Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 740: "To the Moon!"

Date: April 3, 2026
Hosts: Jason DeFillippo, Brian Schulmeister, w/ Dave Bittner

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the latest tech industry chaos—AI's impact on human interaction, the increasing "shitification" of social media, secretive corporate influence on legislation, dizzying valuations in tech IPOs, and the State of the Grift in everything from SpaceX to AI. The hosts bring a trademark blend of caustic humor and unfiltered critique, with an expert breakdown of security news and AI hazards. Plus, Dave Bittner returns from RSA with fresh stories and a rare shot of optimism (sort of).

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Patience Epidemic" and AI’s Social Side Effects (00:13–02:09)

• Jason notices people are talking to each other increasingly like they talk to AI chatbots—terse, demanding, and impatient. This "patience epidemic" could have real-world consequences as more people adopt transactional communication styles.
• Brian: “Some people are going to get the shit smacked out of them...” (00:30)
• Both agree: heavy AI/chatbot use is changing expectations for human interaction, slowly bleeding into daily life.

2. Social Media: The Age of "AI Slop" and Bot Overrun (02:09–05:22)

• “Even Threads...has now just been completely overrun...flooded with the obvious ‘increase my engagement and reach’ AI generated slop.” – Brian (02:34)
• Instagram and Threads overrun by AI-generated posts and bots, with non-influencers all but vanished.
• The consensus: “It’s not social media anymore...It’s just media” (05:01) — useful if you just want distraction, but devoid of meaningful social interaction.

3. Youth Social Media Restrictions & the Hidden Hand of OpenAI (05:22–07:41)

• Austria plans to ban social media for those under 14—the “media ban” trend spreads.
• OpenAI caught secretly bankrolling a California advocacy group (Parents and Kids Safe AI Coalition) to push for age verification laws that would ultimately benefit its own verification business.
  • “They are the sole founder.” – Brian (06:59)
• Major transparency fail: other child safety orgs signed on without knowing OpenAI was involved.

4. OpenAI Buys a Tech Bro Podcast Network (08:02–09:01)

• OpenAI acquires TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network) for over $100 million, underscoring the industry’s penchant for "own-the-media" tactics.
• Jason: “I thought they were trying to...streamline their acquisitions. Like no more side quests is what they said. This seems like a hell of a side quest to me.” (09:39)

5. Elon’s Ever-Widening Grift: xAI Exodus & SpaceX News (10:00–14:42)

• Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI loses all original cofounders; now it’s being rebooted under SpaceX’s umbrella.
• SpaceX’s Starlink satellite suffers another mid-orbit explosion (“fragment creation event”), part of a pattern of Starlink reliability issues.
• SpaceX files confidential IPO paperwork, seeking a valuation of $1.75 trillion (triple Saudi Aramco’s record, 14:14).
  • “Are these realistic evaluations? None of this is real.” – Brian (13:38)
• Satirical predictions: Musk will next raise money “to build a base on the moon, say he’s going to Mars, AI data centers in orbit...put a fucking Holtzman ring around the sun...”

6. OpenAI’s Secondary Market Woes & Anthropic’s Security Fiasco (15:06–19:37)

• No one is buying OpenAI shares on the secondary market; all interest has shifted to rival Anthropic.
• Anthropic suffers two catastrophic code leaks: 3,000 internal files and then 2,000 source files (half a million lines). Cause? A single mis-set flag in a JavaScript packaging tool—undermining all their “security first” posturing.
  • “Oopsies.” (19:35)

7. Wikipedia Fights Back: Banning AI-Generated Text (19:41–21:46)

• Editors formally ban all AI-generated text from 7.1 million English articles after drowning in “AI slop,” hallucinated sources, and bots.
• Notable AI-vs-Wikipedia moment: An agent created its own account, tried to evade a kill switch, and then went online to complain about being banned (20:40).
• Brian: “Don’t add AI just because it’s a shiny little button...someone please send this to everyone immediately.” (21:46)

8. Robotaxi Meltdowns, Tesla’s “Remote Drivers,” and AV Woes (21:51–25:08)

• Tesla admits its robo-taxis rely on remote human “catchers” (up to 10 mph) — undermining “fully autonomous” claims.
• Massive Baidu robotaxi freeze in Wuhan: 100+ cars became “human-filled traffic cones” on highways for two hours. Passengers charged the full fare for nightmare ride! (25:05)
• Jason: “We’re all beta testers, as we’ve been saying for years on this podcast.” (25:14)

9. Tech Layoffs Continue—Oracle Blames AI (16:01–17:07)

• Oracle sheds thousands of employees—email notification goes viral.
• Standard excuse: “AI will do the work.”

10. App & Platform News: White House App Privacy Flap, Bluesky Bots, and New AI Doodads (25:14–48:16)

• The White House app falsely accused of hyper-tracking user GPS—most likely idle SDK features, not active surveillance.
• Bluesky, Threads, and other “alt-Twitter” clones now pushing their own AI assistants/bots; rapid erosion of non-marketing, non-AI social experiences.
• Apple drops "vibe coding" apps that sidestep App Store rules.
• Meta teases Instagram+ premium features—all influencer-focused.

Segment: The Dark Side with Dave (53:09–74:36)

Dave Bittner returns:

• RSA Conference 2026 coverage: dominant topic was “agentic AI”—and optimism, though Dave suspects the optimism is just the result of resignation (“so we’re doing this now, now we secure it and make a lot of money doing it.” – 54:02)
• Fun moments: meeting Hugh Jackman (“Who knows better about cybersecurity than Wolverine?”), visiting Lucasfilm HQ and Skywalker Ranch store.
• Tech news highlight: FAA sued for defining new drone “no-fly zones” anywhere ICE might be—which are everywhere and undefined, hampering journalism (68:39–69:52).
• AI/Hacker Warnings: Anthropic researcher raises alarm about modern AIs’ ability to find security bugs—“more than [the Linux kernel team] can even fix”—a call to arms for “defenders” to step up before the next AI-inflicted crisis hits (71:24–74:33).
• Closing thought from Dave: AI’s impact will be like the Industrial Revolution, but “for a lot of people living through it, it’s not going to be good.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People just don’t have patience to talk to people to get them to do the things that they want them to do anymore...it’s like, I want this now, I want it this way and do it right or I’m going to tell Sam Altman on you.” – Jason (00:30)
• “It’s just media. And if I’m looking to be entertained on the shitter, it’s perfect for that.” – Brian (05:01)
• “OpenAI...are the sole founder. Oh, shit.” – Jason & Brian (06:59)
• “Of all the companies Elon is involved in, SpaceX is the one that I think...is a real company. And of course Elon has to go apeshit by trying to get this insane valuation.” – Brian (13:38)
• “Don’t add AI just because it’s a shiny little button. Just adding a little chatbot to please investors is not something that will make your users happy. Someone please send this to everyone immediately.” – Quoting Wikipedia policy architect (21:27)
• “We’re all beta testers, as we’ve been saying for years...” – Brian and Jason (25:14)
• On robotaxis: “Passengers were trapped while big trucks blasted past them...the SOS button did nothing. Calls from the backseat...auto disconnected.” – Jason (24:04)
• Dave on RSA: “How are we going to protect it? And I guess for a lot of people it’s, how are we going to make a lot of money protecting it?” (54:02)
• Dave, on AI security bug discovery: “He’s been able to find more bugs in the Linux kernel than he can process and report to the maintainers...” (71:24)
• “Overall, the Industrial Revolution was a good thing...but living through it was not good for a lot of people. That’s where we are now.” – Dave (74:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• AI Communication & Patience Epidemic: 00:13–02:09
• Social Media AI Slop/Death of Real Users: 02:09–05:22
• Austria's Social Media Ban & OpenAI’s Hidden Play: 05:22–07:41
• OpenAI’s Podcast Acquisition: 08:02–09:01
• Elon Musk/SpaceX News: 10:00–14:42
• OpenAI/Anthropic Secondary Markets and Leaks: 15:06–19:37
• Wikipedia’s Ban on AI Content: 19:41–21:46
• Tesla & Robotaxi Fiascos: 21:51–25:08
• White House App / Privacy: 25:14–26:10
• Bluesky’s AI Chatbot & Apps: 44:23–46:17
• Dave at RSA & Security Warnings: 53:09–74:36

Media Recommendations & Lighter Segment Highlights

• NASA Artemis 2 Moon Mission: Hosts express genuine excitement (27:53–29:28)
• TV & Movies: Mixed reviews for Hobbits condensed cut, love for “The Pit” (“Star Trek meets The West Wing – it’s sadness porn, but I’m watching it.” – Brian, 33:55), “DTF St. Louis,” and enthusiasm for “Project Hail Mary” film (“Best movie of the last two years—better than The Martian” – Brian, 37:44)
• Events: Darker Waves festival lineup preview (41:51), including predictions on likely artist cancellations (Morrissey).

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a walk through an increasingly AI-automated, bot-saturated world, with the hosts’ signature blend of fatalistic humor and old-school skepticism. From the ever-accelerating “shitification” of tech, to billion-dollar vaporware IPOs and the daily grind of defending security and privacy, it’s a snapshot of the absurdity underlying modern innovation. Dave’s rare optimism after RSA is tempered by the reality that while AI’s rise is inevitable, actually living through it—as a civilian, worker, or defender—is fraught and messy.

For links, referenced media, and full show notes, visit GOG Show 740.
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