Alternative Future (#1): AI is changing how we talk and think. How can we stop it? with Adam Aleksic and Advait Sarkar
Summary
Host Cheryl Dorsey curates a playlist exploring intentional futures, featuring Adam Alexic on how social media algorithms accelerate slang evolution and distort language. Advait Sarawagi then argues against outsourcing cognition to AI, proposing tools that challenge rather than obey to preserve critical thinking. The episode urges listeners to remain aware of how technology shapes both our vocabulary and our mental agency.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Toyota, Rinse, and Sephora
Intro: AI language experiment and episode overview
Adam Alexic: Algorithmic censorship and 'unalive'
Viral slang, 'cottagecore', and manufactured identities
Harmful slang origins and cultural appropriation
Conclusion: Awareness of algorithmic influence on language
Sponsors: Rinse, Upwork, and Mod
Advait Sarcar: The age of outsourced reason
Cognitive costs: Creativity, memory, and critical thinking
AI as a tool for thought: The 'Clara' prototype
Design principles for enhancing human cognition
Host wrap-up and credits
Sponsors: Toyota, Sephora, and Rinse
Listen ad-free on Castria