Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 27

Six Links That Make You Think #745

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

GameNGen. “It’s hard to explain how weird this is. Instead of writing a video game, show a thing a video game and it generates one for you. This is like asking someone to use MacOS for billions of years, then hand-paint each screen – even tiny moves of the mouse – without actually understanding what a computer does or how it works. And yet, here we are. We’re well into the realm of strange intelligences now.” (Alistair for Hugh). Robot Gamblers Are Making People Poor – Jonathan V. Last – The Bulwark . “Of course they are. Anything digital that can be optimized by an algorithm will be. And we spend a third of our time in a digital world. We aren’t a digital species, we’re an analog one. Our physical bodies can collect energy and turn it into words, ideas, and more of ourselves. That’s not true for our virtual doppelgangers, who need a smartphone, an ISP, a cloud provider, and a whole digital exoskeleton to function there. Algorithms are the native creatures of a digital world, and often they feel like an invasive species in this place we’ve created.” (Alistair for Mitch). Tokyo Expands Underground ‘Temple’ Complex To Counter Climate Change Rains – Tom Bateman – Reuters. “Tokyo’s incredible underground floodwater management system gets an upgrade.” (Hugh for Alistair).  Nick Cave On Singing With Johnny Cash And The Joyful, Uplifting Vibe Of His New Album, ‘Wild God’ – The Late Show – YouTube . “Nick Cave on his reverence for music.”  (Hugh for Mitch). Rick Rubin & Shane Smith: How Vice Changed Media Forever – Tetragrammaton With Rick Rubin – YouTube . “It’s important to always remember that this story is being told through the eyes of someone who is vested in the outcome and success. Still, I was very lucky to have been around when Vice first started on the streets of Montreal. I would occasionally write for the magazine in the early days. As someone who was also publishing physical magazines at the time, watching their success and how quickly they embraced digital media was a sight to behold. Fast forward only a few years, Vice would completely upend media as we knew it before. Of course, every assent has a descent. Books and articles have been written about what happened to Vice. Here is some additional and interesting perspective – not just on what happened to Vice but how quickly media changed… And maybe – more importantly – how quickly people changed their media diet habits. Well worth the watch…” (Mitch for Alistair). Moleskine Mania: How A Notebook Conquered The Digital Era – The Walrus . “If someone is going to write an article about how notebooks are still relevant in the digital age, you can be sure that I will not only hunt it down, read it, enjoy it, but definitely share it here. As much as I love every single one of my digital toys –  it can be hardware or software – there is still something I still love very much about taking notes in a physical notebook. I’ve tried many of the digital disruptors to that traditional technology, but there’s nothing like paper and pen… If you ask me. I think there is so much value in taking physical notes, that I’m starting to wonder if it’s not becoming somewhat of a superpower for me, in a world where people will claim that they can do the exact same thing with an Apple Pencil and a screen. Normally, I’m the first to agree, but in this instance… Nothing compares to ink and bark. There are some insights as to why in this article.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Bot or Not? Is SocialAI The Future Of Human-Free Social Media?

Social media is at another crossroads.

The latest player, SocialAI, is taking it in an entirely new direction.
Imagine a private X-like platform, but instead of interacting with humans, you engage solely with bots that you created.

Sounds like something straight out of The Sims?

SocialAI lets users curate their own bot community – whether they want supporters, trolls, or contrarians – creating a social network tailored entirely to their preferences.
On the surface, this seems like the antidote to the increasingly toxic and hostile environments of mainstream social platforms.
Michael Sayman, SocialAI’s creator, sees it as offering a safe space – one where users can share their thoughts and receive immediate feedback without fear of judgment.
He likens it to an online diary, but with an audience of responsive bots.

While the allure of such control may be understandable, there’s a darker side.

This bot-populated world risks becoming an echo chamber of artificial validation.
The very nature of social media has always been human interaction – messy, unpredictable, sometimes uncomfortable.
But in SocialAI, everything becomes neatly packaged.

Is it really a conversation if you’re just programming your feedback?

The larger issue here is how it reflects a growing trend toward hyper-curated, hyper-controlled communication.
People crave environments that reinforce their opinions, but at what cost?
Removing the unpredictability of human interactions doesn’t just sterilize the experience – it could deepen existing biases, as bots only give us what we ask for (or knows what we really want?).
It’s like hitting a button on an emotional vending machine: select your validation, and out it comes.

SocialAI also taps into the growing loneliness epidemic, which has paved the way for AI-driven therapy bots and digital companions (more on that here: Heartwired – Will AI Become Your Perfect Partner?).

Many users are finding that bots offer levels of empathy and attention that sometimes surpass their human relationships.
There’s something more concerning here: This commodification of human emotions raises serious ethical concerns.

Bots can mimic human empathy, but they can’t truly replicate the unpredictability or nuance of real conversation.

Sure, it might feel good to have a bot echo your thoughts or challenge you in a controlled way, but where does that leave us?
Is this a stopgap measure for when real human connections fall short, or are we inching closer to a world where bots become a replacement for real socialization?

As digital communication evolves, SocialAI sits at the intersection of innovation and dystopia.

It offers a “safe” alternative to the vitriol of current social media, but it also risks pushing us further into simulated interactions devoid of genuine human connection.
While Sayman insists that bots aren’t meant to replace real people, the lines between technology as a tool and technology as a crutch are starting to blur.

So, is this the future of social media?

A world of bots serving up tailored interactions based on our whims?
Or is this a temporary experiment in our quest to escape the toxicity of modern online life?
Time will tell, but one thing is certain:

As AI continues to permeate our digital spaces, the question of what makes interaction meaningful will only become more pressing.

This is what Justine McIntyre and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Bot or Not? Is SocialAI The Future Of Human-Free Social Media?

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Nick Bostrom On Life And Meaning In An AI World – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #951 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

When it comes to thinking big about artificial intelligence, I think about what Nick Bostrom is thinking. A philosopher widely known for his thought leadership in AI and existential risk, Nick has spent much of his career asking the kinds of questions most of us avoid. As the founding Director of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute and a researcher who has dabbled in everything from computational neuroscience to philosophy, Nick’s intellectual curiosity knows no bounds. His 2014 book, Superintelligence (a must-read), became a New York Times bestseller, framing global discussions about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. But now, with his latest book, Deep Utopia – Life and Meaning in a Solved World, Nick shifts the conversation to a more optimistic angle – what happens if everything goes right? Deep Utopia tackles a question that feels almost paradoxical: If we solve all of our technological problems, what’s left for humanity to do? Nick presents a future where superintelligence has safely arrived, governing a world where human labor is no longer required, and technological advancements have freed us from life’s practical necessities. This isn’t just a hypothetical playground for futurists… it’s a challenge to our understanding of meaning and purpose in a post-work, post-instrumental society. In this conversation, Nick explores the philosophical implications of a world where human nature becomes fully malleable. With AI handling all instrumental tasks, and near-magical technologies at our disposal, the question shifts from “How do we survive?” to “How do we live well?” It’s no longer about the technology itself but about our values, our purpose, and how we define meaning when there are no more problems left to solve. Nick’s book is not just a call to prepare for the future; it’s an invitation to rethink what life could look like when all of humanity’s traditional struggles are behind us. As he dives into themes of happiness, pleasure, and the complexities of human nature, Nick encourages us to reimagine the future – not as a dystopia to fear, but as a deep utopia, where we must rediscover what it means to be truly human in a solved world. This stuff bakes my noodle. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #951 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #951 – Nick Bostrom On Life And Meaning In An AI World

Welcome to episode #951 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #951.

When it comes to thinking big about artificial intelligence, I think about what Nick Bostrom is thinking. A philosopher widely known for his thought leadership in AI and existential risk, Nick has spent much of his career asking the kinds of questions most of us avoid. As the founding Director of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute and a researcher who has dabbled in everything from computational neuroscience to philosophy, Nick’s intellectual curiosity knows no bounds. His 2014 book, Superintelligence (a must-read), became a New York Times bestseller, framing global discussions about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. But now, with his latest book, Deep Utopia – Life and Meaning in a Solved World, Nick shifts the conversation to a more optimistic angle – what happens if everything goes right? Deep Utopia tackles a question that feels almost paradoxical: If we solve all of our technological problems, what’s left for humanity to do? Nick presents a future where superintelligence has safely arrived, governing a world where human labor is no longer required, and technological advancements have freed us from life’s practical necessities. This isn’t just a hypothetical playground for futurists… it’s a challenge to our understanding of meaning and purpose in a post-work, post-instrumental society. In this conversation, Nick explores the philosophical implications of a world where human nature becomes fully malleable. With AI handling all instrumental tasks, and near-magical technologies at our disposal, the question shifts from “How do we survive?” to “How do we live well?” It’s no longer about the technology itself but about our values, our purpose, and how we define meaning when there are no more problems left to solve. Nick’s book is not just a call to prepare for the future; it’s an invitation to rethink what life could look like when all of humanity’s traditional struggles are behind us. As he dives into themes of happiness, pleasure, and the complexities of human nature, Nick encourages us to reimagine the future – not as a dystopia to fear, but as a deep utopia, where we must rediscover what it means to be truly human in a solved world. This stuff bakes my noodle. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 49:48.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Nick Bostrom.Deep Utopia – Life and Meaning in a Solved World.Superintelligence.Future of Humanity Institute.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction and Background.(01:17) – The Debate: Accelerating AI Development vs. Delaying It.(06:08) – Exploring the Big Picture Questions for Humanity.(08:44) – The Redefinition of Human Intelligence.(13:12) – The Role of Creativity in AI.(19:41) – Towards a Post-Work Society.(23:53) – Philosophical Questions and the Value of Humanity.(27:36) – The Complex Relationship Between Pleasure and Pain.(30:03) – The Impact of Large Language Models and the Transformer Architecture.(33:03) – Challenges in Developing Artificial General Intelligence.(35:49) – The Risks and Importance of Values in AGI Development.(45:19) – Exploring the Concept of Deep Utopia.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #951.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #744

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Testosterone – Episode #220 – This American Life. “We’re all getting older, and Man-o-pause is a thing. This American Life dug into Testosterone 15 years ago, and recently re-broadcast the episode. The cast and crew tested themselves, with some controversial results. Turns out NPR radio hosts are low on this hormone – some dangerously so, according to doctors. Correlation, causality, or sampling bias?” (Alistair for Hugh). Best Printer 2024, Best Printer For Home Use, Office Use, Printing Labels, Printer For School, Homework Printer You Are A Printer We Are All Printers – The Verge . “Poetry, of sorts, from The Verge. Campbell’s Law says that ‘the more important a metric is, the more likely it is to be manipulated.’ And Goodhart’s Law says, ‘When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.’ In other words, once we incentivize something, we’ll start to try and change the metric itself rather than the thing it represents. And so it is with the Internet: Metrics to manage engagement lead to clickbait and outrage, because that’s what creates engagement. Recipe sites are full of preamble because they want to show you ads. And so on. But no article has underscored this better for me that this updated (and clearly sarcastic) printer recommendation. And yeah, that Brother printer is great.” (Alistair for Mitch). Stick Trick For Height Measure – ArbCan – YouTube . “My guess is an easy 75% chance that Alistair already knows this geometry trick, but it was new to me, and is pretty cool. Here’s how you can measure the height of tall things like trees and buildings.” (Hugh for Alistair). How To Learn Anything With The Feynman Technique – ToDoist . “Richard Feynman was one of the great quantum physicists of of the past century, loved playing the bongos, solved the riddle of why NASA‘s Challenger exploded, and was good at learning stuff. Here’s his method, roughly: Decide what you want to learn, break it into small, digestible concepts that you don’t know, explain it to someone else so they understand it, return to source, and keep repeating until the thing seems obvious.” (Hugh for Mitch). Are We Too Impatient to Be Intelligent? – Rory Sutherland – Behavioral Scientist . “I shared a link last week of Rory Sutherland ranting for a few hours about all sorts of interesting things. This week, is an article authored by him about something that I have long been thinking about. Do we have the time to be intelligent? Meaning… Some of the best ideas come after a long period of gestation. What we read, what we see, what we feel… And more importantly, the time to think about it. I have been proactively bringing in new habits that force me to take more time to think. From handwriting notes to making sure that I am constantly reading some kind of a book. In a world where the feed can capture your imagination and, at the same time, hold it hostage… Patience may be one of the greatest assets anyone can have for success. As Rory writes: ‘… we’ve sometimes allowed the urgent to drown out the important. The short-term consideration drowns out the long-term consideration.’ We need to break this cycle.” (Mitch for Alistair).  A Key Part Of Creativity Is Picking Up On What Others Overlook – Psyche . “How often do you find yourself saying, ‘am I the only one who sees this?’ It happens in my life… Maybe not as often as I would like. I do find myself scurrying online in the hopes of looking for some kind of affirmation/confirmation that I am not alone. Often, I do find it, but it is in smaller batches than I would’ve expected. This article does a great job of explaining that feeling. It also does a great job of demonstrating that something new is always a creation of two or more sources that we have seen in other ways. Why do creative people often see these things much more frequently? This article digs into just that question and it’s fascinating…” (Mitch for Hugh)

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Stephen Shapiro On How To Pivot In An Uncertain World – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #950 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

My good friend, Stephen Shapiro, is not one to take the standard approach to anything. As the former leader of Accenture’s business process reengineering practice, he realized that optimizing business efficiency was leading to layoffs – a direction he didn’t want to pursue. So, instead of continuing on that path, Stephen pivoted. He built Accenture’s 20,000-person innovation practice and refocused his efforts on growth and job creation. From there, Stephen became a full-time speaker and author, helping organizations from 3M to Nike rethink how they tackle innovation. In our latest conversation (he has been on the show multiple times), Stephen shares insights from his new book, Pivotal – Creating Stability In An Uncertain World. It’s all about anchoring yourself in what shouldn’t change, even as everything else spins around. He likens it to a basketball pivot – one foot stays planted while the other moves, creating both stability and flexibility. Stephen argues that, too often, businesses are caught chasing the next shiny thing, while what truly matters gets neglected. Instead of scattering resources, Stephen suggests that organizations focus on deepening their core strengths and identifying their differentiators. It’s the planted foot – the foundation – that holds the key to long-term success. We also discuss the importance of creating a culture that supports slow, thoughtful innovation, rather than the kind of chaotic sprinting that leaves teams burned out. Companies like Apple are great examples, doubling down on services and ecosystems that reinforce their unique strengths. Stephen emphasized that the best innovation isn’t always fast – it’s about having the patience to focus on the right direction. He is also the author of many other books (here are two other that I love: Invisible Solutions, Best Practices Are Stupid) and his game, Personality Poker. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #950 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out. 

SPOS #950 – Stephen Shapiro On How To Pivot In An Uncertain World

Welcome to episode #950 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #950. My good friend, Stephen Shapiro, is not one to take the standard approach to anything. As the former leader of Accenture’s business process reengineering practice, he realized that optimizing business efficiency was leading to layoffs – a direction he didn’t want to pursue. So, instead of continuing on that path, Stephen pivoted. He built Accenture’s 20,000-person innovation practice and refocused his efforts on growth and job creation. From there, Stephen became a full-time speaker and author, helping organizations from 3M to Nike rethink how they tackle innovation. In our latest conversation (he has been on the show multiple times), Stephen shares insights from his new book, Pivotal – Creating Stability In An Uncertain World. It’s all about anchoring yourself in what shouldn’t change, even as everything else spins around. He likens it to a basketball pivot – one foot stays planted while the other moves, creating both stability and flexibility. Stephen argues that, too often, businesses are caught chasing the next shiny thing, while what truly matters gets neglected. Instead of scattering resources, Stephen suggests that organizations focus on deepening their core strengths and identifying their differentiators. It’s the planted foot – the foundation – that holds the key to long-term success. We also discuss the importance of creating a culture that supports slow, thoughtful innovation, rather than the kind of chaotic sprinting that leaves teams burned out. Companies like Apple are great examples, doubling down on services and ecosystems that reinforce their unique strengths. Stephen emphasized that the best innovation isn’t always fast – it’s about having the patience to focus on the right direction. He is also the author of many other books (here are two other that I love: Invisible Solutions, Best Practices Are Stupid) and his game, Personality Poker. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:44.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Stephen Shapiro.Check out Stephen on ThinkersOne and book him for your next meeting.Pivotal – Creating Stability In An Uncertain World.Invisible Solutions.Best Practices Are Stupid.Personality Poker.Follow Stephen on LinkedIn.Follow Stephen on YouTube.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction.(02:44) – Innovate Where You Differentiate.(05:29) – The Four Ds of Innovation.(10:37) – Navigating Trends and Placing Bets.(36:36) – The Role of Culture in Driving Innovation.(38:52) – The Importance of Slow Innovation.(49:49) – Embracing Distinctive, Desirable, and Durable Qualities.(52:29) – Creating Value and Delivering Memorable Experiences.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #950.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #743

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

The Hot Blood Leaps Over The Cold Decree – Asimov’s Addendum. “Tim O’Reilly is part of the AI Disclosures Project, and recently published this explanation of our AI risk blind spots. Specifically, he asks what we’re not asking. Structural incentives and perverse outcomes can co-opt AI safety research, and I’m grateful someone with Tim’s knowledge and network is spearheading this sort of program.” (Alistair for Hugh). Is Google Training AI On YouTube Videos? – Vlog Brothers – YouTube . “I’m a big Hank Green fan, from his work with SciShow and the Crash Course project that has quite literally helped millions of high school students graduate. He and his brother John got their start as the Vlog Brothers, a delightfully anachronistic name for the ‘video blog’ they created in back-and-forth conversations. And in that role, he’s chronicled the Internet, shared his battle with cancer, and chimed in on a wide range of politics. Someday I hope he’ll run for office. In the meantime: As a YouTuber, he has skin in the AI game. This is a must-watch discussion of how AI is trained, what creators’ legal standing might be, and what that means.” (Alistair for Mitch). What Scared Ford’s CEO In China – EV Politics . “It’s been a good long while since the US dominated mindshare in the global auto market, but until recently it has been allies that have owned innovation in cars: Japan, Germany, and more recently South Korea. But this article about Ford Motors CEO visit to China, helps put context on how much the world is changing, and where innovation seems to be happening.” (Hugh for Alistair). How America Can Break Its Highway Addiction – David Zipper – Slate . “Speaking of cars, the US has a bit of a highway habit. ‘We don’t have a U.S. Department of Transportation, we have a U.S. Department of Highways’.” (Hugh for Mitch). Why Logical Thinking is Illogical – Rory Sutherland – Alex O’Connor – YouTube . “If you have never spent anytime listening to Rory Sutherland ‘go at it’. This will be time well spent. Rory is a legendary advertising executive (he’s spent over at the helm of famed agency, Ogilvy). He wrote an excellent book, Alchemy – The Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense. But – more than that – he is truly an original and pragmatic thinker. So there’s little to do here with marketing and much more conversation around life, how we govern ourselves, philosophy and the world. In this conversation with Alex O’Connor, Rory is a wind-up-and-watch-him-go doll… he just doesn’t let up and this gives us all a fascinating glimpse into what continuous learning and emergent thinking can output. Just watch him go…” (Mitch for Alistair). Ethan Mollick Creates A Generative AI Podcast Out Of His Text Content… And It’s Wild – LinkedIn . “Sure, I already shared this on LinkedIn, but it bears repeating. Famed AI expert, Ethan Mollick, was messing around with Google’s NotebookLM. He inputed the entire text of his book along with his blog and it turned some of his content into a podcast. The results… well… listen for yourself. A male and female host discussing his content and all of this is Generative AI. My initial thought: Had someone not told me that these voices were Generative AI, I would have been critical because they sounded ’too professional’… now just think about where this could go if this is where we are. Think about this tech for audiobooks… podcasts… and beyond. The results are truly astounding… and scary…” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Fines, Facts And Free Speech

Is this going to solve any actual problems?

Australia is taking a bold step in the battle against misinformation, but it’s stirring the pot when it comes to free speech.
The country is set to introduce legislation that could fine social media platforms up to 5% of their global revenue for failing to stop the spread of harmful misinformation.
In a world where tech giants like Meta and X dominate the digital space, Australia’s move feels like part of a growing trend of governments reasserting control over online content (see what happened to X in Brazil?).

But is this really a step in the right direction, or is it another slippery slope?

On the one hand, you can’t ignore the fact that misinformation – whether it’s about election integrity or public health – has real-world consequences.
Australia’s made it clear that letting this problem grow unchecked is not an option.
The proposed law would require tech platforms to set up their own codes of conduct to curb misinformation, with a government regulator stepping in if they fail to do so.
The intent is clear: protect democracy, public safety, and key infrastructure from the toxic spread of false information.

But here’s where things get tricky.

The fine print of this legislation could blur the line between stopping dangerous content and limiting free speech.
Critics argue that government involvement in deciding what constitutes misinformation could easily spill over into censorship.

One person’s “misinformation” could be another’s deeply held belief.

Opposition has already voiced concerns about whether Australians’ legitimate political views will be silenced, either by the government or by foreign social media platforms bending to this new law.
For the platforms themselves, this creates a tightrope walk.
Meta has already hinted that it might block professional news content in Australia if pushed too far, while X has gutted most of its content moderation processes since Elon Musk took over.
The delicate balance between maintaining user engagement and complying with stricter regulations could reshape the online landscape in unforeseen ways.

Do we really want a world where news content disappears from platforms entirely because it’s easier than moderating?

This also raises broader questions about tech sovereignty.
Australia, like many countries, has long felt that foreign-owned platforms hold too much power over its citizens’ digital lives.
And while it’s important to push back, especially when those platforms have outsized influence on democratic processes, the flip side is equally challenging.
If tech companies pull out or restrict their services, is Australia willing to face a future where its citizens are cut off from the global digital conversation?

What’s undeniable is that Australia’s move could set a precedent for other nations grappling with the same issues.

In the long run, it’s not just about Australia versus Silicon Valley… it’s about how far governments can and should go in regulating online speech without infringing on the very freedoms they claim to protect.
So, is this the future of online accountability, or are we about to see an overreach that will stifle open discourse?

Time will tell.

This is what Dan Delmar, and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Fines, Facts, And Free Speech

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Stephanie Harrison On The New Happy – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #949 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy – Getting Happiness Right In A World That’s Got It Wrong, is flipping the happiness script. For years, we’ve been sold the idea that happiness comes from checking off the “big three” — wealth, fame, and power — and doing it all solo. But as Stephanie’s research shows, we’ve had it wrong. Real happiness? It’s not about the corner office or the number of zeroes in your bank account. It’s about something far more sustainable: helping others. In New Happy, Stephanie gets to the core of what’s holding us back from true fulfillment – those old myths that tell us we’re not good enough, that happiness is a prize only the elite get to win. Instead, she lays out a blueprint for living with purpose, using our unique talents to make a difference in the world. The best part? Her advice isn’t just feel-good fluff – it’s backed by a decade of research and wrapped up in beautifully designed illustrations that bring these life-changing concepts to light. Our conversation dives deep into why social media, for all its flaws, can still be a tool for connection – if we use it the right way. Stephanie’s insights on gratitude, personal gifts, and living authentically are spot on. She makes it clear: happiness isn’t a destination you reach by ticking off goals; it’s a byproduct of living in line with your values and making an impact on others. Stephanie’s message is refreshing, smart, and just the kind of advice leaders and individuals need these days. If you’ve ever wondered why happiness seems just out of reach, New Happy will show you a new way forward – one where you don’t have to sacrifice success to feel fulfilled. Enjoy the conversation… 

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #949 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.