The A&G Replay Thursday Hour Three

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand – Episode: The A&G Replay Thursday Hour Three
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Host: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to the Episode

The episode kicks off with Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty diving straight into the conversation, briefly touching upon a humorous interruption involving a rapper's accidental gunshot during a podcast recording. This segment sets a light-hearted yet thought-provoking tone for the discussions that follow.

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2. The Redeclaration of Independence and Cultural Critique

Timestamp: [02:42]

Jack Armstrong introduces a compelling segment centered around a "Redeclaration of Independence" penned by writer Jeff Goldstein. This declaration vehemently rejects various progressive and cultural movements, including:

• White Violence and Power Structures:

  • "I refuse to unpack white violence. I reject the idea that my existence perpetuates white power structures."
    (02:54)

• Cultural Marxism and Anti-Racism:

  • "I reject cultural Marxism. I am an individual. I'm not defined by my color, my origin, my sex."
    (04:20)

• Inclusivity and Diversity Mandates:

  • "I reject equity because it is collectivism disguised as virtue. I reject inclusivity because it is inorganic, superficial and contrived."
    (04:19)

• Queer Theory and Race Theory:

  • "Queer theory is critical. Race theory is critical. Consciousness is the Marxist rejection of the individual as individual."
    (05:03)

Discussion Highlights:

• Impact on Society:
  "Cultural appropriation is merely culture. It expands to include and it makes up the very fabric of a pluralistic society."
  (04:20)

• Media and Education Influence:
  Armstrong connects these ideologies to their roots in European intellectual salons of the 1940s and 1950s, emphasizing their strategic infiltration into media and education to project greater mass support than actually present.

• Political Outcomes:
  The hosts discuss how these movements have led to significant political shifts, including the resignation of leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, partially due to progressive policies surrounding issues like pronouns and identity politics.

Notable Quote:
"Cultural Marxism is determined to raise norms, sow chaos, tear families asunder, and reduce being to collective conformity. I reject its premises as fully as I reject its adherence."
(04:20)

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3. Legal System and the $50 Million Starbucks Case

Timestamp: [13:47]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a controversial legal case where a Los Angeles jury awarded a man $50 million after he was severely burned by a Starbucks drink. The discussion critiques the American legal system's propensity for massive settlements, questioning the societal implications of such judgments.

Key Points:

• Physical and Personal Claims:
  Armstrong humorously questions the legitimacy of the claim, saying, "Whether that's accurate or not, I do not know. But... you can't get everything perfect all the time."
  (14:19)

• Legal System Critique:
  The hosts express frustration over the unpredictability and perceived excesses of the U.S. legal system, contrasting it with other countries like Argentina or Britain, where such large settlements are rare.

• Societal Implications:
  "It's what drives so many of the things that make us nuts in life... it's an unworkable situation for society."
  (14:16)

Notable Quote:
"You got to have the 15 really, really active group that wants to overthrow the current regime. But you get a big enough chunk of people who mostly agree with you, they're not gonna really do much, but they're not gonna get in the way."
(07:39)

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4. AI Surveillance and Privacy Concerns

Timestamp: [20:35]

The conversation shifts to the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence in personal surveillance. Drawing from an article by Joanna Stern, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty explore the implications of devices like the BE Pioneer bracelet, which records and transcribes daily activities.

Discussion Highlights:

• Functionality of AI Devices:
  "These devices... detect dialogue, especially your voice, and they stream the audio to your phone via Bluetooth, then to company servers where it's transcribed. AI models take the transcription and generate summaries which appear in the apps within minutes."
  (22:09)

• Privacy vs. Convenience:
  The hosts debate the balance between the convenience of AI reminders and the invasive nature of constant surveillance, with Armstrong musing, "It's just a little weird for us because I have full recordings of what I say four hours a day, five days a week, the past 30 years."
  (23:26)

• Legal and Ethical Implications:
  They touch upon the legality of recording in different states, emphasizing the complexities and potential liabilities involved in omnipresent surveillance devices.

Notable Quote:
"I can't get harder and be that way."
(29:42)

---

5. FBI Warning on Online Dangers for Teens

Timestamp: [34:52]

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts address a serious topic highlighted by a recent FBI warning about a network known as "764." This group targets teenagers on social media and gaming platforms, encouraging them to engage in violent and sexual activities.

Key Points:

• Nature of the Threat:
  "764 targets kids on social media and gaming platforms, extorting them into sending violent and sexual content."
  (34:52)

• Parental Concerns:
  Jack Armstrong expresses his own unease as a parent, noting that his teenagers were unaware of this threat until it was mentioned during the show.
  "Let's just put that on the long list of things you can be concerned about if your kid's got a phone."
  (35:22)

• Broader Internet Risks:
  The discussion broadens to include other online dangers, such as hacker rings like "Scattered Spider," which disrupts corporate and governmental operations for fun and mischief.

Notable Quote:
"And what is the number one profession among legislators? It's not even close. You know, it's attorney."
(15:59)

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6. Closing Thoughts and Reflections

As the episode winds down, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty reflect on the complexities of modern life, balancing technological advancements with societal challenges. They ponder whether society will adapt to these changes or continue to spiral into further complications.

Notable Quote:
"We get used to it. Do we settle into some or it just keeps getting worse."
(39:41)

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Conclusion

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand traverses a wide array of topics, from cultural critiques and legal system anomalies to the ethical implications of AI surveillance and online threats to teenagers. Through a blend of humor, skepticism, and in-depth analysis, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty provide listeners with a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary issues shaping our society.

---

Notable Quotes:

• "Cultural appropriation is merely culture. It expands to include and it makes up the very fabric of a pluralistic society."
  (04:20)

• "I refuse to unpack white violence. I reject the idea that my existence perpetuates white power structures."
  (02:54)

• "It's an impossible expectation that nothing ever goes wrong, ever."
  (14:16)

• "AI is nothing without data."
  (25:24)

• "Digital blackface. I'd forgotten that term."
  (05:03)

---

Listeners interested in the multifaceted discussions of societal changes, legal controversies, and technological advancements will find this episode enriching and engaging. For more insights and episodes, visit Armstrong & Getty On Demand.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

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[Producer]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Mike D]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Guest]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not live from studio C. Armstrong and Getty. We're off taking a break.

[Guest]

And as long as we're off, perhaps you'd like to catch up on podcasts. Subscribe to Armstrong and Getty on Demand or one more thing. We think you'll enjoy it, sir.

[Mike D]

And choices we got in life. Those be your choices. Who shot who? Somebody got shot. You good.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hope. I hope y' all good.

[Mike D]

Only on the dirty third one on one with Mike D. I thought.

[Jack Armstrong]

What the hell is this?

[Mike D]

Everybody. Everybody good?

[Guest]

That is. That is rapper Too Low, who is appearing as a kiss A guest on a podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Who.

[Guest]

The gun went off in his pocket. Apparently, somehow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, first of all, guests on a podcast. To have a podcast, all you need to do is own a phone or a computer. So is this a podcast with any meaning? Anyway, so he's sitting around talking to a guy, and his gun goes off. What's the most interesting to me is these people live such a lifestyle that the reaction is, hey, whose gun went off? Somebody's gun went off.

[Guest]

Pretty funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

Somebody. Somebody's gun went off. Whereas most of the company I keep, if there were a gunshot in the room, we would all be quite flabbergasted.

[Guest]

Who shot who? Oh, my gosh. Is that a gun in your pocket? Are you just happy to be on my podcast? Hello. Play that again, Michael. Just the beginning of it.

[Mike D]

And choices we got in life. Those were your choices. Who shot who? Somebody got shot.

[Guest]

Somebody got shot. Somebody got shot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Are they okay?

[Guest]

All right, getting back to our topic, motivating ourselves for the new year. Rapper Too Low, if you need it.

[Jack Armstrong]

How do you stick to your diet through January?

[Guest]

Oh, that's beautiful. So there were a couple of things I wanted to do yesterday as kind of a kicking off the year thing, but we have so much stuff to get to. We can't get to all of it. But I love this. I'm going to hit you with part of it, then we'll. We'll move on. We got a bunch of stuff, but this is written by a guy named Jeff Goldstein, who is a writer I really like. And he has this redeclaration of independence. And you'll know what he's driving at immediately. Be it so understood. This is my vow for the New Year, too. I refuse to unpack white violence. I reject the idea that my existence perpetuates white power structures. I will not and in fact cannot examine my implicit biases. I'm an individual. I refuse to grant determined interpretive communities authority over my being. My meaning is mine. It's what makes me me. I'm not taking any journey to discover the impact of my privilege on black and brown peoples. I will not become anti racist or anti fascist to satisfy your demands. I reject cultural Marxism. I am an individual. I'm not defined by my color, my origin, my sex. I'm Jeff. Good to meet you. I will not respect your pronouns or celebrate your queerness. I am hostile to your sexualization of children. I reject your triggers and your desire to control my speech. I know who and what you are. You are my presumptive master, or else the useful idiot who empowers him. But I will grant you and your ideology no power over me. There's more. You want to hear a little more?

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Guest]

I reject equity because it is collectivism disguised as virtue. I reject inclusivity because it is inorganic, superficial and contrived. I reject mandated diversity. I will not surrender to the crayon box mafia, nor to the gender changelings who pretend I am construct answerable to their whims. Cultural appropriation is merely culture. It expands to include and it makes up the very fabric of a pluralistic society. There's no such thing as digital blackface. My whiteness is not violent. My sex is not oppressive. My religion doesn't concern you, and my children are not yours to mold. Your beliefs will not be imposed on me. The state will not parent my sons. Queer theory. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Digital blackface. I'd forgotten that term.

[Guest]

Oh, yeah, again, if you've lost the thread. This is a redeclaration of independence. Queer theory is critical. Race theory is critical. Consciousness is the Marxist rejection of the individual as individual. I have some stats on how many states queer theory is being taught in schools to little children as truth, and it is shocking. But one more time. Queer theory is critical. Race theory is critical. Consciousness is the Marxist rejection of the individual. As individual cultural Marxism is determined to raise norms, sow chaos, tear families asunder, and reduce being to collective conformity. I reject its premises as fully as I reject its adherence. I will not comply. I will not mouth your slogans. I will not denounce on command. I am not your tool and you are not my minder. And he has a little more about. My speech is my own. I reject each of your excuses to silence me. I don't ask for your protections. I can filter information without your interference, Mark Zuckerberg. And I despise your presumption to protect me from myself. I am your sworn enemy and you are mine. I will not perform for you. I will not read from your script or dance in your follies. Oh, my brother. We'll post [e-mail] it is brilliant. And he goes on, but that's the main part.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And it fits in with that, that Wall Street Journal article I was reading from last hour. The progressive moment in global politics is over. That moment existed mostly online and with the, you know, high level university set. It was a much smaller group than we all thought or feared, thank God. But it was, it was misleading because it was so prevalent in, you know, TV newspapers and Twitter and places like that. But it was not near as big as we all thought. And the, the best thing that could happen to people that are on the right side of that, and you could be a lifelong Democrat and be to the right of all that stuff by election, like Bill Maher and, and lots of people. The best thing that could happen for us is if they continue to believe that they have the numbers they think they have as opposed to the tiny fraction that actually agrees with them.

[Guest]

Right. I'm reminded of something great you brought to us. I think it was last year about how it only takes 15 of a population that's dedicated to a revolution to make it successful. Because you want to give us the nickel version of that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. You have to have the 15 really, really active group that wants to overthrow the current regime. But you get a big enough chunk of people who mostly agree with you, they're not gonna really do much, but they're not gonna get in the way. And then you got the crowd that's scared of you and you can easily get over 50%.

[Guest]

Right? Right. And that's how you win. And imagine if you were in that hardcore 15% that wanted to, I don't know, for the sake of the argument, overthrow Western society in the name of neo Marxism. Imagine if your first step was to capture media and education. I mean that would be an enormous coup because you could, and I'm stating the obvious here, you could project the idea of that you have way, way more mass than you do for your radical ideas like radical gender theory, which I will give you a clue. It's like over a third of American states are teaching radical gender theory. There's no such thing as a man or a woman. You get to choose to little kids in schools. So man, these, these scumbags. And I'm sorry for the, for the, you know, I'm a wordsmith, I can do better than that. I apologize. These monsters, at least it's more adult. The fact that these monsters have gotten as far as they have is really, really troubling. But you know, on we go with the fight.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trudeau resigning in Canada is a lot of what sparked, for instance, the Wall Street Journal Article 1 on the list of Western leaders or parties that have really suffered defeats. Trying to ride the whole pronouns Latinx. You should be ashamed of yourself for being a white male thing.

[Guest]

Right? Yeah, yeah, he was huge into that. And what's really troubling about this, and we've had a bunch of conversations is you got the year. We'll just keep calling it 15% for the sake of the argument. You get your hardcore 15% that are activists. Well, the genius of neo Marxism developed in the intellectual salons of Europe in the 40s and 50s, 1940s and 1950s. They wrote books, they signed their name, they told us precisely what they wanted to do. The genius of it is they have crafted and it's an evil genius, these moral sounding arguments that convince a certain sort of person that they are doing the right thing morally by becoming an adherent to neo Marxism. And it's particularly effective among women who want to seek agreement and groups and acceptance and that sort of thing. And it's particularly successful among your university crowd who want to be on the cutting edge of thought. That's how they gratify their egos, by being the innovator, the new person, the revolutionary. It's, it's incredibly, I mean they take practically sexual glee for being innovators in the universities because how are you going to justify your big sal salary if you in any level of education say, you know that stuff we've been doing, it's perfect, I wouldn't change it at all. True, you've wasted your PhD.

[Jack Armstrong]

So anyway, man, you have heard a lot of gunshots. If your reaction to a gunshot in.

[Mike D]

A room is this and choices, we got in life, those were your choices. Who shot who? Somebody got shot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Could he have been, could he have been calmer than that? Who shot who? Did somebody get shot? Huh?

[Guest]

What? That's great.

[Jack Armstrong]

It would be the most amazing thing that ever happened in my life if a gun went off in a room.

[Guest]

We're sitting there interviewing I don't know, Rich Lowry from the National Review and blaming and Rich says, who shot who?

[Jack Armstrong]

Did somebody get shot?

[Mike D]

And choices we got in life, those were your choices. Who shot who?

[Guest]

It actually pretty interesting conversation before, you know, the gun went on. So the other thing, I wanted to squeeze in a couple more kind of wrapping up the year, looking forward to the year things because I'll rant and rave about the previous story for the rest of my life. But Jan Crawford was on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday.

[Jack Armstrong]

I saw that.

[Guest]

And she, she brought the thunder that the most uncovered and underreported topic last year was clearly she said, quote, that to me, Joe Biden's obvious cognitive decline, they became undeniable in the televised debate unquestioned, that that's the most underreported story of the year.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, absolutely true. But we'll be lost to history. It's amazing that there isn't more introspection over that.

[Guest]

Well, here's the really interesting part. She says, still, incredibly, we read in the Washington Post that his advisors are saying that he regrets that he dropped out of the race, that he thinks he could have beaten Trump. And I think that is either delusional or they're gaslighting the American people. But CBS's chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa jumped up and said, well, President Biden has repeatedly said he was sick during the debate in Atlanta and he's always been fine and he leaves fine. That is his position, the position of many of his top satans as well as even though there is that reporting that Jan was talking to reduce the obvious accepted by everyone reality of Joe Biden's cognitive decline as there is that reporting. But he has now, Jan, he has said repeatedly he had a cold. Costa's lost to me. He's, he's lost his mind.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know who that's for. 85% of America before that debate thought he shouldn't serve again. So I don't know who you're serving.

[Guest]

With that, but enjoy your bubble.

[Producer]

BOB the Armstrong and Getty show get more Jack, more Joe podcasts and our hot [e-mail] Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty the Armstrong and Getty show.

[Guest]

The Los Angeles jury has awarded a man $50 million after he was seriously burned by a Starbucks drink.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, the person got burnt pretty good, but I his junk on his junk and says he can't have sex anymore. Although you would make that argument if you're trying to get $50 million. So whether that's accurate or not, I do not know. But, and I'm not a lawyer, but I don't know how you work this out in society. On one hand, I'm going through the drive thru at Starbucks. I don't deserve to be maimed for life.

[Guest]

No, certainly not in my privets.

[Jack Armstrong]

On the other hand, it's an impossible expectation that nothing ever goes wrong, ever. And you know, nailing down whether it was the employee's fault or the person in the car's fault is difficult. I mean, if you ever go to Starbucks and you get more than one drink, they give you that cardboard holder that the drinks fit in and this person claimed that they didn't secure the tea in it. It was sitting at an angle and then it spilled. Maybe it was, or maybe you hit it on the window or with your elbow or whatever, I don't know. But anyway, you can't get everything perfect all the time. $50 million. The problem with this to me is, is it what, it's what drives so many of the things that make us nuts in life. The fact that the school won't let your kid play. If it's rain the last two days, you have to stay inside for recess because they might slip and some jury will award $100 million. I mean, it's, it's just, it's an unworkable situation for society. So I don't, and you know, you wouldn't want Starbucks to be able to like, here comes my, my girlfriend's ex boyfriend. I'm gonna throw hot tea in his face at the drive thru. And there'd be no penalty for that. I mean, so there's got to be a line somewhere, obviously.

[Guest]

Yeah. I just think we've gotten so far off track as a society because it's very different than virtually any other legal system on earth. You're not going to get a $50 million reward like this in Argentina or, or probably Britain, I don't think. But I don't think we as people understand how far off we've gotten. And a big reason for that. What is the number one profession among legislators? It's not even close. You know, it's attorney.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And the whole jury thing where this is one of the Reasons that we regularly say, you know, don't make those jokes about how to get out of jury duty. Show up on the jury. So you could say, so you could be there as a smart person say 50, $50 million is insane.

[Guest]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because you got to. I'm guessing you got a jury full of people that Starbucks is rich. They can afford it. I don't like them anyway.

[Guest]

You know, that sort of thing, right? Yeah. Yeah. Boy, if there's one technology mankind has not perfected, it's the getting the cup lid to click on the cup thing in the world of coffee. And you know, granted, I'm. I'm an older fellow now and I, I've learned the hard lessons of life. Sometimes more than once, usually more than once before I absorb them. Boy, anybody who has boiling hot coffee and assumes that lid is on there. Right. You are a bold man and a foolish one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I just, when I heard that, I just thought, oh crap, this is going to lead to even more. Sorry, we can't allow you to do.

[Guest]

This stuff or you get like room temperature coffee. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Coffee can't ever be. That might be the reaction from Starbucks. No more hot coffee. I know lots of people order stuff extra hot because I've known baristas order stuff extra hot. It's already so hot you can't drink it. But it's the idea that it'll be. It's so hot that by the time you get to work on your 15 minute commute, it'll still be hot. Well, I'll bet that goes out the window after this settlement.

[Guest]

Yeah. So I shouldn't say this, but everybody's thinking about it, so I will. So this guy got $50 million because he could never have sex again. Was he any good at it? I mean, does that factor into the juries? Yeah, I mean, you think they should.

[Jack Armstrong]

Interview previous lovers and say, so how much of a loss is this for humanity?

[Guest]

Well, yeah, I mean, because it's obviously a loss to him no matter his skills, but to humanity. Because shouldn't that be a 50. 50 thing across a consortium, etc.

[Jack Armstrong]

On a scale of meh to wow. Where was he? Yeah, exactly.

[Guest]

I'm just, I'm asking these questions. I don't have the answers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. God dang it.

[Producer]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Fred, the Armstrong and Getty show.

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[Producer]

The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Guest]

Joanna Stern writes about tech for the Wall Street Journal. She's very clever as you're about to hear, and sounds down to earth. And I enjoy her writing. The opening bit of this article tells it all. I've been wearing a wire everywhere since February. I've got all the transcripts, important meetings, arguments with my kids, chats with disgruntled employees, late night bathroom routines. There's plenty more that I can't share if I want you to keep liking me. She has been willingly wearing a $50 Be Pioneer bracelet that records everything she says and uses AI to summarize her life and send her helpful reminders. Getting back to the article, I also tested two similar gadgets, the $199 limitless pendant and the $159 plaud note pin. These assistants can recall every dumb, private and cringe worthy thing that came out of my mouth. Is this the dawn of the AI surveillance state? Absolutely. Is it also the dream of hyper personal, all knowing AI assistants coming to life? Also? Yes, absolutely.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. It's funny, the first thing I thought of was and usually I'm. I'm my first go to is surveillance state, but my first thought was wow. If I had AI reminding me, hey remember you're gonna work on that getting your real id. The deadline's coming up. I would love that.

[Guest]

Yeah, and I was just gonna say if, if y' all are sitting there thinking what the hell good with this? To me she gets to that and it's pretty cool. Let me read more of her piece. Within hours of wearing the BE again, one of the three devices she tried, I was blown away at how quickly it turned ramblings and random chatter into useful, actionable information. Yet allow me to quote myself from February 24th at 5:15pm wow quote, this bracelet is really effing creepy. So here's how they work. And she mentions that all the denials we've heard through the years that social media apps are secretly listening to us too hard, too intensive, too much data, blah blah. Yeah please. But all those devices do that. They detect dialogue, especially your voice, and they stream the audio to your phone via Bluetooth, then to company servers where it's transcribed. AI models take the transcription and generate summaries which appear in the apps within minutes. Now, one of the devices does not save the audio. All it has is the transcriptions. The other one, limitless, keeps the audio, letting you play back full recordings of everything you've said.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, oh boy oh boy. It's a little weird for us because I have full recordings of what I say four hours a day, five days a week, the past 30 years, but. So it's not as foreign to me, but why? That'd be something.

[Guest]

But you. And I also have a heightened awareness of the difference between when the mics are on and when they're not true. And more than one good career has been ended because A mic was on and somebody thought it was not.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've had a few disagreements.

[Guest]

Dodge that bullet a couple of times ourselves.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've had a few disagreements in my life, like minor to major, where it would have been kind of handy to be able to go back and say, I'm pretty sure you didn't mention that to me. And they said, yeah, I did.

[Guest]

It's like those great commercials. Who is it? An insurance commercial guy? I can't remember. Let's go to the tape. And they go under the hood, right? Like NFL referees. Yes. Yes. Katie, I. I'm just thinking this sounds like a wife's dream. The amount of times I'm like, I told you we have dinner tonight at 5. No, you didn't. Oh, let's go to the tape. Let's go to the tape, sir.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's fantastic.

[Guest]

Then she gets into some of the technical ups and downs and Katie, we'd love to have you comment on this to your heart's content, but. And she gets. Gets into how AI is nothing without data. It needs data. So when you feed it everything you've said for days, weeks and months, it gets infinitely more useful. Also, yes, it becomes a lot more like a Black Mirror episode. But we'll get into that. She writes with massive transcripts of your life. The AI in these apps can summarize. They recap your conversations, often reading, like, a bad biography. This is great. The bee Device summary from April 9th. Joanna's day was a blend of familiar responsibilities and intense professional engagements. She ended the day listening to music by Sting. Riveting stuff. Can't wait for the movie adaptation. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

There'd be some days.

[Guest]

Excuse me.

[Jack Armstrong]

There'd be some days where you'd be a little disappointed. In the summary, you worked, you came home, you scrolled through Twitter, you ate crap and went to bed.

[Guest]

Mind your own business, AI Jack has eaten his 27th double quarter pounder this week.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

Thanks for keeping track. Yeah, who's counting? I am. The transcriptions themselves aren't all that accurate, but the summaries usually are. Well, except for March 24 conversation with Johnnie Cochran about trial evidence. Yep. Just a casual chat with a deceased celebrity lawyer. And she says in parentheses, I was watching the new OJ Documentary.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's funny.

[Guest]

But, Jack, to your prescient point earlier, some of the ways that they're helpful is summarizing things and reminders. Turns out, promise to do a lot of things without putting them on A to do list. B listens for action items and adds them to suggested lists. Because they understand the verbiage in an action item. It's repeatedly reminded me of important tasks like calling the plumber or following up on work stuff. But it also hilariously adds things I'd never put on a list, like, quote, check in on your sick son or schedule a follow up with your hairstylist to see. Discuss your haircut. Let's see. It analyzes.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, how great would that be? I'll bet this happens soon. And like a lot of things in life, we can't remember what it was like before it. Where. Where, you know, in 10 years. Remember when you. Like now, where I often think, you know, I go somewhere and I think, how did I used to get to places? I don't even remember how I used to get to places. Did I pull out a map or how did I even do it?

[Guest]

Ask friendly strangers, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah, sometimes you'd pull a gas station and say, you know, I'm looking for the sporting goods store, which I know is around here somewhere, but I can see here in a couple of years. It'd be like, do you remember when you used to have to remember things or write them down on a post it note instead of having AI tell me, remember, your son's got the volleyball game so you got to pick him up from school early. That sort of.

[Guest]

Yeah, right. I can't be the only person assembled friends who is not great at making to do lists. And how many times have I said, let me just think of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Make to do list.

[Guest]

Yeah, I won't bother. I'll remember it. I'll remember to make to do lists. How many times have I said, when I think of it, I don't have time and when I have time, I don't think of it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct.

[Guest]

Anyway, here's another thing. It does both be and limitless have chatbots. So you can ask about your recorded life. I asked B for a detailed breakdown of my cursing habits. Daily average 2.4. Curses, please. You're not even trying, sweetheart. But it can be.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you, a nun?

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

2.4 a day.

[Guest]

Yeah. Well, it's impressive. Well, she has kids. Good for you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, yeah, you're never in the car alone. Get out my blanking way.

[Guest]

But then she says it can be genuinely helpful, like, quote, look through my chats with Ethan from B and tell me what AI model it uses. So reminders of factual things you heard in a conversation that are a little fuzzy now.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, I'm starting to think I might. So all of this surveillance stuff we've all Opted in. We've all decided we're going to carry around a tracking device with us all the time. And we all know that. We just feel like the advantages outweigh the possible disadvantages. I think this might end up being true. For recording everything, I say that the advantages will outweigh the. You know how it could be misused. God, if you could quickly. You wouldn't even have to listen to the conversation. If AI could go back through the transcript and it would say, yeah, your wife did tell you that you had dinner tonight at five. Ah, crap. Or no, they didn't. It might be handy.

[Guest]

Yeah. I tell you, I would describe myself and again, I have a feeling I'm not unique in this is busy, well meaning and absentminded. And if my whatsits could say to me, hey, remember you agreed to play golf with Gordy tomorrow afternoon? I'd be like, oh shoot. Right. Because, you know, that's one of my great weaknesses.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you're built that way or you're not. It's so obvious because I got two kids that are completely different. I got one kid that's very close to me on terms of that stuff. Kind of like you just described my other kid. It just. It's just all locked in his brain all the time. He knows where everything is. He knows what's on the schedule today. He knows. It just. It's all there all the time. Yeah, but I can't. I can't try harder and be that way.

[Guest]

Yeah. One of the reasons my wife and I have escaped financial ruin and other bad fates is she's meticulous. And so, you know, when she like pays a bill late, it's alert the media, you know, it's just what. Anyway, how they're creepy. February 23, 5:15. In a conversation with my mom. This bracelet has nothing to do with fitness. It records everything that's being said as her mom was asking her. Nobody I talked to over the past few months would have known I was recording them if I hadn't told them. Fun. Like I'm a low budget Ethan Hunt. I don't. I don't get that reference. Despite some sort. Mostly though, I just felt like a creep. Yeah. And depending on the state, I might have been breaking the law.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. That's the other side of this. All that conversation stuff. Both ends of it should be as into it as maybe I would be because otherwise you're recording all your friends conversations. That's. And family. That's pretty dicey.

[Guest]

And then some of these are just hilarious. Because they have transcripts and summaries, right. Of your various conversations. This one's labeled interaction with pet dog. Browser. I think it's Bowser, but maybe it is. Browser. That's a very writer y thing to name your dog. Here's the transcript. Someone scolded browser for chewing something. Speaker 1 Browser, what are you doing? Speaker 1 Again. Can you not chew your. Whatever. Speaker 1 Again. Browser. Yeah. Oh, that is some useful stuff. Most of my recordings were in New Jersey and New York, which are one party consent states, and I'd agreed. But if I were in one of about a dozen states that require two party consent, I need permission from everyone in earshot or end up with a possible civil liability case.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's. I don't know how that's gonna work in states where you gotta have two party consent.

[Guest]

And then she quotes a lawyer, Jack, who surprisingly says, you better not, which is what lawyers are paid to say. More specifically, he says, I would make sure everyone has consented verbally. And while the risk might be low, he adds, we would never recommend people take that risk.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, geez, I mean, if somebody walks up to me and says I, I wear a device that records all of our conversations, just want to make sure that's okay with you. I'd be an automatic no, no, you're.

[Guest]

Freaking f. All the way off. Exactly how far away can you get in the next 10 seconds?

[Jack Armstrong]

How does this benefit me in any way? There's only downside.

[Guest]

So any thoughts, usefulness, hazards, etc, drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com we'll hit them around the same time tomorrow during the show.

[Jack Armstrong]

They kind of reminded me of stuff though, because it remembers what I said. That'd be cool.

[Guest]

Yeah, if they could refine it to promises and actions. And of course, you know, in the scenario we've, we've talked about a couple of times, it would have to be recording my wife saying, don't, don't forget we're having dinner with the Joneses next Tuesday.

[Jack Armstrong]

But does it also record? Remember the other night when you said you'd blink my blank?

[Guest]

Of course it'd be good to have a transcript right here in black and white.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, yeah, see, I see it's here.

[Guest]

Not trying to be argumentative here, but read the transcript.

[Jack Armstrong]

8:17 on April 3rd. I mean, it's just, it's just a fact.

[Producer]

Armstrong and getty.

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[Producer]

The Armstrong and Getty Show A Shadowy.

[News Reporter]

Network called 764 whose goal is to spark violence and chaos around the world, in part by luring in unsuspecting teenagers. 764 targets kids on social media and gaming platforms, extorting them into sending violent and sexual content. The FBI is warning parents to pay attention to who their kids are talking to on social media and gaming platforms. The FBI is investigating more than 250 suspects tied to 764 with every field office involved.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's just dandy. I am a parent of teenagers who'd never even heard of that in my life until two seconds ago, so that's just great. Let's just put that on the long list of things you can be concerned about if your kid's got a phone.

[Guest]

Not so fast. There's more to be concerned about if your kid has a phone. I was just reading that the hacker ring that you may remember put Vegas out of commission. What was that? Six years? Six months ago? A year ago? I don't know. Time flies when you're old. But they brought down all those casinos for a time. That is a very loosely assembled group of bored, malcontent, mischievous youngsters who call themselves the Khan or something like that. And this specific subgroup of the subgroup calls themselves Scattered Spider, I guess. And they just. They hack into various corporations and companies and government institutions and stuff like that for fun and mischief. And sometimes they steal, but sometimes they just screw with it.

[Jack Armstrong]

That whole keep track of who your kids talk to on social media and everything like that sounded a lot easier before my kids got old enough to be involved in that world. And as far as I can tell, I'm more strict than a lot of my son's friends. Parents are. And it's still. It's just. I mean, there's just so many opportunities for them to be involved with bad people. I mean, unless I'm going to be over his shoulder all the time.

[Guest]

Right? Yeah. I was a very big fan as a parent, partly for that reason. And I completely support the idea of trying not to. Trying to eliminate opportunities to do bad things 100%. But I realized at one point what you're talking about. And so I just really emphasize the underlying principles behind doing some things and not doing some things and how extremely important they were to me as their dad and their mom, certainly, but how important and fundamental they are to being a good person and a bad person. And then when they're loose on the town and they're presented with temptation, you hope and pray they make the right choice. And. Or if they make the wrong choice, it's not a disaster. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which has a lot to do with their friend group and everything else, which has always been true. But then the opportunity to get in trouble is exponentially greater now than it was 20 years ago. I mean, it's just a completely different world. You couldn't order heroin and a machine gun from tiny town in America when I was in high school or come across a, you know, an international pedophile sex ring. It just wasn't going to happen.

[Guest]

Yeah, I know, I know. I was going to bring up a kind of vague philosophical theme about the modern world. Don't really have time to get into it now, but has to do. And I can't get into specifics in my little world, really. You'll have to forgive me for that for now. But a friend of mine characterized kind of a mood as the slime from the Ghostbusters movies. The. The original Ghostbuster, the early 80s classic. Early 80s, like 83. When was that out?

[Jack Armstrong]

Something like.

[Guest]

Anyway, you may recall that when all the ghosts were running wild in New York City, one of the things they did was like, spread this green slime around. I ain't afraid of no ghosts. The effect it had was not just, you know, green slime is effect enough. Ick. But. But it caused New Yorkers to be angry and disagreeable and turn on each other and. And we were discussing a very local context and also the angst and unhappiness of youth and the fact that incumbents all over the developed world are getting tossed out of office and the parties that have been fairly stable and in power, you know, they switch places now and again, but they're just getting tossed aside. There is a near global feeling of angst and unhappiness that I don't ever recall before.

[Jack Armstrong]

True that.

[Guest]

What do we do with this information? Do about it?

[Jack Armstrong]

We get used to it. Do we settle into some or or it just keeps getting worse.

[Guest]

Buy heroin and machine guns on the Internet like we were discussing earlier.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fantastic.

[Producer]

The Armstrong and Getty Show. Get more Jack, more Joe podcasts and.

[Jack Armstrong]

Our hot [e-mail] this is an I Heart podcast.