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Deep Questions with Cal Newport · September 14, 2026 · 1h 11m

The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)

Brad Stulberg, Cal Newport

Cal Newport invites writer Brad Stulberg, who recently walked away from AI, to examine whether a resistance movement is emerging. They discuss why AI-driven content flattens distinctiveness, how the click-of-a-button economy undermines effort and struggle, why AI acts as an "average maker," and the psychological cost of AI-generated pseudo-productivity. Stulberg suggests treating AI like ultra-processed food—something to consume sparingly, if at all—and the episode considers what it means to be on "Team Human."

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Novel

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LLMs Called a "Cognitive Virus"00:00:00
A new academic paper describes large language models as a "cognitive virus" that can infect the way people think and write.
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Highlights

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Brad Stulberg Quits AI00:04:03
After experimenting with AI tools, writer Brad Stulberg decided he was "done" and stopped using them entirely.
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AI Makes Everything Online Sound the Same00:08:13
Newport and Stulberg argue that AI-generated content is causing a homogenization of written material online.
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Effort and Struggle Are Being Lost in the Click-of-a-Button Economy00:13:22
Stulberg and Newport argue that removing effort and struggle from creative work eliminates a core source of meaning and growth.
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AI Is an Average Maker00:28:30
Stulberg posits that AI acts as a tool of the mean, pulling output toward the statistical middle.
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AI Swirl: Pseudo-Productivity on Steroids00:33:39
The hosts discuss how AI enables a frantic, shallow busyness—"AI swirl"—that looks productive but produces little of value.
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Treat AI Like Ultra-Processed Food00:49:40
Stulberg recommends adopting a mindset toward AI similar to how people now think about ultra-processed food—something to avoid or limit.
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"Team Human" and the Humanist Resistance01:00:13
The episode frames the decision to opt out of AI as joining "Team Human," a values-driven choice to preserve distinctly human capacities.
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