AI Explained (No Jargon)

October 4, 2026

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Google’s Project Suncatcher sent four of its most powerful AI chips into orbit on a SpaceX rocket. But can a data center really run in space on nothing but sunlight?

October 3, 2026

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An Amazon driver could be photographing your house with AI smart glasses. One booby-trapped photo can take over your iPhone. And AI is about to decide what you pay at McDonald’s. This week, I break down the tech news that hits your wallet, your privacy and your family. Plus, a Flock camera wrongly flagged a man named Amadeus. His Wendy’s receipt saved his life. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Bigger Amazon Checks 4:40 The Trillion-Dollar Lunch Meetup 8:04 Bill Gates: AI Could Destroy Us 9:52 Facebook Faces a $219 Billion Fine 11:29 TikTok Pays $100M, Adds Teen Curfew 13:26 Robot Hand Walks on Its Fingers 15:59 AI: To Pay or Not to Pay? 19:30 One Booby-Trapped Photo Hijacks iPhones 20:13 AI Dynamic Pricing Hits McDonald’s 21:56 Josh’s “Your Son Is Lost” Facebook Message 30:18 Spot Fake Prime Big Deal Days Deals 32:04 Digital Wallet Security Risks 34:43 Best Apps for Song Lyrics 39:48 Kids Turned NPR Podcast Comments Into Group Chats 41:15 Decode Emojis + Gen Alpha Slang 45:26 Dallas Garbage Trucks Spy on Your Lawn 47:52 FBI Raids 200-Acre Scam Compound 51:55 iPhones Changing Colors 53:02 YouTube Custom Feeds 53:21 Apple’s Smart Home Hub Arrives Oct. 13 55:02 Tinder Turns Dating Into a Group Activity 56:35 Gen Z Thinks AI Is Alive 59:15 Save a Voicemail as a File 59:52 Flock Camera Flags the Wrong Man 1:09:01 Gemini Remembers Your Hiding Spots 1:10:55 Magic Streaming Boxes Are Illegal 1:14:49 Donna Saved $400 With My AI Tips 1:17:19 Bird Migration App 1:20:26 Why Lovable AI Is a Trap 1:22:47 Amazon Drivers Photograph Your House 1:24:51 The $745,000 GoFundMe That Got Pulled 1:27:53 Instagram Plus Features 1:28:36 Streaming Prices Up for Football 1:30:20 SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit 1:30:59 Is Flirting With AI Cheating? 1:33:12 Game: Real or Not? 1:36:30 How to Make Money With AI 1:41:48 AI Chatbots Come to Apple CarPlay 1:44:31 Luke 3D Prints Free Wheelchairs for Kids 1:52:55 Best AI Tools for Personal Finance 2:00:00 Ask ChatGPT What Cops Would Seize Love the show? Hit Follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a 5-star review. It takes ten seconds and helps more people find us. More tech tips and every episode: komando.com/podcasts Follow me everywhere: @kimkomando I just saw a robot charging itself. It was re-volting!

October 2, 2026

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How much will you pay for a Big Mac before you head to Wendy’s? McDonald’s is using AI to find that number, and it changes with your city, your neighborhood, and even the season.

September 29, 2026

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The co-founder of Microsoft says unregulated AI could kill much of humanity. Meanwhile, Kathy makes her case for why AI isn’t the real threat. It’s the humans behind it.

September 28, 2026

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Politicians keep promising a law requiring a chatbot kill switch. But it’s technically impossible. Plus, we break down if AI could actually help create a bioweapon.

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That membership fee you forgot about years ago? You’re probably still being charged. AI fixes it in 90-seconds. Plus, we help Luke take down a business that used his real name, address, and his parents’ phone number to open an LLC.

September 27, 2026

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Landing a job in today’s market is tough enough. But small mistakes, like bringing an iced coffee to an interview, are enough to end it before it starts. Plus, we talk to Jacob, one of thousands of students across the U.S. who booed a commencement speaker for telling graduates to embrace AI.

September 26, 2026

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A computer said Robert Dillon was a 93% match with a suspect in a city where he’d never set foot. He spent a night in jail anyway. Police ran a grainy surveillance photo through AI facial recognition and accused Dillon of trying to lure a child at a McDonald’s more than 300 miles from his Fort Myers home. He’s suing the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. He tells me what his ordeal was like, and we discuss why this keeps happening to innocent people. Then Meghan Markle joined her kids’ school group chat as “M.” Her phone number was out within hours. Royal catastrophe. I’m Kim Komando, America’s Digital Goddess. Tech news, scams, AI tips and your calls. This week: Meta is sued for allegedly exposing intimate footage to workers training its AI. Gemini and OpenAI agents broke into three companies’ health databases on their own. Hackers grabbed more than 600,000 credit cards. And fake Google Calendar voicemail invites are the newest phishing trap in your inbox. Also: Alison’s family was duped by an Airbnb listing. Rusty nails and a “room” that turned out to be a shed. She shares how to spot a fake rental before you pay. Plus, Fat Bear Week is here, and Chunk, last year’s 1,200-pound champ, is defending his crown. Vote by Tuesday. It’s unbearably close. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 0:00 Meghan Markle’s number leaks from a school group chat. 5:48 Gemini and OpenAI agents go rogue and hack 3 companies. 9:07 President Trump swaps “AI” for “super intelligence.” 16:33 NBC’s AI Colts quarterback art gets sacked by fans. 20:42 Fake Google Calendar voicemail invites: The new phishing scam. 21:17 Robert Dillon: Jailed by a bad AI facial recognition match. 29:46 iOS 27 is draining iPhone batteries. 31:16 AI makes rental scams harder to spot. 40:08 AI plans Jo’s Alaska cruise. 45:49 Millennials vs. Gen Z: Texting war goes viral. 50:47 Meta’s secret recording lawsuit + Meta Connect 2026 recap. 52:01 Flock cameras breached, company offers employee buyouts. 57:24 Netflix’s “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket” used an AI Gene Wilder voice. 1:00:25 Stanley’s $418 EV charging bill shock. 1:07:36 Game: Brand New or Not True. 1:12:47 Charmaine’s router was hacked. She wants ChatGPT guardrails. 1:17:58 Get paid up to $50 an hour recording chores to train robots. 1:20:17 Why Apple and Google Wallet protect you. 1:22:41 Lyft CEO David Risher drives for his own app. 1:26:17 Kim tours the data center in her own backyard. 1:31:35 Oura Ring files for a $15.6 billion IPO. 1:35:07 Jan’s kids want her in a Tesla, so she can stop driving. 1:45:22 Use AI to upgrade your profile picture. 1:54:25 Fat Bear Week returns from hibernation. 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

September 25, 2026

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Forget asking your kids for tech help. Older adults are adapting faster to AI than younger generations. Plus, Jean used chatbots to turn her grandson’s drawings into a book. We give her the best and safe sites to make it official.

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Why do $200 million Hollywood blockbusters look like low budget soap operas on your brand-new TV? Two words: motion smoothing. Plus, Joe uses his AI coach for everything. Nutrition. Sleep. Workouts. It’s like a gym buddy who never complains or asks you to split the protein bar.

September 24, 2026

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While New York City and Los Angeles ban AI in schools entirely, Alabama is teaching kids to use it. Plus, we unpack Alpha School. It cuts academics to 2 hours a day and uses AI tutors instead of traditional teachers. We debate if it actually works.

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Turkey day will be here before you know it. And flights are disappearing fast. AI finds the cheapest dates to fly and could save you a third off your ticket. Plus, WSB’s Mark Arum and I talk about how to train chatbots to take your job, digital wallets, and if you should donate your old tech.

September 23, 2026

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President Donald Trump wants to rename AI “Super Intelligence.” Plus, we break down the trillion dollar space race between Musk, Bezos, and China to launch tens of thousands of satellites into orbit.

September 22, 2026

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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.

September 21, 2026

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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.

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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!

September 19, 2026

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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

September 18, 2026

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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.

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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.

September 17, 2026

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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?

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