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Do words like “cryptocurrency” and “artificial intelligence” stress you out? Have you thought about how to avoid getting scammed by a robot pretending to be your sister? On the new podcast Terms of Service with Clare Duffy, the tech writer explores how to experiment with these new tools without getting played by them. Going beyond the overwhelming Silicon Valley news headlines, she provides practical tips for using the latest technologies in terms that don’t require an engineering degree to understand. 

Below, Clare Duffy shares her favorite story so far, the most surprising thing she’s learned and more about Terms of Service. 

In a nutshell, what is Terms of Service about?  

Terms of Service covers the major headlines and advancements in the tech world through the lens of how that technology is showing up in people’s regular, everyday lives – no matter how tech-savvy they consider themselves to be. We want to help people better understand how to use and engage with these technologies and to protect themselves from their downsides.   

I realized that as tech reporters, we often do a lot of talking about what new tech could mean down the road; for example, the expectation that AI will change much about how we live, work and communicate in the future. That could be an exciting or unsettling prediction, depending on how you think about it, but it doesn’t tell you a lot about how to approach technology today. So, Terms of Service is looking at how technology is showing up in people’s lives right now and aiming to help them navigate that.   

So far, what has been your favorite story to cover on the podcast?  

My favorite episode so far is about why TSA has started scanning travelers’ faces at the airport and what people should consider when deciding whether to opt out because, selfishly, it’s a question I had been wondering about for a while. As a somewhat paranoid tech reporter, I have always felt inclined to say no to those face scans, but I couldn’t really tell you why – or if it even mattered when I did. Now, I can!   

What is the most surprising/interesting thing that you’ve learned through your reporting?  

For me, the most surprising takeaways so far came from our episode on how AI chatbots could be used to change people’s minds about their conspiracy theory beliefs. I was skeptical when I first came across this research because chatbots are often still so impersonal, and many people struggle to trust them. It was fascinating to hear about how chatbots can be good at opening people’s minds because they’re non-emotional and non-judgmental. It makes sense that humans would feel less of a need to protect their ego and win an argument against a bot, versus another person. And it was nice to learn about a potential positive application of this technology that’s raised so many concerns about how it could, in other contexts, distort reality.   

What are you most excited about when it comes to AI and emerging technologies?  

The potential for AI, with its powerful predictive capabilities, to advance the field of medicine and speed up drug discovery really excites me.   

On a more meta note... I am also hopeful that people have learned enough from past evolutions of the internet to realize that – despite how many tech leaders are framing the future of AI – the ways this technology will develop and get applied aren’t yet set in stone. Users can influence the future of technology by thinking critically about whether and how to use it, and I hope this show will help people do that.   

What do you hope listeners take away from the show?  

Keeping up with tech headlines and the pace of change can be overwhelming! I hope Terms of Service can help listeners feel more informed and empowered to engage with technology in a way that makes sense for their lives and can help them feel a bit more like they’re in control when it comes to their relationship with technology.