Today on Upstream, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg dive into the wide-ranging effects of technological change on media and society. They cover the AI debate, blogging's social impact, AI's influence on search and data, the changing news industry, foreign aid cuts, and the rise of new tech elites.

This episode originally aired on The Riff (March 11, 2025).

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RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:
🎙️@TheRiffPodcast | Investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt

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LINKS:
Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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X / TWITTER:
@byrnehobart
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:28) AI's impact on writing
(02:31) The evolution of blogging
(05:10) Media adaptation to blogging
(10:42) The role of spell check and grammar check
(14:34) Sponsors: Oracle | Adquick
(16:33) The future of news media
(26:39) AI and search paradigm shift
(27:03) Exploring reverse search and its implications
(28:13) The role of LLMs in qualitative reverse search
(28:57) Privacy concerns in AI-driven searches
(30:36) Potential applications and monetization of AI data
(31:47) Sponsors: Incogni | Squad
(33:59) Impact of foreign aid and USAID
(36:08) Elon Musk's approach to budget cuts
(38:47) George W. Bush and effective altruism
(41:03) Tech's role in government and society
(48:28) The evolution of ideologies in Silicon Valley
(53:32) The future of political polarization in tech
(56:31) Wrap