Trapped in a ChatGPT Spiral

Warning: This episode discusses suicide.Since ChatGPT began in 2022, it has amassed 700 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer app ever. Reporting has shown that the chatbots have a tendency to endorse conspiratorial and mystical belief systems. For some people, conversations with the technology can deeply distort their reality.Kashmir Hill, who covers technology and privacy for The New York Times, discusses how complicated and dangerous our relationships with chatbots can become.Guest: Kashmir Hill, a feature writer on the business desk at The New York Times who covers technology and privacy.Background reading: Here’s how chatbots can go into a delusional spiral.These people asked an A.I. chatbot questions. The answers distorted their views of reality.A teenager was suicidal, and ChatGPT was the friend he confided in.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Trump to remake American government, siding with the president again and again. But many of those rulings have lacked something fundamental: an explanation for why the most important judges in the country came to their decision.Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains the justices’ increased use of the so-called shadow docket, and why it has sown confusion — and in some cases frustration — in courts around the country.Guest: Adam Liptak covers the Supreme Court and writes Sidebar, a column on legal developments, for The New York Times.Background reading: The Supreme Court keeps ruling in Mr. Trump’s favor, but doesn’t say why.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is tonight, honoring the best television shows released between June 2024 and May 2025. But before the festivities begin, Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, would like to have a TV celebration of his own.On today’s episode, he gathers Jason Zinoman, a critic at large for The Times, and Alexis Soloski, a culture reporter for The Times, to “channel surf” through some of their favorite shows of the past year.On Today’s Episode:Jason Zinoman, a critic at large for The New York Times who writes a column about comedy.Alexis Soloski, a culture reporter for The New York Times. Additional Reading:The 9 People Who Check In to Every ‘White Lotus’Sympathy for the Devil, er Boss: In ‘The Studio,’ the Powerful Are on Defense Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The writer-director made hit after hit movie, until he didn’t. But he doesn’t let it get him down.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

On Friday morning, the police in Utah said they had arrested a suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, ending a manhunt that had stretched over 33 hours. In this special episode of The Daily, we break down what we know about the arrest and the alleged killer’s motives.Background Reading:Here’s what we know about the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.Kirk’s murder has raised fears of more political violence across the U.S.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We look at the hunt for the killer of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and at the political fallout of his assassination.Nicholas Bogel-Borroughs, an investigative reporter at The New York Times, discusses why the police are struggling to answer basic questions about the shooter. And Alan Feuer, who covers extremism and political violence, discusses how the assassination might become a turning point for the conservative movement.Guest:Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, an investigative reporter at The New York Times.Alan Feuer, a reporter covering extremism and political violence for The New York Times.Background reading: The chaotic hunt for Mr. Kirk’s killer.The assassination has raised fears of surging political violence.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Kim Raff for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Charlie Kirk, the conservative organizer, activist and media mogul, died on Wednesday after being shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University.Mr. Kirk brought millions of young Americans in to the Republican Party, and to the ballot box for Donald Trump.Robert Draper, who profiled Charlie Kirk for The New York Times Magazine, discusses Mr. Kirk’s improbable rise to power, his stunning assassination, and his controversial legacy.Guest: Robert Draper, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist for The New York Times.Background reading: Read the profile of Charlie Kirk from February.Read updates about the shooting.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Nic Antaya for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For months, President Trump has tried to dismiss questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, notably denying that he had been the author of a lewd birthday message to the financier and sex offender.On Monday, Congress released the message — and many more like it.David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor at The Times, explains how the book, and an investigation into Mr. Epstein’s finances, reveal how Mr. Epstein leveraged his rich and powerful friends to fund a yearslong criminal conspiracy.Guest: David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times.Background reading: A House panel released the drawing for Mr. Epstein apparently signed by Mr. Trump.A Times investigation found that JPMorgan spent years supporting — and profiting from — the notorious sex offender, ignoring red flags, suspicious activity and concerned executives.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post, via Associated Press Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Over the weekend, Russia bombarded Ukraine with the largest drone assault in the war thus far.It’s the latest in a relentless Russian offensive that keeps escalating, despite President Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace.Anatoly Kurmanaev, who covers Russia for The Times, discusses the economic war machine that’s driving Russia’s success on the battlefield, and making it so hard for anyone to get President Vladimir V. Putin to back down.Guest: Anatoly Kurmanaev, a reporter for The New York Times, covering Russia and its transformation following the invasion of Ukraine.Background reading: Why Putin thinks Russia has the upper hand against Ukraine.Russia wants ‘security guarantees’ too. Here’s what they look like.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Pool photo by Alexander Kazakov Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

One month after sending the National Guard into Washington, D.C. saying they would fight crime there, President Trump is so pleased with the results that he is discussing how to put federal troops onto the streets of cities across the country — from Chicago to New Orleans. It’s a potentially dramatic expansion of what has already become an unprecedented military deployment on domestic soil.Today, we hear from residents of Washington about what life is like with the National Guard in town.Guest:Jessica Cheung, a senior audio producer at The New York TimesBackground reading: The District of Columbia sued the Trump administration last week, challenging the National Guard deployment and describing it as a “military occupation.”Here’s what we know about Mr. Trump’s crime and immigration crackdown across the U.S.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Alex Kent for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.