My niece Danielle bought carbon monoxide detectors through online AI ads. One of them blared a fake 4 a.m. emergency warning her family’s air was combustible. Even though they were just fine. She shares her wild story with us, and what to check before you buy one for yourself.
Every generation has been told the end is near. This time, it’s AI’s turn in the doomsday spotlight, but history has a pattern worth noticing before you panic.
Most homeowners who appeal their property tax assessment win. But almost nobody tries. Chatbots draft the letter for you. Plus, two roommates are going viral for busting out a diss track about their landlord. Has over 20,000 views. Take that Cindy!
Your next gadget is about to cost more. Blame data centers. We’ll talk about how memory prices broke a 20 year rule of tech shopping.
There’s a phone setting that automatically blurs inappropriate photos in your kid’s messages. I’ll tell you how to turn it on Androids and Apple. Plus, we help Matt see his kids’ school email addresses without overpaying.
No vehicle on the market today is actually self-driving. No matter what the ads say. We break down why.
The people building AI are the ones sounding the alarm. So this week I’m asking the big one: can AI actually destroy the human race? Then you’ll meet Lindsey Brooke Isaacs. Flock cameras placed her car near a deadly crash, and she spent 13 days in jail. Even though other evidence pointed to a completely different vehicle. She tells me how it happened and where she is today. I’m Kim Komando, America’s Digital Goddess. Tech news, scams, AI tips and your calls. Also this week: Brian Dema lost his dad. So he used AI, his father’s handwriting and old voice recordings to build a holographic version of him. Sergeant Anthony was driving his Uber shift when police jumped in and used his car to chase down a murder suspect. Plus, our game Brand New or Not True is back. And New York City is rolling out robot toilets. You get 10 minutes, then it flushes you out. Flushing idea. EPISODE BREAKDOWN: 0:00 Smart appliances are texting your data out. 6:20 Will AI be the end of the human race? 20:31 3 great things about the iOS 27 update. 22:14 Brian used AI to recreate his deceased father. 42:30 Decode Gen Z slang. 50:09 New York City adds 10-minute robot toilets around the city. 52:38 “Flock cameras put me in jail for 13 days.” 1:08:19 Throwback game: Brand New or Not True. 1:13:49 iPhone foldable vs. Samsung foldable. 1:17:16 AI tells you which family features you inherited. And from who. 1:18:36 Saying “hello computer” stops robocalls. 1:28:09 Your phone is a stud finder. 1:32:00 Companies fired workers for AI, then hired them back to fix it. 1:36:02 Starlink is chasing gigabit speeds from space. 1:37:02 Tesla Roadster revealed. And GM removes the V8 dipstick. 1:41:50 Cops use an Uber driver for a suspect chase. 1:50:45 Patricia lost $200,000 in a SIM swap scam. 2:00:15 Richard used AI to navigate his wife’s medical diagnosis. 1:59:15 AI checks your mortgage for refinancing. Hit Follow so every episode lands automatically, and leave a 5-star review. It takes 10 seconds, and it’s how new listeners find us. More at komando.com/podcasts. Free newsletters at komando.com. Tech question? Call 1-844-KOMANDO. Follow me: @kimkomando
Tired of playing phone support when your mom calls for tech help? There’s a 10 second trick that lets you see screens from anywhere. Plus, two security warnings you need to know, including how a woman lost $4.3 million to scammers pretending to be the FBI.
Everyone’s worried data centers are draining local water supplies dry. But it’s wrong. We break down the real numbers. Plus, MIT economist Dr. David Autor makes the case that AI is too unpredictable to take your job. For now.
iOS 27 has a hidden feature that builds shortcuts just by describing what you want. Plus, we help Bob keep a digitized ongoing list of what’s in his kitchen.
If AI is powerful enough to be dangerous, it’s powerful enough to cure cancer. We break down the argument that’s shaping AI. Plus, we dig into the wild theory are China’s clumsy, viral robot fails actually intentional, designed to make humanity underestimate them?
A simple phrase turns your chatbot into a comedian. The LOL moment? Uses your own chat history against you. We got the prompt that’ll “get you cooked.” Plus, James built himself an AI wife. A bad one based on movie villains. First man in history to engineer more nagging into his life. On purpose.
Some political voices want America to halt chatbot research entirely. But that could hand the lead to competitors like China. Plus, we debate whether Anthropic’s ex-safety lead is right that AI could destroy humanity within a decade.
Thursday is Constitution Day! In addition to free entry, there’s an $80 lifetime deal for older adults. Plus, we help Crescenda find cameras so her three sons can start their on own YouTube channel.
Turns out your employer can require you to silence or even lock away your phone during your shift, but the rules have to apply to everyone, corner office included.
Sending something sensitive on Gmail? There’s a setting built right in that almost nobody uses. Pick an expiration date, and your message vanishes from the recipient’s inbox when time’s up.
Lori Schott lost her daughter Annalee to suicide in 2020 after social media consumed her life. She has spent every year since advocating to get platforms and parents to change. Her fight helped lead Meta to an historic $18 billion settlement, the largest of its kind.
That old picture of you online might already be in Clearview AI’s database. Plus, we help Nancy and her friends pick which AI hairstyle apps are safe to use to try out their new hairdos.
There’s an 30-second chatbot trick that decodes your Medicare coverage before open enrollment closes. Plus, my embarrassing story about how my AI email assistant accidentally sent four conflicting replies to a major radio executive. I had no idea.
A driver spent 13 days in jail after a license plate camera wrongly linked her to a crash. And Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Dr. Matthew Guariglia talks about where Flock cameras are heading next.
