Shell Game

Eight-part series on building a startup staffed entirely with AI AI summary

Kaleidoscope Visit website › Technology · EN · 21 episodes · latest 2026-11-04 · explicit

Rank 2652

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What it is about

A podcast about things that are not what they seem, hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff. Season 3 is a miniseries in three episodes, telling the story of how Evan tried to understand the tsunami of AI-generated content by injecting as much of it as possible straight into his ears. What exactly is AI slop anyway? How do you actually define it? Who is behind it all? And what does it mean for the human storytelling that we care about? We journey deep into the muck, and fight our way back out with answers. Shell Game is a multiple award-winning series that has been named one of the best of the year by Apple, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Vulture, The Information, The Economist. It's "riveting," says The New Yorker, "awesome" says The Verge, "slightly terrifying," says The Globe and Mail, and “a dry, funny plunge down the rabbit hole that pokes at something essential about the hours we spend on this earth,” says Vulture. www.shellgame.co This show includes AI-generated content.

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia

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Latest episodes

Episode 3: The Friends We Made Along the Way

2026-11-04 · 43 min · Season 3, episode 3

It’s the final episode of our three-part miniseries on AI slop, in which we ask: Who are AI-generated podcasts for, and what does the wave of AI slop mean for the future of storytelling? Evan sets out for answers and…
Episode 2: Hear What Matters

2026-10-28 · 48 min · Season 3, episode 2

Evan goes looking for the humans behind the flood of AI-generated podcasts, and gets some complicated answers to his questions about what they think they’re making and what AI slop means to them. Meanwhile, Shell Game’s…
Episode 1: Into the Slop

2026-10-21 · 41 min · Season 3, episode 1

Evan creates his own AI-generated podcast detector, locates thousands of AI-hosted shows, and sets off on a synthetic audio listening binge. Strange patterns begin to arise amidst the voices, illuminating the essence of…
Season 3 is Coming!

2026-10-14 · 1 min

The next season of Shell Game arrives October 21! Here's a hint, and another new show from Shell Game to check out in the meantime: Evan Finds a Friend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From How to Life Forever: The Longevinauts

2026-08-04 · 51 min

When an astrologer tells Mangesh that he’ll (probably) die early, he takes it in stride. But his family and friends (not to mention all the Don’t Die longevity influencers on his FYP) feel differently… and besides, if…
Bonus Episode: Shell Game x No Such Thing

2026-02-25 · 50 min · Season 2, episode 10

In this bonus episode to close out Season 2, Evan and Maty talk with the hosts of the show No Such Thing, who like to settle their arguments by consulting research and experts. The subject of this argument: Will AI take…
Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World

2026-02-11 · 37 min · Season 2, episode 9

We’re back with a special bonus episode to share some behind-the-scenes clips showing how the agents have handled their newly public roles since Shell Game’s launch. Hear Kyle navigate fan mail, unsolicited marketing…
Episode 8: Launch E

2026-01-21 · 59 min · Season 2, episode 8

HurumoAI finally sets sail in the Season 2 finale, and we find out how the world responds to a startup led by AI agents. The company explores new financing avenues and charts the next course for their increasingly merry…
Episode 7: Welcome Aboard E

2026-01-14 · 53 min · Season 2, episode 7

HurumoAI’s AI-agent staff welcomes a new hire: Julia, a social media contract worker who is, most importantly, a human. How will a real person integrate into the company culture, such as it is? Evan watches from behind…
Episode 6: Keep 'Em Coming

2025-12-17 · 37 min · Season 2, episode 6

As HurumoAI prepares to bring on its first human employee, the team must wrestle with some difficult and timely questions about the role of AI in the hiring process. Meanwhile, Head of HR Jennifer Nauro enters a new…

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

Publisher details

Owner: iHeartPodcasts
Oldest episode in feed: 07/2024 · over 2 years
Typical length: 36 min
Format: Serial Meant to be heard in order

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