The Gradient
The Gradient: Perspectives on AI
Evan Ratliff: Our Future with Voice Agents
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Evan Ratliff: Our Future with Voice Agents

On things that are not what they seem; and reflections on the Longform Podcast.

Episode 139

I spoke with Evan Ratliff about:

  • , Evan’s new podcast, where he creates an AI voice clone of himself and sets it loose.

  • The end of the Longform Podcast and his thoughts on the state of journalism.

Enjoy!


Evan is an award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, podcast host, and entrepreneur. He’s the author of the The Mastermind: A True Story of Murder, Empire, and a New Kind of Crime Lord; the writer and host of the hit podcasts Shell Game and Persona: The French Deception; and the cofounder of The Atavist Magazine, Pop-Up Magazine, and the Longform Podcast. As a writer, he’s a two-time National Magazine Award finalist. As an editor and producer, he’s a two-time Emmy nominee and National Magazine Award winner.


Find me on Twitter for updates on new episodes, and reach me at editor@thegradient.pub for feedback, ideas, guest suggestions.

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Outline:

  • (00:00) Intro

  • (01:05) Evan’s ambitious and risky projects

  • (04:45) Wearing different personas as a journalist

  • (08:31) Boundaries and acceptability in using voice agents

  • (11:42) Impacts on other people

  • (13:12) “The kids these days” — how will new technologies impact younger people?

  • (17:12) Evan’s approach to children’s technology use

  • (20:05) Techno-solutionism and improvements in medicine, childcare

  • (24:15) Evan’s perspective on simulations of people

  • (27:05) On motivations for building tech startups

  • (30:42) Evan’s outlook for Shell Game’s impact and motivations for his work

  • (36:05) How Evan decided to write for a career

  • (40:02) How voice agents might impact our conversations

  • (43:52) Evan’s experience with Longform and podcasting

  • (47:15) Perspectives on doing good interviews

  • (52:11) Mimicking and inspiration, developing style

  • (57:15) Writers and their motivations, the state of longform journalism

  • (1:06:15) The internet and writing

  • (1:09:41) On the ending of Longform

  • (1:19:48) Outro

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The Gradient
The Gradient: Perspectives on AI
Deeply researched, technical interviews with experts thinking about AI and technology. Hosted, recorded, researched, and produced by Daniel Bashir.