This week, Zoë Schiffer dives into why some researchers at top AI companies have been resigning and publicly voicing their concerns about AI safety. Brian Barrett tells us why Rent-A-Human—a website where AI agents hire humans to perform various tasks—has gathered attention and controversy. Leah Feiger shares her experience attending a party for the conservative magazine Evie, and how the culture around the publication could shape the upcoming election cycle.
You can follow Brian Barrett on Bluesky at @brbarrett, Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky at @zoeschiffer, and Leah Feiger on Bluesky at @leahfeiger. Write to us at uncannyvalley@….com.
-
Articles mentioned in this episode:
OpenAI Staffer Quits, Alleging Company’s Economic Research Is Drifting Into AI Advocacy
The Rise of RentAHuman, the Marketplace Where Bots Put People to Work
I Tried RentAHuman, Where AI Agents Hired Me to Hype Their AI Startups
Burnt Hair and Soft Power: A Night Out With Evie Magazine
How to Listen
You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how:
If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts and search for “Uncanny Valley.” We’re on Spotify too.
Transcript
Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.
Brian Barrett: Hey, it's Brian. Zoë, Leah, and I have really enjoyed being your new hosts these past few weeks, and we want to hear from you. If you like the show and have a minute, please leave us a review in the podcast or app of your choice. It really helps us reach more people. And for any questions and comments you can always reach us at uncannyvalley@….com. Thank you for listening. On to the show.
How did everybody spend their three-day weekend?
Leah Feiger: Brian, I obviously saw Wuthering Heights.
Brian Barrett: Obviously.
Zoë Schiffer: Wait, was it really bad? I saw that post that was like—
Leah Feiger: Nope. Everyone's wrong.
Zoë Schiffer: … Charlotte Bronte died from tuberculosis.
Leah Feiger: Emily, this was an Emily Bronte joint … it was her only book.
Brian Barrett: First of all, Zoë.
Zoë Schiffer: I'm actually ashamed because this book was an important part of my early adulthood.
Leah Feiger: When I first read this book at age 14, 15, whatever it was, I was like, this is trash. This is poorly written. This story is bad. It's jumping around timeframe. This is not good. This is not … and I specifically remember talking to whatever teacher assigned it, and I was like, “You shouldn't assign bad books.” It was a whole thing—
Zoë Schiffer: Leah was an editor even then.
Brian Barrett: This is a lot of insight into middle school, Leah.
Leah Feiger: Everyone's still working through it, myself, my parents.
Brian Barrett: None of it surprising, none of it surprising, but just—
Zoë Schiffer: She's like, I brought you another syllabus. Have you thought about this instead?
Leah Feiger: Yes, all sounds right. Shout out to any teachers, hopefully not listening to this show, but all to say, I went into this being like, I am here for Jacob Elordi, and Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie alone, and these beautiful shots of the moors. Who doesn't love a misty moor?
S 001