How Should We Approach A.I. in 2026?
The rapid normalization of artificial intelligence is forcing a reckoning with how much of the future is being shaped by hype rather than utility.
The rapid normalization of artificial intelligence is forcing a reckoning with how much of the future is being shaped by hype rather than utility.
December 24, 2025
The writers Charles Duhigg, Cal Newport, and Anna Wiener join Tyler Foggatt for a conversation about artificial intelligence and the promises, myths, and anxieties surrounding it. The discussion was recorded before a live audience at The New Yorker Festival this fall. They explore the gap between Silicon Valley’s sweeping claims and what generative A.I. can actually do today; how people are using the technology for work, creativity, and emotional support; and why the tech’s most immediate political consequences may be the hardest to grapple with.
This week’s reading:
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.
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2025 in Review
[
Why A.I. Didn’t Transform Our Lives in 2025
](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2025-in-review/why-ai-didnt-transform-our-lives-in-2025#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
This was supposed to be the year when autonomous agents took over everyday tasks. The tech industry overpromised and underdelivered.
Critic’s Notebook
[
The Weirdly Refreshing Honesty of the Oscars of TikTok
](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/the-weirdly-refreshing-honesty-of-the-oscars-of-tiktok#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
The app might wreak havoc on users’ mental health, but there was a satisfying frankness at the gathering about the fact that everything in life is now fodder for content.
Shuffalo
[
Shuffalo: Saturday, December 27, 2025
](https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/shuffalo/2025/12/27#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
Can you make a longer word with each new letter?
Goings On
[
What to Do on New Year’s Eve
](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/goings-on/what-to-do-on-new-years-eve#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
Also: Vinson Cunningham on his favorite songs of the year.
Shuffalo
[
Shuffalo: Friday, December 26, 2025
](https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/shuffalo/2025/12/26#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
Can you make a longer word with each new letter?
Sketchbook
[
Bill Clinton’s M10: The Story Behind My Favorite Cartoon
](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/sketchbook/the-story-behind-mort-gerberg-bill-clinton-cartoon#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
When the cartoon appeared, it attracted immediate attention.
Humor
[
Daily Cartoon: Friday, December 26th
](https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/friday-december-26th-waiting-in-line#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
A drawing that riffs on the latest news and happenings.
Humor
[
Daily Cartoon: Thursday, December 25th
](https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/thursday-december-25th-confirm-delivery#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
A drawing that riffs on the latest news and happenings.
Humor
[
“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Edited by Someone in Couples Therapy
](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/shouts-murmurs/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-edited-by-someone-in-couples-therapy#intcid=_the-new-yorker-article-bottom-recirc_80766ea7-1104-4a18-a45b-d10f52380551_roberta-similarity1_fallback_cral-top2-2)
Oh, I won’t ask for much this Christmas, mainly because “asking” suggests that you’re doing me a favor, when, in actuality, I’m setting some healthy boundaries.