Shane Smith Has Questions

The Age of Disclosure: Who Actually Controls the UAP Secrets? | w/ Dan Farah | Shane Smith Has Questions

Who actually controls the biggest secret in modern history? For decades, UFOs were treated as conspiracy theories, fringe science, or tabloid fodder. Today, senators, intelligence officials, military officers, and even presidents are publicly discussing unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). What changed? This week, Shane sits down with filmmaker Dan Farah, director of The Age of Disclosure to discuss the growing push for government transparency around UAPs, the role of defense contractors, congressional investigations, declassified documents, and the battle currently unfolding inside Washington over what the public should know. The conversation goes far beyond aliens. Shane and Dan explore the idea of a decades-long "legacy program," whether critical information has migrated from government agencies into private contractors, why recent disclosures may be happening now, the role of China and a potential technological arms race, and whether the real story is less about extraterrestrials and more about power, secrecy, and accountability. They also discuss Steven Spielberg's influence on Farah's work, the making of The Age of Disclosure, media stigma, FOIA requests, whistleblowers, and what full disclosure could mean for science, technology, and society.Topics include: • The making of The Age of Disclosure • Steven Spielberg and Ready Player One • Government transparency and secrecy • Congress vs. the intelligence community • The "legacy program" • Defense contractors and oversight • China and the UAP technology race • FOIA and declassified records • Media stigma around UFOs • What disclosure could actually look like Save 20% on your first online Lucy order at https://www.lucy.co/ QUESTIONS with promo code QUESTIONS! Before the interview, Shane reviewed hundreds of pages of UAP documents in our custom PDF Space. Explore the files yourself here: https://adobe.ly/ViceUAPFilesYT Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Our Weapon Is AI" | Shane Smith & Andrew Callaghan Interview Iran's Viral Meme Warriors

Shane Smith and Andrew Callaghan sit down with the anonymous creator behind Explosive Media, the Iranian team whose AI-generated LEGO videos became one of the most viewed and controversial media phenomena of the recent Iran-Israel conflict. With a team of fewer than ten people, their videos reached hundreds of millions of viewers and sparked debate about propaganda, AI, meme culture, and the future of information warfareIn this rare interview, the creators explain why they chose LEGO animation to depict war, how a team of fewer than ten people reached hundreds of millions of viewers, and why they believe modern conflicts are increasingly fought through algorithms, social media, and information warfare rather than traditional media alone.The conversation explores propaganda, AI-generated content, meme culture, Jean Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality, President Trump's social media strategy, and the future of political storytelling in an age where billions of people experience world events through their phones.The group also responds to questions about their relationship with the Iranian government, whether their work should be considered propaganda, and why they describe themselves as "guerrilla soldiers in the propaganda war.”As AI tools become more powerful and media becomes increasingly decentralized, this conversation offers a glimpse into what the future of information warfare may look like.Subscribe to VICE News for more reporting from around the world. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The AI Dilemma: War, Jobs, Power & Humanity | w/ Aza Raskin

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes more powerful than the institutions meant to govern it?Shane Smith sits down with Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, creator of Infinite Scroll, and one of the leading voices on AI ethics, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of AI, warfare, work, politics, and humanity itself. This conversation is a starting point, not a conclusion. Explore additional perspectives, research, and open questions about the future of AI in our Adobe Acrobat PDF Space: https://adobe.ly/SSHQFresh off a trip with the U.S. Army, Shane shares what he saw: autonomous vehicles, AI-enabled systems, and drones that felt like the beginning of a new era of warfare. Together, he and Aza explore the biggest questions facing society as AI rapidly advances. They discuss: Autonomous weapons and the future of war Why AI has become a global arms race The race between the U.S. and China Whether governments understand what's coming AI's impact on jobs and the economy Social media, Infinite Scroll, and digital addiction The future of regulation and governance Earth Species Project and using AI to understand animal communication Dark matter, intelligence, and human perception Is AI humanity's greatest tool—or our greatest challenge? Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://www.quo.com/shane Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autonomous Warfare Has Arrived | African Lion 2026 Exclusive with Gen. Anderson & Lt. Gasparri

How is AI changing modern warfare? And are we already entering the age of autonomous war? Shane Smith and VICE News travel to Morocco for African Lion 2026 — one of the largest military exercises in the world — to get an inside look at the technologies rapidly transforming the battlefield. From AI-assisted targeting systems and autonomous combat vehicles to suicide drones, robotics, quantum computing, and next-generation military communications, Shane embeds with U.S. AFRICOM and the young soldiers building the future of warfare in real time. In this episode of Shane Smith Has Questions, Shane speaks with General Davin R.M. Anderson, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and 1st Lt. Vincent Gasparri, Innovation Team Lead 173rd Airborne Brigade, who leads a new generation of military innovators developing drone systems inspired by lessons from Ukraine, Iran, and modern asymmetric warfare. The conversations explore: AI on the battlefield Autonomous weapons systems Drone warfare and counter-drone tech Robotics and future combat Quantum computing and encryption The ethics of AI warfare Terror threats in Africa How Ukraine changed military strategy The future of the U.S. military As wars become increasingly automated, Shane asks the question everyone is thinking: Are we prepared for a future where AI helps run wars? Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iran Speaks Out: Inside Tehran’s Response to Trump, Israel & War | Shane Smith Has Questions

As tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran continue to escalate, Shane Smith travels to Tehran for a rare interview with Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry.Esmail Baghaei has been in the news today, confirming that Iran is examining the U.S. response to Iran’s latest peace proposal, delivered through Pakistan. As a potential deal to end hostilities hangs in the balance, we gave the Iranian government representative the opportunity to respond directly to accusations about its nuclear program, President Trump’s claims that Iran is “begging” for a deal, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, sanctions, regional escalation, and the growing fear of a wider war in the Middle East.The spokesperson argues that Iran has been unfairly targeted by the U.S. and Israel for decades, blames the U.S. and Israel for escalating the conflict, and warns that continued military pressure could destabilize the entire region. Shane pushes back throughout the interview, asking why Iran continues pursuing nuclear energy despite mounting international pressure, whether peace is realistically possible, and what the Iranian government believes Americans fundamentally misunderstand about Iran.Topics include: Iran’s response to Trump and U.S. military pressure Israel’s role in the conflict The Strait of Hormuz and global energy fears Nuclear weapons accusations Sanctions and frozen Iranian assets Regional escalation and Gulf states The collapse of diplomacy after the JCPOA Why Iran says it does not want war Recorded in Tehran. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices