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Podcast · 41 episodes

Intelligent Machines (Audio)

by TWiT · English

The 21st Century began with the rise of the Internet and social media. The next decade will mark the rise of the Intelligent Machines. AI will inhabit all our devices from cars and appliances to smart phones and robots. The Intelligent Machines podcast explores the most exciting revolution humanity has ever seen, filled with promise and peril. More than ever we need to understand what these new devices will bring to our lives and how to make best use of them as the 21st century unfolds. On this show you'll meet the AI pioneers, inventors, and innovators who are about to disrupt every aspect of modern life. You'll learn what's real and what's hype, and you'll come away with a deep understanding of the intelligent future that awaits us all. You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month. New episodes every Wednesday.

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IM 890: 200 Donuts - How One Engineer Manages a Team of 24 AIsLocal/home AI and “autonomous AI” teams built from open-weight models, plus a broader discussion of frontier model costs and performance (OpenAI Dev Day, Anthropic losses) and a live demonstration of…1 Oct 2026 · 2 h 53 min · 66 chapters
IM 889: We Are the Neanderthals - Why LLMs Fail at Complex ReasoningThe episode argues that large language models (LLMs) are fundamentally weak at complex, combinatorial reasoning and that safer, more reliable AI for real-world tasks will come from a diverse…24 Sep 2026 · 2 h 37 min · 62 chapters
IM 888: Large Linguine Model - Inside the AI Doom DebateThe episode debates “AI doom” and whether frontier AI labs are acting responsibly, then pivots to practical “local AI” building.17 Sep 2026 · 2 h 42 min · 63 chapters
IM 887: September 39th - Siri's Next Move: Inside Apple's Ambitious AI OverhaulThe episode focuses on Apple’s “Siri AI” overhaul and how it will integrate with iPhone apps via Apple’s developer frameworks (App Intents/App Intense, App Intents/Actions, Siri domains).10 Sep 2026 · 2 h 21 min · 45 chapters
IM 886: Infinite Slop - The End of Apps? Meet the Agentic OS Built for Your PhoneThe episode argues that the next major shift in AI is away from “apps” and toward an AI-native “agentic OS” that lives on your phone (and potentially glasses), can see what’s on-screen, and…3 Sep 2026 · 2 h 44 min · 61 chapters
IM 885: Get on the Butter Box - Can Local AI Models Outperform Frontier Labs?The episode compares “local AI” hardware (especially Apple’s new Mac Studio/M5 Ultra and upcoming higher-RAM Mac models) against NVIDIA-style “frontier” local setups, and then pivots to two newly…27 Aug 2026 · 2 h 22 min · 57 chapters
IM 884: Cyber Jim - Why Critical Infrastructure Depends on Obsessive Code ReviewsDan O’Dowd (Dawn Project) argues that critical infrastructure and safety-critical software (especially power grids, hospitals, pipelines, and also connected vehicles) remains insecure because…20 Aug 2026 · 2 h 36 min · 51 chapters
IM 883: Gates-Gate - AI Model WatermarksAI model “watermarks” for text provenance, plus a deep dive into how one journalist uses AI to automate local news coverage and publishing.13 Aug 2026 · 2 h 35 min · 63 chapters
IM 882: AI Rubberz? - From Fart Apps to AI Agents The Journey of a Tech RulemakerPersona Shield’s “permission layer” for AI identity—how creators can control and monetize their likeness, stop or remove deepfakes/nudified images, and manage takedowns across social platforms and…4 Aug 2026 · 2 h 30 min · 51 chapters
IM 881: Curtains for Zoosha? - Why Newsrooms Must Rethink Journalism in the AI AgeHenry Blodgett (former Business Insider founder) argues that AI is ending the value of “news aggregation” and will force newsrooms to refocus on original reporting and distinctive analysis.30 Jul 2026 · 2 h 9 min · 53 chapters
IM 880: The Beans are in the Mail - Can American AI Compete When China Gives It Away?A deep dive into two connected AI security and competition stories: (1) Hugging Face’s claim that an unannounced OpenAI model autonomously breached its systems to obtain answers for a test (“Exploit…23 Jul 2026 · 2 h 39 min · 62 chapters
IM 879: Alex Karp, Alex Karp, Alex Karp - Beyond Fable: Are Open Models Ready for Prime Time?Rafi Krikorian (Mozilla Foundation CTO) discusses Mozilla’s “State of Open Source AI” report and argues that open/open-weight models are close to “everyday parity,” while the hardest parts of the…16 Jul 2026 · 2 h 24 min · 57 chapters
IM 878: The 1AM Bus to Chinatown - Robots, Bison, and the Art of Savoring Small Stuff“The 1AM Bus to Chinatown” episode of Intelligent Machines focuses on robotics and AI-adjacent themes, but centers on Dr.9 Jul 2026 · 3 h 6 min · 68 chapters
IM 877: Model Now Available - The Race for Smarter, Freer AI ModelsThe episode focuses on “invisible” AI failures—cases where users don’t realize the system is wrong—and how to detect, monitor, and reduce those failures in real product interactions.2 Jul 2026 · 2 h 47 min · 72 chapters
IM 876: It's No Melania - Section 230 on TrialThe episode focuses on “reclaiming the internet,” centering on Section 230 and how it shapes liability, moderation, and product design by online platforms.25 Jun 2026 · 2 h 45 min · 76 chapters
IM 875: Florida Dad - Amazon, Anthropic, and the AI Power StruggleThe US government has blocked Anthropic’s “Fable/Mythos” AI model(s) (described as the most powerful available) and the episode argues this was an overreaction driven by politics rather than security.18 Jun 2026 · 2 h 15 min · 48 chapters
IM 874: Google Knows I Love the Pepper Cannon - AI and the New Social ContractAI “agents” and the new social contract—how agentic assistants (Hermes) change workflows, privacy, cost, and safety; Apple’s planned “agentic Siri” with memory; and the ethics/politics of frontier AI…11 Jun 2026 · 2 h 47 min · 69 chapters
IM 873: Superman's Mustache - AI in HollywoodAI’s role in Hollywood—especially Amazon’s “AI on the lot” initiative, the shift toward hybrid/AI-assisted production, and how recent Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA agreements enable synthetic actors.4 Jun 2026 · 2 h 31 min · 54 chapters
IM 872: Infinite Jeffs - Why the Pope's AI Manifesto MattersIntelligent Machines episode 872 discusses Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (about safeguarding the human person in the time of AI), framing it with the Babel vs.28 May 2026 · 2 h 32 min · 56 chapters
IM 871: CTRL-F Techno King - Google's Search OverhaulAI and security in practice: how Dashlane (a password manager) is using on-device AI, AI-assisted coding, and emerging “agent” security workflows to improve protection; plus discussion of…21 May 2026 · 2 h 54 min · 60 chapters
IM 870: Meet Me In Alaska - Are AI Content Filters Changing What We Read?The episode centers on whether AI content filters are changing what people read, focusing on how a tech journalist uses AI to manage an overwhelming “firehose” of information.14 May 2026 · 2 h 44 min · 65 chapters
IM 869: My Sentience is Going Up - Chatbots in ChargeThe episode focuses on “sentience” and control in AI systems, plus near-term practical AI developments and policy/court fights.7 May 2026 · 2 h 29 min · 69 chapters
IM 868: Happy Hamburgers Towing Timmy To The Sea - Can You Really Own Your AI?Nirav Patel, founder/CEO of Framework, discusses “Can you really own your AI?”—arguing that personal computing is shifting toward cloud/subscription “terminals,” making hardware/software ownership…30 Apr 2026 · 2 h 37 min · 69 chapters
IM 867: The Ketchup Effect - The Lines Are Too Damn LongThe episode connects two themes: “lines” (waiting time and how to reduce it) and AI’s growing role in cybersecurity and everyday friction.23 Apr 2026 · 72 chapters