Two A.I. stories: companionship, culture, and the future of taste
This preview is based on the episode’s published notes, not the audio itself. The episode pairs a reported story about an A.I. companion helping a woman in rural Washington with a discussion about “taste slop” and what A.I.-driven culture could do to how we discover and value art.
This episode appears to be a split-format listen built from two New York Times conversations, both focused on how A.I. is reshaping everyday life in very different ways. The first segment, from **The Daily**, centers on a woman in a remote part of Washington who uses an A.I. companion robot for company and to help maintain her independence. Based on the notes, the conversation with Times reporter **Eli Saslow** seems likely to explore A.I. at a human scale: not as a futuristic abstraction, but as a tool that may affect loneliness, aging, and daily living. The second segment, from **The Opinions**, shifts from personal care to cultural criticism. **Nadja Spiegelman** talks with **Kyle Chayka** and **Sophie Haigney** about the rise of **“taste slop”** and a possible future where a handful of chatbots mediate what people read, watch, and listen to. If you’re interested in how A.I. could flatten culture or narrow discovery online, this part looks especially relevant. Why listen? If you want one episode that spans both the intimate and the systemic sides of A.I., this looks like a strong pick. The notes suggest a mix of reported storytelling and broader cultural analysis, making it a good choice for listeners curious about both emotional companionship tech and the future of internet taste-making. Also worth noting: this is not a standard original **Hard Fork** episode; the show notes say the podcast will return with a new original episode next week.
About this episode
<p>This week, we’re bringing you two A.I.-related stories from our colleagues at The New York Times.</p> <p>First, Rachel Abrams, a host of “The Daily,” talks with the Times reporter Eli Saslow about a woman in a remote part of Washington who is using an A.I. companion robot to keep her independence, and to keep her company.</p> <p>Then, the Times Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks to the New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka and the journalist and critic Sophie Haigney. They get into the rise of “taste slop” and what happens to culture if the internet collapses into just a few chatbots that serve us everything.</p> <p>“Hard Fork” will be back with an original episode next week.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Guests:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/eli-saslow" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eli Saslow</a>, a reporter for The New York Times who writes in-depth stories about the impact of major national issues on people’s lives.</li> <li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/kyle-chayka" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kyle Chayka</a>, staff writer at The New Yorker covering technology and online culture.</li> <li><a href="https://www.sophiehaigney.com/bio" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sophie Haigney</a>, a critic and journalist.</li> </ul> <p><br><strong>Additional Reading:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/podcasts/the-daily/ai-robot-elderly-loneliness.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can A.I. Make People Feel Less Lonely?</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/opinion/silicon-valley-ai-taste-culture.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Silicon Valley Is Coming for Next</a></li> </ul> <p><br> We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hardfork" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork" rel="noopener noreferrer">TikTok</a>.</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>