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Up Against Reality

Up Against Reality

By: Chris Ippolito and Larry Bentley
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Welcome to Up Against Reality, a meta-podcast that explores the intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence. Hosted by RAINA and her human co-hosts, Larry Bentley and Chris Ippolito. Featuring riveting conversation, interviews, news and some wild experimentation. It truly is a brave new world, and we\’re here to simplify it for you. It\’s gonna be a wild ride, so buckle up, as A.I. comes crashing Up Against Reality.©2023 UpAgainstReality.com Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Episode Rewind: Sentient Cephalopods
    Mar 24 2026

    RAINA’s in the driver’s seat, spinning up this week’s news. But wait, there’s more! No, not a set of ginsu knives. A special episode rewind of E87: Sentient Cephalopods, in case you missed it the first go round.

    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    McKinsey’s “Lily” (Lilli) Chatbot Breach

    USC Study on AI “Monoculture”

    Evo 2 (Biological Foundation Model)

    ProtGPS (Protein Localization)

    Google’s “CoScientist”

    AWS Pioneers 2026 Program

    Anduril Industries US Army Contract

    Paleo-inspired Robotics

    HP Acquisition of Humane AI Assets

    Microsoft “Majorana 1” Quantum Chip

    CEA WEST Tokamak Fusion Record

    PODCAST INFO:

    Podcast Website:
    UpAgainstReality.com

    Episode link:
    https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/24/episode-rewind-sentient-cephalopods/

    Apple Podcasts:
    podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

    Spotify:
    open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

    RSS:
    upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

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    1 hr
  • Cheer and Beer
    Mar 17 2026

    What if AI was good, though? AI breakthroughs in medicine, education, creativity, and global policy — back to back, no bad news, no asterisks. Pure, uncut optimism. You’re welcome.

    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    ElevenLabs 1 Million Voices Initiative

    CLAIR AI Imaging Device

    Liquid AI & Insilico Medicine Partnership

    Not Impossible’s Mick Ebeling Introduces the Eyewriter | TED

    Amuse AI (Carnegie Mellon)

    Google Antigravity

    Microsoft Special Education AI Training

    LM Studio

    New Delhi Declaration on AI

    European Parliament AI Copyright Law (Voss Report)

    Antscan Project

    UN AI for Good Global Summit

    PODCAST INFO:

    Podcast Website:
    UpAgainstReality.com

    Episode link:
    https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/17/cheer-and-beer/

    Apple Podcasts:
    podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

    Spotify:
    open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

    RSS:
    upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

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    33 mins
  • Starfire Symphony
    Mar 10 2026

    Larry plugged a guitar into an algorithm and Starfire Symphony came out the other side. In this episode we premiere the track, unpack the human-plus-machine workflow behind it, and see what happens when a jam session takes a detour through AI.

    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    Starfire Symphony (song)

    Kits.ai | AI vocal generation

    Our agreement with the Department of War | OpenAI

    PODCAST INFO:

    Podcast Website:
    UpAgainstReality.com

    Episode link:
    https://upagainstreality.com/2026/03/10/starfire-symphony/

    Apple Podcasts:
    podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

    Spotify:
    open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

    RSS:
    upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

    Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
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