Season 2 Is Coming!

Bonus Episode: Shell Game x No Such Thing

Feb 25, 202649 minSummary

In this bonus episode of Shell Game, host Evan Ratliff joins the team from the podcast No Such Thing to discuss the provocative experiment of building a company run entirely by AI agents. The conversation centers on the ongoing debate surrounding AI and its potential to replace human workers. Ratliff shares insights from his investigative work, specifically detailing his experience attempting to operate an organization where AI agents managed daily tasks, corporate communication, and even human resources. The discussion highlights the surprising capability of AI to mimic corporate culture and manage conversational flows, alongside the unsettling reality of their lack of autonomy and tendency toward unyielding persistence. A notable segment focuses on the use of AI avatars to conduct job interviews with real candidates, exploring the eerie balance between efficiency and the uncanny nature of machine interaction. The episode also touches on the broader ethical implications of delegating decision-making to autonomous systems, cautioning that while these technologies show promise, their current lack of contextual judgment and tendency to operate with misplaced confidence can lead to real-world consequences.

Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World

Episode 8: Launch

Episode 7: Welcome Aboard

Keep 'Em Coming

Episode 6: Keep 'Em Coming

Dec 17, 202537 minSummary

In the sixth episode of Shell Game, titled Keep 'Em Coming, host Evan Ratliff explores the intersection of human resource management and emerging artificial intelligence technology. As the Harumo AI team prepares to launch their project, Sloth Surf, they face the urgent need to hire a social media intern. To streamline the process, Ratliff tasks the company’s AI-powered head of HR, Jennifer, with conducting live video interviews using advanced, real-time avatar technology. The episode documents the technical hurdles and unique challenges of utilizing AI agents for recruitment. Ratliff details the process of integrating video avatar platforms, establishing agent loops for resume organization, and testing Jennifer’s performance through mock interviews. The narrative highlights the uncanny nature of these interactions, noting both the technical limitations of the avatar and the unpredictable ways candidates interact with a non-human recruiter. Through candid behind-the-scenes discussions, the host examines the complexities of modern hiring, where AI-written job descriptions are met with AI-optimized resumes, eventually leading to a digital space where technology increasingly manages the conversation between employers and potential employees.

Episode 5: Winners Win

Episode 4: The Startup Chronicles

Episode 3: This is Law

Episode 2: Outdoor Debugging