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Episode 446 - How Notebook LM struggled with my essay on World Politics
Using Notebook LM to convert an essay into a podcast, the show addresses U.S. foreign policy, China’s rise, and speculative scenarios involving geopolitical shifts. The AI-generated discussion critiques the U.S.’s historical global influence, highlights China's strategic economic planning, and explores potential impacts of a diminished U.S. role on international security. The episode raises questions about AI's influence in shaping narratives and encourages critical thinking about global politics and future world order.
00:00 Introduction: Setting the Stage for a Global Review
00:30 A Unique Episode: Exploring AI-Generated Content
02:48 Foreign Affairs Summary: A Critical Perspective
08:06 The AI Podcast: Unveiling Hidden Biases
08:50 Deep Dive: U.S. Foreign Policy and Global Dynamics
11:23 China's Rise: A New Global Power
12:46 Speculations on the Future: U.S. Dollar and Global Shifts
15:51 A Hopeful Outlook: Global Cooperation and Change
20:35 Conclusion: Reflecting on AI and Global Politics
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Transcript
We need to talk about ideas, good ones and bad ones.
Morgan:We need to learn stuff about the world.
Morgan:We need an honest, intelligent, thought provoking and entertaining
Morgan:review of what the hell happened on this planet in the last seven days.
Morgan:We need to sit back and listen to the Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove.
Trevor:Hello, dear listener.
Trevor:This episode is a little bit different.
Trevor:It's a short one for starters.
Trevor:I'm away on holidays somewhere on Magnetic Island and I pre
Trevor:recorded this one for you.
Trevor:So I had previously written down a little foreign affairs summary in my notes which
Trevor:I was going to go through at some point.
Trevor:And then I heard about this um, sort of app or program called
Trevor:Notebook LM where you could give it.
Trevor:an essay and it would generate two people talking in a
Trevor:podcast format about the essay.
Trevor:So basically I uploaded the document to Notebook LM and uh, got
Trevor:a little 12 minute podcast back.
Trevor:So what I'm going to do is read to you 694 word essay that I uploaded and then
Trevor:I'll play the podcast which Notebook LM produced and a couple of things about it.
Trevor:One is, of course, American accents and just the Gee whiz golly gosh.
Trevor:Um, Niceties of American Culture has crept into the Generated Podcast,
Trevor:which is sort of an NPR type feel to it, which I just don't like.
Trevor:But then the other thing that really got me was, I made the
Trevor:briefest of mentions about Israel.
Trevor:And it's as if the AI robots were personally offended and thought my
Trevor:essay was very dangerous as a result.
Trevor:And I just thought this was interesting because more and more people are
Trevor:going to use AI to generate content.
Trevor:And if the algorithms and the software is directed in a way to nudge and format
Trevor:content in a certain way, then that's a type of bias that's being introduced.
Trevor:And, well, I'll read the essay, I'll play what was produced.
Trevor:And you think about whether there was any sort of unusual bias imposed, or
Trevor:maybe it's just me and I'm, I just don't like criticism, even when it
Trevor:comes from a robot, but uh, anyway.
Trevor:This is what I gave it, the title, My Foreign Affairs Summary.
Trevor:In summary, It should be obvious to everyone that we are making big mistakes.
Trevor:Post World War II, we sucked up to the USA, hoping to earn brownie points
Trevor:in case we ever needed their help.
Trevor:We joined them in ill fated wars, and we supported their position on
Trevor:almost every foreign policy issue.
Trevor:US foreign policy purported to be about promoting democracy and the rules
Trevor:based order, but it was really about forcing smaller countries to open their
Trevor:economies So big American multinational companies could exploit them.
Trevor:Its first preference was to use the IMF and the World Bank to force
Trevor:neoliberal policies, cut tariff protection, sell public infrastructure,
Trevor:allow foreign investment, see Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, and
Trevor:various Latin American countries.
Trevor:Failing that, it would use sanctions to create economic chaos.
Trevor:And then get the CIA to initiate internal revolutions against failing governments.
Trevor:See, All the Shah's Men by Stephen Kinzer, or Ukraine and now Georgia.
Trevor:An assassination, Patrice Mbambe, the Prime Minister of the Democratic
Trevor:Republic of Congo, or an invasion would be the next options.
Trevor:Why did voters not punish this behaviour?
Trevor:The USA could avoid domestic opposition by confusing and distracting the
Trevor:population through propaganda.
Trevor:Western allies kept their populations in check with the same propaganda.
Trevor:Invariably, the USA used the pretense of protecting democracy.
Trevor:Invariably, it had nothing to do with democracy and everything to
Trevor:do with installing governments that would be favourable to the USA.
Trevor:Mainstream press required advertising revenue from big multinationals.
Trevor:Wars generate extra readers and viewers.
Trevor:Media barons have investments in businesses that benefit from this
Trevor:system of enforced neoliberalism.
Trevor:So mainstream press was on board.
Trevor:Left wing press was underfunded by right wing governments.
Trevor:and cowered into submitting to the right wing agenda.
Trevor:Senior staff left in disgust, junior staff need the money and are distracted
Trevor:by social justice identity issues and ignorant of the foreign policy
Trevor:propaganda they have swallowed.
Trevor:So, if left wing press wasn't on board, it was at least acquiescent.
Trevor:Right wing politicians fully believe the Western foreign policy propaganda
Trevor:and rely on the political donations.
Trevor:Left wing politicians Mostly believe the propaganda as well, but also don't
Trevor:want to be wedged on strongman defence posturing, so they fall into line.
Trevor:Our military leaders are incentivised to beat up the risk of military
Trevor:threats and acquiesce to US infiltration of our defence service.
Trevor:Any officer who objects to that system will not be promoted.
Trevor:That leaves only small, financially independent media groups to
Trevor:call out what is happening.
Trevor:Most voters don't have the time to seek them out and keep up.
Trevor:They will find time when it's too late.
Trevor:Meanwhile, our ally, the United States, is a psychopathic bully who
Trevor:has been deftly outmaneuvered by China.
Trevor:The fire sector, finance, investment, real estate, has
Trevor:white anted the American economy.
Trevor:China now leads on production of technology and real things.
Trevor:China refused IMF and World Bank overtures.
Trevor:It protected its infant industries and kept foreigners out.
Trevor:It retained government ownership of banking, and refused to bail out
Trevor:financiers and real estate speculators.
Trevor:It is too big and too successful, and with like minded allies, it
Trevor:is impervious to US sanctions.
Trevor:It is also impervious to assassinations and invasions.
Trevor:Australia should recognise that it has nothing to fear and much
Trevor:to learn from China and the new multipolar world that is emerging.
Trevor:Unfortunately, it will probably take severe hardship to change that mindset.
Trevor:It's unlikely that a charismatic pro China politician could emerge
Trevor:out of our current major parties.
Trevor:Although the Greens offer some hope.
Trevor:The final collapse will come when the world recognises the
Trevor:weakness of the US dollar.
Trevor:Its collapse will send the US into chaos and the union will break up.
Trevor:Hopefully the world will only offer assistance if the US
Trevor:decommissions its nuclear bombs.
Trevor:The biggest issue facing the world now is how to deal with the
Trevor:post, with post revolutionary USA.
Trevor:When the USA is officially in a mess, Arab countries will
Trevor:take vengeance against Israel.
Trevor:It will be wiped out.
Trevor:So there you go, dear listener.
Trevor:That was the text, and here is what was generated.
Female Robot:I forget the feeling we're only getting, like, the edited
Female Robot:highlights of global politics, like the real story, the real levers of power.
Female Robot:They're hidden somewhere in the footnotes.
Male Robot:Hmm.
Male Robot:I know what you mean.
Female Robot:Well, today's Deep Dive, we're going full on conspiracy
Female Robot:theorist, unearthing those footnotes.
Female Robot:That's intriguing.
Female Robot:We've got the source, right.
Female Robot:And it's not exactly shy about making waves.
Female Robot:Yeah.
Female Robot:Yeah.
Female Robot:They basically come right out and call the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:a psychopathic bully.
Male Robot:Wow, strong words.
Female Robot:No kidding.
Female Robot:They suggest China's playing a whole different game, a much
Female Robot:longer one, and then they go even further, hinting at a potential U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:collapse.
Male Robot:Okay, now I have to know more.
Male Robot:Where do they even begin?
Female Robot:So they really dig into U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:foreign policy, especially the period after World War II.
Female Robot:All that talk we hear about Spreading democracy,
Female Robot:maintaining a rules based order.
Male Robot:Right, right.
Female Robot:This source says it's a smokescreen.
Male Robot:Interesting.
Male Robot:They think there's something else going on beneath the surface.
Female Robot:Exactly.
Female Robot:They believe the real motive has always been economic.
Female Robot:Get this.
Female Robot:They claim the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:pressures smaller countries, forces them to open up their markets,
Female Robot:also big corporations, Can swoop in and rake in the profits.
Male Robot:Well, it's true that economic interests in foreign
Male Robot:policy, they often go hand in hand.
Male Robot:You look at institutions like the International Monetary
Male Robot:Fund, the World Bank.
Male Robot:They were designed to, you know, stabilize the global economy, but
Male Robot:they've also faced a lot of criticism.
Female Robot:Oh, absolutely.
Female Robot:For
Male Robot:pushing policies that seem to benefit wealthy
Male Robot:nations more than developing ones.
Male Robot:It's a complicated issue.
Male Robot:And
Female Robot:the source They don't stop there.
Female Robot:They go on to suggest that the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:might resort to some pretty extreme tactics to get their way.
Male Robot:What do they have in mind?
Female Robot:We're talking sanctions to destabilize countries that don't
Female Robot:play ball, backing coups even, and they actually write this, assassination.
Female Robot:They point to events in Latin America, the Middle East, as examples of this
Female Robot:kind of interventionist approach.
Male Robot:It's true that the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:has been involved in regime change efforts throughout history.
Male Robot:No question.
Male Robot:And those interventions often had significant lasting consequences.
Male Robot:Right.
Male Robot:You look back at U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:involvement in Latin America during the Cold War, and just to clarify,
Male Robot:that was this period of intense geopolitical tension between the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:and the Soviet Union.
Male Robot:The U.
Male Robot:S., they often supported authoritarian regimes that were seen as, you
Male Robot:know, favorable to their interests, even if it meant undermining
Male Robot:democratically elected governments.
Male Robot:Yeah.
Female Robot:It's wild.
Female Robot:And this source argues that it's not just actions abroad.
Female Robot:They say the American public, we've been kept in the dark about all of this, they
Female Robot:claim it's been this calculated campaign of propaganda, media manipulation, and
Female Robot:let's not forget about the influence of money in politics, to silence any
Female Robot:dissent or alternative viewpoints.
Male Robot:Controlling information is incredibly powerful, no doubt about it.
Male Robot:And, it's fair to say, The U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:has used media narratives to shape public opinion on foreign policy.
Male Robot:I mean, you think about the lead up to the Iraq war.
Female Robot:Oh, absolutely.
Female Robot:The
Male Robot:Bush administration really made their case for intervention
Male Robot:based on claims of weapons of mass destruction, which, as we know,
Female Robot:So we're supposed to believe that the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:has been calling the shots on the world stage for decades, pulling
Female Robot:strings, manipulating economies, all that, and then the source makes
Female Robot:this really interesting pivot.
Female Robot:They argue that China's been watching this whole time.
Female Robot:They saw right through it.
Female Robot:And instead of playing along, they chose a different game entirely.
Male Robot:You know, China's rise is fascinating.
Male Robot:It really is a different approach.
Male Robot:They resisted opening up their economy too quickly, they prioritized
Male Robot:domestic growth, and they've been very careful about controlling
Male Robot:foreign influence, whether it was a deliberate counter strategy to the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:or just, you know, them acting in their own best interest.
Male Robot:That's up for debate.
Female Robot:Well, this source, they see it as a calculated move.
Female Robot:They claim China basically said thanks, but no thanks to the whole
Female Robot:IMF loan, massive foreign investment thing, opted instead to build up
Female Robot:their own industries, keep tight government control over their economy.
Male Robot:And you can't deny.
Male Robot:That approach has gotten results.
Male Robot:China's economic transformation has been astounding.
Male Robot:They're a global powerhouse now.
Female Robot:Exactly.
Female Robot:And because of that, the source argues all those old U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:tactics, sanctions, political maneuvering that just won't work on China anymore.
Female Robot:They're too big to push around.
Male Robot:There's this idea gaining traction now about a
Male Robot:multipolar world where power isn't concentrated in just one nation.
Male Robot:And as other centers of power emerge, the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:'s ability to, you know, dictate global affairs, it lessens.
Male Robot:We're seeing it play out in trade negotiations, the
Male Robot:formation of new alliances.
Male Robot:It's a shifting landscape.
Female Robot:Okay, get ready for this.
Female Robot:This is probably the wildest claim this whole piece makes.
Male Robot:Man, me with it.
Female Robot:They predict that the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:dollar.
Female Robot:Done.
Female Robot:Finished.
Female Robot:They're talking about a to its breakup.
Male Robot:It's certainly a dramatic scenario, there's no doubt about that.
Male Robot:It's important to remember that predicting something as complex as the collapse of
Male Robot:a global currency, incredibly difficult.
Male Robot:However, the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:dollar's dominance, it's facing some serious challenges
Male Robot:that we haven't seen before.
Female Robot:Like what, specifically?
Male Robot:Well, you've got the rise of alternative currencies, the growing U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:debt, and more and more countries are increasingly
Male Robot:willing to trade outside the U.
Male Robot:S.
Male Robot:dollar system.
Male Robot:All of that contributes to the uncertainty.
Female Robot:It's like a domino effect, almost.
Male Robot:In a way, yes.
Female Robot:And it gets even wilder.
Female Robot:They go on to speculate about how the world might react to a weakened America.
Female Robot:They think other countries, They'd only offer help, only step in, if the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:agreed to completely dismantle its nuclear arsenal.
Male Robot:Wow.
Male Robot:The idea of a world having to deal with a diminished America, potentially an
Male Robot:unstable one, that's a sobering thought.
Male Robot:Makes you really question global security, existing alliances,
Male Robot:the whole nature of international cooperation as it exists now.
Male Robot:It's uncharted territory.
Female Robot:And if all that wasn't enough to wrap our heads around,
Female Robot:this source throws in one more incredibly charged prediction, and
Female Robot:this one's, well, it's a bit jarring.
Male Robot:You're killing me with the suspense, go on.
Female Robot:They suggest that if the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:were to actually falter on the world stage, some actors might see it as
Female Robot:an opportunity to settle old scores.
Male Robot:Oh, I see where this is going.
Female Robot:They specifically point to Israel.
Female Robot:They suggest that if the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:is no longer there to back them up, Israel could face existential
Female Robot:threats from neighboring countries.
Male Robot:This is where the analysis veers into highly speculative territory.
Male Robot:Some might even say it's inflammatory.
Male Robot:Shifts in the geopolitical landscape, they always create ripple effects, uncertainty,
Male Robot:but singling out a specific nation like that as being, you know, uniquely at
Male Robot:risk that relies on a lot of assumptions and potentially limited information.
Male Robot:It's crucial to approach pronouncements like that with a lot of caution.
Male Robot:It's interesting you use the word opportunity because when I read
Male Robot:this, I got the sense That they see this shift away from a US
Male Robot:dominated world is a good thing.
Male Robot:Yeah, like a world without one superpower calling all the shots
Male Robot:would be better for everyone.
Male Robot:Maybe.
Male Robot:But the big question is what that transition looks like.
Male Robot:Peaceful and cooperative or full of conflict and instability.
Female Robot:Right.
Female Robot:Because it's not like China has the cleanest track record.
Female Robot:I mean, think about human rights and their own foreign policy decisions.
Female Robot:Not exactly a simple swap from one benevolent superpower to another.
Male Robot:You're right, we can't just swap one hegemon for another.
Male Robot:Ideally, we'd move to a system that's actually more just and
Male Robot:sustainable for everybody.
Male Robot:You know, one that puts things like cooperation, understanding, respect for
Male Robot:different cultures and perspectives first.
Female Robot:That's the dream.
Female Robot:A lot easier said than done, don't you think?
Female Robot:If there's one thing this deep dive has shown me, it's
Female Robot:that the world is complicated.
Male Robot:Absolutely.
Male Robot:And that's probably the most important takeaway here.
Male Robot:To even start to understand these complicated issues,
Male Robot:we need to embrace nuance.
Male Robot:We have to challenge our assumptions and look for different perspectives.
Female Robot:Okay, well, after all that doom and gloom, is
Female Robot:there any room for optimism?
Female Robot:Can we end this on a positive note?
Male Robot:There's always hope.
Male Robot:Human history has tons of stories about innovation, adaptation,
Male Robot:and cooperation in the face of what seemed like impossible odds.
Female Robot:Give me some specifics.
Female Robot:What gives you hope?
Female Robot:Any positive signs you're seeing?
Male Robot:One of the most encouraging things I've seen
Male Robot:is that people are starting to understand that we're all connected.
Male Robot:They realize that these big challenges we face, like climate change, inequality,
Male Robot:global health crises, these aren't just problems for one country to solve.
Male Robot:They affect everybody and need everyone to work together.
Female Robot:So more people are waking up to the fact that we're all
Female Robot:in this together, and that's good.
Male Robot:Yes.
Male Robot:Global citizenship isn't some idealistic fantasy anymore.
Male Robot:It's becoming a necessity.
Male Robot:And with that change, there's huge potential for new ways to
Male Robot:cooperate and solve problems.
Male Robot:Ways that don't need the same old power structures.
Female Robot:Okay, I like where you're going with this.
Female Robot:So let's say we make it through this transition without destroying ourselves.
Female Robot:What kind of world do you see coming out on the other side?
Female Robot:Give us a picture of that optimistic future.
Male Robot:Imagine a world where international relations isn't just about
Male Robot:one country winning and another losing.
Male Robot:What if we focused on solutions that benefit everyone?
Male Robot:What if global institutions like the UN were actually democratic and represented
Male Robot:everyone they're supposed to serve?
Female Robot:I'm listening.
Male Robot:What if we use diplomacy and conflict resolution
Male Robot:instead of military intervention?
Male Robot:Imagine if we actually tackled climate change and poverty together, as a
Male Robot:global community, putting aside our own interests for the greater good.
Female Robot:Now those are some headlines I could get behind.
Female Robot:But let's be real, how realistic is any of that?
Female Robot:Are we talking about impossible pie in the sky idealism here?
Male Robot:It's not just wishful thinking.
Male Robot:These changes are starting to happen, even if they're slow and there's resistance.
Male Robot:It's like planting seeds for a better world.
Male Robot:Now we need to help them grow.
Female Robot:That's a really great image.
Female Robot:It reminds me of that Margaret Mead quote, Never doubt that a small
Female Robot:group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Female Robot:Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Male Robot:Powerful stuff.
Male Robot:And, you know, in a world that's more interconnected than ever,
Male Robot:through technology, through these huge global challenges, that small
Male Robot:group, it can become a huge GE group.
Female Robot:So it's not about waiting around for some perfect
Female Robot:utopia to magically appear.
Female Robot:It's about each of us actually doing something, taking action
Female Robot:to build the world we want.
Male Robot:Exactly.
Male Robot:We're not just watching this happen, we're part of it.
Male Robot:We have the power to change the narrative, to choose the kind
Male Robot:of future we want to live in.
Female Robot:You know, I was feeling pretty freaked out after
Female Robot:the first part of this deep dive, but I'm feeling a little better now.
Male Robot:Glad to hear it.
Female Robot:But before we wrap up, I have to ask about that last
Female Robot:prediction, the one about Israel and the potential threats if the U.
Female Robot:S.
Female Robot:declines.
Female Robot:It just felt so out of left field.
Male Robot:Yeah, that one definitely stood out.
Male Robot:It plays on some really deep anxieties, especially in a region
Male Robot:that's already so volatile.
Male Robot:But we have to remember, it's just one person's interpretation.
Male Robot:of these really complex events and that interpretation, inevitably colored by
Male Robot:their own biases, their own perspectives.
Male Robot:So
Female Robot:don't dismiss it entirely, but maybe take it with a grain of salt.
Male Robot:Exactly.
Male Robot:Don't just take their word for it.
Male Robot:What are their motivations?
Male Robot:Are there other points of view from people who really know
Male Robot:that region and its history?
Male Robot:It's so easy to get caught up in fear mongering.
Male Robot:Especially these days.
Male Robot:But we have to look at those kinds of claims with a critical eye, really try to
Male Robot:understand the situation from all angles.
Female Robot:That's a good rule of thumb for, well, pretty much
Female Robot:everything we talk about on this show.
Female Robot:Critical thinking for the win.
Male Robot:Couldn't agree more.
Female Robot:But speaking of critical thinking, if our listener could take away
Female Robot:just one big idea from this deep dive.
Male Robot:Oh, that's a good question.
Male Robot:If I had to pick one, the future isn't set in stone.
Male Robot:There are huge forces at play, global trends that seem to have
Male Robot:a life of their own, but we can still make choices, take action as
Male Robot:a collective, that change things.
Female Robot:It's not about if the world is going to change, it's about how.
Female Robot:We change with it.
Female Robot:And how we help to shape that change.
Male Robot:Exactly.
Male Robot:And that means we have to be paying attention, we have to be
Male Robot:informed, we have to be willing to challenge the way things are.
Male Robot:Ask the tough questions about the systems we live in, the stories
Male Robot:we're told, and the kind of worlds we want to leave behind.
Female Robot:Well said.
Female Robot:I think that's a perfect place to wrap up.
Female Robot:Listeners, if this deep dive has you curious, if it's made you question
Female Robot:what you thought you knew about global politics, then we've done our job.
Female Robot:Keep learning, keep asking questions, and most importantly, keep talking about it.
Male Robot:Absolutely.
Male Robot:The world needs more people who are engaged, who think critically, and who are
Male Robot:willing to have those tough conversations.
Male Robot:Thanks for joining us on this Deep Dive.
Male Robot:Until next time.
Trevor:So there you go.
Trevor:Did you find that interesting?
Trevor:I would like to hear your feedback on that one and your thoughts on AI and its
Trevor:future in the world, particularly in how its role in propaganda might develop.
Trevor:Anyway, we'll be back with the full panel next week.
Trevor:Bye for now.