Future Around & Find Out

Murderbots, mass layoffs, and media takeovers — all in one news cycle. Anthropic told the Pentagon "we will not accede." Block cut half its workforce overnight. And the Paramount-Warner Brothers deal raises real questions about who's running the media now.

Also, thanks to Nicolás Maduro's fashion sense, Dan's 13-year-old is being called Lil Tator at school and honestly? The kids are all right. 

Happy FAFO Friday!

Here's some of what Kwaku Aning and I get into:
  • (00:00) - Three Stories Broke Last Night
  • (03:16) - Anthropic Tells the Pentagon No
  • (06:24) - Murder Bots, But Human in the Loop
  • (07:00) - The Pentagon's Friday Deadline
  • (09:28) - Why This Is a Huge Win for Anthropic
  • (10:50) - The War for AI Talent
  • (12:57) - Is the Administration Losing Steam?
  • (15:05) - The Paramount-Warner Brothers Deal
  • (17:36) - Who Controls the Media Now?
  • (21:13) - CNN, Independent Media, and the Employee Perspective
  • (23:55) - Block Lays Off 4,000 People
  • (24:14) - The Citrini Research Fiction That Tanked Stocks
  • (27:49) - AI Washing and the Real Reason for Layoffs
  • (30:11) - Will Vibe Coding Replace Real Companies?
  • (33:27) - Mid-Roll Break
  • (34:41) - Past, Present, Future: State-Controlled AI
  • (35:18) - Past, Present, Future: Independent Media
  • (38:03) - — SLAPP Lawsuits and Creator Protections
  • (40:23) - — Past, Present, Future: Knicks Championship
  • (41:44) - — Come See Us at South by Southwest!

What is Future Around & Find Out?

You know what would be awesome? If we could build the future we want — before we muck it up.

Future Around & Find Out helps builders think clearly about AI and emerging technologies, grapple with the implications, and decide what to build next.

Independent technologist and former NPR journalist Dan Blumberg speaks with founders, makers, and you to celebrate breakthroughs, call BS on the hype, explore how things might go sideways — and how we can steer the future in the right direction.

The Webby Awards have honored the show (formerly known as CRAFTED.) as a top tech podcast three years in a row!

On Tuesdays, we feature interviews with the builders changing how we work, live, and play.

On FAFO Fridays, futurist Kwaku Aning joins Dan for a playful recap of the week in tech, including the amazing, the scary, and the strange.

You’ll also hear about innovations that too often get overshadowed by AI, including in deep tech, biotech, fintech, quantum computing, robotics, blockchain, and more.

Across it all, you’ll hear sharp takes on what comes next and what builders need to know now.

So let’s Future Around & Find Out together!

https://www.FutureAround.com