The AI-Freecast

"I want to be a sentient loaf of bread": Ryan McLaughlin on Why Dungeons & Dragons Is a Better Teacher Than AI

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Ryan McLaughlin talks about the negative impact of AI on classrooms; how children really learn; and why it’s important to create your own character when playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Ryan McLaughlin is a veteran educator, school leader, and therapeutic game master with a student-centered outlook and a passion for play.

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"Pay rent forever": Tante on Luddites and AI Data Centers

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Tante discusses the economics of data centers, the potential role of AI in government surveillance, and the importance of friction in a meaningful life.

Tante is an independent theorist working on the intersection of technology, politics, and the social. He is a de-evangelist and luddite. He writes and speaks (but mostly writes) about the social consequences of the digital turn as well as the structure of the digital itself.

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"We love to put things in the place of God": Katherine G. Schmidt on the Theology of AI

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Katherine G. Schmidt discusses AI’s harmful impact on higher education; the vital connection between reader and writer; as well as evil, grace, and the act of creation.

Katherine G. Schmidt is an associate professor of theology and religious studies at Molloy University in New York. Her research focuses on the relationship of theology and culture, specifically digital culture and technology. She is the author of numerous chapters on the subject, as well as the book Virtual Communion: Theology of the Internet and the Catholic Sacramental Imagination, published in 2020. She is also co-editor of the book Theology and Media(tion): Rendering the Absent Present, published in 2024.

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"The void is talking back to you": Maggie Harrison Dupré on AI Psychosis

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 02:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Maggie Harrison Dupré discusses the alarming rise of mental health breakdowns associated with chatbot use—better known as AI psychosis—and how the spread of generative AI is affecting both personal relationships and society at large.

Maggie Harrison Dupré is a journalist and senior staff writer at Futurism, where she has reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another.

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"It's what's not there": Matthew Hughes on the Beauty of Human Work

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:09:00 -0400

In this episode, journalist and writer Matthew Hughes discusses why generative AI output is ugly, what makes human work beautiful, and the real reason AI is impacting the labor market.

Matthew Hughes is a Liverpool-based journalist and writer. His work has appeared in The Next Web, The Register, and Wired, among other places. He currently writes What We Lost—a newsletter that examines the malign influence of technology companies on our lives, and how they're making our world a worse place to live. You can follow him on Bluesky here.

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"Never underestimate humanity": Josh Geisler on Why We Make Music

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:44:00 -0400

In this episode, Eoson.app founder Josh Geisler discusses the importance of hard work in forming character, the impact of AI on the music industry, and what he's doing to fight back.

Josh Geisler is a multi-instrumentalist producer, film score composer, and software developer. He has performed with the likes of Paul Simon, Josh Groban, and toured globally for nine years with Cirque du Soleil as flutist, guitarist, and bandleader.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music and a longtime student of North Indian classical music, Josh bridges ancient sound with modern purpose. His mission: to share sounds that reconnect us to the sacred and combat the coming flood of AI-generated content.

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