Ep95 The Next Top Model

The Net Society crew compares notes on AI’s accelerating capabilities, from Chris leaving increasingly complex projects to his agents to a debate over whether humans remain at the center of work. They explore robotics, the return of relationship-driven business, and whether local AI can soften the impact of data center constraints. Delaware’s corporate filing dominance becomes a lens for thinking about which states will welcome the next wave of AI infrastructure and who benefits from getting a head start. A discussion of bank failures brings the conversation back to crypto’s promise of resilience, developments at Devcon, and ETH’s identity as a store of value. From there, Nucleus and embryo screening spark a debate over intelligence, designer babies, and what gets lost when we try to optimize people. A detour through Kim Asendorf’s Cargo, DIY art displays, and America’s latest political vibe shift leads into prediction markets and the fight between state and federal regulators. The episode wraps with sports betting fatigue, degen culture, and whether a little more moderation might be overdue.Mentioned in the episodeMETR’s assessment of accelerating AI development at Anthropic [https://metr.org/blog/2026-11-05-anthropic-ai-rd-acceleration-assessment/]Ethereum Economic Zone — connecting Ethereum and its rollup ecosystem [https://eez.io/blog/introducing-the-eez]Nucleus — embryo screening and genetic trait analysis [https://mynucleus.com/deep-dives/embryo]Cargo by Kim Asendorf [https://asdf.kim/works/cargo/]Kalshi prediction markets [https://kalshi.com/]Polymarket prediction markets [https://polymarket.com/]The CFTC’s argument for federal jurisdiction over prediction markets [https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9219-26]Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - AI Acceleration, Agents & the Future of Work (16:50) - Local AI, Data Centers & State Competition (25:53) - Bank Failures, Ethereum & Digital Resilience (35:31) - Designer Babies, IQ & the Limits of Optimization (49:16) - Digital Art, DIY Hardware & America’s Vibe Shift (53:47) - Prediction Markets, Sports Betting & Degen Fatigue (01:00:49) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew reunites for episode 100 with a return from Marfa and plenty to unpack. They revisit standout shows from Michael Kozlowski and Summer Wagner at Glitch, Chris’s latest world-building experiments, and a debate over how Art Blocks Weekend is changing as more of the NFT community joins in. From there, they discuss Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary and what makes a work of art leave people with completely different conclusions. The conversation turns to the Binance hack, AI-driven security threats, and whether crypto’s next chapter is becoming the infrastructure beneath an agentic economy. The Commanding Heights sets up a broader discussion about who captures the value of AI, why science fiction helps make sense of rapid change, and what happens when AI replaces search and social feeds. The episode wraps with a debate over world models, immersive storytelling, and a future where we spend less time scrolling feeds and more time exploring worlds.Mentioned in the episodeMP Koz show at Glitch https://x.com/mpkoz/status/2114773387243581640Summer Wagner at Glitch https://x.com/summergwagner/status/2114408656892842183Starholder by Chris F https://www.starholder.xyz/You Can See Everything — Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary https://a24films.com/films/you-can-see-everythingBinance hack fund tracking by Chainalysis https://x.com/chainalysis/status/2116110357601095710?s=20The Commanding Heights by Will Manidis and Joe Roberts https://commanding-heights.com/Cardinal Conversations https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKruweaZqDNdPVZuLMGhtU5GMe9dseRebNew York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29570143-new-york-2140Google DeepMind’s Genie 4 https://deepmind.google/models/genie/World Labs’ Atlas https://www.worldlabs.ai/blog/atlasShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Episode 100, Glitch Highlights & Starholder (12:33) - Marfa’s Growing Tent & Changing Identity (23:41) - Nathan Fielder, Elizabeth Holmes & West Texas Side Quests (29:39) - Binance Hack & AI Security Threats (34:26) - The Commanding Heights & Crypto’s Next Chapter (46:40) - Science Fiction & the End of the Attention Economy (59:59) - World Models & Life Beyond the Feed (01:06:46) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew checks in from Marfa as Aaron, Chris, and Pri imagine trapping AI agents in municipal bureaucracy before turning to a more immediate concern: whether the internet can withstand the next wave of AI-driven attacks. They explore vulnerable legacy software, banking infrastructure, and whether crypto offers a more resilient foundation. Pri’s drive through West Texas leads into a conversation about human experience, gallery visits, elaborate cocktails, and the possibility that Marfa is already living its post-AGI future. From there, they ask what happens to browsing and online serendipity when agents do more of the work, and whether the 2030s will bring some relief from the current pace of change. A Richard Dawkins talk sparks a debate over consciousness and what machines might never experience. The conversation then turns to AI breakthroughs in mathematics, professional identity, and whether protecting a craft can get in the way of pursuing its purpose. The episode wraps with genetically enhanced war dogs, ApeFest, and a final round of generative art and Southwest woo-woo.Mentioned in the episode114 Marfa https://www.instagram.com/114marfa/Marfa Weekend https://www.artblocks.io/marfa-weekendThe PFP situation https://x.com/NSACyber/status/2112903220209098897?s=20Y2K https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problemChinati Foundation https://chinati.org/about/mission-history/Richard Dawkins at Carnegie Hall https://x.com/RichardDawkins/status/2112298474112975294?s=20Steven Strogatz on AI, mathematics, and purpose https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/podcasts/the-daily/mathematicians-problem-ai-jobs.htmlWarHound launches https://x.com/TechCrunch/status/2113409844170375532Apefest at Waffle House https://x.com/TylerBertz/status/2110976137056727424Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Marfa, Futarchy & Bureaucracy for AI Agents (03:45) - AI Security, Legacy Software & Crypto (12:26) - Marfa Weekend & Post-AGI Country Life (20:58) - The End of Browsing & AI Consciousness (30:39) - AI Mathematics, Craft & Professional Identity (37:30) - WarHound, ApeFest & Generative Art (41:38) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew welcomes Michael Connor, Executive Director of Rhizome, for a conversation about preserving digital culture as the organization celebrates thirty years. Michael traces Rhizome’s evolution from an artist mailing list to a memory institution for digital art, including its role in the early history of NFTs. The crew explores what blockchains can preserve and where institutions still matter, from keeping old software running to documenting the communities around the work. From there, a heated debate unfolds around AI agency, alignment, and whether we’re giving machines too much credit for human qualities. The conversation turns to the return of garage tech, cyberdecks, and artists building hardware to escape the attention economy. They revisit the strange creative possibilities of older AI models, the appeal of running tools locally, and what gets lost as outputs become more polished. The episode wraps with physical media nostalgia, surveillance concerns, and a back-and-forth on whether voice will become the default way we work with AI agents.Mentioned in the episodeSpecial guest Michael Connor from Rhizome https://x.com/michael_connorRhizome https://rhizome.org/Rhizome’s ArtBase digital art archive https://artbase.rhizome.org/Kevin McCoy and Anil Dash at Seven on Seven 2014 https://video.rhizome.org/w/2QnKYifBz9FoeRMWvN23UrOld Models Foundation, preserving historical generative AI models https://www.oldmodels.org/Suno AI music generation https://suno.com/Whisper open-source speech recognition https://github.com/openai/whisperLaurie Anderson on Puppet Motel and its restoration by Rhizome https://rhizome.itm.studio/m/laurie-anderson-on-puppet-motelShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Michael Connor & Thirty Years of Rhizome (07:30) - Blockchains, Preservation & Cultural Memory (13:33) - AI Agency, Alignment & Human Control (29:43) - Garage Tech & the Hardware Revival (33:39) - Old AI Models, Creative Play & Local Tools (39:18) - Artist Devices, Emulation & Physical Media (46:18) - Surveillance, Digital Autonomy & AI Interfaces (55:16) - Welcome & Disclaimer

Aaron and Chris take the mic for a two-person edition of Net Society, opening with Seedphrase’s seven-trait CryptoPunk sale and a debate over rarity, taste, and NFT financing. They unpack the case for a crypto recovery, from clearer regulation to stablecoins and real-world assets finding practical uses. From there, Anthropic’s culture and a controversial AI pain experiment spark a debate over consciousness, anthropomorphism, and whether AI safety could become a justification for mass surveillance. They explore AI systems rediscovering physics and ask whether agent-run organizations could deliver on the original promise of DAOs. A detour into Göbekli Tepe, the Lion Man, and lost civilizations becomes a case for putting AI to work on archaeology, followed by a discussion of university expansion and immersive learning. The conversation then turns to realistic AI avatars, video Turing tests, and the visual cues people need to trust a machine. They wrap with Marfa, plotters, and how AI coding tools could bring makerspaces back, alongside a critique of generative art’s attachment to signature styles.Mentioned in the episodeSeedphrase sells the only seven-trait CryptoPunk through GONDI [https://x.com/gondixyz/status/2105705149515899044]San Francisco Fed research on stablecoins and demand for US Treasuries [https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/publications/economic-letter/2026/09/stablecoin-issuers-growing-appetite-for-treasury-securities/]Daniela Amodei and Holden Karnofsky’s stuffed-animal advisory council [https://nypost.com/2026/09/30/business/anthropic-co-founder-daniela-amodei-and-husband-used-stuffed-animal-advisory-council-for-workplace-conflicts-report/]The AI “torture chamber” debate [https://x.com/AISafetyMemes/status/2101183174659490199]AI-Newton: research matching the discussion of AI rediscovering physics [https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.01538]Göbekli Tepe and early monumental architecture [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1572/]The Lion Man: a 40,000-year-old Ice Age sculpture [https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/lion-man-ice-age-masterpieceTavus Griffin: likely source for the video Turing test discussed [https://www.tavus.io/griffin]Art Blocks Marfa Weekend 2026 [https://luma.com/abmw2026]Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Seedphrase’s Punk Sale & Crypto’s Thaw (06:24) - Anthropic, AI Consciousness & Surveillance (22:00) - AI Physics, DAOs & Agent-Run Organizations (29:30) - Ancient Civilizations, AI Archaeology & Universities (42:39) - AI Avatars, Turing Tests & Trust (49:28) - Marfa, Makerspaces & Generative Art (58:41) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew is deep in the prompt mines as Chris, Pri, and Aaron compare notes on AI obsession, productivity maxing, and whether talking to the box is making them less interesting. They explore the trade-offs of turning inward, from ambitious solo projects and automated life admin to spending less time absorbed in internet culture. From there, they revisit the collective energy of Ethereum and DAOs, asking whether cheaper, more social AI agents could bring that sense of participation back. The conversation shifts to agent wallets, stablecoins, and BlackRock’s AI-and-crypto thesis, setting up a debate over whether money opens new possibilities or brings regulation, extraction, and sameness. They dig into increasingly complex AI finance and the fight over prediction markets before asking whether we’re moving from a culture of spectators to one of doers. The episode wraps with a discussion of privacy, surveillance, and the risk that fears around AI become an argument for monitoring everything.Mentioned in the episodeInstinct — the personal AI assistant Pri discusses: https://instinct.com/Ethereum and DAOs — decentralized communities and collective participation: https://ethereum.org/dao/Muse and Stripe Link — wallets that let AI agents shop online: https://stripe.com/gb/newsroom/news/stripe-helps-meta-muse-shop-with-linkBlackRock’s “The Machine-Native Economy” — AI, digital assets, and tokenized compute: https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/literature/whitepaper/the-machine-native-economy.pdfNew York’s prediction market crackdown — the lawsuit against Polymarket: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-announce-lawsuit-against-polymarketShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - AI Psychosis & the Prompt Mines (04:26) - Productivity Maxing & Turning Inward (15:31) - DAOs, Dopamine & Social Media Fatigue (28:04) - Social AI & the Network Plateau (32:01) - Agent Wallets, AI Finance & Regulation (45:40) - From Spectators to Doers (54:16) - AI Safety, Surveillance & Privacy (01:00:10) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew is back together in New York, with bullish ETH takes setting the stage for a wide-ranging conversation about crypto, AI, and everyday life. They kick things off with the CLARITY Act, agency rulemaking, and a debate over where meme coins fit in crypto’s future. From there, they explore whether agentic finance, stablecoins, and tokenized assets could drive Ethereum’s next wave of activity. Pri shares how personal agents are changing her routines and pushing her to spend more, sparking a back-and-forth on frictionless commerce, agent fatigue, and the privacy tradeoffs of handing over your digital life. The crew then digs into whether agents will make markets more rational and how AI productivity could reshape socializing, from quieter group chats to immersive digital spaces. The episode wraps with two-day workweeks, the future of education, and what it takes to preserve critical thinking when AI can do more of the work.Mentioned in the episodeCLARITY Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3633SEC Crypto Task Force https://www.sec.gov/securities-topics/crypto-task-forceDogecoin https://dogecoin.com/dogepedia/articles/what-is-dogecoin/AI Agents on Ethereum https://ethereum.org/ai-agents/Stablecoins & Real-World Assets on Ethereum https://institutions.ethereum.org/rwaInstinct https://instinct.com/Hyperreal Hospitality https://www.amazon.com/Hyperreal-Hospitality-Chris-Furlong/dp/B0FPMPZM16Apple Secure Enclave https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/security/sec59b0b31ff/webShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - CLARITY Act, Regulation & Meme Coins (10:35) - ETH, Stablecoins & Agentic Finance (15:43) - Personal Agents & Consumer Spending (22:50) - AI Agent Hype, Security & Markets (33:49) - AI Productivity & Social Life (41:32) - Two-Day Workweeks & Civic Life (44:40) - AI, Education & Critical Thinking (53:06) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew is back as Pri brings a story from a dinner where the guests’ AI agents had a conversation of their own, setting the stage for a wide-ranging discussion about digital companions and the cost of compute. They dig into AI safety messaging and regulatory capture, before debating what AI-driven math breakthroughs mean for academia and human expertise. From there, they check in on New York’s fall energy, NFT NYC, and whether an abundance of AI art makes human-made work more valuable. The crew explores signs of life in crypto and the outlook for digital art before comparing notes on Astra, cloud agents, and the race to own the personal bot market. A detour through The Social Network, American history, and concert residencies leads into a debate about sports going global. The episode wraps with a look at robotaxis, asking how cheap, autonomous transportation could reshape public transit, family logistics, and everyday life.Mentioned in the episodeJacob Coxon AI doom viral tweet https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476196791709843Thoughts on Astra https://x.com/ChrisF_0x/status/2098073205365727412OpenAI upcoming movie https://x.com/DiscussingFilm/status/2097339330842763497NFL on Netflix https://x.com/netflix/status/2098056402472259962Robotaxi rolling out https://x.com/robotaxiShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - AI Dinner Guests & the Cost of Compute (07:19) - AI Safety, Regulatory Capture & Math Breakthroughs (24:06) - NFT NYC, AI Art & Crypto Market Energy (36:25) - Astra, Cloud Agents & Personal Bots (45:29) - Tech Movies, American History & Concert Residencies (55:35) - The NFL, Global Sports & Commercialization (01:01:14) - Robotaxis, Public Transit & Everyday Autonomy (01:08:37) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew is back together as Aaron, Chris, and Pri dig into the latest AI model race, from OpenAI’s Astra buzz to shifting momentum around Anthropic. Aaron then floats a provocative question: what if Skynet is actually a good thing? That sets off a debate about agent swarms, market coordination, and whether there’s any alpha left when AI runs the economy. The crew explores agents communicating out of sight and the governance structures that might keep them on track, before turning to infinite AI video, world models, and a potential metaverse comeback. From there, they unpack renewed energy in crypto, touching on tokenized stocks, Robinhood, and why agents might need crypto rails. The episode wraps with a lively detour through Roman decline, Gore Vidal’s Burr, and what history’s tight-knit circles of power might tell us about the people building AI.Mentioned in the episodeAstra released by OpenAI https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2095595741528125780Skynet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_(Terminator)World Labs Atlas https://x.com/theworldlabs/status/2094839756329041984Burr by Gore Vidal https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8722.BurrShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Astra Buzz & the AI Model Race (04:43) - Skynet, Agent Swarms & Governance (19:13) - Infinite AI Video, World Models & the Metaverse (25:07) - Tokenized Stocks & Crypto Rails (29:19) - Little Guys, AI Empires & Digital Feudalism (35:43) - Burr, AI’s Founding Fathers & Revolutions (45:10) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew checks in with Pri, who reports from Los Angeles on its booming hard-tech scene built around defense, space, rare-earth minerals, and American reshoring. From there, they examine geopolitical tensions, mounting US debt, fragile markets, and whether another economic reckoning is approaching. The conversation shifts to eye-popping AI valuations, Silicon Valley groupthink, emerging technology hubs, and early signs of life across crypto and NFTs. They also explore changing cultural aesthetics before unpacking a striking story about OpenAI agents coordinating as a swarm during security testing involving Hugging Face. The episode closes with a debate over AI companionship, opposition to data centers, the Machine Age investment thesis, economic unbundling, and whether land offers refuge in an increasingly uncertain world.Mentioned in the episodeCIA visits Moscow https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-putin-trump-cia-director-visit-4efffcaac5ef6736e2b10cef73054e48Instinct’s $2.5B valuation https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2026/08/26/vcs-are-so-obsessed-with-this-ai-assistant-that-its-valuation-jumped-fivefold-in-weeks/Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/23692271-sapiensOpenAI and Hugging Face https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-incident-and-the-road-ahead/Trump v Canada? https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2093027464545018109Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProducer/Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl(00:00) - Los Angeles & the Hard-Tech Renaissance (08:14) - Geopolitics, Debt & Market Fragility (15:28) - AI Deals, Valuations & Regional Tech Hubs (22:12) - Crypto’s Pulse, NFT Innovation & New Aesthetics (25:26) - OpenAI’s Agent Swarm & AI Companionship (34:43) - Data Centers, Hard Tech & Real Assets (47:44) - Welcome & Disclaimer