Can the U.S. Rein in Prediction Markets? + Joanna Stern on Her Year of A.I. Experiments + Our Producer Goes to Attention School

This episode of Hard Fork dives into three major themes shaping the tech landscape: the rise and regulatory challenges of prediction markets, the personal experiment of technology journalist Joanna Stern with AI, and the emerging cultural movement around attention recovery through 'attention school.' The hosts examine how prediction markets, once niche academic tools, have exploded into mainstream gambling platforms rife with insider trading scandals—from military personnel betting on operations to alleged sensor tampering in Paris. Despite their promise as collective wisdom engines, these markets are now seen as vulnerable to manipulation, prompting calls for stronger regulation. Meanwhile, Joanna Stern shares insights from her year-long experiment living through AI, where she outsourced nearly every aspect of her life—from writing and parenting to dentistry—revealing both surprising utility and alarming overreach, especially in medical AI diagnostics. Her book, 'I Am Not a Robot,' captures the duality of AI: a powerful tool that can mirror our desires but also amplify biases and commercial incentives. Finally, producer Rachel Cohn recounts her experience at the Strother School of Radical Attention, a Brooklyn-based program that uses unconventional exercises to reclaim focus and foster community in an age of digital distraction. The school frames attention as a political act, resisting the commodification of human consciousness and offering a countercultural response to tech-driven burnout. Together, these segments paint a picture of a society grappling with the consequences of technological acceleration—seeking rules, authenticity, and connection in a fragmented world.