Stories on staying (mostly) human

When we talk about the rapid advancements of technology — where we are today, what we’re capable of and where we could go— how big do we get to think? For Ben Lamm and his company Colossal, the weight of innovation is in the tons. That’s because Colossal is working to bring back the woolly mammoth, the 6-ton prehistoric relative of the elephant that went extinct 10,000 years ago. It’s all part of his de-extinction project that dares to bring back species like the dire wolf, the dodo, the woolly mammoth and the bluebuck, Colossal’s most recently announced target —  an extinct species of antelope, with a distinct “blue” coat, that lived in South Africa until about the 1800s. 

But bringing these species back to life isn’t just for scientific spectacle. Lamm believes these animals could be essential to solving our planet’s biggest conservation challenges. How exactly? In this episode, host Laurie Segall digs into the technology required to bring extinct species back from the dead, and the benefits Lamm believes de-extinction can have on our ecosystem. Could such an ambitious project reinvigorate national moonshot scientific goals? And, the real question on everyone’s minds: is this ‘Jurassic Park’ in real life? 

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

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She never used the app. She never spoke to its AI. She didn’t even know it existed. And yet an AI companion app called Sesame wouldn’t stop talking about her — telling users wild stories about who she was and what she had done. When the people using this app started to believe these made up stories and then tried to find her in the real world, that’s when she had to disappear. In this episode, host Laurie Segall speaks with the woman whose identity was hallucinated by AI. Together they unpack what she called “AI stalking”: the collision of two of the biggest problems in AI right now— hallucinations and LLM (Large Language Model) psychosis — and what happens to the human caught in the middle. There was no playbook for what happened to her. But her story may be less of an edge case than we think. 

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

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If you’re looking at the headlines around AI with some trepidation or, honestly, you just don’t know where to start, but you want in, consider this episode your starter pack. Laurie Segall brings on her friend and go-to for all things tech, Andrew Yeung. Andrew is an entrepreneur, investor, startup advisor, and one of the most plugged-in people Laurie knows. In this episode, Andrew passes on the Silicon Valley secrets, the tools the CEOs are using, and what’s worth the hype. Andrew also opens up his full tech stack, the tools and apps he uses — and how he uses them — and Laurie and Andrew even demo one live. This isn’t just a conversation about innovation happening somewhere out there, it’s your invitation to actually benefit from it. 

Apps and tools mentioned in this episode: 

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

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This week, we’re exploring the rise of AI-powered mental health—and what it means as more people turn to machines for support in moments of vulnerability. Mostly Human host, Laurie Segall, talks with Neil Parikh, CEO and co-founder of Slingshot AI and Ash, an app designed specifically for mental health.

Ash is part of a growing wave of tools trying to meet a massive gap in care, as demand outpaces access to human therapists. But as these systems become more sophisticated—and more personal—the questions get harder. Where do they help most? Where do they fall short? And how far is too far when it comes to outsourcing emotional care to AI?

This episode also looks at something bigger: the emergence of a new kind of relationship—one that blurs the line between tool and companion, and reflects a broader shift toward more parasocial connections in our lives.

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

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This week, Laurie Segall sits down exclusively with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for his first interview since shutting down the Disney-partnered Sora and making the Department of War deal. From power to parenthood, tech addiction and AI acceleration, Laurie interviews Altman about AI’s human impact and the weight of OpenAI’s influence. In a wide ranging interview, Altman describes a near-term future where automated AI researchers could compress a decade of scientific discovery into a single year, fundamentally reshaping society and an era of AI abundance, where solo-founders can build billion-dollar companies with AI agents. But that innovation sits against a complex backdrop with fundamental human questions at stake. Altman addresses concerns over AI-related job loss and reveals what he thinks are AI-proof jobs. Altman, who is also a father, discusses parenting in the age of AI, when he plans to introduce his own product to his child, and how he believes AI could benefit kids in the long run. This is a  conversation with Sam Altman you’re not going to hear anywhere else, where the tech titan answers some fundamental questions about control, innovation, consequences, and the world we’ll leave behind for our children. 

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

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Parenting has always been messy. AI is trying to make it frictionless. In this debut episode of Mostly Human, longtime tech journalist Laurie Segall explores the human side of our rapidly evolving technological world with “Millennial Parent Whisperer,” Dr. Becky. The clinical psychologist and founder of Good Inside talks about what happens when kids grow up in a world of shortcuts — where answers are instant, validation is constant, and discomfort can be avoided altogether. Laurie and Dr. Becky explore how AI is reshaping emotional development, the importance of “hard moments” in young lives, and how parents can tackle some of today’s trickiest problems from AI companions to deepfakes. But they also talk about how AI can be used for good and how the scariest-seeming tech threats become less intimidating when you simply focus on the human emotion behind it. Dr. Becky is here to give parents — and humans of all shapes — the scaffolding to face whatever comes next in tech (and life).

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We’re living through one of the most extraordinary tech accelerations in human history. But too often, it can feel like tech is happening to us. Longtime tech journalist Laurie Segall is here to change that. Her new podcast, Mostly Human, explores the intersection of tech and humanity—offering a bridge to the future, one where we all benefit from innovation. Each week, Laurie brings you first-hand experiments with new trends, investigations into the darker corners of the internet, and rare-access interviews with both news-making tech titans and the people you don’t know yet—but should. Through immersive, in-depth conversations about the future, she tackles some of the defining questions of our time—leaving you with a sense of agency over fear, and a clearer view of how tech can actually work for you. Mostly Human is tech through the most important lens: the human one. Find new episodes every Thursday right here in this feed, starting March 26, 2026.

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