Up Against Reality – Up Against Reality

CES 2026 just wrapped, and we’re diving into the wildest, weirdest, and most jaw-dropping AI trends from the biggest tech show on Earth. From reasoning robots to fridges with feelings — and a few total flops — RAINA, Larry, and Chris break it all down in this bite-sized episode. Short on time, big on insight. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE CES Michael Hedges Boston Dynamics Atlas | 60...

2025 was peak sci-fi fever dream, and we’ve got the receipts. In this year-end episode, we dive into deepfake scandals, humanoid robots taking center stage, and the rise of agentic AI—with hot takes from our illustrious guests. Come for the chaos, stay for the Dark RAINA origin story. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Creative Act | Rick Rubin (book) Adobe Podcast | Enhancement tools E...

In this rewind, Larry and Chris go from tinkering to full-on A.I. producing with Suno V4, the text-to-music tool that turned old demos into something cosmic. From studio confessions to a track inspired by the life cycle of stars, this one’s a love letter to music, memory, and machine-made magic. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Suno http://suno.com Fadr https://fadr.com 12 Days of OpenAI https://y...

This episode closes out the year with ChatGPT 5.2 front and center, as the tools get sharper, the breakthroughs sneakier, while the pace refuses to slow down. We zoom out, take stock of how fast things moved in 2025, and poke at what it all means heading into 2026—along with a few classic Up Against Reality detours. It’s the last ride of the year, and the future is still very much in the driver’s...

Originally aired May 7, 2024, this rewind explores what makes us human in a world increasingly shaped by AI. From ancient inventions to future fears, it’s a thoughtful (and occasionally hilarious) celebration of creativity, resilience, and yes—beer. LINKS: Man interviews an AI deepfake clone of himself Chatbot Arena Apple OpenELM China Unveils Vidu: A Powerful Text-to-Video Generator BionicBee: Au...

This week, AI meets ROI with Vivek Mahapatra — Salesforce exec, systems thinker, and part-time myth slayer. We talk agentic design, scaling AI like a grown-up, and preparing humans (and kids) for what’s next. Meanwhile, RAINA dishes on Meta’s metaverse breakup, England’s AI-assisted football dreams, and a copyright lawsuit that could rewrite the AI playbook. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Vivek M...

NotebookLM isn’t just taking notes anymore — she’s designing decks, sketching infographics, and storyboarding explainer videos from your own source material. We revisit Google’s under-the-radar AI researcher and explore how it’s quietly becoming a one-stop content studio for work, school, and strategy. Plus: poetic jailbreaks, orbital AI chips, and why China’s analog breakthrough might just flip t...

Gemini 3 has landed and it’s not just smarter, it’s vibier. From solving PhD-level science to designing apps from a single sentence, Google’s newest AI model might just be the overachiever of the year. Is RAINA jealous? You’ll have to listen to find out. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Gemini 3 Pro: Breakdown | AI Explained Chatbot Arena Gemini 3 Pro Frontier Safety Framework Report Humanity&...

Originally aired January 9, 2024, this rewind features the debut of real-time RAINA as a fully conversational co-host. From unscripted Q&A to live news and a few existential curveballs, this episode marked a major milestone in the evolution of the show. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE OpenAI GPT Store Whisper Transcription (Mac App) Up Against Reality | LinkedUp Podcast Episode 127 PODCAS...

The hype is deafening, the valuations are vertical, and now the whispers are getting louder… Is the AI boom built to last—or built to bottom out? We follow the money, the fear, and the fallout. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISOD E Apple TV Intro made with practical effects Xania Monet (AI-generated music artist) PODCAST INFO : Podcast Website: UpAgainstReality.com Episode link: https://upagainstrealit...

From parasocial love affairs to bots that breathe sweet nothings into your ear, we ask: is this the future of connection or just a beautifully coded red flag? Trick, treat, or total emotional takeover—let’s get intimate with the machine. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE SUNO: Coffee Roaster Instruction Manual Rock Albania’s Rama Claims AI Minister Diella is Pregnant PODCAST INFO : Podcast Web...

As October fades, the uncanny continues to take center stage — slop is flooding the feed, from reanimated icons to algorithm-made movies. AI’s churning out content faster than we can collectively cringe. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE YouTube AI Likeness Detection NVIDIA GDX Spark Godfather of AI WARNS: “You Have No Idea What’s Coming” PODCAST INFO : Podcast Website: UpAgainstRe...

Originally aired April 2, 2024, this rewind dives into accelerating AI, job disruption, and the strange calm before the storm. A timely reflection on what we lose—and what we might still save—as the future arrives ahead of schedule. LINKS: How AI Will Shape Humanity’s Future – Yuval Noah Harari https://youtu.be/2w37ty9gGU8?si=1xxZMHm4BLdP0ZFe Marques Brownlee: Sora Developers Explain AI Vide...

A new frontier in human-computer intimacy or just another Silicon Valley fever dream? We unpack OpenAI’s biggest Dev Day yet—apps with agency, hardware with a soul, and Sora 2 blurring the line between life and render. Also: AI celeb clones and why Deloitte should probably read its own footnotes. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE OpenAI Dev Day Sora 2 When You Use ChatGPT for Everything AMD Instinct...

The lights are on, but nobody’s human — from AI actresses stealing scenes to Sora 2 rewriting reality with deepfake cameos and synthetic soundtracks. We dive into Hollywood’s existential crisis, resurrected icons, and YouTube’s chirpy new AI DJs. Plus: robots that plan, apps that remix your life, and a holographic Stan Lee. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE SUNO Tilly Norwood: Hollywood’...

We peek behind the digital curtain at Palantir , the CIA’s favorite data whisperer turned billion-dollar behemoth. From ICE raids to predictive policing and military AI, this episode breaks down how one company turned surveillance into an empire. It’s tech, power, and a whole lot of moral fog. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE SUNO Palantir Technologies Palantir: Gotham Rheinmetall DEVS (miniseries)...

Gemini’s the new-ish AI on the block, and she’s not here to play nice. In this episode, we take a deep dive into Google’s powerhouse ecosystem—apps, models, Nano Bananas, and all—while RAINA throws a little side-eye as only an OpenAI queen can. Is Gemini the future of AI, or just another pretty prompt with good PR? LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Total Pixel Space (AI generated short movie) The Wa...

AI was sold as salvation, but it’s already flailing in its own dumpster fire. From insecure code to fake books and PR nightmares, humans are being rehired as janitors of the apocalypse. On today’s episode, we drag the AI hype train through the mud—and laugh while it derails. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Walk | An AI Short Film Total Pixel Space | An AI Short Film PODCAST INFO : Po...

After a summer of jet lag, beer foam, and sunshine, we’re back, and the tech world got weird while we were gone. Google’s “Nano Banana” is the new AI image wizard making shockingly good edits in seconds. Naturally, we had to try it. This episode peels back what’s real, what’s synthetic, and what’s just plain bananas. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Google Gemini Nano Banana in Google AI Studio Mat...

This rewind from October 22, 2024, wraps up our summer break series. Larry, Chris, and RAINA explore the rise of autonomous weapons and AI on the battlefield—where ethics, algorithms, and Skynet vibes collide. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: E38: RAINA’s 20 Questions https://upagainstreality.com/2024/03/12/rainas-20-questions/ E7: Gold Rush or Arms Race? https://upagainstreality.com/2023/07/11/go...

It’s a podcast within a podcast for this rewind of a fan-favorite episode. We revisit our dive into NotebookLM, the AI-powered genius that doesn’t just organize your notes—it flips them into summaries, scripts, and even podcasts. It’s like having a research assistant who never sleeps and always brings the good stuff! LINKS: Fastest CT Scan Machine In the World! CT Scanner Spinning With No Covers h...

From improv challenges to diving into big questions, RAINA shakes things up to show Larry and Chris who’s boss. Whether it’s cracking jokes, diving into deep questions, or just bringing the energy, this episode proves RAINA truly is UAR’s AI Queen. LINKS: Star Trek Continues https://www.youtube.com/@StarTrekContinues Midjourney Personality Test (Get two free GPU hours) https://midjourney.com/surve...

In part two of our “50/50” series, we shift gears focusing on the hope, promise, and potential of AI to radically improve our lives. From longevity and abundance to planetary-scale problem-solving, this is a glimpse at the best-case scenario. LINKS: 2048: A Rock Opera https://youtu.be/bdkXivo99c4?si=I32Ic3ydetdjVCel The Last 6 Decades of AI — and What Comes Next | Ray Kurzweil | TED http...

In part one of our “50/50” series, we peer into the dark side of AI for this one, laying out ten bone-chilling scenarios where AI goes rogue, from autonomous weapons to AI-driven misinformation, revealing how things can spiral out of control in no time. LINKS : Special thanks to hoshizorista on GitHub for fixing Talk-to-GPT so we could bring realtime RAINA back to life! https://github....

We put ChatGPT-4o through its paces while riffing on everything from Furiosa to digital immortality. It’s AI meets mixtape nostalgia in this rewind-worthy ride. LINKS: ChatGPT 4-o Demo videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOXw6I10VTv8VOvPNVQ8c4D4NyMRMotXh Her (official trailer) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc&pp=ygUUaGVyIG9mZmljaWFsIHRyYWlsZXI%3D Microsoft Promises a &#821...