#1765 AI Capitalism Will Not Deliver an AI Utopia
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.6 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 17 January 2026
⏱️ 178 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 1/17/2026
There's a lot to be concerned about with AI but the biggest concern is the economic system we have in place at the moment when AI is being introduced. Capitalism is not a good steward of new and potentially dangerous technology, as we've seen from Zuckerberg's move-fast-and-break-things era of social media that he later recognized as having triggered a genocide. When the profit drive necessitates light-speed growth, ethical and safety considerations are the first things to be jettisoned and things get broken.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube!
In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)
Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!
KEY POINTS
KP 1: What Sam Altman Doesn't Want You To Know - More Perfect Union - Air Date 12-19-25
KP 2: The AI Bubble Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-28-25
KP 3: The Hidden Forces Driving the AI Bubble Part 1 - Instant Genius - Air Date 11-13-25
KP 4: Desperate OpenAI Turns To Erotica - Novara Media - Air Date 10-16-25
KP 5: Avoiding Fake News in the AI Era Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-8-25
(00:48:47) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On why capitalism is the biggest problem of AI
DEEPER DIVES
(00:57:14) SECTION A: AL BUBBLE
A1: So Are We in an AI Bubble? Here Are Clues to Look for Part 1 - Planet Money - Air Date 1-9-25
A2: The Hidden Forces Driving the AI Bubble Part 2 - Instant Genius - Air Date 11-13-25
A3: The AI Bubble Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-28-25
A4: AI Robot Slaves and Other CES Miracles Part 1 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 1-12-26
A5: So Are We in an AI Bubble? Here Are Clues to Look for Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 1-9-25
(01:39:59) SECTION B: PORN AND SLOP
B1: Avoiding Fake News in the AI Era Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-8-25
B2: Deep Fakes, Data Centers, and AI Slop — Are We Cooked Part 1 - On the Media - Air Date 12-19-25
B3: Meet The Women Being Deepfaked Into Porn by AI - BBC - Air Date 9-4-24
B4: Digital Stimulation AI and Porn - The Economist - Air Date 12-10-25
B5: How AI Porn Isolates Us with Noelle Perdue Part 1 - The 404 Media Podcast - Air Date 12-9-25
B6: AI Robot Slaves and Other CES Miracles Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 1-12-26
B7: How AI Porn Isolates Us with Noelle Perdue Part 2 - The 404 Media Podcast - Air Date 12-9-25
(02:30:14) SECTION C: REGULATION
C1: Two Proposed Bills Cover AI and Deep Fake Pornography in Indiana - WTHR - Air Date 1-2-26
C2: Deep Fakes, Data Centers, and AI Slop — Are We Cooked Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 12-19-25
C3: AI 1 — Humanity 0 - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-17-25
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Composite image of a high-tech robot running on a road while money falls into flames behind it.
Credit: Internal design. Images via Pixabay | Pixabay license
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Life podcast. There's a lot to be |
| 0:07.6 | concerned about with AI, but the biggest concern is the economic system we have in place at the |
| 0:13.4 | moment when AI is being introduced. Capitalism is not a good steward of new and potentially |
| 0:20.4 | dangerous technology, as we've seen from |
| 0:23.0 | Zuckerberg's Move Fast and Break Things era of social media that he later recognized as having |
| 0:29.6 | triggered a genocide, just as a for instance. When the profit drive necessitates light speed |
| 0:36.8 | growth, ethical and safety considerations are the first thing to be jettisoned and things get broken. |
| 0:45.0 | For those looking for a quick overview, the sources providing our top takes in about 45 minutes today includes More Perfect Union, Today Explained, Instant genius, Navarra Media, the Brian |
| 0:56.7 | Lara show, and the PBS News Hour. Then, in the additional deeper dives half of the show, |
| 1:01.6 | there will be more in three sections, section A, the AI bubble, followed by section B, |
| 1:07.4 | porn and slap, and section C, regulation. |
| 1:11.4 | But first, a reminder to check out our new show solved on the best of the left YouTube channel. |
| 1:16.2 | We're really proud of the show we're making, and we know you're going to get value out of it. |
| 1:19.5 | Plus, you checking it out actually helps us find viewers on YouTube. |
| 1:22.8 | So thanks in advance for all of your views, likes, subscribes, and comments. |
| 1:27.1 | That's all on the Best of the Left YouTube channel, linked in the show notes. |
| 1:30.8 | And now, on to the show. |
| 1:36.3 | OpenAI's primary financial backers were tech billionaires and millionaires like Altman |
| 1:41.2 | himself, Peter Thiel, Reed Hoffman, and Elon Musk, and tech companies like Amazon Web Services and InfoSys. |
| 1:48.9 | We wanted to build this with humanity's best interest at heart. |
| 1:52.5 | But in exchange, OpenAI is asking for a lot, putting all of society's eggs in one basket, if you will. |
| 1:58.3 | They want electricity, water, infrastructure, capital, your data, your writing, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 27 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jay Tomlinson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jay Tomlinson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.