the year?
The meme of the year discussed is the Astronomer CEO Coldplay kiss cam scandal which reflects on social media's impact on privacy and ethics.
We Made a Memecoin | 2025 in Review
Q: Do you have any words of advice for people who want to do this?
Azeem advises people to stay away from crypto if they don't know what they're doing, as their money may be taken by scammers.
We Made a Memecoin | 2025 in Review
Q: What makes a successful meme coin?
Azeem Khan explains that a successful meme coin requires a light paper outlining its vision, tokenomics detailing distribution and investment strategies, and promotional efforts involving events and influencers.
Whole Shopping List
Q: Is there any indication that this is something that customers want?
It's hard to tell, but personal experiences indicate a desire for convenience despite shoppers also being comfortable visiting multiple stores.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About What Next: TBD

What is What Next: TBD about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focused on the intersections of technology, politics, and society, this podcast offers insightful discussions around contemporary issues shaped by technological advancements. It tackles a wide range of topics including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, surveillance, the implications of tech in politics, and the evolving music industry. Each episode features expert guests who provide commentary and analysis on the ethical and societal implications of technology. Notably, the podcast strives to present complex subjects in an accessible manner, making it suitable for both tech enthusiasts and general listeners looking to understand the impact of technology on their lives and communities.

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How many listeners does What Next: TBD get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers What Next: TBD has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to What Next: TBD?

These podcasts share a similar audience with What Next: TBD:

1. Slate Money
2. What Next | Daily News and Analysis
3. Political Gabfest
4. Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
5. The Political Scene | The New Yorker

How many episodes of What Next: TBD are there?

What Next: TBD launched 8 years ago and published 636 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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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on What Next: TBD?

Recent guests on What Next: TBD include:

1. Eric Berger
2. Peyton Bigora
3. David Rand
4. Josh Keating
5. Cassie Ho
6. Faiz Siddiqui
7. Ali Breland
8. Alex Kirshner

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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