麻豆社

Who is paying for the influencer campaign making you fear Chinese AI? A new report alleges a coordinated influencer marketing campaign urging audiences to back 鈥淎merican AI鈥� while quietly stoking fear about Chinese AI. Marketing agencies are reportedly offering creators thousands of dollars per post to weave in 鈥淭eam USA鈥� talking points as lifestyle content - with limited transparency about who is funding the message, and why. We dig into what this means for AI policy, public trust, and the information you absorb without realising it. Because the scariest part may not be China at all - it鈥檚 that political and corporate interests can buy the vibe of your feed while most of us never see the strings.

Also this week: how to stop AI turning your brain to mush. Neuroscientists are increasingly watching for signs of cognitive offloading, when tools make thinking feel optional, potentially weakening memory and critical thinking. Some early research suggests lower brain engagement when people rely on AI for tasks like writing. But the key point is: you don鈥檛 have to quit AI 鈥� you just have to use it differently. Thomas shares practical, doable tips for keeping the thinking in your hands: use AI as a coach, not a crutch.

And: are self鈥慸riving cars getting worse? Emergency responders in US cities say Waymo robotaxis are increasingly 鈥渇reezing鈥� in traffic, sometimes even blocking emergency access, forcing police and firefighters to spend time managing stuck vehicles during incidents. Waymo says it鈥檚 working on fixes, but complaints describe a worrying pattern: when the world gets unpredictable, the cars鈥� safest move is to stop; and that becomes everyone else鈥檚 problem. And with wider expansion planned (including London and New York), this could be a preview of what鈥檚 coming to a city near you

The Interface is your weekly guide to the tech rewiring your week and our world. Hosted by journalists Thomas Germain, Karen Hao, and Nicky Woolf, each episode unpacks, week by week, how technology is shaping all our futures. No guests. No jargon. Just three sharp voices debating the stories that matter 鈥� whether they shook a government, broke the internet, or quietly tipped the balance of power.

New episodes drop every Thursday on 麻豆社 Sounds in the UK. Outside the UK, find us on 麻豆社.com or wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video version on YouTube (search 鈥淭he Interface podcast鈥�).

To get in touch with the team: theinterface@bbc.com
The Interface is a 麻豆社 Studios production.

Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars