Diggnation (Rebooted) Episode E014: "Quitting Booze, Quitting Alexa, and AI Tries to Replace Us All"

Release Date: May 13, 2025
Hosts: Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht

1. Introduction

After a 15-year hiatus, Diggnation returns with its rebooted format, diving into the hottest internet stories with Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht. In this episode, titled "Quitting Booze, Quitting Alexa, and AI Tries to Replace Us All," the hosts explore personal lifestyle changes, advancements in artificial intelligence, and the implications of these technologies on human interaction and community building.

2. Quitting Booze: Kevin’s Sobriety Journey

Kevin Rose opens the episode by sharing his personal journey of abstaining from alcohol. Having been sober for 15 days, Kevin discusses the initial challenges and the positive impacts on his health and wellbeing.

• Challenges and Benefits:
  “First 10 days sucked. It's called wet draws, dude.” ([02:27])
  Kevin acknowledges the difficulties of early sobriety but highlights improvements in his physical appearance and overall health.
  “I'm like glowing. I have less wrinkles.” ([02:36])

• Support Systems:
  Kevin emphasizes the importance of a support network, mentioning friends who have successfully maintained sobriety and the benefits of reaching the 90-day mark.
  “The 90 day mark is super special because you actually get comfort and like go back to that childhood kind of like anxiety-less state.” ([05:01])

• Alternative Vices:
  To replace his drinking habit, Kevin shares his new routines, including sauna sessions and spending quality time with his children building Legos.
  “Sauna is huge... Legos with my kids.” ([06:01])

3. Quitting Alexa: Alex’s Move to Home Assistant

Alex Albrecht discusses his decision to transition away from Amazon’s Alexa devices in favor of a more personalized and secure home automation system.

• Motivation for Change:
  Alex explains his desire to reduce reliance on commercial ecosystems and enhance privacy.
  “I didn't have to touch a switch. All the lights go on and off with simple voice commands.” ([39:56])

• DIY Home Automation:
  He elaborates on setting up his own LLM (Large Language Model) server to manage home automation tasks, integrating tools like 11 Labs for text-to-speech.
  “I'm gonna build my own LLM box in the house.” ([40:11])

• Practical Applications:
  Alex shares practical examples of their smart home setup, including automated lighting synced with their entertainment systems.
  “When I hit play, all the lights go down into theater mode.” ([41:01])

4. AI and Human Replacement: Navigating the Future

A significant portion of the episode delves into the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and the potential risks associated with AI replacing human roles, both socially and professionally.

• AI in Conversations:
  Kevin and Alex discuss the emergence of AI sexbots and the broader implications of AI attempting to replace human interactions.
  “AI Sexbots... it's gonna make conversations more stable but not replace human connection.” ([27:22])

• Community Integrity:
  The hosts express concerns over AI bots infiltrating online communities, referencing recent Reddit experiments where AI bots successfully changed users' views.
  “You have to make sure that there's a verified human on the back end.” ([35:18])

• Role of AI in Moderation:
  They explore how AI could assist in moderating discussions, fact-checking, and maintaining the quality of conversations without supplanting human moderators.
  “AI should be an helping partner... more like a moderator in the room.” ([30:04])

• Quotes:

  • Kevin Rose: “There are going to be a thousand AI agents trying to convince you of something.” ([35:13])
  • Alex Albrecht: “If we can use AI to bring people closer together, that is a win in my book.” ([29:52])

5. Building and Supporting Community: Groundbreakers Initiative

The hosts introduce their Groundbreakers program, aimed at fostering community involvement and supporting charitable causes.

• Fundraising and Charity:
  Groundbreakers sold out a 25,000-strong list, raising funds which were donated to The Nature Conservancy, Thorn, and Code.org based on community votes.
  “Nature Conservancy won out $95,000 going over to them.” ([24:36])

• Community Feedback:
  Justin highlights the value of community feedback in shaping product development, ensuring that the platform aligns with user needs and promotes meaningful interactions.
  “The real secret sauce is people meeting each other and building on the platform.” ([26:29])

6. Guest Appearance: J.C. Hayes Joins as Advisor

J.C. Hayes, with a rich background in community building and digital media, joins the episode to discuss his role as an advisor for Diggnation.

• Background and Expertise:
  Hayes shares his diverse experiences, from being a smokejumper and founding GameSpot in the late '90s to launching successful ventures like GoPro and an alcohol company.
  “GameSpot was early days gamers... then I was like, I'm out. I'm going to GoPro.” ([45:00])

• Vision for Diggnation:
  Hayes expresses enthusiasm about contributing to Diggnation’s growth, emphasizing the importance of authentic community engagement and leveraging his experience to build a sustainable platform.
  “These are the brains that need to build platforms that are bad for society? Doesn't really make sense.” ([50:32])

7. AI in Creative Industries: Runway AI’s Animated Pilot

Alex introduces Runway AI's initiative to generate an animated pilot, "Mars and Civ. No Vacancy," entirely through AI.

• Project Overview:
  Runway AI leverages generative models to create pilot content, showcasing both the potential and limitations of AI in animation.
  “It's a little creepy... feels like walking through mud.” ([51:56])

• Implications for Animation:
  The hosts debate the future of animation, contemplating whether AI will complement or replace human animators, and the ethical considerations of AI-generated content in mainstream media.
  “There is a happy balance to be made. Most big companies are hesitant to embrace AI in their creative processes.” ([58:16])
  “This feels like a giant squash step. I can't imagine a streamer saying yes to this.” ([52:32])

8. Fitness Technology: WHOOP 5 Tracker Review

Kevin introduces the latest iteration of the WHOOP fitness tracker, discussing its features and benefits.

• New Features:
  The WHOOP 5 offers a 14+ day battery life, wireless charging, enhanced sensor frequencies, and advanced health metrics like on-demand ECG and blood pressure insights.
  “It has a wireless charging pack... sensor frequency is 26 times a second.” ([64:07])

• User Experience:
  Kevin shares his personal experience with the WHOOP 5, highlighting improvements in heart rate variability (HRV) and overall health monitoring.
  “Mine says my heart is eight or nine years younger than my biological age.” ([65:00])

• Comparison with Competitors:
  The discussion contrasts WHOOP’s subscription model with devices like the Apple Watch, emphasizing WHOOP’s comprehensive data analytics and specialized health features.
  “WHOOP is free per month with their subscription plan, whereas Apple Watch doesn't have a monthly fee.” ([66:48])

9. 3D Printing Adventures: Alex’s DIY Projects

Alex shares his recent foray into 3D printing, detailing the process of designing and printing custom parts for home automation.

• Project Description:
  Faced with a malfunctioning electric strike plate, Alex designed a spacer using Fusion360 to prevent water damage, showcasing the practical applications of 3D printing.
  “I had to figure out how to use Fusion360... built the device that exists in virtual space.” ([73:35])

• Future Plans:
  Inspired by the capabilities of 3D printing, Alex contemplates investing in a high-end resin printer to expand his DIY projects, discussing the potential for creating intricate and durable components.
  “This is the first day and I got one. It’s coming.” ([75:15])

• Quotes:

  • Alex Albrecht: “It's like a game changer for even just the little thing.”* ([75:25])
  • Kevin Rose: “You'll just go around making door handles for everyone.”* ([78:59])

10. Apple's Ruling on External Purchases: Industry Implications

The hosts dissect Apple's recent legal ruling requiring apps to allow external link purchases for subscriptions and products, effectively bypassing Apple's in-app purchase system and its 30% commission.

• Overview of the Ruling:
  Apple is mandated to permit third-party payment systems within apps, enabling developers to direct users to external websites for purchases without incurring Apple’s fees.
  “Apple has to allow third-party external link purchases... bypassing the 30% commission.” ([79:22])

• Impact on Developers and Services:
  The decision provides major platforms like Spotify and Kindle the ability to sell directly to consumers, potentially reducing costs for both developers and users.
  “You can skip that line so you don't have to wait a couple years.” ([08:08])

• Economic Considerations:
  While Apple argues that the commission covers distribution and infrastructure costs, critics like Kevin highlight the disproportionate impact on developers, especially those relying on microtransactions.
  “Apple is taking 30% of transactions for things like buying a hat for $0.99.” ([84:10])

• Future Outlook:
  The hosts debate the balance between Apple's ecosystem benefits and its revenue model, contemplating how this ruling might reshape app development and monetization strategies.
  “It's a big shakeup of their... only one player to go to if you're in the Apple ecosystem.” ([83:52])

• Quotes:

  • Kevin Rose: “If you have a subscription model, this is a big deal because it's been four years in the making.” ([63:03])
  • Alex Albrecht: “If you go with someone like Stripe... you have to deal with returns, but they provide valuable services.” ([84:44])

Conclusion

In this episode, Kevin and Alex navigate through personal lifestyle changes, the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, and significant industry shifts impacting community platforms and app development. Their candid discussions, enriched with personal anecdotes and expert insights, provide listeners with a comprehensive look at the intersection of technology and daily life.

Notable Quotes:

• Kevin Rose: “There are going to be a thousand AI agents trying to convince you of something.” ([35:13])
• Alex Albrecht: “If we can use AI to bring people closer together, that is a win in my book.” ([29:52])
• Kevin Rose: “We have to guard this... ensure that there's a verified human on the back end.” ([36:46])

Disclaimer: This summary focuses on the core content of the episode, omitting advertisements, intros, outros, and non-essential sections to provide a clear and comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the full episode.