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Deep Questions with Cal Newport · June 25, 2026 · 22m

Dear AI Companies: Stop the “Doom Trolling” | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI news and the messaging from AI companies. He introduces the concept of “doom trolling” — the practice of hyping existential AI risk to generate attention and shape public perception. Cal draws on his recent New York Times article and suggests listeners stop engaging with the apocalyptic framing as a way to reduce its influence.

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

Editorial

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“Doom Trolling”00:00:00
Cal Newport coins the term “doom trolling” to describe AI companies’ habit of amplifying existential risk scenarios.
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Cal’s New York Times argument00:06:53
Cal recaps the central thesis of his recent NYT piece on AI danger narratives.
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Stop playing along with the doom00:15:58
Cal advises listeners to stop engaging with AI doom stories.
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Adopt the term “doom trolling”00:20:09
Cal encourages using the label “doom trolling” as a rhetorical tool.
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