AI & Crypto: Robovan Transforms Transport, AI Tongue Takes Over, TikTok Cuts Jobs

Summary

Podcast Summary: Right About Now with Ryan Alford Episode: AI & Crypto: Robovan Transforms Transport, AI Tongue Takes Over, TikTok Cuts Jobs
Release Date: October 18, 2024

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Hosts

• Ryan Alford: Marketing expert with a background in developing successful ad campaigns for major brands.
• Chris Hansen: Ryan’s business partner and friend, providing insights and commentary.
• Brianna: Co-host contributing news segments and discussions.

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1. Weather and Personal Updates

Ryan Alford and Chris Hansen kick off the episode with casual banter about the fluctuating weather in South Carolina and Miami. Ryan mentions the challenges of dressing for the extreme temperature swings, highlighting the unpredictability of local weather patterns.

Ryan Alford [02:04]: "I am wearing a hoodie today. It's a little chilly in South Carolina."

Chris Hansen [05:07]: "Weather's been fairly nice after all the hurricane stuff last week."

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2. Branded Bills Gear and Podcast Promotion

Ryan takes a moment to promote their branded merchandise, appreciating the comfort and quality of their gear. He encourages listeners to subscribe to their YouTube channel and follow them on Spotify and Apple for automatic downloads and to support their sponsors.

Ryan Alford [02:15]: "I'm rocking my boy Sean Whalen's hat, too. Lions, not sheep."

Ryan Alford [04:00]: "You gotta subscribe on YouTube or just make sure you got us followed on Spotify or Apple."

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3. Business News

a. General Motors' Lithium Mining Investment

Brianna introduces the news about General Motors (GM) investing $625 million in a joint venture with Lithium Americas Corp. This investment aims to secure a domestic supply of lithium for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, sourced from Nevada.

Brianna [08:33]: "GM is investing $625 million in a joint venture to mine EV battery lithium in the US."

Ryan discusses the significance of this move for the EV industry, emphasizing the importance of sourcing materials domestically to drive job creation and economic growth.

Ryan Alford [10:09]: "The battery thing is moving forward at a high pace... driving jobs, driving opportunities."

b. Tesla’s Robovan (Robovin)

Brianna brings up Elon Musk’s unveiling of the Robovan (Robovin), a robot taxi developed by Tesla. She describes it as a futuristic, autonomous vehicle designed for transporting passengers without human drivers.

Brianna [13:04]: "Elon Musk unveiled the Robovan, a robot taxi that looks pretty spiffy."

Chris expresses skepticism about the technology's readiness, noting that the robots still require human control.

Chris Hansen [14:38]: "They were like, serving drinks at the event, but it was still human-controlled."

Ryan shares his concerns about the integration of autonomous vehicles with human-driven cars, highlighting safety and legal challenges.

Ryan Alford [16:02]: "I don't know how we're going to interject these two worlds together in a safe and legally enforceable way."

c. AI-Based Electronic Tongue

Brianna discusses an innovative AI development from Penn State: an electronic tongue capable of distinguishing between different flavors, such as Pepsi and Coke, using graphene-based transistors and neural networks.

Brianna [23:52]: "Researchers at Penn State developed an AI-based electronic tongue that can distinguish between Pepsi and Coke."

Ryan finds the technology fascinating and speculates on its applications in food development and quality control.

Ryan Alford [25:28]: "It mimics the human taste system... like a taste tester for different things."

Chris questions the practicality of the technology, pondering its real-world applications.

Chris Hansen [25:11]: "What are you trying to solve? What is this accomplishing?"

d. Meta’s Orion Augmented Reality Glasses

Brianna reports on Meta’s unveiling of the Orion AR Glasses, which project holograms and are controlled via a neural wristband using EMG technology. These glasses are designed to enhance personal computing by potentially replacing smartphones with more intuitive controls.

Brianna [34:19]: "Meta unveiled Orion augmented reality glasses that project holograms and are controlled by a neural wristband."

Ryan comments on the futuristic design and usability, comparing them to the Apple Vision Pro and expressing uncertainty about their practicality.

Ryan Alford [35:12]: "I still don't know how we go from smartphones to this hologram environment."

Chris reflects on the historical challenges of virtual reality, likening the current AR developments to past attempts that prioritized novelty over usability.

Chris Hansen [37:24]: "It was more novelty than actual usability."

e. TikTok’s Transition to AI Moderation and Layoffs

Brianna shares news that TikTok is shifting its content moderation to AI-driven systems, resulting in approximately 500 layoffs, primarily in Malaysia.

Brianna [28:11]: "TikTok is transitioning to AI-driven content moderation leading to nearly 500 layoffs."

Ryan supports the move, suggesting that AI is better suited for handling the vast amount of user-generated content.

Ryan Alford [28:34]: "Moderating TikToks seems like a job for a good robot."

Chris adds that similar changes are happening on Instagram, where AI algorithms are increasingly handling content flags before human intervention.

Chris Hansen [29:02]: "The algo robots don't like me because I post a lot of Trump content."

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4. Cryptocurrency Updates

Chris provides an update on Bitcoin’s performance, noting a 10% increase for the week, bringing it near the all-time high of $71,000.

Chris Hansen [31:33]: "Bitcoin's up near 67,000... climbing back up to the all-time high."

Ryan observes that the cryptocurrency market seems healthier, with Dogecoin showing significant gains.

Ryan Alford [32:00]: "Dogecoin is popping the heaviest of all of them."

Brianna suggests that the positive market sentiment might be linked to the current stable weather and optimistic business news.

Brianna [32:27]: "We’re on the upswing with the news and business hopefully."

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5. Las Vegas Raiders and Tom Brady’s Investment

Brianna reports that NFL legend Tom Brady, along with his partner Tom Wagner, has purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders for over $200 million. She quotes Brady’s statement on contributing to the team's tradition and striving for success.

Brianna [18:31]: "Tom Brady is now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. He said, 'I'm eager to contribute to the organization in any way I can.'"

Ryan questions Brady’s motivation for the investment, pondering whether it's purely profitable or driven by passion.

Ryan Alford [19:34]: "Why do you want to own part of a team? Is it just profitable?"

Chris suggests that the investment is likely a blend of emotional passion and financial interest.

Chris Hansen [20:06]: "It's probably more of an emotional investment."

Brianna adds that Brady’s involvement is expected to enhance the team’s valuation and appeal.

Brianna [21:27]: "The Raiders will benefit from having him as a part owner."

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6. Election and Voting Encouragement

Brianna highlights the importance of voting, mentioning their partnership with Independent Center, which focuses on unbiased news and policies. She urges listeners to participate in the upcoming elections and visit independentcenter.org for more information.

Brianna [32:36]: "Go visit our Partners Independent center, independentcenter.org... it's about policies, not parties."

Ryan emphasizes the civic duty of voting and encourages listeners to engage with non-partisan information sources.

Ryan Alford [33:02]: "You need to go visit our Partners Independent center... it's about policies, not parties."

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7. Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the hosts share light-hearted comments about their personal routines and encourage listeners to engage with the podcast through various platforms.

Chris Hansen [39:57]: "Live in the real world. Enjoy it before the robots come for us all."

Ryan Alford [40:03]: "I'm going to go take a cold plunge after everyone. Maybe for every episode."

Brianna [40:25]: "I'm not going to participate, but saw."

The hosts thank the audience for tuning in and remind them to visit their website, follow on social media, and explore sponsorship opportunities.

Ryan Alford [40:32]: "Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ryan Alford [02:15]: "I'm rocking my boy Sean Whalen's hat, too. Lions, not sheep."
• Brianna [08:33]: "GM is establishing a joint venture with Lithium Americas Corp. that includes the automaker supplying $625 million in cash and credit."
• Chris Hansen [14:38]: "They were serving drinks at the event, but it was still human-controlled."
• Brianna [18:31]: "Tom Brady is now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders."
• Ryan Alford [25:28]: "It mimics the human taste system... like a taste tester for different things."
• Chris Hansen [31:33]: "Bitcoin's up near 67,000... climbing back up to the all-time high."
• Ryan Alford [33:02]: "You need to go visit our Partners Independent center... it's about policies, not parties."

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Key Takeaways

• Innovation in Manufacturing and AI: GM's investment in lithium mining underscores the automotive industry's shift towards securing domestic supply chains for EV batteries. Concurrently, advancements like Tesla’s Robovan and Penn State’s AI-based electronic tongue highlight the ongoing integration of AI in diverse sectors.

• Emerging Technologies: Meta’s Orion AR Glasses and Tesla’s robotic innovations reflect the burgeoning field of augmented reality and autonomous vehicles, though practical applications and societal integration remain challenges.

• Social Media and AI: TikTok's move to AI-driven content moderation signifies a broader trend of automating oversight, potentially impacting global employment.

• Sports and Celebrity Investments: Tom Brady’s stake in the Las Vegas Raiders exemplifies the growing intersection between sports and high-profile personal investments.

• Cryptocurrency Trends: The positive movement in Bitcoin and Dogecoin suggests a resilient and potentially bullish cryptocurrency market amidst evolving economic conditions.

• Civic Engagement: The emphasis on voting and informed decision-making through non-partisan sources highlights the hosts’ commitment to encouraging active participation in democratic processes.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Right About Now with Ryan Alford" navigates through a blend of technological advancements, business investments, and societal changes, all delivered with the hosts' characteristic Southern charm and insightful commentary. From the automation of content moderation on TikTok to Tom Brady’s investment in the Raiders, the discussion emphasizes the interconnectedness of technology, business, and personal influence in shaping the future.

Listeners are encouraged to stay informed, engage with innovative technologies thoughtfully, and participate actively in civic duties such as voting. The episode seamlessly combines education and entertainment, making complex topics accessible and engaging for a broad audience.

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Visit www.RyanIsRight.com for more information, or follow @rightaboutnowshow and @ryanalford on Instagram.

Transcript

[Ryan Alford]

Struggling to grow or start your business or drowning in an ocean of urgency? You're not alone. I'm Matt Reynolds and my brother Chris and I have been in the trenches of entrepreneurship for nearly 40 years combined. We've built successful companies from the ground up. We're sharing our hard earning lessons and practical strategies on the build you'd business podcast. And I'm excited to say that the build your business podcast is the newest addition to the Radcast network. Learn more at Turnkey Coach. Build or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. This is right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast Network production. We are the number one business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month. Taking the BS out of business for over 6 years in over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping next and cashing checks? Well, it starts right about now. What's up, guys? Welcome to right about now. It is October 18, 2024. Our weekly business news of the week. Whatever random shit else we get into, you never know with this crew, especially with Brianna over here to my left. What's up? Hey, what's up, Chris Hansen and Miami. What's up, Chris?

[Chris Hansen]

What's up?

[Ryan Alford]

Hey. Ready to bring the heat? Ready to bring the thunder from down under here in South Carolina. South Carolina.

[Chris Hansen]

Is this podcast Wrestling?

[Ryan Alford]

Wrestling or. I know her. Brianna was thinking.

[Brianna]

She's thinking from down under.

[Ryan Alford]

She knows what that is. I. I didn't even think of it until I said. I'm like, I think that was like a mail review thing or something. Right?

[Brianna]

It's like a magic mic type of thing.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, okay. Yeah. I don't know. I can pull that off.

[Chris Hansen]

But it's also a deserted outback steakhouse, I think.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. Yes. Thunder from down under.

[Brianna]

It's a show in lack of.

[Ryan Alford]

We'll let Chris pull that off. You know, I'm a happily married man, but Chris has not yet, you know, crossed the barrier.

[Chris Hansen]

This doesn't work out. Maybe Vegas is showtime, baby.

[Ryan Alford]

Yes, Vegas. Miami should have something like that. Miami's like, yeah, kind of Vegas. He's South Beach.

[Chris Hansen]

It might.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

Not that I go, but South Beach Thunder.

[Ryan Alford]

Who knows? But look, I will say this. I would just get right into it. I am wearing a hoodie today. It's a little chilly in South Carolina. And not just any hoodie. Talking about that, branded bills, gear. You know what I'm talking about? This thing is tight. And I don't mean like, you know, medium tight. I mean like tight as in comfy and looking good. Appreciate them for always sending us the best gear. We've got hats, hoodies, T shirts. You know, we're taking the BS out of business and they're taking the BS out of dealing with custom merchants. Because that's what they do. They do it for us, they do it for you. To make your brand stand out and just want to get right to them. Because I'm feeling, hey, this is South Carolina for you, though. We go from, you know, sweating like a week ago, like 88. And, you know, it was like a balmy 40 this morning. I think I'm like, okay, I'm going to rock that brandability and want to. This been staring at me in the closet like a, you know, shooting through me like, oh, I'm going to wear it. No, it's 87. I can't put it on. I'll burn up.

[Brianna]

I noticed there's no transition between when the air conditioner goes off and then the heater turns on.

[Ryan Alford]

That's. That is South Carolina. You don't get like, you know, oh, we're going to get some 60s and, you know, low of 60, high of 70. This is in California, you know. No, you go straight from 88 in the day, 40 in the morning, you know, and like next week we'll have. I look, it's be like 82 at night or day time and like 47 at night, 40 degree swings. So you, you always gotta run that power.

[Brianna]

Yeah, exactly. No break.

[Ryan Alford]

That's how it is. Hope you're. Everyone out there is doing well. Whenever, wherever you're listening, hopefully you're watching so that number one, you can see this gear. I'm rocking. Rocking my boy Sean Whalen's hat, too. Lions, not sheep. Hope Sean's doing well. I haven't talked to him in a while. Had him on the show a couple years ago, but always following him. Super good motivation guy. I like Sean and. But I, I will say I am, you know, watching our numbers on YouTube climb up and if you're not watching on YouTube or Spotify, you gotta watch us, you know, you gotta see just how beautiful Brianna, how pretty Chris is. You know, you got to deal with me and. But you come to look at them. You come to listen to me. Maybe, maybe neither. But we would appreciate if you go subscribe on YouTube or just make sure you got us followed on Spotify or Apple. That's how this works, folks. You get the automatic downloads. We need those downloads for these sponsors. Come on. That's how this works. You get free content and we support our sponsors. So give them a shout. Chris, how's the week been in old Miami there?

[Chris Hansen]

It's good. It's quiet. I mean, Florida last week was crazy with all the hurricane stuff, so I think it's settled. Weather's been fairly. Fairly nice.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

We'Re enjoying a break from the rain.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, exactly. Hopefully no more hurricanes. I don't know. Is it looking clear right now?

[Chris Hansen]

I mean, so far, so good. Supposedly there's a cold front rolling in, but it's doesn't feel very cool outside.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. What's the business vibe like in Miami these days? Like, you know, south beach, that area. I mean, you're hanging out with people is. I mean, with the election, everything, like, what's sort of the temperament?

[Chris Hansen]

I think south beach is always popping.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, right.

[Chris Hansen]

I mean, at least when I've been out there, restaurants are still busy, people are going out, you know, I mean, but again, that's South Beach. That's probably a lot of tourism. So it's like Vegas. People always got money to come spend here. But the local businesses that I speak with is definitely a little bit of. It's a little slow right now, but we're also coming into season with all the snowbirds coming back down. So you can see that just in the traffic. You know, you got way more cars on the road now than you did two months ago.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, you got the old slow folks. Are they slow? Are they aggressive?

[Chris Hansen]

They're slow, bro. They're very slow.

[Ryan Alford]

You're, like, rocking behind them, like, okay, we're going 40 and a 60.

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

I don't know if you can get up to 60 in Miami. I was driving freaking Christmas Ferrari, and it's like, he's got the speed machine, and I couldn't get it past, like, 45 because, like, there's just so much traffic.

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brianna]

The traffic is getting bad in Greenville, too. Tell you what. Wasn't expecting that.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. G. Vegas traffic, baby. Surprisingly thick sometimes.

[Brianna]

Yeah. I tell you what.

[Ryan Alford]

I live playing eight miles from work and coming through downtown, it's been taking me like 14 to 16 minutes. Like 0.8.

[Brianna]

Yeah, yeah. Not eight miles.

[Ryan Alford]

0.8, 0.8. I go. It's over the river and through the woods to kind of get over here, though, from our house, you could throw.

[Brianna]

A rock and probably hit your house.

[Ryan Alford]

I can definitely hit a driver close to it, but that's why I'm get. I got. I'm getting me, like, an E bike, so I'm going to have Natalie, who's our sponsorship Dragger. We're going to find like a electric motorcycle company. I, you know, I got like an E bike now, but it's not quite like motorcycle is enough for me. I need like a little electric motorcycle.

[Brianna]

I did. See in case you're interested, somebody here parks their razor scooter, could probably get one of those.

[Ryan Alford]

I'm not going to scoot. I, I, I'm sorry. Like I got to draw the line somewhere. Like the scooter is just, I know adults ride them now they got the adult scooters, but I'm too big for that. I, not only am I an adult, but I'm a big adult. So it's like these, me riding down the trail on the scooter. Like hey guys, coming through. Look out. Beep beep. Big guy on a little scooter.

[Brianna]

No.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. No, I don't think so. I want like Cafe Racer, you know, like, well, I haven't got my eye on a couple. We'll see what we can pull off here. It's not a sponsor. I might just have to buy one.

[Brianna]

Yes, you heard it here, folks. Sponsor Ryan, who needs a motorcycle scooter.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, exactly.

[Brianna]

Speaking of money, if you're interested, I have an article here from cnbc. It does look like things in the business news world are picking up this week. Last week was a little bit quiet. This week we have GM investing 625 million in a joint venture to mine EV battery lithium in the US so GM is establishing a joint venture with Lithium Americas Corp. That includes the automaker supplying 625 million in cash and credit to the company. So it looks like this sourcing these EV materials is coming out of Nevada.

[Ryan Alford]

Brianna's a little bit of a conspiracy theorist. So I'm just going to let our audience know this, you're going to notice about her. I think this is a setup for us to somehow talk about the North Carolina. If you're following on Facebook all the conspiracy theories about the land in North Carolina, is this a setup to actually get to that?

[Brianna]

It's not, it's truly, truly not. But I'm sure.

[Chris Hansen]

I thought that was a setup too. Oh yeah, I was like, don't tell me they're about to start mining in North Carolina, bro.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, but somewhere else. So you're just, you're just, this is signaling virtue, signaling that, that this is a thing, this lithium mining. And it might take places some places. Not in North Carolina or South Carolina.

[Brianna]

This is in Nevada. But if we, we could do a spin off show that's just Chris and I and our conspiracy.

[Ryan Alford]

Yes, yes, the Right about now conspiracy theories series. There we go. There you go. I like it.

[Brianna]

No, I actually just. I pulled this article because I thought it was really good. I liked to see money being spent, you know, pulling resources from America for American companies. So, you know, obviously we get a lot of our resources from overseas. I think it's good that we invest in pulling our own resources here.

[Ryan Alford]

I mean, one way or another, the battery thing is not going back in the bottle. That genie is not going back in the bottle. You know, I think we've realized that not every car is going to be Electric by 2030, but the battery thing is moving forward at a high pace. And so if we can make the materials mine, the materials here, keep as much of that happening here. Like you said, driving jobs, driving opportunities, and then obviously our own resources, that's extremely important and newsworthy because I do think, you know, I was you talking about the electric motorcycle thing. The battery technology has come a long way. The things that can be. I mean, think about all the yard tools. All the stuff, like the stuff that just had. Had to be gas 15 years, 20 years ago now. I mean, there's, I don't know, South Carolina. We don't need it. But snowblowers, like electric snow, like chainsaws, which is kind of scary because my dad.

[Chris Hansen]

Noise in an electric chainsaw, cutting up trees from after the hurricane.

[Ryan Alford]

That scares me a little bit because I feel like you need that noise feedback because it's a chainsaw. I think you almost need that just to remind you how dangerous it is. It's just be like, oh, you quietly cut your arm off. Oh, yeah. Like, well, that's not good. But blowers. I got a blower that practically, like, moves my house off the foundation.

[Brianna]

It's like, is it electric?

[Ryan Alford]

It's electric and it's strong.

[Brianna]

I still have a gas. We have like the, I don't know, 600 gas power backpack, leaf blower from when we lived on a farm, and we're in, like our little subdivision house with it.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, but the battery technology come a long way. A lot of things are using it. So if we can mine it here, I do think more and more vehicles, you know, I. I can get behind the motorcycles and scooters and all that stuff. I don't know how many. You know, if you got to take cross country, these batteries have to come a long way before you have to be charging every. I don't know how far. That's. That's kind of Been my. I like the Rivians. They're stylish. It's probably, like, the coolest styling that I like. But I. But I've just been on the fence because I don't. And I don't even drive that far. But if I want to hop in the car, go to Nashville or something, I ain't making it in one of those things. Not on one charge.

[Brianna]

Because you can go an estimated 420 miles on one charge in the Rivian.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, that's the only thing that's getting to Nashville. Nashville's about 600 miles. 550 maybe, or close. And so. But. And that's. Then I don't think of that as that far. It's like five or six hours. And I don't know.

[Brianna]

I think it only works if you find a charging station that's, like, conveniently located. So you're going to stop and have lunch. So you plug in, go into the restaurant, have lunch, and then when you.

[Ryan Alford]

Get back out, I'm Clark Roosevelt, baby. This is. How long can we tolerate in the car to get there?

[Brianna]

Oh, I'm not.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh.

[Brianna]

I'm like, oh, I'm going on a road trip. I'm going to get my snacks.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, yeah, you stop once at the beginning and you load up, you know? And this is, like, dumb and derma, too. We get the glass bottles. You got to go. Here, take the bottle.

[Brianna]

Oh, my. Well, speaking of electric vehicles, I don't know if you guys saw this, but Elon Musk unveiled the Reboven. So, robo van, but we're calling it Robovin. It is a robot taxi. Looks like this. Yeah, it's pretty spiffy. So Tesla had a pretty big week this week. I did not include it in our news articles, but I don't know if you guys saw. He launched the spaceship. I don't know if that's the right term. And then it came back, and he caught it in, like, a little thing. And it caught it, caught it. It was really cool. I saw the video.

[Ryan Alford]

The robo van thing. I didn't see it live or, like, I haven't checked all. Every single article. I thought it was getting, like, panned for some reason. It's not being that great. I don't know. But I don't know if that's just the mainstream news now hating on everything Elon does because, you know, he's pro Trump, but. Or if it really was lackluster. I don't know. Chris, did you see any of that?

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah, I saw more People talking about the actual robots that they revealed.

[Brianna]

Yes, Optimus.

[Ryan Alford]

Optimus Prime.

[Chris Hansen]

I also read that they were not autonomous, that they were still humans controlling them remotely behind. So you had like a robot bartender that was communicating. Well, you still had a human somewhere in a control center controlling this. So they were kind of building up to like a Steve Jobs type of thing. It's like you have this big hype release, but like the technology is still not like there or it's not that great. So that's what I took from it. I. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about all the robot stuff.

[Brianna]

I freaks me out. But it's definitely interesting. I just dropped a link with a video to the van if you guys want to check it out. And yeah, I heard the same thing that you heard, Chris, that the humanoid Optimus was like, there was somebody speaking through it. So they were like serving drinks at the event that Elon had. But yeah, it still was like human controlled robot, which. I kind of like the idea of a human controlled robot. I don't need a robot taking over my house. I've seen. I've seen a lot of these.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, the movies are just kind of.

[Chris Hansen]

Like remote robot operators.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

Sitting at home, like with their robot body and.

[Ryan Alford]

Exactly.

[Brianna]

Yeah. It'll be like the robots doing the job the human used to do, like checking out at the grocery store, but the human sitting at home on a computer controlling the robot.

[Chris Hansen]

Wild.

[Ryan Alford]

The robo taxi thing makes sense to me, you know, like gets. But it's.

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

I still, I don't know where the conversion of, you know, humans on the road versus robots on the road, like how you cross those paths of the reality of them having an accident versus the human, even if it's the human, then it just seems like that's an all or that's past my pay grade. But like, it feels like an all or nothing proposition. Like if you moved into a new. Like if we build a new city and day one, every vehicle was a robot robo taxi, you know, so that it's all powered that way versus the intermix of old tech, new tech robots. Non. Then that seems feasible.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

I don't know how we're going to interject these two worlds together in a safe and legally enforceable way.

[Brianna]

I think I'm more comfortable driving on the roads with robots than I am driving on the roads with Joe Schmo, who may or may not be a licensed.

[Ryan Alford]

Well, everybody's on their phone anyway. And so it's like all right. We can acknowledge that or not. And, like, get some robo vans going and. Yeah, I'd be fine taking a robo van to work. I just don't really want to get hit by some robo idiot that's texting, which we know who that is. Probably my 15 year old that just got his license and have to smack that kid around.

[Brianna]

Scary.

[Ryan Alford]

I know. It's like, disable your phone immediately every time you get in a car. I think that there's a feature for that.

[Brianna]

They have these things. This is not an ad, but if they would like to sponsor us, we would love it. It's called a brick. And you can stick it, like on the dashboard of your car and you. Qr. It's like a QR code. You scan it and it like disables all the apps on your phone so you can only call. So if you have an emergency, you could call.

[Ryan Alford]

I probably should get that.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

I stay off mine for the most part, but I'm. I, I'm not immune to it. And I, I'd rather almost just have the kind of like take the bullets out of the gun at that moment. Like, don't even be distracted.

[Brianna]

Yeah. And then the cool thing.

[Ryan Alford]

But I want to choose to not be distracted and not have, you know, someone choose it for me.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Brianna]

It's pretty cool. In other news, I have some Las Vegas Raiders news that's always weird to say as somebody that is from California, LA Raiders and grew up. Yeah, grew up with them.

[Ryan Alford]

Or Oakland Raiders.

[Brianna]

In Oakland. Yeah. So Oakland used to have the Raiders and the A's, and now it has no teams. Tom Brady and partner Tom Wagner to pay over $200 million for a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL owners approved former superstar quarterback Tom Brady as the minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. And I have a quote here from Tom Brady. I'm eager to contribute to the organization in any way I can, honoring the Raiders rich tradition while finding every possible opportunity to improve our offering to fans and most importantly, win football games.

[Ryan Alford]

Tom Brady's. Yeah. NFL legend, hall of Famer. To be like, why do you want to own part of a team? Like, is just that profitable to say you own part of a team?

[Brianna]

Like, I. I'm surprised it was this team.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I don't. But probably because it's for sale or something, but. Or just being in Las Vegas, I guess if you're going to buy one, the most potential with all the stuff around it. But I don't know, like, minority stake. Because these, these Things these teams go for like 3, 4, 5 billion. So you know, 200 million is a lot of money, but that's only like, I don't know, 10 stake, maybe 8%. What's the motivation just to say you're a minority owner? What do you think, Chris?

[Chris Hansen]

I mean obviously he's got a passion for the game, but I don't know anything about the profitability or margins on, on NFL teams. But if for me, my thought would be it's probably more of an emotional investment, I would think.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

You know, like staying involved in your passion. Who knows, man, I'd love to know.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, no, I think it makes money. I mean it's very, very profitable.

[Chris Hansen]

It's both. Yeah. I think profitable. Passion, investment, probably. Maybe he feels he can help the team.

[Ryan Alford]

I wonder if it's also like, I mean Brady's. I don't know what his net worth is. It probably. He's probably not a billionaire, but he's not probably far off of it and maybe it's like to eventually own the whole thing.

[Brianna]

It says that his 200 million is only 5%.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, that's sounds right.

[Brianna]

Let's find out. His net worth is 300 million.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. So 4 billion to buy it at 5%. I'm doing my math. Right. So but you know what with all his deals and his clothing line that's now intermixed, they partnered with the shoe company that I'm forgetting the name of. But you know, he might get to where he could be in that territory.

[Chris Hansen]

Him being involved is going to up the valuation.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

Alone. You know what I mean?

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

Like it's already going to appreciate for just this, this article.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, it's a great, it's the biggest influencer deal in history, you know, but he actually paid. But he, but his, his value, it went up because of his own name, image and likeness. Right. That the team value went from 4 billion to 5 billion. So his 200 million immediately went up in value. That makes sense.

[Brianna]

But I think that the Raiders will benefit from having him, you know, be a part owner of their team. For sure.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. I mean, you know, I've yet to see Brady tied to anything that tends to go sour. The guy is one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Probably the best, definitely the best quarterback ever. And then just his work ethic and seemingly stand up values that as far as what I can see, I don't think it's going to hurt the organization. It's going to help, but I don't know how that Translates to wins and losses. I mean that. I will say that team has had a hard time holding success in the NFL. Yeah, they've had their moments in Oakland like 20 years ago and a blip here or there, but they're not a historical winner.

[Brianna]

Yeah. So I would agree with that as a 49ers fan. In other news, AI related news. I thought this was an interesting article, Ryan, that you had shared. AI tongue distinguishes between Pepsi and Coke. Researchers at Penn State developed an AI based electronic tongue using a graphene based transitioner combined with artificial neural network. Excuse my tongue.

[Ryan Alford]

Everybody loves a good graphene based transistor. I got four of those at home. You, Chris, There's a lot of word.

[Chris Hansen]

Jumble in this one.

[Brianna]

Yes, it's word salad. But basically there's a.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, an AI.

[Brianna]

Time that can distinguish between tastes. Specifically Pepsi and Coke. I thought it was super interesting. I can't even distinguish between.

[Ryan Alford]

I can definitely distinguish between Pepsi and Coke. Coke, Pepsi sweeter. Coke's a little more fizzier or whatever. At least to me. Like it's. I can definitely distinguish between the two now. Coke 0 is the bomb. Like, it's the best of all worlds, especially cherry Coke Zero. I'm. If I could only have one drink and it wasn't a beer, it would be Cherry Coke Zero. It's delicious. If I knew it was healthy, I've backed off of it. I kind of got into a dangerous spot where I was drinking like five a day and now have one a week. Like literally that's it, one a week. But I could totally tell the difference between the two. I just think this is fascinating to me, maybe just because it's an electronic tongue and I'm 12 years old, but. And the word salad, you know, makes me think of other salads. But what is. Stay away from there. Chris, what do you think about this AI tongue?

[Chris Hansen]

My question is why? Like what, like, what's the goal here? What are you trying to solve? What is this accomplishing? Is this for people that don't have taste buds?

[Ryan Alford]

No, it's for like, for future development of food. It can help when you're. It's taste. As a taste tester for different things, I think is how I would sort of see it. It mimics the human taste system. So it will have the ability to maybe, yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

But I think from my experience, everyone's individuals, what they like, what tastes good, what's bad, the level of spice or not spice. You know what I mean?

[Brianna]

It's like, it's subjective.

[Chris Hansen]

How do you Right. How do you say, like, well, this is. This is gonna. If I'm developing products, which is what I assume this is for. Oh, this is gonna go really well.

[Ryan Alford]

But they do. There's a norm, though. Like, there's things that taste that the majority of people think tastes good, and there's always going to be individual tastes. But I think all brands taste test foods they're developing and go, okay, did at least 60% of the people that taste it go, oh, I like this taste versus that taste.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

And I would think taking more jobs, man.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah.

[Chris Hansen]

Lose their damn jobs and stay at.

[Ryan Alford]

Home moms, the inner taste testers or whatever they are. Who. I don't know. Who's a taste tester? Well, I've never been asked. I'd be perfect. I'm like, I'm a good taste tester.

[Brianna]

I think that it's a little bit scary because what it reminds me of is how, like, chemically motivated our food processing system is. And, like, basically, like, manufacturers of food are manufacturing, not food. Right. And so it will aid in that process.

[Ryan Alford]

I just wonder, you know, if every movie is going to become reality, which it seems to. So, following that track of scientific, you know, reality here, at what point are we, like those movies where, you know, you go up to a Coke machine and you, you know, hit your meal of the day, like, where it's. I mean, it is probably processed food, but because, like, you know, the earth runs out of certain resources or whatever, like, it probably does. I hope none of my family generations have to see it. But there comes a day where won't we have to rely on some amount of food engineering?

[Brianna]

I mean, you would hope not. I guess that would be a question for, like, the health of the top soil and farming and, like, you know, if we develop as a nation to where there's no, you know, there's cement over everything. Right. And there's no farmland. I could see that happening. Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. I'm just. I don't want that to happen.

[Brianna]

But that's why it's so important to grow a garden.

[Ryan Alford]

I've got one.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Still producing tomatoes, right? Nash came in yesterday with, like, seven. I'm like, what is going on?

[Brianna]

I still have a bunch of cucumbers in my fridge that Ryan gave me from his garden.

[Ryan Alford]

See? Like, it's unbelievable. I can't believe how well the soil does with plutonium in it. I didn't know that would work so well. My God, I ate some of that already. No kidding.

[Brianna]

Another AI related article here we got a Lot of AI going on in the world, which obviously, you know, if you haven't embraced it already, it is time to embrace AI. TikTok pivoting to AI moderators Looks like TikTok is transitioning to AI driven content moderation leading to nearly 500 layoffs, mainly in Malaysia.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I mean if I had to watch TikToks all day and moderate that shit, I'd, you know, I've just assumed robot do it. I don't know, I give me the taste testing but I don't want the moderating. TikTok, it seems like a job for a good robot.

[Brianna]

I think so too. It says definitely like more efficient, more scalable, more consistent in managing user generated content across TikTok's global.

[Ryan Alford]

I think there's going to be these lines where you feel like okay, that seems right for AI and that doesn't like something that's more like this feels like right up the alley.

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah, I mean it's happening now on Instagram. The algo robot will flag me for something and I can request it and then it goes to a human and then it's up to their discretion.

[Brianna]

So yeah, the algo robots don't like me because I post a lot of Trump content and rfk.

[Chris Hansen]

Yeah, they don't like me either.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I, I don't know if they like me or not, but I just.

[Brianna]

Keep just posting the B content.

[Chris Hansen]

I know because I had violations this morning. I looked at like six of them.

[Ryan Alford]

I don't have any violations.

[Brianna]

No.

[Ryan Alford]

And I mean we've posted my opinion stuff but I don't think it's vacay.

[Chris Hansen]

Related usually or like firearms related. Yeah, like if I'm out in the woods with a gun or something.

[Ryan Alford]

I did get that once.

[Chris Hansen]

I watch war videos all day of Ukraine and all that. But me with the picture, deer hunting. No animal in the picture, just me and a gun.

[Ryan Alford]

Is I picture I have out shooting IAR probably three years ago. I remember that, putting a story up about that and that did get flagged. It's like, come on, whatever. I'm just shooting like at a target. You know, just because it happened to be moving human doesn't make it that bad. Kidding joke. It's a bad joke. It's joking. Entertainment news show. No, it was a flat target on just a tree and I was like, I think I went up to it showing where I hit like millimeter from the target, you know, I'm so proud from 20ft I could hit like right on that target. 20ft. No, it was like 200 yards actually.

[Brianna]

I think it's an important skill to have, you know, firearm safety, being a responsible gun owner, you know, finding and you know, securing your own food. Chris, good job for that and you know, being self sustainable. Definitely good skills to have.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I might not be able to shoot a deer, but I'll wrangle one up and choke it.

[Chris Hansen]

With your electric scooter.

[Ryan Alford]

High powered electric scooter catcher. Yeah, running right into them. Yeah, I'll shoot them.

[Brianna]

Let's see Chris, what is going on with bitcoin in the news today?

[Chris Hansen]

Bitcoin's up. Last time I checked before the show I think I saw it was up like 10 for the week. So it's up near 67, 68,000. I think the high all time was around like 70, 71. So it's climbing back up to that. Not financial advice but as always doesn't hurt to dollar cost average and invest a little bit every week or every month and just set it and forget it.

[Brianna]

Set it and forget it all.

[Ryan Alford]

The crypto seems to be popping a little bit, doesn't it? The dogecoin returns.

[Chris Hansen]

Dogecoin is popping the heaviest of all of them. Elon's, you know, famed meme coin as they call it. But yeah, the market's healthier. We're kind of in that natural up cycle now. So I'm hoping the next couple months it just steadily kind of goes up.

[Brianna]

Maybe it's because we don't have any active storms, but I feel like we are like on the upswing with the news and business hopefully.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, we'll see. It's all the polling data. The early polling data trumps up like big 16 points. Yeah, good. But I don't know what that means. You know, historically it usually means good things, but who the hell knows? This could be a crazy next few weeks.

[Brianna]

Yeah, we'll see. What do we have? Four or five weeks to election day. I had to approve some requests off for our team to go to their home states to vote.

[Ryan Alford]

Yep.

[Brianna]

I was like absolutely do it.

[Ryan Alford]

I will say that you got to get out and vote people ultimately. And I mean that that's sort of like your American duty. Yeah, vote who you can vote for. It doesn't matter if it's right left. Ultimately I'm an independent but we know where I'm voting this time around. But it doesn't matter where you vote. But you need to go visit our Partners Independent center, independentcenter.org I was actually looking at a couple of their charts. They've got. They've done polling in some of the battleground states. I was looking at that. There's like Nebraska and North Carolina, some of the places where I guess some things have been on the fence. Some of the other positions that are in debate, like which ones are going to which way it's going to go and they think that'll swing some of the presidential stuff and they've got all this independent voting. They go out and ask the tough questions. It's not right or left pointed, slanted. It's all independent news and it's all from our partner Independent Center. Go to independentcenter.org also the link in my bio. Sign up for the newsletter. You'll get information every week that you need to be aware of because again, it's about policies, not parties. Go check them out.

[Brianna]

Independentcenter.org Meta Orion AR Glasses Maida unveiled Orion augmented reality glasses that project holograms and are controlled by a neural wristband using EMG technology. These glasses represent made as vision for the future Vision, pun intended. Personal computing, potentially replacing smartphones with more intuitive seamless controls.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, the hologram thing is interesting. You're doing really well with all the words today.

[Brianna]

Yeah.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. And I mean, I don't know if it's meta or meta, but what did I say? Made a. That's the first time I heard like you're at your California. I don't know if it's California accent, but like that's where is that a California accent?

[Brianna]

I don't know folks.

[Ryan Alford]

Maida, that's. I say meta. It's meta. Old meta. That's a Southern accent. The look, I don't know where all the metaverse stuff is going to end up going, but I will say I did check this out and I was seeing the form factor and the hologram stuff was pretty cool. I still don't know how we go from this world with the smartphone in the high def screen to this hologram environment. That's sort of, I don't know, not what I consider high def necessarily, but still interesting nonetheless. As long as Luke Skywalker comes out, I have three CPO who can project the hologram on something, whatever it is. That's what I think of. I think a holograms like I think.

[Brianna]

It was that movie where they. It would be like off their wrists. It'll be like a watch and it would pop up. A hologram.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Brianna]

Limitless.

[Ryan Alford]

I do think that the glasses are a lot more manageable than the freaking Apple Vision Pro. Like These. These are like sunglasses. I might actually wear the one that. That was demoed on the article. So we're getting closer to a form factor. But I still don't know, like, the distraction of in your eyes while you're walking around and like, how much data is coming in. Like, I guess if you're not walking around and not being distracted, it's also.

[Brianna]

Something Mason on our team would wear. Mason on our team is very into all of this type of stuff. I personally will not be caught wearing the AR glasses.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, Chris might wear them.

[Brianna]

I could see Chris.

[Ryan Alford]

We'll see.

[Chris Hansen]

Try them out. I. I'm with you on it. What's the usability? Right? Like, how functional is it really? Or is it something you're just kind of like sitting down using, you know. So we've talked about this, man. What was video game virtual reality thing with the red one with the.

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, yeah, I forget the name of it.

[Chris Hansen]

I just think back. That was 30 years ago, right? And they were kind of still trying to do this in the game Boy, novelty, whatever. It was more novelty than actual usability.

[Ryan Alford]

So I feel like we're like, we're a solution in search of a problem. Like all this stuff, like, it's like I've yet to. You know, sometimes technology comes along and it's so obvious, like, holy shit. This. Oh, what? Where? Wow. Where's this been my whole Life? You know, MP3 players, the smartphone itself, once it sort of got adapted and had apps, it's like. But this feels like it's. We're getting closer. Maybe because it's not the big goggles from Apple that just don't. Are kind of crazy unless you're sitting at home. But this is sort of like, all right, we want this to work so bad. We want this meta thing, we want this virtual. We got this augmented reality. It has to work. We're going to find something's going to stick. We're like throwing spaghetti on the wall. Like, okay, what's good, right? You like this? Oh, you don't. How about this? Like, you know, like, me trying to like the clothes I like for my wife. And like, you don't like this black T shirt. How about this black T shirt?

[Chris Hansen]

It's like they're creating a solution to a problem that no one. Because if you wouldn't ask people, hey, would you want some glasses you could wear instead? Most people would be like, no, like, I'm.

[Ryan Alford]

And look. And most innovative stuff does sometimes come along and makes you realize something. But this is. Got a Long way to go, I think, to finding the practicality in the, in the use case. From what I'm reading, I'm sure someone's going to tell me that haptic feedback in the air, you know, is what people want to do, you know, play the air. The air piano because, you know, you're seeing stuff through the glasses. But it is one of those things, once you're, if you're doing that hearing, like, what the hell is that guy?

[Brianna]

You know, like that guy is having a mental breakdown.

[Ryan Alford]

And then you got a glass on, they're going to think you're like Stevie Wonder, like blind. Like, I mean, it's like, okay, all right, we'll find it at some point and you'll hear it here first.

[Brianna]

Yeah, I like my own reality. I'm good on the augmented reality for now.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, I know. Someone's going to like, message me and tell me, you know, what the really use cases for. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but it's. That's not what this is and we're not there yet. So there you have it.

[Brianna]

Alrighty, friends. Ryan, you want to close this out?

[Ryan Alford]

Oh, that's it for today. All the news. Any final words, Chris? Any final thoughts?

[Chris Hansen]

Live in the real world. Enjoy it before the robots come for us all. Go take a nice walk or the beach. Take a hike.

[Ryan Alford]

Yeah, we got a cold plunge next door now. I'm going to go take a cold plunge after everyone. Yeah, maybe for every episode. That should be part of it. Do cold, you know, the right about now cold plunge.

[Brianna]

I'm not going to participate, but saw.

[Ryan Alford]

You in Hell yeah. Oh, man, I got a bunch of softies around here.

[Brianna]

I mean, I have to do my hair for this show, so I'll stay.

[Ryan Alford]

In for four minutes. One for all.

[Chris Hansen]

You're going to dunk your head.

[Brianna]

Okay, okay.

[Ryan Alford]

Maybe discomfort is comfort. Well, sometimes. Anyway, we appreciate everyone for listening. Wherever you are, whenever you are, we don't ever know, you know, this is a topical news episode. I think most of our audience is on the weekend, but you know, if it's like three weeks later, you know, stay for the entertainment and maybe not the news. As we fumble through all of the AI technologies, panning some and supporting others. But no matter what, we support you. Find [e-mail] all the highlight clips, full episodes, links to social media. Chris Burby Hansen on Instagram. Thank you, Brianna. Thank you, Sawyer. We'll see you next time. Right about now, this has been Right about now with Ryan Alford. A Radcast network production. Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for listening.