Good Business Podcast: AI-deas

This episode explores the concerning reality that generative AI has created the "perfect bullshit machine". Unlike simple lies, this content is indifferent to truth, generated cheaply and at scale to manipulate and impress, often personalized for maximum emotional impact.... We discuss how this differs from traditional disinformation and the sheer volume one person can now produce.

The episode questions the effectiveness of traditional fact-checking, noting that human societies have historically run more on emotional resonance and shared stories than on facts.

When AI crafts content perfectly pitched to our psychological frequencies, fact-checking often becomes irrelevant. This "mechanized bullshit" is seen as parasitic, eroding trust and fragmenting our shared reality into bespoke realities for individuals. 

Instead of just defending, the sources propose a "proleptic alternative". This involves using generative power not for debunking but for future-making and creation. We delve into the concept of prolepsis – representing a desired future as if it's already here, creating generative fictions that build trust and connection, contrasting with bullshit which extracts and fragments.

Ultimately, the episode considers using AI's power for proleptic creation – generating visions that expand possibility and invite participation9. We still hold the choice in which stories we amplify and which futures we speak into being.