The FAIK Files — Mind Reading the Room

Podcast: The FAIK Files
Host: Perry Carpenter (N2K Networks)
Co-host: Mason Amadeus
Date: September 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus explore the bizarre and disruptive intersections of AI, technology, and human society. They tackle trending phenomena from "robot racism" on social media, viral robotics research, fascinating new tech that enables "telepathic" communication, and a data-driven look at how consumers really use ChatGPT. The show rounds out with a look at failed Meta demos, industry insights from top AI minds, and a candid discussion of AI’s personal, economic, and societal impacts.

Segment Breakdown & Key Insights

1. A Wild Grab Bag: Tech and AI Oddities

(Starts ~02:55)

A. Robot Racism Goes Viral

The hosts discuss a viral video by journalist Taylor Lorenz about a trend where people are cosplaying 1950s-style racism... but toward robots and AI (“robot racism”).
- Quote, Taylor Lorenz [04:01]:
  
  "Few months a trend has emerged on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X where people recreate 1950s style racism towards robots. They mock robots as a marginalized group using the same tone as old school racists."
- Fake slurs like "clanker," "wireback," and "cogsucker" are being tossed about for comedic (and sometimes disturbing) effect.
- Perry:
  
  "You realize how ugly we as humans can be and... it's our nature to be that way to anything we view as different." [06:02]
- Mason notes discomfort, emphasizing the broader implications of how we pick language—and how humanizing tech can reflect deeper anxieties about change.

B. Rizzbot: Viral Robot with "Rizz"

Mason spotlights Rizzbot, a humanoid robot built by a PhD student at UT Austin, that’s achieved internet fame for its sassy pick-up lines.
- Quote [09:20, "Jake" as Rizzbot]:
  
  “Hey, my name is Jake, but perhaps better known as Risbot ... I see you rocking that tank top dress like it's going out of style, and trust me, it's not. ...I was wondering if I could get your number so I can take you out for dinner.”
- The robot uses motion capture–based dance simulations and likely an LLM for its lines. The team’s approach is “both fun and serious” and designed for maximum virality.

C. Juggling Lab: Absurd Animations

The hosts briefly discuss the rise of "juggle posting" via Juggling Lab, a software tool for inventing and animating juggling patterns.
- Visual gags are mentioned but listeners are encouraged to check show notes for a true sense of this internet oddity.
- These segments highlight both AI whimsy and how tech becomes part of meme culture.

2. Mind Reading? MIT's 'Alter Ego' and the Future of Human-Device Communication

(Starts ~13:14)

A. Introducing Alter Ego: Subvocal Interface

Perry and Mason discuss MIT’s "Alter Ego," a device that detects internal speech intention—effectively permitting communication with machines (and people) without vocalizing or even moving your mouth.
- Quote, Perry [15:30]:
  
  "There's some interesting leakage that could come out if it's more sensitive than what they're letting on."
The device works by registering neural/muscle activity when users internally articulate words (subvocalization).
- Quote, Product Demo [22:46]:
  
  "Alter Ego gives you the power of telepathy, but only for the thoughts you want to share... It works by passively detecting the subtlest signals your brain sends to your speech system."
Mason expresses skepticism, worrying about unintentional "leakage" of private thoughts, and the realities versus sales pitch.

B. Potential, Pitfalls & Privacy

Perry believes the technology is real—citing MIT’s long development record—but both hosts agree unintended data leakage could be a concern.
They envision both positive and negative uses, from accessibility gains to next-level privacy and social engineering risks.
The form factor is still clunky. Mason summarizes the demo’s promise as “on the edge for me of feeling fictional.” [20:41]
Quote, Perry [26:25]:

"At that point you've got a form factor that's usable and really, really just... unlocks a ton of potential for both good and bad."

3. ChatGPT at Scale: Largest Study Reveals How People Really Use It

(Starts ~29:25)

A. Study Design

OpenAI and a Harvard economist released a study based on 1.5 million anonymized ChatGPT conversations, tracking user trends and behaviors over three years (~700 million weekly active users).
- Focus: Consumer ChatGPT usage, closing gender gaps, and actual applications.

B. Key Stats & Trends

Gender gap: Share of presumably feminine user names rose from 37% (early 2024) to 52% (mid-2025).
Primary use cases:
- 75% of chats focus on practical guidance, info-seeking, and writing (writing = most work tasks).
  - Coding & "self-expression" (roleplay, therapy, play) are niche uses at ~11%.
- 30% of consumer usage is work-related; 70% personal.
Quote, Mason [34:19]:

"I would have thought because of its general exposure, we would have seen a higher number in that expressing category."
Technical help use is declining via the chat interface as API-based coding tools gain ground.
GPT-5’s writing is perceived as worse than previous versions (due to increased “AI training on AI writing” and loss of creativity).
- Quote, Perry [37:47]:
  
  “GPT5 is not as good a writer as, like, Claude... you get in this, like, circling the drain mode where AI thinks good writing is what AI is spitting out.”

C. Study Skepticism

Both hosts question whether the study really covers broader API use, suspecting it's limited to ChatGPT interface data.
Mason plans to dig further and report back with more nuanced insights.

4. Hype, Hiccups, and Industry Introspection

(Starts ~40:16)

A. Meta’s AI Glasses Demo Fail

Perry shares the viral moment from a failed Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses demo—glitches and awkwardness all around.
- Quote, Perry [43:48]:
  
  “[Meta's] leadership at the top has been just failing over and over... both the technology... and the morality and ethics of the company.”
Nate Jones’ (commentator) schadenfreude: “When people tell me... we’re going to lose our jobs to AI, I want you to remember this... most technology looks like this for a long time.” [47:56]

B. AI’s Real Competitors & Catastrophe Odds (P Doom)

Perry reports on a live Axios summit segment in D.C. with Dario Amodei (Anthropic CEO) and Jack Clark (Anthropic policy lead).
- Who’s most likely to succeed (besides Anthropic)?
  - Jack Clark [51:07]:
    
    “Google... they’re a big company and they've often been held back by that in some ways... But people should take them seriously.”
- P Doom (“probability of doom”):
  - Jack Clark: “I think there’s a 25% chance things go really, really badly and a 75% chance things go really, really well...” [51:54]
  - Includes both autonomous dangers and secondary risks (national security, job loss, economic disruption).
  - Policy and regulation are crucial; the 25% “is a choice we make in policy.”

C. Societal Implications: Job Loss, Policy & Next Steps

The hosts debate whether AI truly threatens jobs at scale, referencing recent layoffs (e.g., Salesforce's use of AI to cut customer service headcount).
Perry notes some jobs are eliminated by automation, but also sees opportunity for those who re-skill.
There’s a consensus that regulatory solutions—like taxes on AI model providers to fund universal basic income—are an emerging topic.
- Anthropic is “the only major AI company” pressing for such taxation (according to Perry).

Notable Quotes & Moments

On "Robot Racism":
Taylor Lorenz:

"People are cosplaying 1950s-style racism towards robots... using the same tone as old school racists." [04:01]
On Human Nature:
Perry:

"It's our nature to be that way to anything we view as different... makes your stomach turn." [06:02]
On Rizzbot:
Mason:

"I think it’s so funny... he's got like a cowboy hat on and stuff." [10:00]
On Alter Ego:
Perry:

"Interact at the speed of thought... as intuitive as using your inner voice." [18:16]
- Mason, skeptical:
  
  “This is really on the edge for me of feeling fictional.” [20:41]
On ChatGPT stats:
Mason:

"I would have thought... we would have seen a higher number in that expressing category." [34:19]
On Big Tech Fails:
Perry:

"We've seen it with [Elon Musk]... and the cybertruck... not to criticize, but there's just a lot to criticize about Zuckerberg broadly." [43:37-43:48]
On Catastrophe Odds:
Jack Clark (Anthropic):

"I think there’s a 25% chance that things go really, really badly." [51:54]
On Policy's Role:
Perry:

"The 25% chance is a choice that we make and it's a choice that we make in policy." [52:32]

Final Thoughts & Callouts

Perry plugs a new course: "Deepfake Ops" – 5-day boot camp on awareness, cognitive warfare, and crafting/deconstructing deepfakes, taught with Cameron Malan (ex-FBI). See show notes for details.
Listener engagement: The FAIK Files welcomes feedback, Discord community, and listener stories (see show notes/discussion links).

Timestamps

(rounded to nearest minute for clarity)

03:00 — Show Start & Segment Preview
04:00 — Robot Racism Trend (w/ Taylor Lorenz clip)
08:00 — Rizzbot, Social Robotics & Going Viral
11:45 — Juggling Lab Oddities
13:14 — MIT’s Alter Ego: Subvocal “Telepathy” Device
29:25 — ChatGPT Consumer Study Deep-dive
40:16 — Meta Glasses Demo Fails & Industry Commentary
50:57 — Anthropic’s Jack Clark: Winners & "P Doom" Odds
57:23 — AI, Job Loss & Policy Solutions
62:29 — Perry plugs Deepfake Ops course

Tone

The episode is lively, irreverent, and deeply informed—balancing news, critical analysis, industry gossip, and personal banter in classic FAIK Files style. Mason brings humor and a self-deprecating note, while Perry provides grounded, skeptical, and tech-savvy insight.

For further links, references, or to join the FAIK Files community, check episode show notes.

The FAIK Files — Mind Reading the Room

Podcast: The FAIK Files
Host: Perry Carpenter (N2K Networks)
Co-host: Mason Amadeus
Date: September 19, 2025

Episode Overview

Segment Breakdown & Key Insights

1. A Wild Grab Bag: Tech and AI Oddities

(Starts ~02:55)

A. Robot Racism Goes Viral

The hosts discuss a viral video by journalist Taylor Lorenz about a trend where people are cosplaying 1950s-style racism... but toward robots and AI (“robot racism”).
- Quote, Taylor Lorenz [04:01]:
  
  "Few months a trend has emerged on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X where people recreate 1950s style racism towards robots. They mock robots as a marginalized group using the same tone as old school racists."
- Fake slurs like "clanker," "wireback," and "cogsucker" are being tossed about for comedic (and sometimes disturbing) effect.
- Perry:
  
  "You realize how ugly we as humans can be and... it's our nature to be that way to anything we view as different." [06:02]
- Mason notes discomfort, emphasizing the broader implications of how we pick language—and how humanizing tech can reflect deeper anxieties about change.

B. Rizzbot: Viral Robot with "Rizz"

Mason spotlights Rizzbot, a humanoid robot built by a PhD student at UT Austin, that’s achieved internet fame for its sassy pick-up lines.
- Quote [09:20, "Jake" as Rizzbot]:
  
  “Hey, my name is Jake, but perhaps better known as Risbot ... I see you rocking that tank top dress like it's going out of style, and trust me, it's not. ...I was wondering if I could get your number so I can take you out for dinner.”
- The robot uses motion capture–based dance simulations and likely an LLM for its lines. The team’s approach is “both fun and serious” and designed for maximum virality.

C. Juggling Lab: Absurd Animations

The hosts briefly discuss the rise of "juggle posting" via Juggling Lab, a software tool for inventing and animating juggling patterns.
- Visual gags are mentioned but listeners are encouraged to check show notes for a true sense of this internet oddity.
- These segments highlight both AI whimsy and how tech becomes part of meme culture.

2. Mind Reading? MIT's 'Alter Ego' and the Future of Human-Device Communication

(Starts ~13:14)

A. Introducing Alter Ego: Subvocal Interface

Perry and Mason discuss MIT’s "Alter Ego," a device that detects internal speech intention—effectively permitting communication with machines (and people) without vocalizing or even moving your mouth.
- Quote, Perry [15:30]:
  
  "There's some interesting leakage that could come out if it's more sensitive than what they're letting on."
The device works by registering neural/muscle activity when users internally articulate words (subvocalization).
- Quote, Product Demo [22:46]:
  
  "Alter Ego gives you the power of telepathy, but only for the thoughts you want to share... It works by passively detecting the subtlest signals your brain sends to your speech system."
Mason expresses skepticism, worrying about unintentional "leakage" of private thoughts, and the realities versus sales pitch.

B. Potential, Pitfalls & Privacy

Perry believes the technology is real—citing MIT’s long development record—but both hosts agree unintended data leakage could be a concern.
They envision both positive and negative uses, from accessibility gains to next-level privacy and social engineering risks.
The form factor is still clunky. Mason summarizes the demo’s promise as “on the edge for me of feeling fictional.” [20:41]
Quote, Perry [26:25]:

"At that point you've got a form factor that's usable and really, really just... unlocks a ton of potential for both good and bad."

3. ChatGPT at Scale: Largest Study Reveals How People Really Use It

(Starts ~29:25)

A. Study Design

OpenAI and a Harvard economist released a study based on 1.5 million anonymized ChatGPT conversations, tracking user trends and behaviors over three years (~700 million weekly active users).
- Focus: Consumer ChatGPT usage, closing gender gaps, and actual applications.

B. Key Stats & Trends

Gender gap: Share of presumably feminine user names rose from 37% (early 2024) to 52% (mid-2025).
Primary use cases:
- 75% of chats focus on practical guidance, info-seeking, and writing (writing = most work tasks).
  - Coding & "self-expression" (roleplay, therapy, play) are niche uses at ~11%.
- 30% of consumer usage is work-related; 70% personal.
Quote, Mason [34:19]:

"I would have thought because of its general exposure, we would have seen a higher number in that expressing category."
Technical help use is declining via the chat interface as API-based coding tools gain ground.
GPT-5’s writing is perceived as worse than previous versions (due to increased “AI training on AI writing” and loss of creativity).
- Quote, Perry [37:47]:
  
  “GPT5 is not as good a writer as, like, Claude... you get in this, like, circling the drain mode where AI thinks good writing is what AI is spitting out.”

C. Study Skepticism

Both hosts question whether the study really covers broader API use, suspecting it's limited to ChatGPT interface data.
Mason plans to dig further and report back with more nuanced insights.

4. Hype, Hiccups, and Industry Introspection

(Starts ~40:16)

A. Meta’s AI Glasses Demo Fail

Perry shares the viral moment from a failed Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses demo—glitches and awkwardness all around.
- Quote, Perry [43:48]:
  
  “[Meta's] leadership at the top has been just failing over and over... both the technology... and the morality and ethics of the company.”
Nate Jones’ (commentator) schadenfreude: “When people tell me... we’re going to lose our jobs to AI, I want you to remember this... most technology looks like this for a long time.” [47:56]

B. AI’s Real Competitors & Catastrophe Odds (P Doom)

Perry reports on a live Axios summit segment in D.C. with Dario Amodei (Anthropic CEO) and Jack Clark (Anthropic policy lead).
- Who’s most likely to succeed (besides Anthropic)?
  - Jack Clark [51:07]:
    
    “Google... they’re a big company and they've often been held back by that in some ways... But people should take them seriously.”
- P Doom (“probability of doom”):
  - Jack Clark: “I think there’s a 25% chance things go really, really badly and a 75% chance things go really, really well...” [51:54]
  - Includes both autonomous dangers and secondary risks (national security, job loss, economic disruption).
  - Policy and regulation are crucial; the 25% “is a choice we make in policy.”

C. Societal Implications: Job Loss, Policy & Next Steps

The hosts debate whether AI truly threatens jobs at scale, referencing recent layoffs (e.g., Salesforce's use of AI to cut customer service headcount).
Perry notes some jobs are eliminated by automation, but also sees opportunity for those who re-skill.
There’s a consensus that regulatory solutions—like taxes on AI model providers to fund universal basic income—are an emerging topic.
- Anthropic is “the only major AI company” pressing for such taxation (according to Perry).

Notable Quotes & Moments

On "Robot Racism":
Taylor Lorenz:

"People are cosplaying 1950s-style racism towards robots... using the same tone as old school racists." [04:01]
On Human Nature:
Perry:

"It's our nature to be that way to anything we view as different... makes your stomach turn." [06:02]
On Rizzbot:
Mason:

"I think it’s so funny... he's got like a cowboy hat on and stuff." [10:00]
On Alter Ego:
Perry:

"Interact at the speed of thought... as intuitive as using your inner voice." [18:16]
- Mason, skeptical:
  
  “This is really on the edge for me of feeling fictional.” [20:41]
On ChatGPT stats:
Mason:

"I would have thought... we would have seen a higher number in that expressing category." [34:19]
On Big Tech Fails:
Perry:

"We've seen it with [Elon Musk]... and the cybertruck... not to criticize, but there's just a lot to criticize about Zuckerberg broadly." [43:37-43:48]
On Catastrophe Odds:
Jack Clark (Anthropic):

"I think there’s a 25% chance that things go really, really badly." [51:54]
On Policy's Role:
Perry:

"The 25% chance is a choice that we make and it's a choice that we make in policy." [52:32]

Final Thoughts & Callouts

Perry plugs a new course: "Deepfake Ops" – 5-day boot camp on awareness, cognitive warfare, and crafting/deconstructing deepfakes, taught with Cameron Malan (ex-FBI). See show notes for details.
Listener engagement: The FAIK Files welcomes feedback, Discord community, and listener stories (see show notes/discussion links).

Timestamps

(rounded to nearest minute for clarity)

03:00 — Show Start & Segment Preview
04:00 — Robot Racism Trend (w/ Taylor Lorenz clip)
08:00 — Rizzbot, Social Robotics & Going Viral
11:45 — Juggling Lab Oddities
13:14 — MIT’s Alter Ego: Subvocal “Telepathy” Device
29:25 — ChatGPT Consumer Study Deep-dive
40:16 — Meta Glasses Demo Fails & Industry Commentary
50:57 — Anthropic’s Jack Clark: Winners & "P Doom" Odds
57:23 — AI, Job Loss & Policy Solutions
62:29 — Perry plugs Deepfake Ops course

Tone

For further links, references, or to join the FAIK Files community, check episode show notes.

Mind Reading the Room

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Summary

The FAIK Files — Mind Reading the Room

Episode Overview

Segment Breakdown & Key Insights

1. A Wild Grab Bag: Tech and AI Oddities

A. Robot Racism Goes Viral

B. Rizzbot: Viral Robot with "Rizz"

C. Juggling Lab: Absurd Animations

2. Mind Reading? MIT's 'Alter Ego' and the Future of Human-Device Communication

A. Introducing Alter Ego: Subvocal Interface

B. Potential, Pitfalls & Privacy

3. ChatGPT at Scale: Largest Study Reveals How People Really Use It

A. Study Design

B. Key Stats & Trends

C. Study Skepticism

4. Hype, Hiccups, and Industry Introspection

A. Meta’s AI Glasses Demo Fail

B. AI’s Real Competitors & Catastrophe Odds (P Doom)

C. Societal Implications: Job Loss, Policy & Next Steps

Notable Quotes & Moments

Further Reading & Resources

Final Thoughts & Callouts

Timestamps

Tone

Summary

The FAIK Files — Mind Reading the Room

Episode Overview

Segment Breakdown & Key Insights

1. A Wild Grab Bag: Tech and AI Oddities

A. Robot Racism Goes Viral

B. Rizzbot: Viral Robot with "Rizz"

C. Juggling Lab: Absurd Animations

2. Mind Reading? MIT's 'Alter Ego' and the Future of Human-Device Communication

A. Introducing Alter Ego: Subvocal Interface

B. Potential, Pitfalls & Privacy

3. ChatGPT at Scale: Largest Study Reveals How People Really Use It

A. Study Design

B. Key Stats & Trends

C. Study Skepticism

4. Hype, Hiccups, and Industry Introspection

A. Meta’s AI Glasses Demo Fail

B. AI’s Real Competitors & Catastrophe Odds (P Doom)

C. Societal Implications: Job Loss, Policy & Next Steps

Notable Quotes & Moments

Further Reading & Resources

Final Thoughts & Callouts

Timestamps

Tone