What Next: TBD

Tech, power, and the future with Lizzie O’Leary.

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About the Show

Every Friday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

Host

  • Lizzie O’Leary is the host of What Next: TBD, Slate’s show about technology, power, and the future. Previously, she created and hosted Marketplace Weekend. She has reported for CNN, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She is also a contributing writer at the Atlantic.

Risking Your Life for $8.71

While much of the country shelters indoors, Instacart workers have found themselves on the front lines of COVID-19. Who’s keeping them safe?

Where Are All the Tests?

Here’s why America isn’t ready for widespread coronavirus testing.

Big Tech Eyes the Pandemic

Silicon Valley’s biggest players have been trying to break into health care for years. The coronavirus may provide an opportunity.

What if They Close All the Schools?

As the coronavirus spreads across the country, many schools are considering moving their classes online. For many, that’s not a realistic option.

Did the Internet Doom a Pregnancy?

The real-life cost of online misinformation.

Did Money Corrupt an A.I. Utopia?

OpenAI was supposed to democratize the race to build artificial intelligence. Then profits got in the way.

Inside Facebook’s Supreme Court

The social network spent a year building its own version of an independent judiciary. Can it succeed?

Coronavirus Tests China’s Surveillance State

As the virus spreads across China, Xi Jinping’s censorship and surveillance network is being strained to its limit.

Iowa’s App-ocalypse

The debacle in Iowa doesn’t bode well for Democrats’ effort to restore digital dominance.

Why Is the U.S. Scared of Huawei?

Britain’s defiance of the U.S over 5G may set a precedent for the rest of the West.

Which Tech Companies Are Doing the Most Harm?

As “techlash” reaches a fever pitch, which companies actually deserve the heat?

The Silicon Valley Dream Was Always a Fantasy

Anna Wiener details her journey through tech’s uncanny valley.

How Targeted Ads Started Watching Us All

Two companies changed the advertising industry forever. We’re just beginning to see the consequences.

Do Algorithms Make Sentencing Fairer?

Thirty-five states are using algorithms to help judges make better decisions. Are they working?

A Landmark Privacy Law Takes Effect. Now What?

California’s Consumer Privacy Act could have a national impact.

Ring: Your Doorbell Is Watching

The Shark Tank reject now partners with more than 600 police departments around the country.

Inside the Influence Economy

What we get wrong about the world of influencers, and why we should be paying attention.

What Is Google After Larry and Sergey?

With the founders stepping down, the tech giant enters uncharted territory.

Is TikTok Really a National Security Threat?

The app’s growing popularity in the U.S. has lawmakers worried about Beijing’s influence.

How WhatsApp Got Hacked

Private spyware companies help governments get around encryption, and business is booming.