500 Words Podcast
1) Issue 95 - My emotional support robot is not returning my calls
Welcome to 500 Words, a letter about indie publishing, artificial intelligence, and the creative process. Though I write about AI, I'm not an AI fanboy. I'm interested in interrogating IA, which mean...Show More
2) Issue 94 - How to Stop Reading Newspapers
Welcome to 500 Words.When I worked as a news writer and producer, I acquired a habit that I am now trying to break. Back then, every day, I churned through as many print and internet sources as I coul...Show More
3) Issue 93 - Mourning in America
Well, that didn't go well. A majority of Americans have voted for hate, choosing a criminal to lead us. It feels like a day, or a few days, or maybe a whole week to dip into despair or try to recharge...Show More
4) Issue 92 - Nuclear-Powered AI
A moment for station identification for new readers and listeners: 500 Words is a weekly-ish newsletter with two regular columns: INTERROGATING AI, which examines our use of artificial intelligence, ...Show More
5) Issue 91 - Follow the Money
There are many AI unknowns this week. To sort them out, let's follow the money.OpenAI is restructuring from a non-profit to a for-profit company. Its Chief Technology Officer, Mia Murati, announced th...Show More
6) Issue 90 - Online Personhood
Hey, you human? Prove it. With more AI-generated slop that I can handle on my screens these days, I say it's time to issue online credentials that will prove that you're a human being. We have driver'...Show More
7) Issue 89 - Book Talk
Not only are people buying more books, but they are also talking about them more often, in more venues. BookTok helped sell about 20 million books in 2021, more than 2.4% of book sales for that year. ...Show More
8) Issue 88 - Yes, people buy books, and AI has a good side
Hello, and welcome to 500 Words.It didn't seem that long ago that the experts said that nobody would buy physical books anymore. Well, Barnes & Noble is thriving, on track to open 58 new stores this y...Show More
9) Issue 87 - Is that Really You?
How can you be sure I'm me and you're you? I'm asking because a person's vocal identity is hard to verify online, even if you know their voice well. Synthetic speech generation has gotten so good, it'...Show More
10) Issue 86 - Cloning an Actor's Work
Let's consider actors' voices as uncommon instruments, ready to fit vastly different roles and build big emotions with the smallest nuances of expression. Voice actors are hired on productions because...Show More