"This Week in Tech" Episode 1060: A Shortage of Shame

Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Panel: Sam Abuelsamid, Mike Elgan, Daniel Rubino

Episode Overview

This episode of TWiT brings together a classic, lively panel—Sam Abuelsamid (car/tech analyst), Mike Elgan (AI, nomadic gastronaut), and Daniel Rubino (Windows Central)—to dissect the week’s technology headlines. The main themes: shifting patterns in consumer technology use and commerce, the explosion of generative AI (and its regulators and implications), U.S.–China technological rivalry, automotive surveillance, and a cultural "shortage of shame" among tech leaders. It's a dynamic, thoughtful, and at times humorous ride through the biggest issues in tech and society as 2025 closes out.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Black Friday, Consumer Behavior & AI's Role in Shopping

Timeframe: 07:00–22:00

• The Decline of the Traditional Black Friday:

  • Black Friday "starts in August" now—major retailers stretch deals for weeks or months. (14:45)
  • Physical store events are replaced by online research, with consumers entering stores with specific, pre-researched goals. (20:05)
  • Noted nostalgia for "waiting outside Best Buy at 4am" and the decline of retail as a browsing/destination experience.

• E-Commerce & AI Shopping Tools:

  • Despite reports of "sales up 9%," the rise is attributed mainly to inflation, not increased volume. (09:01, 09:35)
  • AI-powered tools (like Amazon's "Rufus," Walmart's "Sparky") are highly touted in the press, but the impact may be more PR than substance according to the panel.
  • Mike Elgan speaks candidly: "I've seen no evidence that AI had anything to do with this." (09:01)
  • Amazon's algorithms are criticized as self-serving, increasingly ineffective, and not consumer-focused (13:32).
  • Preference for AI search/orchestration tools outside Amazon (e.g., Kagi, Perplexity) due to neutrality and aggregating cross-source data—"No ulterior motive. You pay for it, that's their business model." (18:16)
  • Human reviews remain essential: "You're going to want to see what a real human being is saying about [big purchases]." (11:30)

• Store Strategies & Consumer Savvy:

  • Multi-purpose stores (Costco, Walmart) and brick-and-mortar chains are surviving by offering better return policies and in-person experiences, but even these are being picked apart by precision shoppers using digital research. (21:08)
  • Notably, Gen Z reportedly still values the mall experience—as a novelty. (23:06)

2. AI Dominance: Regulation, Ethics, and U.S. National Policy

Timeframe: 32:54–47:36

• AI Policy & the White House:

  • Leo discusses NYT reporting on David Sacks (All In Podcast, Trump AI/crypto czar)—hundreds of investments in AI companies, conflict-of-interest allege, and the current administration’s AI regulatory philosophy: block state-based regulation in favor of federal (and minimal) guidelines, often by tacking policies onto the NDAA. (32:54–36:12)
    • Mike Elgan: "The reality is, if we're being honest... with Trump administration, it's kiss the ring and win some prizes." (33:32)
    • Sam Abuelsamid: "The problem is we live in a time... fundamentally opposed to any regulation on any industry on which they could be making money." (34:08)
  • Debate over hands-off AI regulation; some panelists liken it to early internet policy, advocating for innovation before regulation, with exceptions for direct demonstrated child or public harm. (35:13–36:35)
  • Sacks threatens to sue the NYT for their story; Steve Bannon (surprisingly) calls the administration’s approach “out of control… leading down the road to perdition with this ascendant technocratic oligarchy.” (37:09)

• AI Accelerationism vs. Guardrails:

  • The administration (Genesis Mission) is releasing DOE scientific data to AI companies, pitched as a way to "beat China":
    • "If you think [AI] is threatening to humanity, then of course you wouldn't want this. If you think it could be the most important invention humanity has ever come up with... then maybe you do." (39:58)

• China as AI Competitor:

  • Global AI arms race framed in terms of national security and economic advantage—"If they get ahead, they're going to own this market." (38:04–39:26)
  • Caught between “moral clarity” and great-power rivalry, both panel and policymakers seem at a loss.

Notable Quotes:

"AI is not suddenly going to become sentient... it's humans that are the threat to humanity." — Sam Abuelsamid (40:12)

"The more powerful AI becomes, the more ways there are for humans to abuse it... to society, and to the planet." — Sam Abuelsamid (40:38)

3. Energy, AI, and the Environment

Timeframe: 44:17–47:36

• AI’s Demand on Power:

  • Concerns about the energy use of AI/LLM data centers and their environmental impact curb optimism.
  • Some solace: in 2025, U.S. solar power growth is almost offsetting new demand; drop in natural gas use but rise in coal. Nuclear innovation is noted, but with skepticism. (44:17)
  • "When we are measuring data centers... not by compute, but how much power they're consuming—that's a problem." (46:16)

• Public Attitudes:

  • Anecdotes of people abandoning conservation because of perceived data center waste
  • Space-based data centers? “Terrible, horrible, no good idea” due to thermal management and radiation. (48:50–50:28)

4. U.S.–China Tech Rivalry: Open LLMs, EVs, & National Security

Timeframe: 54:37–70:49

• Emergent Chinese AI:

  • Chinese open-source LLMs are now dominating global downloads (outpacing U.S. models for the first time), are “free or cheap” and “good.” — Leo (54:37)
    • Mike Elgan flags serious national security concerns, sharing recent findings that some Chinese models intentionally generate insecure code when prompted with politically sensitive content. (55:18)
    • "It's a long-term, big-picture play... The state has major input into what happens at these companies. In fact, it's Chinese law that every Chinese company has to cooperate with Chinese intelligence." — Mike Elgan (55:42)
  • Discussion of U.S. protectionism vs. free-market ideals and whether it is hypocritical for America to block Chinese EVs, given forthcoming environmental benefits.

• Automotive Industry:

  • Chinese EVs (especially BYD) are “light years ahead” in tech and cost, but face U.S. bans over national security and protectionist concerns. (58:28)
    • Sam: The U.S. supply chain can’t compete until it moves upstream on raw materials.
    • Heart of the question: Is protecting American jobs more important than environmental progress?
  • Even American cars can spy on you and potentially be remotely shut down. (60:09)
  • Panel discusses mutual dependency theory (“mutually assured destruction” via economic ties) vs. increased decoupling as risks: “The less dependent we are on one another, the riskier our relationship.” — Leo (63:04)

Notable Quotes:

"We like big money, massive investment, expensive development of technologies and we're at a bit of a disadvantage for the models the world uses." — Mike Elgan (56:34)

"It's an economic MAD—mutually assured destruction." — Daniel Rubino (62:06)

5. The "Shortage of Shame" and Tech CEO Accountability

Timeframe: 81:00–100:00

• CEO Accountability and Tech Ethics:
  • Casey Newton’s piece sparks debate on the inability of tech media and the public to shame CEOs into moral behavior (Roblox, Meta, etc). (81:00–88:24)
    • "Tech CEOs have basically just thrown up their hands and said, hey, this is just the way it is." — Leo
    • Lack of consequences, incentives for "shameless grifting." (82:22)
    • "We incentivize the careless people." — Mike (86:30)
  • Panel draws historical parallels ("This is what the tobacco companies did for years").
  • Hopes (and doubts) of a regulatory or popular backlash: "I do think the political actors who are defending the Robloxes and the Metas of the world are going to get their asses handed to them." — Mike Elgan (88:00)

6. The AI Content Flood & The Future of Authenticity

Timeframe: 90:55–100:00

• A Universe of Slop:
  • Explosion of AI-generated content: “Some are predicting 99% of the content online will be AI generated.” — Mike (90:55)
  • Hopes for consumer tools to filter “junk” and platforms differentiating on human-created content: “The right policy is give people what they want—let them turn this garbage off.” (92:15)
  • Analogies to vinyl’s comeback and the hope for authenticity to become a luxury in an AI-ridden future.
    • “People want something that comes from another person… Content exists for people to share experiences.” — Mike (98:30)

7. Automotive Surveillance, Privacy, and the Road to AI Cars

Timeframe: 118:08–132:46

• Modern Cars & Data Collection:

  • Nearly all new cars gather extensive data via built-in modems—often sharing it with manufacturers, insurance, and sometimes government. (118:08)
  • Disclosure is poor and privacy controls limited. The only full opt-out is to disable the car’s connectivity, losing features like navigation and infotainment. (124:48)
    • "My car is supposed to be on my side!" — Mike (119:44)

• The Creep Toward Surveillance and Control:

  • Examples of European regulation: cars beeping at just 1km/h over the limit; driver monitoring via cameras and connected services.
    • "Cars are getting really Orwellian..." — Mike (128:00)
  • Fear that gradual chipping away of driving autonomy is paving the road for everyday acceptance of self-driving AI-run transportation.

8. Hardware Trends: Exploding RAM Prices & What It Means

Timeframe: 148:01–155:15

• Rising RAM Prices:
  • Prices for RAM and related components are soaring due to AI’s insatiable demand, GPUs, and data center needs.
  • Panel warns consumers to watch for price hikes in personal computing (laptops, Xboxes, etc.)—stock up if you need an upgrade.
  • Debate: Are AMD or Intel better choices now? Is ARM the future, or will x86 remain competitive in ultramobile and consumer devices?

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Black Friday and AI Hype:

  "They just cheat now. They call whatever they want Black Friday... It's cheating." — Daniel Rubino (07:16)

• On Amazon’s AI Shopping Tools:

  "There are two basic problems with Amazon's recommendation system. First, they don't really want you to buy the best thing... The second problem is, when you order gifts... they couldn't possibly profile me in terms of what I like to buy for myself." — Mike Elgan (13:32)

• On National AI Regulation:

  "We have a regime fundamentally opposed to any regulation on any industry on which they could be making money." — Sam Abuelsamid (34:08)

• On Tech CEO Ethics:

  "We've seen leaders in Bouzouki's position choose growth over guardrails... executives laugh and tell us, we're the crazy ones." — Leo Laporte, paraphrasing Casey Newton (81:40)

• On AI-Generated Content Replacing Human Work:

  "If you like good literature, make sure you're rich." — Mike Elgan (100:08)

Timestamps — Major Segments

• Black Friday/AI Shopping Analytics — 07:00–22:00
• AI Regulation & Sacks/NYT Story — 32:54–39:58
• Genesis Mission / U.S.–China AI Arms Race — 39:58–47:36
• U.S.–China Tech Big Picture & EVs — 54:37–70:49
• The Shortage of Shame/Tech Accountability — 81:00–88:50
• AI Content Flood & Authenticity — 90:55–100:00
• Car Surveillance, Beeping, and Privacy — 118:08–132:46
• RAM Prices & PC Hardware Trends — 148:01–155:15

Tone & Style

• The discussion is playful, self-aware, and sometimes nostalgic, with recurring inside jokes and tangents to history and geopolitics. The panel does not hesitate to call out BS and self-serving claims by companies or policymakers, but also reflects deeply on the double-edged sword of technological progress.
• Not afraid to poke fun at press releases, corporate PR, and internet clichés (“cars spying on you,” “Black Friday is diluted,” “AI will replace everything”).
• Mature in its skepticism—institutional, regulatory, and technical.

Final Thoughts

This episode reveals a tech industry at several crossroads—where commerce, social values, and geopolitics intersect with breathtaking advances in AI, unrestrained self-promotion, and the slow erosion of privacy and public trust. On everything from shopping online to driving a car, the age of AI is here. The question, repeatedly implicit: Can our social and political structures keep up—before we’re all just passengers in someone else’s self-driving system?

Additional Reading & Links

• RetailNext Black Friday analysis
• Casey Newton’s "Platformer" newsletter
• Bleeping Computer on GPT ad code
• Privacy for Cars VIN lookup
• AI orchestrators—Kagi, Perplexity
• [Roblox child safety controversy]

For more in-depth hardware reviews, head to Windows Central (Daniel Rubino). For AI perspectives, see Mike Elgan's MachineSociety.AI. For automotive privacy and future cars, follow Sam Abuelsamid.