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

Slate Podcasts
Elon Musk
Artificial Intelligence
Trump Administration
Donald Trump
Openai
Tiktok
Cryptocurrency
Social Media
Meta
Tesla
Google
Spacex
Mental Health
Department Of Government Efficiency
Data Centers
Doge
Misinformation
Biden Administration
Silicon Valley
Chatgpt

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes680Founded9 years ago
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Artwork for What Next: TBD

Latest Episodes

Through stealing your job or simply tanking the stock market—whichever comes first—the rise of artificial intelligence (companies) is a very futuristic sounding problem. It may have some very old-fashioned sounding solutions however.

Guest: Cory Doc... more

People are asking artificial intelligence large language models how to do everything—even how to harm themselves and others. And while companies claim there are guardrails in place for those situations, we’ve already seen real-world instances of an L... more

Is Elon Musk’s SpaceX leading humanity to Mars? Or is that just grandiose window-dressing for an A.I. company leading several other A.I. companies to IPOs? 

Guest: Max Chafkin, reporter with Bloomberg Businessweek and cohost of the Everybody's Busin... more

It’s an awkward time to have a Department of Education that seems so disinterested in, uh, education. It’s leaving teachers to grapple with how to integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom—if at all. 

Guest: Randi Weingarten, president of... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Randi Weingarten
President of the American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
Episode: Gradu-AI-tion Day
Anna Gomez
Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Episode: Trump's Disney Shakedown
Jack Conte
CEO of Patreon
Patreon
Episode: Can Patreon Build a Better Internet?
Cecilia D'Anastasio
Bloomberg journalist who has covered Roblox
Bloomberg
Episode: TBD Tries…Roblox
Matt Kaufman
Roblox Chief Safety Officer
Roblox
Episode: TBD Tries…Roblox
Stella Dove
Host Mary Harris's daughter, featured participant in the Roblox experiment
Episode: TBD Tries…Roblox
Mary Harris
Co-host of the broader What Next show
Slate
Episode: TBD Tries…Roblox
Josh Chin
Senior global correspondent for the Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
Episode: Trump Visits the First World
Nilay Patel
Co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Verge; host of Decoder and co-host of Vergecast
The Verge
Episode: Does Anyone Like A.I.?

Host

Lizzie O'Leary
Host with Slate background; guides tech and policy conversations; central editorial voice.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 357 ratings
  • Just advert after advert

    Tried to bear it but I’m out

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Flash0983
    United Kingdoma year 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 States3 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 States3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests and topics often feel timely and relevant to ongoing tech-policy discussions.
Ads are a frequent criticism, impacting listening experience for some.
Positive feedback highlights strong host engagement and accessible explanations of complex topics.
Listeners appreciate expert guests and insightful context for complex tech issues.
Some listeners want more depth and fewer promotional segments.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#191
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#105
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#171
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#160
South Korea/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#164
Ireland/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#186
Norway/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Gradu-AI-tion Day
Q: What is the role of federal policy in guiding AI in schools?
Federal guidance is crucial to set nationwide standards and avoid a patchwork approach; without national direction, districts may misalign AI adoption with long-term educational outcomes.
Gradu-AI-tion Day
Q: Why partner with big tech for training if you're worried about influence and cognitive concerns?
The partnership is framed as providing necessary resources for teacher training, with conditions that the tools must be under teacher control and accompanied by strong guardrails to prevent coercive or harmful use in the classroom.
Gradu-AI-tion Day
Q: Can you run me through your plan? Give me the highlights.
Weingarten outlines a plan prioritizing teacher agency in AI adoption, restricting screens in early grades, delaying chatbot use until students are older, and linking AI integration to bargaining agreements and funding, all aimed at keeping education as the central driver of policy while adding guardrails.
Trump's Disney Shakedown
Q: What role does the concept of bonafide news exemptions play in this dispute?
Bonafide news exemptions exist to avoid undue scrutiny of legitimate news interviews, but the FCC's actions suggest it could threaten or redefine how such exemptions are applied, potentially affecting coverage of political figures.
Trump's Disney Shakedown
Q: How does this affect ordinary broadcasters and their ability to speak freely?
Broadcasters worry about speaking freely because regulatory actions can be used to punish dissent or unfavorable coverage, creating a chilling effect that constrains what they can say without risking penalties.

Audience Metrics

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

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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?

A tech-forward news show that blends policy, business, and culture at the intersection of technology and power. Recent episodes cover creator ecosystems, platform safety, AI and software paradigms, airline economics, climate tech, and OpenAI/open-media dynamics, often featuring reporters, executives, and policy experts as guests. The conversational style leans toward analytical context, real-world implications, and thoughtful critique of industry trends, with a recurring emphasis on transparency, accountability, and the societal impact of tech decisions. Listeners likely care about how big tech shapes everyday life, the ethics of platforms, and the future of work and regulation; the show is notable for its creator-first framing, media-indus... more

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1. What Next | Daily News and Analysis
2. Slate Money
3. Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
4. On the Media
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of What Next: TBD are there?

What Next: TBD launched 9 years ago and published 680 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 What Next: TBD?

Recent guests on What Next: TBD include:

1. Randi Weingarten
2. Anna Gomez
3. Jack Conte
4. Cecilia D'Anastasio
5. Matt Kaufman
6. Stella Dove
7. Mary Harris
8. Josh Chin

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