Superintelligent

Emily and Mike are mad this week. Join the dynamic duo as they dissect the disaster of Google AI Overviews stealing from content creators, then stealing the eyeballs and ad revenue of people looking for that content. A big new deal with Apple could make it worse. Superintelligent also tackles the inevitable dorkiness of smart glasses and the mental health risks of constant connectivity and personal AI assistants. And Mike and Emily share tales of driving blind in El Salvador and wandering the deserts looking for aliens. Are they real or not?

Links
Apple, Google Sign Deal to Use Gemini AI to Help Build the Future of Siri
Google Flexes Another AI Advantage
Warby Parker, Google to launch AI-powered smart glasses in 2026
A Man Bought Meta’s AI Glasses, and Ended Up Wandering the Desert Searching for Aliens to Abduct Him
‘The Age of Disclosure’: Documentary Revealing Government Cover-Up of Non-Human Intelligence Sets Release
Ziff Davis AI layoffs - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThBSo421/

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini - Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene
01:06 The Impact of AI on Website Traffic
04:08 Google’s Content Monetization Strategy
06:31 Navigating the Future of AI Personal Assistants
12:25 Apple and Google’s Strategic Partnership
18:52 The Future of Smart Glasses and AI Integration
22:03 The Future of Smart Glasses
24:43 Wearable Tech in Industry
27:42 The Psychological Effects of AI
29:39 The Balance of Digital and Physical Exploration
31:42 Beliefs About Aliens and Exploration

Keywords
Google, Apple, Google AI Overviews, artificial intelligence, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence, iPhone AI features, personal AI assistant, smart glasses, Ray-Ban Meta, wearable technology, Ziff Davis, layoffs, web traffic decline, digital marketing, SEO strategy, AI impact on journalism, tech news, Superintelligent podcast, Mike Elgan, Emily Forlini, UFO sightings, alien theories, government drones, mental health in tech, digital detox, generative AI, large language models, Google Apple partnership, future of search, Project Astra, AI hallucinations, tech commentary.

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Superintelligent hosts Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini explore the link between churning homemade butter and the craving for authenticity in the new world of fake AI everything. They talk about Google’s new Gmail AI features as the most recent example of companies pushing everyone to use AI for communication. The hosts allow themselves to be influenced by influencer and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, who says that in 2026 influencers will need to prove their humanity by posting authentic content and disclosing how they use AI.

Links
Amira’s home-made cultured butter
Google adding an AI inbox, ai overviews to gmail. does anybody want this?
‘Apple Intelligence’ won’t send your data to far-flung servers (for the most part)
Adam Mosseri’s post on authenticity in an AI world
In an AI-perfect world, it’s time to prove you’re human
This retiree’s 30 AI girlfriends kept loneliness at bay—until one’s dark secret shatters the illusion
After ‘digital undressing’ criticism, Elon Musk’s Grok limits some image generation to paid subscribers
BeReal
Twitter and Pinterest founders launch app as antidote to social media
Steve Miller’s high school speech clip from Jimmy Kimmel

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini -Website |PC Mag |Bluesky |X |TikTok

Keywords
Artificial Intelligence, AI, Homemade Butter, Google Gemini, Gmail AI, Smart Reply, Apple Intelligence, Deepfakes, Grok, Adam Mosseri, Social Media Authenticity, Tangle App, Vibe Coding, Doom Coding, Sam Altman, Handwritten Notes, Robot Vacuums, NanoBanana, Photo Colorization, Digital Wellness, Tech Ethics, Future of Work, Steve Miller, Cultured Buttermilk, Email Automation

Disclosures
We used Gemini Pro 3 via Kagi (my son and our producer, Kevin, works at Kagi) to 1) generate keywords from the transcript (most of which we used); 2) suggest topics to link to (some of which we used); and 3) write a first draft of the show summary paragraph (which we heavily edited). We recorded and edited the episode using Riverside and used Riverside’s “Magic Audio” (which boosts and normalizes the audio).


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini explore the future of home automation by debating the merits of humanoid robots versus the new concept of "ambient robotics." They discuss why invisible tech like self-cleaning litter boxes beats Elon Musk’s lawn-mowing androids and how Carnegie Mellon is creating kitchen appliances that anticipate what you need. The duo also shares their 2025 tech resolutions, covering everything from Mike’s backpack weight-loss plan and Emily’s grayscale strategy for digital detoxing in the new year.

Links
Go gray, not cray: why you should grayscale your phone
Toras phone cases
1X Neo
Carnegie Mellon University’s “ambient computing” research
Heath Zenith self-charging doorbell
Apple AirPods 4

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini - Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Chapters
00:00 New Year, New Resolutions
05:53 Tech Resolutions and Screen Time
11:27 Social Media Strategies and Engagement
16:17 The Future of Robotics and Ambient Technology
22:52 The Rise of Ambient Robotics
29:05 The Future of Home Automation
34:03 Challenges of Smart Home Technology
40:30 Reflections on Technology and User Experience

Keywords
Superintelligent podcast, Mike Elgan, Emily Forlini, tech resolutions, digital detox, iPhone grayscale, screen time, smartphone addiction, backpack, Toras case, humanoid robots, 1X Neo, ambient robotics, Carnegie Mellon University, Violet Han, smart home, home automation, AI, AirPods 4, adaptive audio, kinetic doorbell, smart home fatigue, invisible tech, consumer technology


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

In this episode of Superintelligent, Mike Elgan and Emily Forlini dive into the new trend of old tech. Younger people are ditching smartphones and embracing flip phones. They unpack stories of Gen Z and millennial “lone wolves” who gave up TikTok, dating apps and infinite scroll for deeper work, better sleep and real-world skills.
Links
“The Matrix” flip phone
TCL FLIP 4 5G flip phone
CAT S22 flip phone
The Last Useful Man
Mental Health in the Scroll Age
Top 8 Best Distraction Free Phones in 2025
Stickerbox
Palantir CEO Says Legalizing War Crimes Would Be Good for Business
Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini -Website |PC Mag |Bluesky |X |TikTok


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com

Mike and Emily challenge their bias that all AI relationships are bad using a real world example—with a scandalous twist. With companion chatbots becoming more common, how do people resist delusion? What’s the end point for simulated relationships?

Links
Joi.ai
Blade Runner 2049’s Joi
Ready for the ‘torment nexus’?
Her

Follow Us
Website: superintelligentpodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Mike Elgan - About | Machine Society | Bluesky | Mastodon | Notes
Emily Forlini - Website | PC Mag | Bluesky | X | TikTok

Chapters
00:00 Exploring AI Companionship
03:53 The Story of Jim: A Case Study
08:24 The Impact of AI on Human Relationships
14:48 The Dangers of Delusion in AI Interactions
20:38 Exploring Human Connection and Loneliness
23:02 The Reality of Digital Relationships
25:09 The Impact of AI on Human Emotions
27:09 The Future of Virtual Companionship
30:34 The Dystopian Vision of Technology
32:56 The Need for a Utopian Approach to Technology

Keywords
AI companionship, emotional impact, loneliness, rural America, digital relationships, technology addiction, virtual reality, human connection, AI relationships, social isolation


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superintelligentpodcast.com