682: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Luigi

Brian and Jason kick things off with a look at why Gen Z grads are getting fired just months after landing jobs and a curiously viral declassified CIA sabotage guide. Speaking of sabotage, U.S. students are struggling with their lowest reading scores in decades, raising questions about the future workforce. Meanwhile, Google Maps’ controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users has sparked some amusing geopolitical tit-for-tats. In the AI wars, OpenAI is fuming over claims that DeepSeek trained its models using OpenAI’s own stolen data—ironic, given OpenAI’s history of scraping the internet. As if that weren’t enough, California’s Attorney General warns AI companies that nearly everything they’re doing might be illegal, while the Copyright Office suggests AI copyright issues were settled way back in 1965. Oh, and OpenAI is now in the nuclear weapons game. What could possibly go wrong?

In tech and business news, CVS is making customers jump through app hoops to unlock cabinets, Uber claims it’s the victim of an elaborate fake crash scheme, and Tesla promises a robotaxi business and humanoid robots in 2025—though Musk admits current Teslas will need new hardware to achieve full self-driving. Whole Foods workers have formed their first union since Amazon took over, and MoviePass is considering a pivot to crypto, because of course it is. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s ventures keep making headlines, and Waymo’s driverless taxis are facing vandalism in Southern California. Law enforcement in California is also in hot water, having misused state databases over 7,000 times last year.

For media lovers, Star Trek: Section 31 is on the horizon, while The Expanse‘s first three seasons are vanishing from Amazon soon. Behind the Music is back, and Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music offers a deep dive into the show’s musical legacy. On the gaming front, classic titles like Spaceship Warlock and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are getting attention alongside newly accessible archives of 1,500 classic gaming magazines. The Night Agent Season 2 is here and it sucks, and Amazon is hiking the price of its Music Unlimited subscriptions. Finally, the episode wraps with a nod to Marianne Faithfull’s passing and China’s new “magic beans” shaking up American markets—because, in this chaotic world, even the beans are making headlines because AI wrote this terrible summary.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/682

FOLLOW UP

Bosses are firing Gen Z grads just months after hiring them—here’s what they say needs to change

Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral

Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States. Office of Strategic Services

U.S. Students Post Lowest Reading Scores in Decades

IN THE NEWS

Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, but only for US users

Google Maps Adopted ‘Gulf of America’ Name, and Now Mexico Has Some Suggestions

David Sacks claims there's 'substantial evidence' that DeepSeek used OpenAI's models to train its own

OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us

OpenAI suddenly thinks intellectual property theft is not cool, actually, amid DeepSeek’s rise

Exposed DeepSeek Database Revealed Chat Prompts and Internal Data

The Knives Are Coming Out for DeepSeek AI

California’s AG Tells AI Companies Practically Everything They’re Doing Might Be Illegal

Copyright Office suggests AI copyright debate was settled in 1965

OpenAI will offer its tech to US national labs for nuclear weapons research

How one YouTuber is trying to poison the AI bots stealing her content

'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio

MoviePass might pivot to crypto

Whole Foods workers form first union since Amazon acquisition

CVS tries to juice app signups with cabinet unlocking feature

Uber Claims It’s the Victim of an Elaborate Fake Car Crash Scheme

Tesla says it will begin robotaxi business and Optimus "pilot" production in 2025

Elon Musk admits Teslas will need new hardware for FSD

Vandals in Southern California attack Waymo driverless taxi

California Law Enforcement Misused State Databases More Than 7,000 Times in 2023

MEDIA CANDY

Star Trek: Section 31

The Expanse‘s First 3 Seasons Are Leaving Amazon Very Soon

After Midnight

Behind the Music

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

FRONT 242 - The Final Show Live at AB - Ancienne Belgique

Panic - The Smiths

Amazon hikes prices for its Music Unlimited subscriptions

The Night Agent Season 2

APPS & DOODADS

iOS 18.3 is here, with clearly labeled Apple Intelligence notification summaries

Stimulation Clicker

POTUS Tracker

X’s payments app will be available later this year

Google's 'Ask for Me' feature calls businesses on your behalf to inquire about services, pricing

AT THE LIBRARY

Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté & Daniel Maté

THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

Dave Bittner

The CyberWire

Hacking Humans

Caveat

Control Loop

Only Malware in the Building

Star Wars: The Acolyte Was the Second Most Watched Show on Disney+ Last Year

Gravity Falls

VGHF opens free online access to 1,500 classic game mags, 30K historic files

Spaceship Warlock

Bad Day on the Midway

The Lost Dutchman’s Gold (1979)

Zyll

Bushido

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)

Star Wars: TIE Fighter

Bladerunner 2049 Auction

There's a Horse In The Hospital | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke

Beppo - SNL

CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

China’s new and cheaper magic beans shock America’s unprepared magic bean salesmen

Marianne Faithfull, English Singer, Dead at 78

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