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December 22, 2025

Washington Journal

Open Forum, Part 1

Viewers responded to the question “Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of AI?”

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Rep. Jay Obernolte on Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Regulation

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Washington Journal 12/22/2025

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Washington Journal: Open Forum, Part 2

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Event Programs

Open Forum, Part 11:08:23

Casey Burgat Discusses His Book We Hold These “Truths”1:05:30

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Open Forum, Part 11:08:23

Casey Burgat Discusses His Book We Hold These “Truths”1:05:30

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Short Takes

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AI AND ROBOTICS ARE THE MOST
TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE
HISTORY, AND THEY WILL HAVE A
PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE LIVES OF
EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IN
OUR COUNTRY.
JUST A FEW POINTS, JUST A A FEW
POINTS WE NEED TO BE THINKING

ONE, WHO IS AGGRESSIVELY PUSHING
THESE TECHNOLOGIES?
WELL, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.
IT HAPPENS TO BE THE VERY
WEALTHIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH,
PEOPLE LIKE ELON MUSK, JEFF
BEZOS, BILL GATES, PETER TEAL,
ANOTHER MULTIBILLIONAIRE’S.
HERE IS A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION I
WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THESE GUYS,
THESE MULTIBILLIONAIRE’S, ARE
STAYING UP NIGHTS WORRYING ABOUT
WHAT AI AND ROBOTICS WILL DO TO
THE WORKING FAMILIES OF OUR

WELL, I DON’T THINK SO.
I THINK THESE VERY, VERY RICH
MEN WANT EVEN MORE WEALTH AND
EVEN MORE POWER.
AND FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF REASONS
, THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS.
TWO, BUT WILL AI OR ROBOTICS
MEAN ECONOMICALLY FOR THE
WORKING CLASS OF THIS COUNTRY?
WELL, DON’T LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN
TO THE PEOPLE DEVELOPING THOSE
TECHNOLOGIES.
ELON MUSK RECENTLY SAID, “AI AND
ROBOTS WILL REPLACE ALL JOBS.
WORKING WILL BE OPTIONAL.” BILL
GATES PREDICTED THAT UNIONS
“WON’T BE NEEDED FOR MOST

THE CEO — ANOTHER CEO WARNED AI
COULD LEAD TO THE LOSS OF HALF
OF ALL ENTRY-LEVEL WHITE-COLLAR

QUESTION, IF AI AND ROBOTICS
ELIMINATE MILLIONS OF JOBS AND
CREATE MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT, HOW
WILL PEOPLE SURVIVE IF THEY HAVE

I DO NOT WANT TO BREAK THE BAD
NEWS TO YOU ALL, BUT VERY FEW
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE
SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT THIS.

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John McArdle

VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE
SANDERS MAKING THAT APPEAL TO
THE PUBLIC VIA AN X POST LAST

HE MENTIONED ELON MUSK AS ONE OF
THOSE VERY WEALTHY MEN WHO ARE
DEVELOPING AI, QUOTING ELON MUSK
TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

HE MADE THOSE COMMENTS AT A U.S.
SAUDI INVESTMENT FORUM LAST

HERE’S ELON MUSK.

MY PREDICTION IS THAT WORK
WILL BE OPTIONAL.

WE WILL TAKE THAT.

YEAH, IT WILL BE LIKE PLAYING
SPORTS OR VIDEO GAMES OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YOU WANT TO WORK — SAME WAY
LIKE YOU CAN GO TO THE STORE AND
BUY SOME VEGETABLES OR YOU CAN
GROW VEGETABLES IN YOUR
BACKYARD, IT IS MUCH HARDER TO
GROW VEGETABLES IN YOUR

PEOPLE STILL DO IT BECAUSE THEY
LIKE GROWING VEGETABLES.
THAT WILL BE WORK, OPTIONAL.
BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THERE IS
ACTUALLY A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO
THAT POINT.
I ALWAYS RECOMMEND PEOPLE READ
IAN BANKS CULTURE BOOKS TO GET A
SENSE OF WHAT A PROBABLE
POSITIVE AI FUTURE IS LIKE.
INTERESTINGLY, IN THOSE BOOKS,
MONEY DOES NOT EXIST.
MY GUESS IS — AND IF YOU GO OUT
LONG ENOUGH, CONSIDERING THERE
IS IMPROVEMENT IN AI AND
ROBOTICS, WHICH SEEMS LIKELY,
MONEY WILL STOP BEING RELEVANT
AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
THERE WILL BE CONSTRAINTS ON
POWER, LIKE ELECTRICITY,
FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS ELEMENTS
WILL STILL BE CONSTRAINTS, BUT I
THINK AT SOME POINT, CURRENCY
BECOMES IRRELEVANT.

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John McArdle

THAT IS ELON MUSK FROM
LAST MONTH.
THIS MORNING, WE ARE ASKING YOU
IF YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC OR
PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
AI, OUR QUESTION IN THIS FIRST
SEGMENT OF THE “WASHINGTON
JOURNAL” THIS MORNING.
IF YOU SAY OPTIMISTIC (202)
, 748-8000.
IF YOU SAY PESSIMISTIC, (202)

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR YOUR
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
HERE’S A COUPLE OF THEM.
CHRISTOPHER SAINT I AM
OPTIMISTIC, I USED IT LAST WEEK
TO MAKE MYSELF A TAILORED WEEKLY
WORKOUT SESSION.
I TOLD IT ABOUT MY WEAK POINTS
AND IT PROVIDED A GREAT PLAN.
AS WITH ANY APPLIED TECHNOLOGY,
THIS IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD AND
COULD BE USED FOR SERIOUS
SELF-IMPROVEMENT OR CRIMINAL
ACTIVITIES.
I AM OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE YOU WILL
USE IT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES.
THIS ONE SAYS I AM PESSIMISTIC

WE CAN’T SIMPLY PASS HEALTH
INSURANCE FOR OUR PEOPLE AND WE
THINK THIS GERIATRIC CONGRESS

EARLIER THIS MONTH, STATES WERE
DISCOURAGED FROM ISSUING
INDIVIDUAL LAWS, A PATCHWORK
FRAMEWORK, AS IT WOULD BE COME
ACROSS 50 STATES WHEN IT COMES
TO AI REGULATION, SO THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT CAN LEAD THE WAY

HERE IS MORE ON WHAT THAT
EXECUTIVE ORDER WOULD DO, TASK
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH
ESTABLISHING AND AI LITIGATION
TASK FORCE WITHIN 30 DAYS TO
CHALLENGE STATE AI LAWS,
PARTICULARLY THAT ARE ON THE
BOOKS, SO IT WOULD REQUIRE THE
COMMERCE SECRETARY TO IDENTIFY
AND EVALUATE EXISTING LAWS THAT
CONFLICT WITH THE ORDER.
IT REQUIRES COMMERCE SECRETARY
TO ISSUE A POLICY NOTICE WITHIN
90 DAYS OUTLINING THE
ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS FOR
STATES TO RECEIVE MEANT —
REMAINING BROADBAND EQUITY
FUNDING TO EXPAND INTERNET

PRESIDENT TRUMP TALKING ABOUT
THOSE LAWS AND THE NEED FOR THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO LEAD THE
WAY HERE IN AN OVAL OFFICE
COMMENT EARLIER THIS MONTH.
THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

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IT IS A MASSIVE INDUSTRY.
WE ARE LEADING CHINA, LEADING

ELECTRICITY IS BEING BUILT,
BUILDING THE ELECTRICITY,
GETTING RAPID APPROVALS.
BUT THEY ARE SPENDING TRILLIONS
OF DOLLARS.
BASICALLY, THERE ARE A COUPLE
OTHER THINGS THAT ARE LESS

BUT IT HAS TO HAVE A CENTRAL
SOURCE OF APPROVAL.
WHEN THEY NEED APPROVALS, THEY
HAVE TO COME TO ONE SOURCE AND
CANNOT GO TO CALIFORNIA, NEW
YORK, AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES
LIKE ILLINOIS WITH PRITZKER.
AND THEY ARE PUTTING ALL THIS

IT IS A BIG PART OF THE ECONOMY.
THERE IS ONLY GOING TO BE I
THINK ONE WINNER HERE.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE AGREE.
ONLY ONE WINNER HERE, AND IT IS
PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE U.S. OR

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE WINNING BY A

CHINA, I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE
ANY APPROVAL.
PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE UNITED
STATES AND WANT TO DO IT HERE,
AND WE HAVE THE BIG INVESTMENT

THAT 50 DIFFERENT APPROVALS FROM
50 DIFFERENT STATES, YOU CAN
FORGET IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT

ALL YOU NEED IS ONE HOSTILE
ACTOR AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE

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John McArdle

THAT IS PRESIDENT TRUMP ON
HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER HE ISSUED
EARLIER THIS MONTH.
DESPITE THAT, THIS IS WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE STATE OF NEW
YORK ON FRIDAY.
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL OF NEW
YORK SIGNED LEGISLATION THAT
WILL ESTABLISH NEW STATE RULES
GOVERNING THE SAFE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE MOST ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE MODELS THAT BUILD
RESPONSIBLE ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE SAFETY AND
EDUCATION, THE RAYS ACT, FIRST
STATE LAW TO BE ENACTED SINCE
PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THAT
EXECUTIVE ORDER, TRYING TO REIN
IN THE STATE ABILITIES.
IT PROMPTED BIPARTISAN CRITICISM
AND WILL BE CHALLENGED IN COURT.
THIS SAYS, KATHY HOCHUL IS
SAYING NEW YORK IS AGAIN LEADING
THE NATION AND SETTING A STRONG
AND SENSIBLE STANDARD FOR
FRONTIER AI SAFETY, HOLDING THE
BIGGEST DEVELOPERS ACCOUNTABLE
FOR THEIR SAFETY AND
TRANSPARENCY PROTOCOLS.
SHE SAYS THAT REFORMS REPRESENT
PROGRESS AS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT LAGS BEHIND FAILING
TO IMPLEMENT COMMON SENSE
REGULATIONS OR PROTECT THE

THAT STORY IN THIS MORNING’S NEW
YORK TIMES FROM WHAT HAPPENED
BACK ON FRIDAY IN REGARDS TO AI
IN NEW YORK.
ASKING YOU THIS MONEY, ARE YOU
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC ON THE
FUTURE OF AI AMID ALL THIS
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY
AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR YOU,
FOR YOUR JOB, FOR THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU SAY OPTIMISTIC, IT IS
(202) 748-8000.
IF YOU SAY PESSIMISTIC, (202)

THIS IS HOMER IN KANSAS CITY,
MISSOURI, UP FIRST.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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I THINK YOU HAVE GOT TO
BE OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE, I MEAN,
I’M SURE EVEN IN YOUR COMPANY,
YOU DEAL WITH HUMAN RESOURCES.
AND COMMON SENSE, LOOK OUT THE

AND YOU HAVE THE BMI WITH YOUR
HEALTH CARE, I WAS A BODYBUILDER
AND ALWAYS HAD MY INSURANCE AND
AND BUILT LIKE A BRICK.
ACCORDING TO THEIR BMI THING.
THINGS LIKE THAT IS WHERE IT IS
GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
HOPEFULLY, THEY CAN APPLY IT TO

John McArdle

THAT IS HOMER IN KANSAS
CITY, MISSOURI.
ASKING YOU IF YOU’RE OPTIMISTIC
OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT AI.
THIS IS FROM TODAY’S WALL STREET
JOURNAL ASKING, WOULD YOU LET
ONE OF THOSE BIG AI MODELS,
CLAUDE, DO YOUR TAXES?
IT SAYS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
, EVANGELISTS, AND ALARMISTS
SHARE ONE CONVICTION, BOTH
BELIEVE THAT AI IS ON THE VERGE
OF REPLACING HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

TODAY’S LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS,
CHATGPT, CLAUDE, GEMINI, AND
OTHERS CAN WRITE CODE AND
POLISHED PROSE, BUT WOULD YOU
TRUST THEM TO DO YOUR TAXES?
THIS SAYS IN 20 27, I ANTICIPATE
USING A LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL TO
DRAFT MY FILINGS.
BY 2028, I PROTECT ENOUGH PEOPLE
WILL TRUST GENERAL PURPOSE AI TO
HANDLE INDIVIDUAL TAXES.
TURBOTAX WILL BE THE CANARY IN
THE COAL MINE, HE WRITES, UNTIL
PEOPLE CAN TRUST AI TO DO THEIR
TAXES, THEY SHOULDN’T TRUST IT
TO DO THEIR JOBS.
THAT GIVES US A LITTLE TIME TO
PREPARE, NOT TOO MUCH.
WE ARE ASKING YOU IF YOU’RE
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF AI.
RON OUT OF LONG BEACH,
CALIFORNIA.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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I AM VERY PESSIMISTIC.
I THINK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, AND

LET’S JUST SAY, THINGS LIKE
WRITING IDEAS, THINK ABOUT IN
COLLEGE HOW YOU WERE ALWAYS ON
PROJECTS, STARTING THE BEGINNING
PHASES OF FIGURING OUT YOUR OWN
FUTURE BUSINESSES AND HOW YOU
ARE GOING TO MAKE THAT WORK, A
LOT OF TIMES YOU ARE USING
SOFTWARE TO MAKE SURE YOUR
SENTENCES ARE RIGHT.
BUT AI WOULD READ ALL OF THEIR
INFORMATION, SEE ALL OF YOUR
IDEAS, AND ON THE CREATIVE SIDE
OF STARTING YOUR BUSINESSES OR
ANYTHING, IT WOULD ALREADY KNOW
WHERE YOU’RE GOING WITH THAT.
AND THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE

BECAUSE YOU ARE HAVING
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW YOU ARE
GOING TO CREATE THESE THINGS, I
JUST THINK IF YOU COULD FOLLOW
MY LOGIC, EVERY TIME ANY
INVENTOR, ENTREPRENEUR WOULD
HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT ANYTHING,
THIS INFORMATION WOULD BE GOING
TO THE OWNERS OF THE SOFTWARE
HEARING ALL YOUR IDEAS, YOUR

YOUR PHONES ARE PICKING UP YOUR
BASIC CONVERSATIONS NOW.
CAN YOU JUST SEE HOW THAT COULD
JUST INTERFERE IN ANYONE’S
CREATIVITY?

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John McArdle

WHAT IS A HUMAN TO DO?
IS THE GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE?

IT IS REALLY OUT OF

I THINK THESE KINDS OF THINGS
ARE GOING ON ALL THE TIME.
I CAN THINK OF A VERY BASIC
PROGRAM, A RESUME WRITING

IF YOU WERE REALLY GOOD AT
WRITING YOUR OWN RESUME, IT
WOULD PULL IDEAS FROM OTHER
PEOPLE’S RESUMES AND ADD IT TO

SOMEONE WHO IS MORE ARTICULATE,
MAYBE EVEN BETTER AT A JOB, IS
NOW LOOKING THE SAME AS SOMEONE
WHO MAY NOT HAVE THAT
EXPERIENCE, AND IT IS JUST KIND
OF GENERATING GREAT IDEAS TO
YOUR RESUME AND THAT IS NOT EVEN
YOUR EXPERIENCE.
IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE, I JUST
THINK THAT CAN KIND OF MAKE
EVERYONE LOOK THE SAME.
I THINK PEOPLE LOSE THAT
CREATIVE PART OF US THAT MAKES
JUST AMERICA GREAT.
NO ONE WOULD EVEN TRY ANYMORE.
THEY ARE NOT EVEN EXERCISING
THEIR OWN BRAINS.
YEAH, GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE.
I THINK IT WILL DESTROY
CREATIVITY.
PEOPLE SAY IT IS GOING TO MAKE
PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE
OFF TO HIGHER LEVEL JOBS.
WE ALL KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.

Show More Show Less

John McArdle

THANKS FOR THE CALL.
I HAVE SUSAN WAITING IN
MASSACHUSETTS 2ND 2EVERAL OTHER

SUSAN, GO AHEAD.

YES, I AGREE WITH THE
WOMEN BEFORE ME.
I WILL TAKE A DIFFERENT PATH.
I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AI
DEPLOYMENT IN MY BIOTECH PHARMA

IT IS BEING DEPLOYED RAPIDLY.
YOU CAN SEE AI TAKING THE KEY

WE ARE SEEING SIGNIFICANT
LAYOFFS, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE
OVER THE NEXT DECADE IN LAB
WORK, PROTOCOLS, YOU KNOW, THE

OPERATIONS, PROCUREMENT, LEGAL,
ACCOUNTING, YOU NAME IT.
THEN I WAS JUST THINKING OF THE
IMPLICATIONS IN FOOD SERVICE.
EVEN THE U.S. MILITARY, IT WILL
NOT BE A PHYSICAL ARMY ANYMORE
IF IT IS ALL AUTOMATIC, AI
DRIVEN, DRONE-BASED WARFARE AND

EVERY ROLE IN LIFE, REALLY, THAT
GENERATES AN INCOME AND CREATES
A TAX BASE IS A RISK.

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John McArdle

SUSAN, WHERE DOES THAT

IT LEAVES A SOCIETY THAT
WILL HAVE TO BE UNIVERSAL BASED
AND WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER
DRAFTING OF BENEFITS AND

THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY ADVANTAGES
TO A — TO AI, LIKE WRITING
ASSISTANCE AND STREAMLINED
PROCEDURES FOR DOCTORS.
MEDICINE, RADIOLOGY, ALL KINDS
OF SURGERY COULD BECOME MORE OR
LESS AUTOMATED, JUST SUPERVISED
BY THE TECHNOLOGIST — BY THE
TECHNICIAN.
I EVEN HERE IN JOURNALISM, OF
COURSE, THE WHOLE FIELD COULD BE

THEY ARE EVEN TESTING OUT AI
NEWS ANCHORS.
SO I AM DEEPLY FRIGHTENED.
I THINK WE HAVE TO DEVELOP A
RADICALLY REVISED TAX CODE TO
REALLY TAP INTO THE BILLIONAIRE

BUT I HAVE SEEN HOW AMERICA
FAILED IN REGULATING THE
INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND
THE WORLD, AND OUR POLITICAL
APPARATUS IS NOT EQUIPPED TO
HANDLE IT BECAUSE IT IS PAY TO
PLAY ON DEMOCRACY.
I DO NOT WANT TO CALL IT THAT,
BUT ALL THESE AI COMPANIES
PROTECT BILLIONAIRES.
I DON’T KNOW, I AM VERY
DISCOURAGED AND FEARFUL.
I AM JUST GLAD I AM AN OLDER

BUT EVERY ASPECT OF MY JOB, I
HAVE HAD TO DO A RIGOROUS AI
CURRICULUM TRAINING PROGRAM.
THEY ARE MONITORING US FOR USE
OF AI IN OUR DAILY JOBS WITH THE
THEORY THAT IT WILL CUT DOWN ON
MUNDANE TASKS AND SPEED UP OUR
WORK, AND THEREFORE, THEY CAN
CHART BETTER WHO CAN BE
ELIMINATED FROM JOBS.

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John McArdle

SUSAN, THANKS FOR TELLING

DON FLOYD IN VIRGINIA,
INDEPENDENT, IS ALSO
PESSIMISTIC, SAYING I THINK AI
WILL BE THE END OF US.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS WILL BE
CATASTROPHIC.
JUST ONE OF THOSE TEXTS THAT WE

YOU CAN TEXT AT (202) 748-8003.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM A FEW

HERE IS A MAJOR POLLING COMPANY,
THE PEW RESEARCH SERVICE, WHICH
HAS BEEN TAKING A LOOK AT THE
IDEA OF WHETHER AMERICANS ARE
CONCERNED OR EXCITED ABOUT THE
INCREASED USE OF AI AND DAILY

BACK IN 2021, 18% OF AMERICANS
SAID THEY WERE MORE CAN — MORE
EXCITED THAN CONCERNED, 37% SAID
MORE CONCERNED THAN EXCITED.
NOW 2025, JUST 10% OF AMERICANS
SAYING THEY ARE MORE 2XCITED
THAN CONCERNED, 50% SAYING MORE
CONCERNED THAN EXCITED.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ON
THE PHONE LINES.
IF YOU SAY OPTIMISTIC, IT IS
(202) 748-8000.
PESSIMISTIC, (202) 748-8001.
THIS IS JOHN OUT OF THE GARDEN
STATE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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HI, I THINK AI HAS THE
POTENTIAL OF — THERE IS REASON
FOR OPTIMISM, ALSO REASON FOR

I AM ACTUALLY AFRAID OF
ARTIFICIAL STUPIDITY.
AI CAN BE TRAINED TO AMPLIFY
ANGER AND HATE IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
I THINK IT COULD BE TRAINED TO
DO THE THINGS THAT WE HATE TO
SEE OTHER PEOPLE DO TO EACH

AND THAT IS ABOUT ALL I CAN SAY.
I CAN SEE IT DOING US A LOT OF

ON A POSITIVE NOTE, AND JAPAN,
YOU GET A JOB WELCOMING PEOPLE
AT THE ENTRANCE TO A DEPARTMENT

A RESPECTABLE JOB.
SO AI CAN REPLACE A LOT OF STUFF
AND LEAVE US WITH TIME TO THINK
AND MAYBE GET BETTER AT THINGS.
BUT I AM OVERALL PESSIMISTIC IT
WILL GO THE OTHER WAY.
HUMANS WILL BE USED TO TRAIN AI
TO DO THINGS TO PEOPLE WE HATE.

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John McArdle

WHAT ABOUT THE BETTER
ANGELS OF US — WHY, IN HER
MIND, IS IT MORE LIKELY TO BE
USED FOR ILL THAN GOOD?

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT MORE

I THINK IT IS MORE LIKE PEOPLE
WILL MAKE IT — PEOPLE TRAIN IT
TO DO EVIL.
MANIPULATION OF PUBLIC OPINION
IS AN EXAMPLE, WHERE A REAL
HUMAN COULD DECIDE TO AMPLIFY
HATE AND SOME OTHER COUNTRY’S
POPULATION.
AND BE QUITE HAPPY ABOUT IT,
THINKING IT IS AI DOING THE
RIGHT THING.
TO ACHIEVE HIS OR HER GOALS.

John McArdle

GOT IT, THANKS FOR THE
CALL FROM NEW JERSEY.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE DOING
THIS QUESTION, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
EXECUTIVE ORDER EARLIER THIS
MONTH AND THE COMMENTS BY BERNIE
SANDERS LAST WEEK.
BUT IN THE WAKE OF THAT
EXECUTIVE ORDER, AND IT WAS
AIMED AT LIMITING INDIVIDUAL
STATES FROM REGULATING AI, THE
PRESIDENT SAYING IT WOULD CREATE
A PATCHWORK EFFECT THAT WOULD BE
TOO CONFUSING AND HARD TO
NAVIGATE TRYING TO CENTRALIZE IT
THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS SENATOR WARREN OF
MASSACHUSETTS, HER REACTION TO
THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER.

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DONALD TRUMP IS TRYING TO
BLOCK STATES FROM PASSING LAWS
TO PROTECT YOU AND PEOPLE YOU
LOVE FROM A GUY.
HE WANTS TO STOP IN HE LAWS THAT
WOULD PUT SOME RESTRICTIONS ON
CHATBOTS, THEN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
TO HURT THEMSELVES, OR ON AI
THAT IS PRICE-FIXING, OR ON LAWS
TO KEEP HUGE DATA CENTERS FROM
RAISING THEIR ELECTRICITY COSTS.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
LAST WEEK, DONALD TRUMP SIGNED
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO TRY TO
STOP ANY STATE LAWS THAT LIMIT

YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT A VERSION
OF THIS WAS VOTED ON BY THE
SENATE AND VOTED DOWN IN THE
SENATE BY 99-NUMERAL ONE.

BECAUSE IT IS BAD FOR KIDS, BAD
FOR WORKERS, BAD FOR CONSUMERS,
AND THAT FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES.
IT IS BAD FOR ANYONE WHO ISN’T
IN A BIG TECH CEO.
RIGHT NOW, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ISN’T DOING A TON ON
REGULATING AI.
BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT AI
DOESN’T NEED RULES.
I HAVE HEARD FROM PLENTY OF
FOLKS WHO WORRY ABOUT WHAT AI
CAN MEAN FOR THEIR KIDS.
I HAVE SEEN REPORTS SHOWING HOW
COMPANIES USE AI TO 2RTIFICIALLY
INCREASE PRICES.
PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ARE TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH WHAT
IT MEANS TO HAVE A DATA CENTER
RIGHT THERE IN THEIR BACKYARD.
PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE
IMPACT OF AI ON THEIR JOBS.
I THINK A LOT OF US CAN AGREE
THAT AI HAS TREMENDOUS

BUT LIKE ALL POWERFUL
TECHNOLOGY, IT SHOULD HAVE SOME
CHECKS AND BALANCES ON IT.

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John McArdle

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN,
OR POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

WE ARE ASKING IF YOU ARE
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF AI.
THE NUMBERS ARE ON YOUR SCREEN.
WE GO TO PHILLY, JONATHAN, GOOD

YES, GOOD MORNING.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, I AM
BETTING ON AI TO REALLY
TRANSFORM EVERYTHING AND

I DO NOT THINK THERE IS A WAY TO

I THINK THE AMOUNT OF MONEYED
INTERESTS, THE TRILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN INVESTMENTS, IS GOING
TO TRAMPLE OVER EVERYTHING.

JUST IT IS GOING TO TRANSFORM SO

IF YOU LOOK AT AMERICA AND LOOK
AT THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO
SECTORS OF EMPLOYEES, MAINLY
RETAIL JOBS, THOSE WILL BE GONE

SO VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT AI.
BUT CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT
ON HUMANITY, AND I THINK THAT
WOULD BE THE QUESTION TO ASK.
HOW DO YOU THINK AI WILL IMPACT

THAT IS REALLY THE QUESTION.
AI IS GOING TO DO GREAT AND THE
BILLIONAIRES THAT OWN IT —

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John McArdle

THAT IS KIND OF WHAT WE
ARE ASKING, WHETHER YOU ARE
OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS IS ONE OF
THE MAJOR FUTURES OF
DEVELOPMENT.
SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHETHER THAT IS A GOOD
THING, WHETHER YOU ARE
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT PROSPECT
OR NOT, TH I KIND OF WHAT WE
ARE ASKING.

YEAH, SO AI IS GOING TO
THRIVE AND DO VERY WELL.
THE REAL CONCERNS WOULD BE THE
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, THE USE OF
WATER, THE POLLUTION THAT IT
WILL DO TO WATER.
CLEARLY, IT WILL NOT BE
REGULATED BECAUSE CONGRESS IS
COMPLETELY OWNED BY MONEYED

SO THEY WILL DO MASSIVE, MASSIVE
DAMAGE, AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO
HAVE ANY GUESTS ON C-SPAN THAT
ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AI AND
WHAT IT IS AND THE RISKS IT

WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE
QUESTIONS LIKE THIS WERE PEOPLE
THAT DO NOT KNOW VERY MUCH CALL
IN AND JUST SAY SOME STUFF, BUT
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY REAL
INFORMATION.
SO THAT IS VERY ALARMING.

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John McArdle

I HOPE YOU’RE NOT
PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THAT, IT IS
CERTAINLY A PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE
WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT AND

BUT I HOPE YOU CONTINUE WATCHING
AND WE CONTINUE HAVING THESE
DISCUSSIONS.
I THINK WE BOTH AGREE THIS IS
NOT A QUESTION GOING AWAY
ANYTIME SOON.

DEFINITELY NOT.

John McArdle

STEVE IS NEXT ON THE LINE
FOR THOSE WHO ARE PESSIMISTIC.
GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

John McArdle

WHAT DO YOU THINK,
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC?

PESSIMISTIC IN THREE

THE FIRST BEING, AS I SEE IT IN
COLLEGE STUDENTS, I SEE A
DEPENDENCY ON IT AND IT TAKES
ADVANTAGE OF OUR LAZINESS AND
MAKES US MORE AND MORE WANTING
TO DO THINGS FOR US.
SECOND, I SEE THE ARMS RACE
WHICH IS GOING ON AMONG ALL OF
THE NATIONS AND NGO COSTS AND
CORPORATIONS THAT ARE WORKING ON
THIS TRYING TO DEVELOP, AS ALL
TECHNOLOGIES HAVE DEVELOPED, AS
A MILITARY WEAPON.
THIRD, AND MOST ALARMING, IS THE
POSSIBILITY OF AI BECOMING
SELF-CONSCIOUS IN A WAY THAT
WILL PROBABLY PRODUCE AS ITS
FIRST THOUGHT, WHY IN THE WORLD
SHOULD I BE A SLAVE TO THESE
INFERIOR BEINGS?

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John McArdle

STEVE, WHAT SUBJECT DO YOU
TEACH IN COLLEGE?

FRESHMAN COMPOSITION.

John McArdle

AT THIS POINT, DO YOU
ASSUME MOST OF THOSE STUDENTS,
WHEN THEY ARE WRITING, ARE USING
AI AND WHAT THEY SUBMIT TO YOU?

WHAT I 2EE IS SOULLESS,
GRAMMATICALLY PERFECT WRITING
THAT RUNS STYLISTICALLY ALONG A
KIND OF VERY LOW LEVEL, AND IT
IS NOTHING LIKE THE FRESHMAN
WRITING I HAVE BEEN SEEING FOR
OVER HALF A CENTURY.
IT IS NEARLY DISCERNIBLE FROM
HUMAN READING BECAUSE OF THE
SOUL LOOSENESS BUT ALSO BECAUSE
OF THE PLANT SURFACE PERFECTION.

John McArdle

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR
STUDENTS WHEN THAT FIRST PAPER
COMES BACK IN YOUR THOUGHTS
ABOUT THIS ARE CONFIRMED BY WHAT

DO YOU SAY SOMETHING TO THEM?

YES, WHAT I DO IS NOW I
HAVE TO TAKE ON A POLICING

I INTERVIEW THEM AND SAY, WHAT
DOES THIS WORD MEAN?
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY WITH
THIS SENTENCE?
AND THEY NOT ONLY DIDN’T LIKE
IT, BUT THEY HAVE NOT EVEN READ

THEY CANNOT TELL ME.
THEY CANNOT DEFINE THE WORDS AND
CANNOT EXPLAIN CONCEPTS IN IT.

John McArdle

SO WHERE DO YOU GO WITH
THEM FROM THERE?

I HAVE THEM WRITE
SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN.

John McArdle

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A

John McArdle

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU
WILL BE A PROFESSOR?
DO YOU WANT TO KEEP DOING IT?

I THINK I AM DONE AT THE
END OF THIS SEMESTER.

John McArdle

IS THIS PART OF THE REASON

IT IS THE ENTIRE REASON.
IT IS A DIFFERENT ACTIVITY NOW.
THERE ARE SO FEW PEOPLE WHO
ACTUALLY WANT TO THE LOOP — DO
THE WORK IN SO MANY TRYING TO
CHEAT THEIR WAY THROUGH AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE OTHERS.
MANY SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER
TAKING CREDITS FROM ONLINE
COURSES BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE
WORK ON THOSE COURSES IS DONE BY

THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED
IN A WAY THAT SEEMS TOO DEGRADED
TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.

John McArdle

STEVE, THANKS FOR THE CALL
FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
BACK TO THAT PEW POLL, AND
INTERESTING QUESTION THEY ASKED.
ASKING AMERICANS WHETHER THEY
THINK ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SHOULD PLAY EITHER A BIG OR
SMALL ROLE IN VARIOUS
ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS FORECASTING
THE WEATHER.
SOME 74% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE
THAT AI SHOULD PLAY EITHER A BIG
OR SMALL ROLE IN DOING THAT.
OTHER TOPICS, SEARCHING FOR
FINANCIAL CRIMES, 70% OF
AMERICANS SAY AI SHOULD PLAY
SOME ROLE, SEARCHING FOR FRAUD
IN GOVERNMENT BENEFITS CLAIMS,
70% SAY SOME ROLE.
DEVELOPING NEW MEDICINES, 66%
SAY IT SHOULD PLAY SOME ROLE.
IDENTIFYING SUSPECTS, 61%.
AND BELOW 50%, PROVIDING MENTAL
HEALTH SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE, JUST
46% OF AMERICANS SAY AI SHOULD
PLAY SOME ROLE.
SELECTING WHO SHOULD SERVE ON A
JURY, 30 3% SAY AI SHOULD PLAY

WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING
DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO GOVERN
THE COUNTRY, 27 PERCENT SAY AI
SHOULD PLAY SOME ROLE.
JUDGING WHETHER TWO PEOPLE COULD
FALL IN LOVE, 18% SAY AI SHOULD
PLAY SOME ROLE.
WHEN IT COMES TO ADVISING PEOPLE
ABOUT THEIR FAITH IN GOD, 11%
SAY AI SHOULD PLAY SOME ROLE IN
THAT DECISION.
THAT FROM THE PEW RESEARCH POLL
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS

ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THIS FOR
— FIRST SEGMENT OF THE
“WASHINGTON JOURNAL EMCO ASKING
IF YOU’RE APOSTATE — OPTIMISTIC
OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF AI — FIRST SEGMENT OF
“WASHINGTON JOURNAL,” ASKING IF
YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC OR
PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

TO STEVE IN NEW YORK.
WELL, YES, I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC.
FIRST OF ALL, INTELLIGENCE IS
DEFINED AS THE ABILITY TO
ACQUIRE AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE.
MAN, IN ALL HIS WISDOM, HAS
INVENTED THIS MACHINE, AN
ELECTRONIC MACHINE, AND IT HAS
INTELLIGENCE.
AND THE AWESOME THING ABOUT IT
IS IT OPERATES PRACTICALLY AT
THE SPEED OF LIGHT.
SO I AM OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE I
HAVE MET A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE IN
MY LIFE, AND THAT IS BASICALLY
WHY I AM OPTIMISTIC.

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John McArdle

ARE YOU GENERALLY 2N
OPTIMISTIC PERSON IN EVERYTHING

ABSOLUTELY.
AS I SAID, I HAVE MET A LOT OF
GOOD PEOPLE IN MY LIFE.

John McArdle

DO YOU THINK THIS QUESTION
THAT WE ARE ASKING TODAY IS JUST
KIND OF A RORSCHACH TEST OF
WHETHER YOU ARE GENERALLY AN
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC

DO YOU THINK IT BOILS DOWN TO

OR DO YOU THINK AI IS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT THAN A GENERAL

WELL, I THINK IT HAS
PROBABLY GOT TO DO WITH A LACK
OF UNDERSTANDING OF INTELLIGENCE

AS I SAY, IT IS SIMPLY THE
ABILITY TO ACQUIRE AND APPLY

AND THAT IS WHAT THIS MACHINE

SIMPLY AN ELECTRONIC MACHINE.

John McArdle

STEVE, THANKS FOR THE

TO THE WOLVERINE STATE, THIS IS

GOOD MORNING, SIR.

GOOD MORNING.
I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH UPON YOUR
OBSERVATION ABOUT THE ANGELS,
SOMETHING IMPORTANT IN THIS
CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE

WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT JUST
CUT THE USAID TO THE WORLD AND
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT
MILLIONS, OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
DIE BECAUSE OF IT.
SO IF WE THINK ABOUT THE ETHOS
OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING
THIS AI, WE HAVE GOT PEOPLE FROM
SOUTH AFRICA WHO ARE CHILDREN OF
APARTHEID, WHO ARE VERY RICH AND
DO NOT HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE
THAT MANY OF US HAVE WITH
HUMANITY AND HOW HUMANITY TREATS
EACH OTHER.
WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS
LAID OFF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE WITHOUT REGARD TO THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR LIVES.
SO I AM VERY PESSIMISTIC BECAUSE
THE ETHOS AND THE SPIRITUALITY
OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING
THIS I THINK IS ON THE LOW END
OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE THERE
INTELLIGENCE MAY BE ON THE HIGH

AND THAT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THIS
WORLD WHO DO NOT LOOK LIKE THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING THESE
TECHNOLOGIES, WHO DO NOT HAVE
THE SAME LIFE EXPERIENCE AS
THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING
THESE TECHNOLOGIES.
SO I THINK THAT GIVES US CAUSE

THERE ARE ALWAYS UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES TO THE MIRACLES
THAT MAN MIGHT THINK THAT HE OR
SHE IS PRODUCING.
AND I DO NOT KNOW THAT IT IS
GOING TO DO OUR SOCIETY VERY

YOU HEARD ELON SAY MONEY IS NOT
EVEN GOING TO BE A CONSIDERATION
IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT MEANS SOMEBODY HAS TO
CONTROL THE LEVERS OF POWER, THE
LEVERS OF WHO GETS FED, WHO GETS
MEDICAL CARE.
SO THAT GIVES AWAY A LOT OF

WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THESE
PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE EMPATHY.
THEY HAVE ALREADY SAID SO.
WE KNOW A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE
WHO ARE DEVELOPING A I HAVE A
DYSTOPIAN VIEW OF THE FUTURE.
SO THERE IS A LOT TO CONSIDER,
AND I AM WITH SENATOR WARREN.
WE NEED CONTROLS.
WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL OF
HOW WE GO ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION.

WE NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT
IT AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT

THANKS A LOT.

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John McArdle

THAT IS HENRY IN MICHIGAN.
YOU MENTIONED ELON MUSK.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THAT U.S.
SAUDI INVESTMENT MEETING MID
LAST MONTH.
THEN SITTING ALONGSIDE JENSEN
WONG OF NVIDIA, THE CHIPMAKER,
AND HE ALSO ASKED THE SAME
QUESTION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AI.
HERE ARE SOME OF HIS THOUGHTS
AND RESPONSES.

EVERYBODY’S JOBS WILL BE
DIFFERENT, THAT IS FOR SURE.
HOW STUDENTS LEARN WILL BE
DIFFERENT, HOW PEOPLE DO THEIR
WORK WILL BE DIFFERENT.

A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO MY
DAILY OR ARDUOUSLY WERE VERY
DIFFICULT WEEKS ARE GOING TO BE
DONE VERY SIMPLY.
SO 2E’RE 2OING TO BE MORE
PRODUCTIVE IN THAT SENSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL SAY IS
THAT FOR MOST PEOPLE OR A
COMPANY, IF YOUR LIFE BECOMES
MORE PRODUCTIVE AND IF THE
THINGS YOU’RE DOING WITH GREAT
DIFFICULTY BECOME SIMPLER, IT IS
VERY LIKELY BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO
MANY IDEAS, YOU WILL HAVE MORE
TIME TO PURSUE THOSE.
IT IS MY GUESS THAT ELON WILL BE
BUSIER AS A RESULT OF AI AND I
WILL BE BUSIER AS A RESULT OF
AI, AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE
SO MANY IDEAS WE WANT TO PURSUE,
SO MANY THINGS WE STILL HAVE IN
OUR BACKLOG TO PURSUE.
IF WE ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE, WE
CAN GET TO THOSE THINGS.
IN THE NEAR TERM, I WOULD SAY
THAT THERE IS EVERY EVIDENCE
THAT WE WILL BE MORE PRODUCTIVE
AND YET STILL BE BUSIER BECAUSE
WE HAVE SO MANY IDEAS.

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John McArdle

THE NVIDIA CO-FOUNDER
JENSEN HUANG THERE.
YOU CAN WATCH THAT EVENT AT
C-SPAN.ORG.
BACK TO YOUR PHONE CALLS, ASKING
IF YOU’RE OPTIMISTIC OR
PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

STEVE OUT OF ROCKY POINT, NEW
YORK, GOOD MORNING.

HEY, GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CALL.
I AM ALSO A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
AND SYMPATHIZE WITH THE GUY YOU

ONE OPTIMISTIC THING IN MY
TEACHING I HAVE GONE FROM AI’S
IT MAKES ME REFLECT A BIT MORE
ON WHAT TEACHING IS.
AND I FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN
LEANING ON THE COLLEGE ESSAY TO
DO A LOT OF MY WORK FOR ME.
AND I KIND OF AGREE WITH STEPHEN
WOLFRAM ON THIS THAT AI HAS
POINTED OUT THAT THE COLLEGE
ESSAY MIGHT BE SIMPLER TO DO
THAN WE THINK.
IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING.
SO IT HAS REALLY GOT ME BACK IN
THE CLASSROOM THINKING ABOUT
THAT INTEREST AND EXPERIENCE AND
GETTING STUDENTS TO ORALLY
RESPOND IN DESIGNATING
AUDIENCES, SPECIFIC AUDIENCES,
FOR THEM TO WRITE TO.
THE TEMPTATION IS ALWAYS THERE
TO USE THE AI, BUT IT KIND OF
GOES AWAY IF YOU DO NOT KIND OF
HAVE THIS KIND OF ANTISEPTIC,
OBJECTIVE, I AM WRITING THE
TRUTH KIND OF ASSIGNMENT.
FOR ME, I AM A LITTLE BIT
OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE IT HAS MADE
ME REVISIT TEACHING.
ANOTHER THING ABOUT THAT IS I
HAVE TALKED FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS
NOW AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL, AND
I REMEMBER WHEN WIKIPEDIA WAS
THE BIG THREAT TO LEARNING AND
THAT WAS GOING TO DESTROY
COLLEGE EDUCATION.
IT HAS ALL KIND OF WORKED ITS
WAY INTO THE CURRICULUM IN A
MORE POSITIVE WAY.
STUDENTS DO NOT REALLY THINK
ABOUT WIKIPEDIA THAT MUCH

MOSTLY FOR THEM IT IS GOOGLE AND

SO I AM A LITTLE BIT OPTIMISTIC
THAT THIS WILL ALTER UNIVERSITY
TEACHING, MAYBE FOR THE BETTER.

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John McArdle

WHAT TOPIC DO YOU TEACH?

I TEACH COMMUNICATION
AND RHETORIC, SO MOSTLY SPEECH
AND DEBATE COURSES.
THERE ARE SOME DEBATE AND
STRUCTURES THAT ARE VERY
POSITIVE ABOUT AI BECAUSE OF THE
ABILITY TO HAVE AI ARGUE WITH
YOU ABOUT ANY ISSUE OR YOU CAN
PUT ARGUMENTS IN AND SAY, WHERE
IS THE WEAKEST POINT, AND A LOT
OF DEBATE THE STUDENTS DO NOT
HAVE ACCESS TO REALLY GOOD
INSTRUCTORS OR A LOT OF MONEY IN
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR EVEN IN
THEIR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

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John McArdle

THAT OTHER PROFESSOR WHO
CALLED IN, HE SAID THE ESSAYS HE
WOULD GET WERE GRAMMATICALLY
PERFECT BUT SOULLESS, WAS THE
TERM HE USED.
SO HOW DO YOU PUT THE SOUL BACK
INTO IT AND GET THE AI OUT OF

THAT IS A REALLY GREAT

I THINK WE HAVE TO DESIGNATE

I THINK ONLY IN COLLEGE IS WHEN
YOU KIND OF RIGHT INTO THE VOID.
A LOT OF INSTRUCTORS ASSIGNED —
I AM GUILTY OF THIS, TOO, NOT
TRYING TO BLAME ANYBODY FOR
DOING SOMETHING BAD, BUT YOU
HAVE THEM WRITE AN ESSAY WHERE
YOU DISCUSS THE ISSUES INVOLVED
IN A READING.
WELL, TO WHO?
WHEN WE SPEAK IN THE REAL WORLD,
WE ARE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT AN
AUDIENCE THAT WE WANT TO REACH,
WHETHER IT IS VOTERS OR INKERS
OR COWORKERS.
AND I THINK PUTTING THAT BACK IN
PUTS THE SOUL BACK IN BECAUSE
YOU ARE TRYING TO INFLUENCE AND
REACH OTHER HUMAN MINDS THAT ARE
NOT TRYING TO GET THE
OBJECTIVELY TRUE ANSWER.
THAT IS ONE 2DJUSTMENT 2 2AVE

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John McArdle

THANKS FOR THE CALL.
A FEW MORE OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
AND TEXT MESSAGES.
THIS IS CAROL OUT OF BOSTON,
MASSACHUSETTS, SAYING THERE ARE
JOBS AND TASKS THAT AI WILL
NEVER REPLACE.
POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS,
ELECTRICIANS, PLUMBERS,
HAIRSTYLISTS, AND MANY OTHERS.
SEEMS LIKE STUFF THAT REALLY
MATTERS CAN’T BE TAKEN OVER BY

THIS ONE SAYS, IT DEPENDS, WHAT
BECOMES A POPULAR USE TOO OFTEN,
AI IS BEING USED TO PRODUCE FAKE
IMAGES AND VIDEOS.
WHEN USED FOR ITS REAL PERSON TO
— PURPOSE TO ASSIST US, CAN BE

VICKI SAYING SHE IS OPTIMISTIC,
I BELIEVE AI WILL MAKE US MORE
PRODUCTIVE AND THE OTHER
POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES LEFT
BEFORE WE END THIS SEGMENT.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, IF
YOU’RE OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AI.
THIS IS LANCE IN STERLING,

GOOD MORNING.

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HELLO, THANK YOU FOR
TAKING MY CALL.
I HAVE BEEN IN CONSTRUCTION
SINCE I WAS 17, MOSTLY CONCRETE,
BUILDING CONDOMINIUMS.
I DO NOT SEE ANY ROBOT OR
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TAKING
MY JOB AWAY FOR ME, PUTTING
NAILS IN, AND I ALSO DON’T SEE
— MAYBE IT WILL HELP TO KEEP
HUMANS FROM PUSHING THE BUTTON
AND THEY CAN SET UP KIND OF A
LASER THING THAT IF THEY SEE
SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO PUSH THE
BUTTON TO DESTROY US ALL, THEY
CAN HIT HIM WITH A LASER.
ANOTHER THING IS THAT —

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John McArdle

YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
STOPPING NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION,

YEAH, USING ARTIFICIAL

ANOTHER THING IS, I WANT TO SAY
THAT I COULD HAVE WENT ALL DAY
WITHOUT SEEING BERNIE SANDERS OR
ELIZABETH WARREN.

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS,
HANUKKAH, WHATEVER YOU BELIEVE

John McArdle

LANCE IN STERLING,

BERNIE SANDERS IN SOCIAL MEDIA
POST AND HIS CALL FOR CONGRESS
TO GET MORE INVOLVED HERE, ONE
OF THE REASONS WHY WE’RE DOING
THIS QUESTION.
HE RELEASED A STATEMENT LAST
WEEK CALLING FOR A PAUSE ON
BUILDING NEW AI DATA CENTERS AS
A WAY TO PAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT
HERE SO CONGRESS ON THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT GET THEIR HANDS
AROUND REGULATION AND TRIED TO
GET SOME RULES OF THE ROAD WHEN
IT COMES TO AI.
HERE IS MORE FROM THAT POST THEY
GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION LAST

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SOMETHING I WORRY ABOUT A
WHOLE LOT, AND THAT IS THAT
MILLIONS OF KIDS IN THIS COUNTRY
ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE
ISOLATED FROM REAL HUMAN
RELATIONSHIPS.
AND ARE GETTING THEIR EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT FROM AI.
THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT A
FUTURE WHEN HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT
INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER AND
ARE SPENDING VIRTUALLY ALL OF
THEIR TIME WITH DEVICES INSTEAD

IS THAT THE KIND OF FUTURE YOU

WELL, NOT ME.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THERE IS A
WHOLE LOT ABOUT AI AND ROBOTICS
THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED,
NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED.
BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THIS
PROCESS IS MOVING VERY, VERY

AND WE NEED TO SLOW IT DOWN.
WE NEED ALL OF OUR PEOPLE, ALL
OF OUR PEOPLE, INVOLVED IN
DETERMINING THE FUTURE OF AI AND
NOT JUST A HANDFUL OF
MULTIBILLIONAIRES.
THAT IS WHY, FOR A START, I WILL
BE PUSHING FOR A MORATORIUM ON
THE CONSTRUCTION OF DATA CENTERS
THAT ARE POWERING THIS
UNREGULATED SPRINT TO DEVELOP
AND DEPLOY AI.
THIS MORATORIUM WILL BE GIVING
DEMOCRACY A CHANCE TO CATCH UP
WITH THE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES
THAT WE ARE WITNESSING AND MAKE
SURE THAT THE BENEFITS OF THESE
TECHNOLOGIES WORK FOR ALL OF US,
NOT JUST THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE

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John McArdle

BERNIE SANDERS WITH THOSE
STATEMENTS LAST WEEK.
PLENTY OF RESPONSE TO THOSE
STATEMENTS, INCLUDING BLACK RICH
LOWRY IN THE PAGES OF THE
NATIONAL REVIEW — INCLUDING BY
RICH LOWRY IN THE PAGES OF THE
NATIONAL REVIEW.
THIS SAYS BERNIE SANDERS WANTS
US TO TAKE OUR CHANCES OF CEDING
A TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE TO
CHINA AND HOPING EVERYTHING
TURNS OUT OK.
HE SAYS CHINESE MAY BE
COMMUNISTS, WHERE SANDERS IS A
SOCIALIST, BUT EVEN THEY ARE
THIS FOOLISH.
IT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A SPACE
RACE AND SANDERS’S TAKE —
TALKING ABOUT CUTTING OFF OUR
SUPPLY TO ROCKET FUEL.
EVEN IF SANDERS WERE TO GET HIS
WAY, THERE’S NO STOPPING AI.
THAT WAS IN THE PAGES OF THE
NATIONAL REVIEW.
BACK TO YOUR PHONE CALLS, ROBERT
AND FLORIDA, GOOD MORNING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF AI?

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I HAVE A POSITIVE

I HAVE READ SCIENCE FICTION FOR
THE LAST 65, 70 YEARS.
IT HAS ALL SORTS OF SCENARIOS

BASICALLY, IT IS OUR SILICON
DESCENDANTS, AND THERE IS THE
BOTTOM LEVEL, AND THEY WILL BE
SMARTER, FASTER, WHATEVER.
AND THERE WILL BE GODS ON THE

SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THEM.

John McArdle

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US
MERE HUMANS, ROBERT?

WE ARE GOING TO BE PETS.

John McArdle

AND THAT IS A GOOD THING?

IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT WON’T MATTER BECAUSE THEY
WILL BE SMARTER, FASTER, DEEPER
THINKING, AND THE FUTURE IS
GOING TO BE WHAT IT IS GOING TO

I WOULD SUGGEST YOU READ THE
CULTURE NOVELS TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE MINES WILL BE LIKE
BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO
THINK SO MUCH FASTER ABOUT ALL

SO I AM SOMEWHAT POSITIVE,
HOPING IT WILL BE LIKE THAT, AND
NOT LIKE THE MINDS OF THE DUNE
SERIES WHERE HUMANITY WAS
ENSLAVED FOR 10,000 YEARS.

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John McArdle

THIS IS RON AND THE YELLOW
HAMMER STATE — IN THE YELLOW
HAMMER STATE.
GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON HERE
BEFORE, BUT I AM PESSIMISTIC AND
OPTIMISTIC.
I THINK THAT THE AI HAS TO BE

AND I THINK AI SHOULD BE ABLE TO
IDENTIFY THE BAD ACTORS.
THEN THEY SHOULD PROBABLY BE
PROSECUTED TO THE HIGHEST, EVEN
UP TO THE DEATH PENALTY.
AS FAR AS THE OPTIMISTIC PART, I
THINK IT WILL BRING MEDICINE TO
EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY AT LOW
OR NO COST AT ALL.
THIS IS A GOOD THING.
BUT THERE’S A LOT OF BAD THINGS
THAT CAN HAPPEN.

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John McArdle

HOW DO YOU SEE AI DOING

I SEE AI BEING ABLE TO
SOLVE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS IN
HEALTH CARE.
I THINK IT WILL BRING DOWN THE
COSTS SO EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE
TO AFFORD IT.
BUT MY MAIN THING IS THE
PENALTIES FOR THE BAD ACTORS HAS
TO BE REALLY TOUGH.

SO I AM SORT OF BOTH WAYS,
OPTIMISTIC IN SOME WAYS AND
PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE BAD

THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CALL.

John McArdle

THIS IS GERRIT IN
LOUISIANA, BATON ROUGE.
GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.
I AM A PROFESSOR AND TEACH
DOCTORAL STUDENTS.
AND IT HAS REALLY LED TO THE
EROSION OF THE MERIT AND
SCHOLARLY DISSERTATIONS.
THE 2DEA 2BOUT 2 DISSERTATION 2S
WHEN STUDENTS USE AI, IT IS
WEAKENED THE INTELLECTUAL
OWNERSHIP OF THE DISSERTATION.
WHEN THE STUDENTS GET IN, THEY
CANNOT DEFEND THEIR ARGUMENTS.
THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE
LITERATURE.
THAT IS WHY I AM VERY MUCH
HAVING A PESSIMISTIC ATTITUDE
TOWARDS THE USE OF AI.

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John McArdle

DID YOU LISTEN TO THE
OTHER PROFESSOR WHO SAID HE IS
OPTIMISTIC AND THAT IT HAS SORT
OF MADE HIM REASSESS HIS
TEACHING STYLE AND WHETHER THE
ESSAY IS THE BEST WAY OF JUDGING
WHETHER STUDENTS LEARN?
DID YOU HEAR THAT?

BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A DISSERTATION AND AN

WHEN WE ARE TALKING A
DISSERTATION, WE ARE SAYING,
WHAT CAN A DOCTORAL STUDENT DO
TO CONTRIBUTE NEW KNOWLEDGE TO
GO AND INVESTIGATE A PROBLEM,
EXAMINE ALL THE LITERATURE, TO
REFUTE OR SUPPORT A HYPOTHESIS.
SO WHEN A STUDENT IS USING AI OR
GENERATIVE SOFTWARE, NOT ONLY
WILL AI: PRODUCE THE LITERATURE
BUT THEY WILL ALSO USE IT TO
COME UP WITH A METHODOLOGY, AND
WE ASK STUDENTS QUESTIONS BASED
ON THEIR WORK.
THEY DO NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND.
THEY CANNOT DEFEND.
AND THAT IS THE WHOLE PROBLEM WE
ARE HAVING WITH THE STUDENTS.

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John McArdle

ARE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
FAILURE RATES ON THE RISE?
WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE NUMBERS
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BECOMING
DOCTORS ARE PASSING THAT FINAL

ARE YOU STILL WITH US?

WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT DO NOT
MAKE IT PAST THE PROPOSAL LEVEL
BECAUSE OF THAT.

John McArdle

THAT IS GERRIT AND BATON
ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
A QUICK REMINDER, IT IS OFTEN
BEST WHEN YOU’RE CHATTING WITH
US ON THE PHONE TO TURNED ON
YOUR TELEVISION, MAKES IT EASIER
TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION
FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 10 MINUTES.
HERE IS ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR
COMMENTS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, ON X.
ONE OF THOSE FOLKS WHO FOLLOWS
ALONG AND TWEETS THROUGHOUT THE

THERE IS A GROUP OF YOU OUT

THIS SAYS, I REMEMBER HEARING A
LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS
REGARDING THAT COMPUTERS BEING
MAINSTREAMED INTO OUR CULTURE.
IF IT IS A MACHINE, IT IS A

I CAN USE A HAMMER TO FIX
SOMETHING OR HARM SOMETHING.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS HUMANS DRIVE
HOW ANY TOOL IS USED.
THAT IS MLB.
HERE IS MAYBE AN I-8 — AI
FUNCTION YOU HAVE NOT THOUGHT
OF, AI TRAVEL BLOGGING.
IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT IN TODAY’S
NEW YORK TIMES.
IT SAYS, HOW FASCINATING TO READ
THIS WEEK ABOUT THE AI GENERATED
TRAVEL INFLUENCERS THAT ARE
TAKING GIGS AWAY FROM THE REAL
LIFE, FLESH AND BLOOD TRAVEL
INFLUENCERS.
PEOPLES WHOSE JOB IT IS TO TAKE
TRIPS TO FAR-FLUNG LOCALES —
LOCALES AND POST ABOUT IT ON
SOCIAL MEDIA FEEL THEY ARE BEING
ELBOWED OUT BY COMPUTER CREATED
PERSONAS THAT CAN DO THE JOB AND
MUCH LESS TIME.
THAT TRAVEL INFLUENCER IS A JOB
THAT EXISTS FOR WHICH ONE MIGHT
BE PAID 100,000 DOLLARS OR MORE
FOR A SINGLE POST ABOUT A
VACATION, SO THE NEWS THAT THIS
RELATIVELY NEWFANGLED POSITION
MAY BE ENDANGERED BY ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE IS SORT OF

WE WERE JUST GETTING ACCUSTOMED
TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE BEING
INFLUENCED AT ALL, AND OTHER
ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER THAT

PONDER THIS STRANGE SCREEN BORN
ECONOMY LONG ENOUGH AND YOU
START CRAVING REAL WORLD
INTERACTIONS.
THAT IS IN TODAY’S NEW YORK

ED OUT OF CONNECTICUT, GOOD

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I THINK AI IS BOTH A
CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE ECONOMY.
I THINK AI IS GOING TO TURN
CONCEPTUALIZATION 2NTO 2
COMMODITY, WHEREAS IN THE PAST
WE SPOKE ABOUT THE SERVICE
ECONOMY AND THE INFORMATION
ECONOMY, I THINK THOSE JOBS WILL
BE AT RISK.
BUT THE REALIZATION WILL BE THE
FUTURE VALUE ADDED IS.
I MEAN, LIKE MANUFACTURING
IMPLEMENTING THE IDEAS AND
CONCEPTS THAT AI AS A TOOL CAN

I THINK IT IS GOOD TIMING THAT
WE ARE FOCUSING ON
MANUFACTURING, SO OUR INVESTMENT
WILL BE NEW AND UP-TO-DATE AS
OPPOSED TO COUNTRIES WE COMPETE

Show More Show Less

John McArdle

THIS IS RICHARD IN

GOOD MORNING.

MORNING, SIR.
I AM REALLY OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE
THE COMBINATION OF AI AND GREED
IS GOING TO PROBABLY TURN THIS
WORLD INTO SOMETHING THAT WE DO
NOT EVEN REALIZE IS GOING TO

I CAN REMEMBER BACK WHEN I WAS
IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN FAIRFAX
COUNTY, THEY BROUGHT AROUND THE
FEW FIRST COMPUTERS.
NOW CHEAPER CELL PHONES ARE MORE

GREED, JUST LIKE ELON MUSK SAID,
IT IS ALMOST LIKE IF YOU LISTEN
TO WHAT HE SAID, THERE IS NOT
REALLY GOING TO BE A REASON FOR
HAVING PEOPLE.
AND THE CALLER THAT SPOKE ABOUT
THINGS THAT AI CAN’T DO WELL,
WE’RE IN THE INFANCY OF ROBOTS.
LOOK HOW FAR WE HAVE COME IN 100

2025 BACK TO 1925.
WE ARE IN TROUBLE.
BUT THE ONLY THING I CAN LOOK AT
AND BE OPTIMISTIC IS THAT THERE

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John McArdle

THAT IS RICHARD IN

BACK TO THE PEW RESEARCH POLLING
, AMERICAN’S VIEWS ON AI.
THE LEVEL OF INTERACTION WITH AI
SEEMS TO BE CORRELATED WITH HOW
MUCH EDUCATIONAL LEVEL ONE HAS.
THE COMPANY ASKING WHETHER YOU
INTERACT WITH AI SEVERAL TIMES A

FOR THOSE WHO HAD THE LARGEST
NUMBERS THAT INTERACTED WITH AI
SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK,
POSTGRADUATE AMERICANS,
AMERICANS WITH A POSTGRADUATE

NEXT MOST, THOSE WITH A COLLEGE

NEXT MOST, THOSE WITH SOME
COLLEGE DEGREE.
AMONG THOSE WHO HAD THE LEAST
INTERACTION WITH AI ON A WEEKLY
BASIS, THOSE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL
DIPLOMA OR LESS, JUST 20% OF
THOSE INDIVIDUALS SAYING THEY
INTERACT WITH AI SEVERAL TIMES A

THE MAJORITY OF THOSE AMERICAN
SAY THEY INTERACT WITH AI MUCH
LESS OFTEN.
YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN AT PEW
RESEARCH.ORG.
THEY HAVE BEEN POLLING ON THIS
QUITE A BIT IN RECENT YEARS AND
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
IT IS THE SUBJECT DURING THE
FIRST HOUR OF THE “WASHINGTON
JOURNAL” TODAY.
THIS IS MARK IN MANHATTAN.
GOOD MORNING.
MARK, ARE YOU WITH US?
THEN WE GO TO SCOTT IN NEW

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GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?

John McArdle

DOING WELL, SIR.
WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF OPTIMISTIC
— OPTIMISM WITH YOUR
INTERACTION WITH AI?
I THINK WE LOST THE CALL.
WE HAVE TIME FOR A COUPLE MORE
CALLS HERE.
IF YOU SAY OPTIMISTIC, IT IS
(202) 748-8000.
IF YOU SAY PESMIIC, (202

I DID WANT TO SHOW ONE MORE
THOSE RECENT CLIPS FOR YOU ON
THE STATE LEVEL, GOVERNOR RON
DESANTIS OF FLORIDA.
IT WAS LAST WEEK, DECEMBER 15,
RON DESANTIS TALKING ABOUT AI
REGULATION IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA, HIS REACTION TO THE
PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER.

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IF CONGRESS WANTS TO SIT DOWN
AND MIMIC SOME OF THESE
PROPOSALS, DO ACKNOWLEDGE, THEY
COULD LEGISLATE THAT NATIONALLY.
IT IS 2 2ECHNOLOGY THAT IS AN
INTERSTATE COMMERCE USE IN MANY

BUT THAT WAS NOT WHAT THEY
PROPOSED TO DO.
THEY JUST WANTED TO KNEECAP THE
STATES AND KEEP THEM OUT.
THEY WILL SAY, WELL, WE DON’T
WANT CALIFORNIA DOING THINGS
THAT ARE WOKE OR THIS OTHER

I MEAN, LIKE, I DON’T EITHER,
BUT THAT IS NOT A REASON TO TAKE
AWAY FLORIDA’S RIGHTS.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
SECOND OF ALL, THESE COMPANIES,
THEIR MUSCLE MEMORY IS TO BE

THEY DO NOT NEED CALIFORNIA TO
TELL THEM THAT.
THAT IS LIKELY THE DIRECTION
THEY WILL GO.
THAT IS THE CULTURE IN SILICON

SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP
ANY RIGHTS FROM THE STATE.
THE PRESIDENT ISSUED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER, AND SOME PEOPLE
WERE SAYING THIS BLOCKS THE
STATES FROM DOING.
YOU SHOULD READ IT AND SEE.
FIRST OF ALL, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
CANNOT BLOCK THE STATES.
YOU CAN PREEMPT STATES UNDER
ARTICLE ONE POWERS THROUGH
CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION ON
CERTAIN ISSUES, BUT YOU CANNOT
DO IT THROUGH EXECUTIVE ORDER.
IF YOU READ IT, I SAY A LOT OF
THE STUFF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
ARE THINGS THEY ARE ENCOURAGING
STATES TO DO.
THEY SAY IT DOES NOT PREVENT
CHILD SAFETY, DOES NOT PREVENT
ANY OF THAT STUFF.
EVEN READING IT BROADLY, I THINK
THE STUFF WE ARE DOING WILL BE
VERY CONSISTENT.
BUT IRRESPECTIVE, CLEARLY, WE
HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THIS.
WHAT IT DOES SAY IS THEY ARE
WORRIED ABOUT CALIFORNIA AND
COLORADO DOING CRAZY THINGS THAT
YOU COULD HAVE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL BRING CHALLENGES TO
STATE LAWS UNDER THE DORMANT
COMMERCE CLAUSE.
I DO NOT KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL
THAT WOULD BE.
BUT THE REALITY IS I DO NOT
ANTICIPATE THAT EVEN HAPPENING
WITH THE STUFF WE’RE DOING IN

IF IT DOES, I DOES I THINK
WE WILL BE WELL-POSITIONED TO
PREVAIL ON THAT.

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John McArdle

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON
DESANTIS LAST WEEK.
I THINK WE LOST MARK FROM
EARLIER SO WE WILL TRY HIM AGAIN
IN MANHATTAN.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE
REAL INTELLIGENCE OF ALL THE
PEOPLE THAT WORK AT C-SPAN.
YOU HAVE A VERY BROAD RANGE OF
INTELLIGENCE.
I USED TO HAVE A BROTHER
TYPEWRITER.
THESE TWO HAVE A SPELL CHECK ON

WHEN I WENT TO WRITE MY STORIES
I WOULD TURN OFF THE SPELL CHECK
BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP MY
READING AND SPELLING UP.
AI IS A COMPILATION OF ALL HUMAN

WHEN YOUTUBE SAYS SHARE YOUR
THOUGHTS OR WHAT IS THIS MUSIC
GOOD FOR, WHICH SOUNDTRACK IS
THIS MUSIC GOOD FOR IT IS
COLLECTING — I DON’T KNOW WHY
PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT THE
CAMERA POINTED AT YOUR FACE.
IT IS BEYOND ME.
IT IS COLLECTING NUANCES OF
HUMAN EXPRESSION.
THAT IS ALSO PART OF AI.

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THAT IS MARKED — HOST:
THAT IS MARKED IN MANHATTAN.
THIS IS GAIL IN FLORIDA.
GOOD MORNING.

I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY.
I AM VERY PESSIMISTIC.
THAT WAS THE LINE I PICKED.
BECAUSE OF THE SUBDERMAL
SURVEILLANCE, THE ABILITY OF AI
TO BE UNDER OUR SKIN.
HOW IT FOCUSES ON OUR FRONTAL
LOBE AND IS CAUSING MENTAL
DISTRESS FOR MANY PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY IN COMBINATION WITH
COVID, AFFECTING OUR HEALTH.
WE ARE AT RISK.
I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO GET A
WARRANT FOR SUBDERMAL
SURVEILLANCE.
I CAME UP WITH THIS PROPOSAL
CALLED SWAMPS WHICH IS SUBDERMAL
WARRANT OPT IN ACADEMIC MEDICAL
PREDICTIVE SURVEILLANCE.
I KNOW IT IS A MOUTHFUL.
I HAVE FOUND MYSELF TO BE A
HUMAN RESEARCH SUBJECT’S

— A HUMAN RESEARCH SUBJECT
SINCE CHILDHOOD.
I’VE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF
POLITICAL FODDER THAT HAS
NEGATIVELY AFFECTED ME.

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John McArdle

THIS IS ERIC BACK IN THE
EMPIRE STATE.
ONE LAST CALL IN THIS SEGMENT.

GOOD MORNING JOHN ET AL
IN TV LAND.
I AM PESSIMISTIC.
I AM NO COMPUTER WHIZ BY AM A
STUDENT OF HUMANITY AS WE ALL

I DO IT IN THE WEEDS.
I PREFER HUMAN CONTACT BECAUSE
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF EQUIPMENT
TO READ EACH OTHER AND COME TO
CONCLUSIONS AND REAL-TIME AND
COME UP WITH A MODEL OF THE
PERSON BEFORE US AND INTERACT
WITH THEM AND PLUMB IN WAYS I DO
NOT THINK COMPUTERS CAN DO
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LIVE IN OUR
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE WHERE THE
RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
I BELIEVE THESE LARGE LANGUAGE
MODELS GET THEIR SENSE OF
HUMANITY BY HOW WE BEHAVE

WE ARE PRETTY AWFUL TO EACH
OTHER ONLINE IN WAYS THAT WE
BRIDLE WHEN WE ARE IN PERSON.
I HAVE CONCERNS AI IS NOT
PRESENT IN THAT PLACE WHERE
HUMANITY LIVES.

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John McArdle

WE WANT AI PRESENT IN THE
INTIMATE INTERACTIONS?
IS THAT WHERE WE WANT IT TO FIND
THAT BETTER WAY WE TALK TO EACH

I THINK — I DON’T KNOW
HOW IT CAN INSERT ITSELF THERE.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT IF YOU JUDGE
HUMANITY BY HOW WE REACT TO EACH
OTHER IN THE IMPERSONAL WORLD WE
HAVE CREATED IT WILL NOT GET IT,
WHAT BEING A HUMAN IS.

John McArdle

IS THAT TO SAY THAT IF AI
CREEPS INTO MORE AND MORE
ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE THE AI WILL
GET BETTER BECAUSE IT WILL SEE
WHO WE REALLY ARE AND NOT JUST
HOW WE RESPOND TO EACH OTHER
BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF A TWITTER

THAT IS AN OPTIMISTIC
THING I WILL HAVE TO CHEW ON.
HOPEFULLY — IT IS CHICKEN AND
EGG POSSIBLY.
I AM NOT SURE.

John McArdle

I GUESS WE WILL ALL FIND
OUT TOGETHER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

John McArdle

THAT IS ERIC IN NEW YORK
COME OUR LAST CALL IN THIS FIRST

MORE TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING.
UP NEXT IS OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY
AUTHORS WEEK SERIES, NINE DAYS
OF AUTHORS FROM ACROSS THE
POLITICAL SPECTRUM WHOSE BOOKS
SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON IMPORTANT
ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE.
THIS MORNING WE FEES GEORGE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
CASEY BURGAT WHO DISCUSS HIS
BOOKS “WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS: HOW
TO SPOT THE MYTHS HOLDING
AMERICA BACK.

THAT IS NEXT.

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ALL WEEK THROUGH THE NEW YEAR
THE C-SPAN NETWORKS WILL PRESENT
A SERIES OF MARATHONS
HIGHLIGHTING THE MOST
CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENTS,
CONVERSATIONS, AND COVERAGE OF
2025 ACROSS C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 AND

REVISIT SPEECHES, HEARINGS OF
THE AUTHORS AND LEADERS AND
THINKERS THAT DEFINED THE YEAR.
OUR HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE KEY
SPEECHES ON THE WITH THIS YEAR’S
MOST IMPACTFUL SPEECHES FROM
ELECTED LEADERS.
BOOK TV BOOK FAIRS FEATURING
AUTHOR CONVERSATIONS AND
INTERVIEWS FROM OUR BOOK FAIRS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS WITH SOME OF
THIS 2EAR’S 2OST 2ATCHED 2ND
TALK 2BOUT 2-SPAN PROGRAMMING.
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FOREIGN
LEADERS WITH KEY COVERAGE OF
EVENTS AT HOME AND OVERSEAS.
AMERICA’S BOOK CLUB’S FEATURING
A SPECIAL LINE UP FROM OUR NEW
WEEKLY SERIES OF
THOUGHT-PROVOKING CONVERSATION
WITH HOST DAVID RUBENSTEIN AND
LEADING AUTHORS.
AMERICA 200 50 HIGHLIGHTS THE
EVENTS AND CONVERSATIONS.
IN MEMORIAM, REMEMBERING
POLITICAL FIGURES, AND OTHER
INFLUENTIAL FIGURES WHO HAVE
PASSED AWAY IN 2025.
KEY CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS THAT
SPARK DEBATE AND CAPTURED PUBLIC

VOICES OF 2025 WITH BOOK TV AND
AMERICAN HISTORY TV’S COMPELLING
INTERVIEWS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH
HISTORIANS, SCHOLARS, AND
AUTHORS WHO SHAPE THE NATIONAL
CONVERSATION.
WATCH THE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE
PEOPLE AND EVENTS WHO DEFINED A

C-SPAN’S YEAR END MARATHON ALL
WEEK THROUGH THE NEW YEAR ON THE
C-SPAN NETWORKS.
FOR OUR COMPLETE SCHEDULE, HEAD
TO OUR WEBSITE, C-SPAN.ORG.

Show More Show Less

*This text was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Artificial Intelligence

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Open Forum, Part 1

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C-SPAN Studio, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Event Date:

December 22, 2025

Video Length:

1 hour, 8 minutes, 23 seconds

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December 22, 2025 |
11:59 AM UTC |

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