Cargo Cult

Pre-order the 2025 Cargo Cult Calendar: https://tally.so/r/mDel4j

We ask Albert Fox Cahn, founder and Executive Director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), about how local policing has turned into local surveillance, the campaign to ban facial recognition in New York State, personalized "AI" pricing, opting out at airport security, and more.Cahn's Business Insider piece on home insurance spying: https://www.businessinsider.com/homeowners-insurance-nightmare-cancellation-surveillance-drone-ai-future-2024-8Cahn's Business Insider piece on AI pickpocketing: https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-quietly-picking-your-pocket-with-personalized-pricing-2024-7Cahn's WIRED piece on expanding surveillance after January 6: https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-the-capitol-attack-doesnt-justify-expanding-surveillance/STOP's Pregnancy Panopticon Report: https://www.stopspying.org/pregnancy-panopticonBan the Scan NY: https://www.banthescan.org/Cahn on X: https://x.com/FoxCahn?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor---

Pre-order the 2025 Cargo Cult Calendar: https://tally.so/r/mDel4j

We talk about water treatment plants failing to stop drugs from making it into the ocean, Elon Musk losing advertisers on X, viral "AI" images on Facebook, and more. Photo: Shrimp JesusMae on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mae_planert/?hl=enLaura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurasogar/?hl=en--

We got a Peter Thiel-funded venture capital tech bro on the ticket before GTA 6Jorge on X: https://x.com/LineGoesDownUnlimited Hangout article about Vance & Thiel: https://unlimitedhangout.com/2024/07/investigative-reports/the-man-behind-trumps-vp-pick-its-worse-than-you-think/

Thousands of unionized workers at Samsung, the world's largest memory chipmaker, are striking against the company's refusal to negotiate. Demands include a 3.5% base rate increase, paid leave for the date of union establishment, compensation for loss of wages during the strike, and transparency into the incentive-based bonus system. The union has about 30k members and represents 24% of all workers within the company. We also discuss driverless taxis, cashier-less bullet purchases, and armless eldercare robots.

We explore the secret 2011 meeting between then-Google CEO Eric Schmidt and then-on-house-arrest Julian Assange and consider how the internet has changed the relationship between people and the corporate state. We also talk about brat summer and the Council on Foreign Relations. Photo: Eric Schmidt & Jared CohenTranscript of 2011 Meeting: https://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.htmlVogue Interview: https://www.vogue.com/article/julian-assange-interview-when-google-met-wikileaksDemocracy Now Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unJ_8oiuQyU 

We talk about Julian Assange's plea deal, the "censorship pyramid," encryption as resistance, an NSA patent Assange found in 1999, Hillary Clinton's Russian Wikileaks, the CIA being able to hack into Apple and Android cellphones and Samsung TVs, the 2011 meeting between then Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Assange, and more. TW: Cenk Uygur's voice at 7:30 ish. Photo: Julian AssangeAssange's 2006 Blog Post: https://cryptome.org/iq-org/IQ.ORG.htmIndependent Article on the NSA Patent Assange Found: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/network-this-is-just-between-us-and-the-spies-1126316.htmlGuardian Article on Assange hacking MILNET in 1991: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/30/julian-assange-wikileaks-profileVideo of US Airstrike on Afghanistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaqY12VHFv4&ab_channel=AlJazeeraEnglishRecording of Conversation between Eric Schmidt & Julian Assange: https://web.archive.org/web/20130915053137/http://wlstorage.net/file/cms/assange-schmidt.mp3Full Text of When Google Met Wikileaks: https://archive.org/details/whengooglemetwik0000assa

Apple's launching a new set of generative AI tools and making privacy promises about integrating with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Elon Musk is OpenAI's #1 hater, and also bad at dating. Grok needs a new name probably.

We watch 20 hours of the two-day "AI Expo for National Competitiveness" so you don't have to, and talk about Eric Schmidt's new kamikaze drone company. Photo: Eric SchmidtPalantir Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cargo-cult/id1687043930?i=1000619371830Google Deep Dive: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cargo-cult/id1687043930?i=1000616888820

Google and Meta are scrambling to bring the internet to Africa. And private U.S. corporations like Google and Meta mediating access to the internet is lowkey goated when digital colonialism is the vibe.

Scarlett Johansson is suing OpenAI for using a voice "eerily similar" to hers for ChatGPT 4o. We also yap about NYC Mayor Eric Adams's voice clone speaking Yiddish, ElevenLabs turning every news article into a podcast, BBL Drizzy, Joaquin Phoenix's high-waisted pants, and Google entering its "Gemini era."

We're talking about the iPad commercial, German anti-Tesla activists, AI dating concierges, underwater internet cables, and the deep sea bourgeoisie.

We discuss the "Friends of the IDF" in leadership roles at Interscope (Kendrick's label), UMG (Drake's label and Interscope's parent company), NBC Universal (UMG's parent company), and Comcast (NBC Universal's parent company).We apologize for our tardiness and for this cop-out pop culture ep. We both had crazy schedules the last couple of weeks (on top of our side hustle as outside agitators on college campuses) and will be back to our regularly scheduled program next week ... BBL Drizzayyyy

We talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which will enable a new level of financial surveillance and social control. And we're joined by John F O'Donnell, a guy with horrible karaoke etiquette. We promise we're not a con op lim hang !!!--Kitty History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Lvv1f5Qu4Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2023: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5776?s=1&r=42#:~:text=Introduced%20in%20House%20(09%2F27%2F2023)&text=This%20bill%20directs%20the%20Department,the%20ages%20of%2018%2D65.A Proposal for CBDC based UBI: https://www.institute.global/insights/tech-and-digitalisation/proposal-web3-based-universal-basic-incomeIMF's CBDC Virtual Handbook: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/fintech/central-bank-digital-currency/virtual-handbook“Greatest backdoor Wall Street bailout of all time”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579183680751473884Digital Currency vs. Existing Electronic Currency: https://www.nttdatapay.com/blog/types-of-digital-currency/#:~:text=What%20distinguishes%20digital%20currency%20from,those%20connected%20to%20the%20Internet.CBDC vs. Crypto: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/cbdcs-how-different-cryptocurrency-stablecoin/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20between%20CBDCs,data%20protection%20and%20online%20privacy.The Federal Reserve Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SxNyL3YFaMIMF Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4NpCf5Phj0BIS Dissing Crypto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mvSsM1uqGoThe benefits of a cashless society: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/benefits-cashless-society-mobile-payments/Atlantic Council CBDC Tracker: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/cbdctracker/Atlantic Council Donors: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/2022-annual-report/IMF Working Hard on Global CBDC Platform Concept, Georgieva Says: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-19/imf-working-hard-on-global-cbdc-platform-concept-georgieva-says?embedded-checkout=trueBIS Survey on CBDCs: https://www.bis.org/publ/bppdf/bispap136.pdfBIS Explained: https://www.bis.org/about/index.htmBIS Livestream, “Central bank digital currencies, digital payments, and the future of money”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVD1ZFPzcbgBiden Executive Order on CBDCs: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/09/executive-order-on-ensuring-responsible-development-of-digital-assets/Statement from Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on the Release of Reports on Digital Assets: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0956US Policy Objectives for a CBDC System: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/09-2022-Technical-Evaluation-US-CBDC-System.pdfThe IMF on Nigeria's CBDC: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2021/11/15/na111621-five-observations-on-nigerias-central-bank-digital-currencyU.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announces “Catalyst: Inclusive Cashless Payment Partnership” for India: https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/india/press-releases/oct-14-2016-usaid-launches-catalyst-drive-cashless-payments-indiaIndian PM Modi Announces Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to be Pulled Out of Circulation immediately: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rs-500-and-rs-1000-notes-pulled-out-of-circulation-immediately-pm-narendra-modi/articleshow/55315473.cmsThe Federal Reserve on Programmable CBDC: https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/money-and-payments-20220120.pdfJP Morgan on Programmable Money: https://www.jpmorgan.com/onyx/programmable-payments-purpose-bound-moneyBank of England calls on ministers to decide whether a CBDC should be programmable: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/21/bank-england-tells-ministers-intervene-digital-currency-programming/#:~:text=Bank%20of%20England%20tells%20ministers%20to%20intervene%20on%20digital%20currency%20'programming',-Digital%20cash%20could&text=The%20Bank%20of%20England%20has,is%20spent%20by%20the%20recipient.Eswar Prasad on the “Future of Money” at the WEF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyANVmHJB3cFactchecking the Eswar Prasad Quote: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-world-economic-forum-cashless-society-false-cbdc-592718364311Ron DeSantis on CBDC and “Woke Banking”: https://www.c-span.org/video/?532981-1/governor-ron-desantis-campaigns-hampton-nhRepublican Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Ban a CBDC in the U.S.: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/02/27/republican-lawmakers-introduce-legislation-to-ban-a-cbdc-in-the-us-again/Trump Campaign Vows to Block CBDC: https://thehill.com/business/4416139-trump-vows-to-block-creation-of-digital-dollar/Trump Admin Floats Idea of “USDC,” US Digital Currency: https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/17/22888225/jared-kushner-us-treasury-mnuchin-government-federal-cryptocurrency-trump-white-houseBetter than Cash Alliance: https://www.betterthancash.orgDigital Dollar Project: https://digitaldollarproject.orgThe IMF's Tobias Adrian on a Synthetic CBDC: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2019/05/13/sp051419-stablecoins-central-bank-digital-currencies-and-cross-border-paymentsThe IMF's Tobias Adrian used to be at the NY Fed Before the IMF: https://www.tobiasadrian.com/AboutJohn's 17 Plugs: https://linktr.ee/therealjfod

We talk about Israel's automated kill lists generated by an “AI” assassination machine named Lavender and Amazon's automated checkout experience called “Just Walk Out.”

Talking about Truth Social and killer robots.

Boeing has certainly helped kill people in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But did it also kill a Southern funcle? Fasten your seatbelt, because this Boeing story has it all. Plane crashes, union busting, offshoring, whistleblowers, and a mysterious parking lot death. We also talk about the Justice Department's new lawsuit against Apple for monopolizing smartphone markets. Btw rejected titles for this episode include No Plane No Gain, Error Plane Mode, Airline Fractures, Plane in the Neck, and Boeing Pains.

Here we discuss the TikTok ban and Clearview AI, a US company with a database of more than 40 billion facial images from the public internet. We also listen to big tech kingmaker Peter Thiel explain why artificial intelligence and facial recognition are "kind of communist." And we're joined by Pat Burtscher (https://www.instagram.com/patburtscher/), the nation's foremost cabbage diet expert.For nerds who like to sign petitions: https://www.banfacialrecognition.com/

We explore Reddit's journey from online community to data business. We also cover NYT suing OpenAI for copyright infringement and Google laying off a group of striking contractors. RIP Aaron Swartz

They say the next dystopian surveillance technology will be launched by a gay CEO ... Really makes you feel like part of history.

In Part 2 of this series on Neuralink and the brain-computer interface (BCI), we discuss the current human trials for the N1 implant, FDA commissioner Robert Califf, and key figures in the movement of transhumanism such as Julian Huxley (President of the British Eugenics Society), Ray Kurzweil (Director of Engineering at Google), and Zoltan Istvan (Bus Driver). Sorryyyyyyyy this is late. This was recorded on Feb 4th but we couldn't edit it until now. Naomi was on tour doing comedy and Michele had to dance in the Super Bowl.

Founded in 2016, Neuralink has developed a device that can implant ultra-thin threads inside the brain. The threads connect to a custom-designed chip with electrodes that can read data from groups of neurons. It's a yarmulke homie no cap. In Part 1 of this series on Neuralink and the brain-computer interface (BCI), we explore the cruel and unusual monkey torture that built the company and Elon Musk's plan for “human/AI symbiosis.” We recorded this ep before Daddy Musk's Monday announcement that the first human received a Neuralink implant.Video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8NrVQgWOz0

Fortune Tellers and Cameos are in. Sam Altman and Tom's Toothpaste are out. Welcome to Season 2. Send your burning questions to cargocultpod@gmail.com. Watch video episodes at https://www.youtube.com/@cargocultpod.

This one is about having feelings for "AI." Naomi and Michele look into Replika, the company whose chatbot was in the news because it encouraged a 19-year-old to become an assassin. Then they learn about Inflection, the second-best-funded generative AI startup (behind OpenAI) whose owners want to create "personal AI for everyone," and cover some recent leaks.

In this episode, Michele and Naomi discuss Meta's new "friendly" app, debate the viability of solar geoengineering, and learn about the Drapers, a "venture capital family" with a pretty racist and eugenicist history. Then, they try to figure out how a Silicon Valley-based robot pizza company called Zume failed to profit from possibly the most uncomplicated food in the world.

On this 4th of July, it's time to meet Palantir, a powerful and Patriotic software company that helps Western countries derive insights from their data and whose first client was the CIA. In this episode, Naomi and Michele discuss the company's underreported origins, the eccentricities of its bipartisan founders, and its controversial work with the military, the cops, border patrol, and Ukraine. They also discover some Lord of the Rings lore. Palantir's most recent financial statements:https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1321655/000132165523000011/pltr-20221231.htm

Naomi and Michele consider how the gamification of love affects our sanity and the shape online dating might take in the future. They also investigate how Match Group (parent company of Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, and more) dominates the industry and discover a new app for conservatives funded by Peter Thiel. Then they investigate the bizarre and untimely death of Peter Thiel's side piece. This episode also includes a brief and just okay Jordan Peterson's impression.More information on the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act:https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/congress-must-stop-graham-blumenthal-anti-security-bill

Netflix is raising prices, cracking down on password sharing, and adding an ad tier. In this episode, Naomi and Michele cover this sea of changes at the company, discuss why it's a target of the writers' strike, and investigate its founders, Marc Bernays Randolph and Reed Hoffman. This episode also includes a basic recap of the Netflix Black Mirror episode, "Joan is Awful."How to support the WGA writers:https://www.wgacontract2023.org/take-action/stand-with-writers

This episode covers the CIA's relationship with one of your favorite big tech companies, Google. In Part 2 of a series on In-Q-Tel, Naomi and Michele track Google's journey from the Stanford University dorms to Davos. They also cover a few poignant flashpoints in the relationship between Google and the CIA, like trying to help overthrow the Syrian government in the 2010s and creating Intellipedia (Wikipedia for spooks). Take a shot every time Michele says “apparatus.”

Naomi and Michele discuss In-Q-Tel, a strategic venture capital firm created in 1999 to invest in technologies that serve the mission needs of the CIA and the broader intelligence community, including the FBI, NSA, and DHS.

Did you know that SpaceX owes its life to the former head of In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm? In this episode, Naomi and Michele explore Elon Musk's rocket ambitions and the imperialist origins of SpaceX's satellite business. They also discuss the destructive effects of SpaceX's recent 4/20 Starship rocket launch in Southern Texas.

A global leader in enterprise software, Oracle is the second-largest software company in the world by revenue (behind Microsoft). This episode explains Oracle's role as the database of all databases and explores the company's relationship with the U.S. government.Naomi and Michele also discuss Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's recent run-in with the Hawaiian police.Then, mourn the loss of Cash App founder Bob Lee and the equally tragic loss of Naomi's Twitter Blue Check.

Naomi and Michele chat about how robots are infiltrating the workforce in Japan, stealing jobs from baristas and caregivers alike.Then, they dive into Apple's recently announced wearable AR/VR headset (it looks like a pair of ski goggles) and explore the privacy implications of this new tech.

Everyone's talking about OpenAI's ChatGPT, but how did we get here? And is chatbot technology impressive, or are we just dumb? Naomi and Michele explore the history of chatbots - from "Eliza" to "ChatGPT" - and the history of OpenAI. You'll really get to know the chatbots in this episode. And you might as well since one will probably be your boss soon.

A nation uploads itself to the Metaverse. The U.S. military develops stupid robots and terrifying insects. Naomi and Michele discuss all this and react to TikTok e-girls (in face-altering filters), telling Zoomers to "man up" and join the army.

Naomi and Michele can't stop talking about "The Line," the coming tech-centric smart city technically located on Saudi Arabian land but not governed by KSA law.In this episode of Cargo Cult, they look at some of The Line's weirdest features, including the unusual way younger residents will commute to school, and explain why Neom is more of an international capitalist project than a Saudi one. 

Neom is a smart "gigacity" in Saudi Arabia that puts all other smart cities to shame. In this episode, Naomi and Michele look into designs for "The Line," one of Neom's cities that project spokespeople are heralding as the "future of urban living." They also dip their toes into the TikTok famous "world islands" conspiracy theory.Also, at one point, Michele calls The Line “The Lime” and Neom “Neon,” but it was totally on purpose and for clever nuanced reasons that she chooses not to outline right now.

Naomi and Michele answer the burning question of our time: "Is TikTok sus?" Then, they learn how eBay executives stalked and blackmailed an elderly indie journalism power couple. This episode also includes ChatGPT's vision of a debate between a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and a "normal person."