Dear AI Companies: Stop the “Doom Trolling” | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News.

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) Stop the “doom trolling”

(6:53) Cal’s recent New York Times article

(9:00) Cal’s argument

(10:16) The 2nd option

(12:54) Conclusion

(15:58) Stop playing along with Doom Trolling game

(20:09) Use the term “doom trolling”

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

nytimes.com/2026/06/17/opinion/ai-dangerous-op…

nytimes.com/2023/03/24/opinion/yuval-harari-ai…

newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-int…

nytimes.com/2026/04/07/opinion/anthropic-ai-cl…

anthropic.com/institute/recursive-self-improve…

x.com/sapinker/status/2067231673268273547

x.com/edzitron/status/2067308832053936276

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.

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