Tech or Treat: Exploring the Haunted Side of Future Tech

Are you ready for some Tech or Treat?

Modem Futura’s Halloween special transforms speculative futures into eerie fun. Hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard use AI-generated scenarios to imagine haunted algorithms, sentient mirrors, and neural nightmare modes — revealing how emerging technologies can both thrill and unsettle us. This episode continues the show’s mission to explore how science, technology, and society intersect to shape the future of being human.

This episode grew out of our playful Futures Improv series, where we use AI to generate speculative prompts about the future — but this time, the prompts got a little… haunted. We explore “The Haunted Algorithm,” a defunct social-media AI that resurrects old user posts every October 31 — a digital séance that’s equal parts sentimental and unsettling. Then we look into “The Mirror That Remembers,” a smart-mirror concept that doesn’t just show your reflection, but who you might have been in another timeline. Finally, we enter “Neural Nightmare Mode,” imagining what could go wrong when brain-computer interfaces merge immersive gaming with fear response.

Each vignette uses humor and imagination to surface deeper questions: What does it mean when our digital selves outlive us? How do we ensure psychological safety in immersive tech? And at what point does innovation slip from magical to menacing?

Our goal isn’t to predict the future — it’s to provoke curiosity about how technology is reshaping what it means to be human. And if we can have some fun (and a few chills) along the way, even better.

You can stream the Halloween special wherever you get your podcasts or watch the illustrated episode on YouTube. If any of these scenarios inspire your own “Tech or Treat” ideas, share them with us — we’d love to feature the best ones in a future episode.

Subscribe and Connect!

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4oovNKa

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/47nWrjvBW3ASjMuJUip8o1?si=96d8062d029a4834

📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZmZ46sHgMZY

🌐 Website: https://www.modemfutura.com/

We Turned One - plus Liquid Media, Work Slop, and the Road Ahead – Episode 53

Year One, Human First: How We’re Building a Relational Future Podcast

When ChatGPT thinks you run a podcast gameshow - this is how it draws you ;)

Fifty‑two straight weeks, many guests, and countless “aha” moments later, Modem Futura just turned one. Instead of a victory lap, we used this episode to do what we always do: invite you into the studio while we make sense of the future—together.

From day one we set out to be relational rather than transactional. That means no polished lectures and no sugar‑coated takes. It means showing our work, making space for genuine curiosity, and trusting that a community grows when people feel like they’ve pulled up a chair at the table. Over the past year, that approach has taken us everywhere—from AI and AGI to bio‑hybrid robots, simulation hypotheses, autonomous mobility (including a Waymo ride‑along), space futures, and media theory, just to scratch the top of the list. Listeners have told us they’re using episodes to kick off team discussions, and yes, we’re even astronaut approved! (Thanks Cady). That’s rocket fuel!

This anniversary episode isn’t just about reflections we also look ahead. We probe “liquid media”—from tools like NotebookLM to Huxe’s 24/7 AI‑generated radio—and ask where convenience ends and exhaustion begins. We talk about “work slop,” the plausible‑sounding but soulless output AI can slip into workflows, and the hidden cognitive tax leaders pay to verify it. And to keep futures thinking playful, we run a “Futures Improv” lightning round: AI pets smarter than real ones? Brain‑to‑brain headbands at work? Meditation‑mandated robotaxis? Jurassic Park on the Moon? The point isn’t to predict perfectly—it’s to stretch how we think so we can exercise our radical creativity. (Maybe this should become a reoccurring segment? - I’ll need to craft up a quick theme song I think… )

What’s on the calendar for next year? Expect deeper dives into human‑centered AI, experiments with spatial and wearable interfaces (Vision Pro, Meta’s glasses), and conversations that foreground care—for people, institutions, and futures worth having. And as Andrew’s new book AI and the Art of Being Human lands, we’ll keep exploring how technology can amplify, not erode, what makes us…us.

Join us:

• Listen to the anniversary episode and subscribe on your favorite app

• Comment with one idea we should explore next—or what we should put in the “empty chair” on non‑guest weeks

• If the show sparked a conversation where you work, tell us how. We’ll highlight examples in a future episode.

If you believe better futures are built through candid, caring conversation, you’re in the right place.

Subscribe and Connect!

Subscribe to Modem Futura on a favorite podcast platform, follow on LinkedIn, and join the conversation by sharing thoughts and questions. The medium may still be the massage, but everyone has a chance to shape how it kneads modern culture—and to decide what kind of global village we ultimately build.

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/48oB1QS

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1H29Q1LnP8oL7LER1gS6wa?si=5j97IKzGSjGJFlZSQMS-hg

📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/FX0DmYgIe0w

🌐 Website: https://www.modemfutura.com/

Futures Thinking: Foresight You Can Use – Episode 49

We don’t predict the future, but we prepared for the uncertainties the futures will bring

Ever been stuck in traffic and thought, “Where’s my eVTOL button?” We open this episode right there—and quickly flip the fantasy into a lesson on systems: technologies don’t fix congestion (or most complex problems) unless policy, behavior, equity, and infrastructure evolve with them. From that launchpad, Sean Leahy and Dr. Andrew Maynard unpack futures thinking as a mindset—distinct from prediction—that helps people and organizations navigate uncertainty with agency. They walk through the classic triad of possible, probable, and preferable futures, then translate it into practice: horizon scanning (signals, trends, megatrends), scenario building, and backcasting from a desired 10‑year outcome to concrete actions today. Along the way, they surface guardrails like avoiding “used futures” (inherited visions of someone else’s desired future) and stress‑testing for unintended consequences, especially for vulnerable communities and the planet.

The conversation ranges widely—think SimCity lessons and Mars‑city thought experiments as mirrors for Earth’s complexity; protopian (step‑by‑step better) versus utopian/dystopian frames; and why foresight shouldn’t be a bolt‑on consultancy only, but a capacity embedded across teams. Educators will appreciate a practical take on bringing futures thinking into K–12 and higher ed without “one more thing”: weave foresight into existing subjects to build creativity, inquiry, and resilience. Pop culture helps, too—using films (à la The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future) creates a low‑stakes, high‑insight space to explore tough issues together. And for those tracking AI’s breakneck pace, the episode doubles as an antidote to future shock—a way to slow down, widen perspective, and choose well‑considered next steps.

Why it matters: Futures Thinking is for everyone - all humans poses the qualities needed to engage in thinking about our collective futures. Whether you lead a product team, a classroom, or a community, cultivating a futures mindset helps you spot weak signals earlier, align around preferable outcomes, and take action that nudges the world toward human flourishing.

Join the conversation:

What “used future” have you noticed in your field? If you were backcasting from a 2035 future you’d be proud of, what’s the first move you’d make this quarter? Drop your thoughts—and feel free to borrow this episode in your class, team meeting, or strategy offsite.

🎧 Listen to the full episode to dive deeper into how films shape our futures: https://apple.co/4nrAIci

📺 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

🎬 What film has changed the way you think about the future? Drop a comment — we’d love to hear.

If you’d like to dive deeper, jump into the link and listen to the podcast or watch the YouTube video. Join us as we explore the forces shaping our collective future and the urgent need to keep human values at the heart of innovation.

Subscribe and Connect!

Subscribe to Modem Futura on a favorite podcast platform, follow on LinkedIn, and join the conversation by sharing thoughts and questions. The medium may still be the massage, but everyone has a chance to shape how it kneads modern culture—and to decide what kind of global village we ultimately build.

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/4nrAIci

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1OmUyc6fYdMIZ8thORheOJ?si=ZTQ-ZI7hQzSjNTy3jhjgfQ

📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/85cTuht_a8k

🌐 Website: https://www.modemfutura.com/

AI, Not AI: Riding the Hype Cycle – Episode 45

Agents at the Peak, Humans in the Loop: Navigating the AI Hype Cycle

Every week brings another “breakthrough” headline—agent modes, study modes, version bumps—and it’s getting harder to tell hype from progress. In this new Modem Futura episode, we take a candid, summer‑mode breather to map where AI really sits on the Gartner Hype Cycle, what open‑weight releases mean for builders, and how to keep the human voice intact when co‑authoring with machines. (Yes, we tried not to talk about AI…and failed—because it’s interwoven into every aspect of human activity now.)

What open weights really unlock

Setting aside the current drama around GPT-5, recent open‑weight releases under permissive licenses are a quiet game‑changer. OpenAI has released a pair of open‑weight models (120B & 20B) under Apache‑2.0 license that you can download from Huggingface. Translation: you can download models, run them locally, and adapt them for your own needs—no cloud required (except o download). With capable personal computers (think Apple’s M‑series) or home-built rigs GneAI LLMs can be run locally on device, and as hardware capacity increases and the sophistication of the models improves, the barrier to entry keeps dropping. The reason this matters is that it enables “garage‑scale” innovation—students, labs, startups, and curious tinkerers can now build for their own unique (or weird), local needs rather than waiting for a platform update.

Writing with AI—and protecting the voice

We also dig into human‑AI co‑authoring. Andrew shares a writer’s perspective—AI can draft moving, polished prose, but a subtle sameness creeps in. The fix isn’t anti‑AI; it’s pro‑craft: re‑introduce your “tells,” rhythm, and variance so readers feel a human mind at work. Think editorial sculpture—chipping away until the voice has texture and life. When even an AI editor flags your draft as “too consistent,” it’s a nudge to put the messiness back in. This is what happens when the pendulum swings too far to one side (perfect AI generated prose) the reader craves authenticity and “style” to which we need to introduce our human-touch back into the machine.

So…where are we on the Hype Cycle?
Whether you’re looking to learn how to interpret this powerful model (tool) or just get some new band name ideas, we explain the curve (innovation trigger → peak of inflated expectations → trough of disillusionment → slope of enlightenment → plateau of productivity) and why agentic AI feels perched at the peak, while day‑to‑day generative AIis edging into the trough—not because it’s useless, but because the shine (over hyped exaggerated claims of impact) wears off and the real work begins (just look at the backlash from GPT-5). Layer in the diffusion‑of‑innovation model and you’ll see different communities (VCs, educators, enterprises) living on different parts of the curve at the same time.

Image source: pasqal.com

Image source: Gartner

Beyond screens: ambient intelligence

We explore the exciting space of spatial/ambient computing and sensing (I even got to briefly mention LANs, WANs, and PANs)—environments saturated with signals (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, NFC) that AIs can interpret in ways we can’t. It raises the question of what happens when machines can interpret the data‑saturated world beyond our comprehension and act within it? That’s where “AI‑not‑AI” lives: less chatbot magic, more embedded intelligence shaping everyday environments. That’s both exciting and unsettling: it demands new conversations about design, privacy, agency, and the futures we actually want to build.

If it resonates, help broaden the conversation: subscribe, share with a colleague, and tell us where you place AI on the Hype Cycle—and where you’re craving more human messiness. As we joked in‑studio, Modem Futura is “on the slope of enlightenment—accepting social investment via ratings and reviews

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/47mypmb

📺 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModemFutura

If you’d like to dive deeper, jump into the link and listen to the podcast or watch the YouTube video. Join us as we explore the forces shaping our collective future and the urgent need to keep human values at the heart of innovation.

Subscribe and Connect!

Subscribe to Modem Futura on a favorite podcast platform, follow on LinkedIn, and join the conversation by sharing thoughts and questions. The medium may still be the massage, but everyone has a chance to shape how it kneads modern culture—and to decide what kind of global village we ultimately build.

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/47mypmb

🎧 Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ReAdtrV7o8WfxeZ0vaKH9?si=dGnDFD03QiW9A3UiUStEEg

📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/cfHqBJKnGZo

🌐 Website: https://www.modemfutura.com/