The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Weekly conversations exploring philosophy, culture, technology and politics AI summary

Vox Visit website › Society & Culture · EN · 813 episodes · latest 2026-11-13

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What it is about

The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a guest to explore a question or topic that matters. From the the state of democracy, to the struggle with depression and anxiety, to the nature of identity in the digital age, each episode looks for nuance and honesty in the most important conversations of our time. New episodes drop every Monday. From the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Latest episodes

iPad parents

2026-11-13 · 42 min

When your aging parents can’t put down their phones, where does care end and control begin? In this episode, Vox reporter and producer Miles Bryan talks with internet culture reporter Jessica Lucas about the older…
Who ruined your chocolate?

2026-11-09 · 41 min

If even chocolate is getting worse, what does that tell us about our economy and the state of life’s small pleasures? In today’s episode, Vox host Jonquilyn Hill talks to New York Magazine writer Rachel Handler, who…
Why everyone is embracing populism

2026-11-06 · 27 min

Today we’re bringing you an episode of the Vox daily news podcast Today, Explained. It’s a show that’s about the biggest stories of the day, and – like The Gray Area – it tries to make sense of what those stories tell…
How Silicon Valley learned to love war

2026-11-02 · 53 min

Silicon Valley says it can build better weapons, faster and cheaper than traditional defense contractors. But what happens when the companies making those weapons also get a say in how they’re used? In today’s episode,…
Is America a gerontocracy?

2026-10-30 · 47 min

What does the country lose when one generation refuses to yield power? In this episode, Vox host Jonquilyn Hill talks with Idrees Kahloon, staff writer at the Atlantic, about why he believes America has become a…
Inside the secret race to build artificial intelligence

2026-10-26 · 44 min

What is happening behind the scenes of America’s largest AI companies? How could the squabbles, ideologies, and goals of their CEOs and engineers shape our future? In today’s episode, guest host Christine Emba sits down…
What makes a life good enough?

2026-10-23 · 44 min

What does it mean to have a good life when so much feels wrong? In this episode of The Gray Area, guest host Jonquilyn Hill speaks with Vox journalist Rachel Wilkerson Miller about her forthcoming book, The Nice Life.…
Can prediction markets be good for society?

2026-10-16 · 48 min

Can prediction markets serve a purpose beyond gambling? In today’s episode, guest host Miles Bryan speaks with professor Finn Brunton in a conversation based on his recent Harper’s article, “The Chaos Machine:…
Our gender divide

2026-10-12 · 47 min

What happens to a society when its members become increasingly wary of one another, and relationships break down based on gender lines? In today’s episode, guest host Christine Emba speaks with pollster and writer Dan…
The death row assembly line

2026-10-09 · 59 min

Is there a humane way for the state to kill someone? Guest host Miles Bryan sits down with New York Times Magazine writer and ProPublica reporter Pamela Colloff to pull back the curtain on critical flaws in America's…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Owner: Vox Media Podcast Network
Oldest episode in feed: 02/2016 · over 10 years
Typical length: 1 hr 5 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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