What happens when corporate America gets its hands on artificial intelligence? Are we on the brink of a technological utopia where humans are liberated from mundane tasks, or are we careening toward an automation apocalypse where creative minds are obsolete? This episode we talk about AI and jobs and the future of work.

Welcome back to Apocalypse…Now?, where your host, Jo Anna Van Thuyne—actor, comedian, podcaster, filmmaker, and musician—dives headfirst into the chaotic, unsettling, and downright absurd world of AI. In this episode, Jo Anna reflects on her personal automation anxiety,, the future of work, creativity, and the relentless march toward the automation apocalypse.

AI: Friend or Foe?

Jo Anna kicks things off her automation anxiety by sharing her own experiences with AI. From using ChatGPT to draft blog posts for ApocalypseNowPodcast.com to experimenting with AI-driven social media clips, she embraces this new technology not out of enthusiasm, but out of necessity. Jo Anna candidly admits, “I’m learning how to wield this software in case it threatens to replace me in the future.”

But here’s the kicker: she feeds an article she wrote, “AI Is Coming for Your Job and Your Drive-Thru: How to Survive the Automation Apocalypse,” into an AI program. The result? An eerily convincing, AI-generated podcast episode that breaks down her article with surprising coherence (and a few robotic quirks).

The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny

Jo Anna listens to the AI-generated podcast episode alongside her audience, adding her own snarky commentary in a style reminiscent of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It’s both hilarious and unsettling to hear robotic voices analyze her thoughts on AI, peppering the conversation with awkward pauses, strange intonations, and occasional mispronunciations of her name.

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• AI’s Infiltration of Creative Industries: From graphic design to filmmaking, AI is encroaching on territories once thought immune to automation.
  
• Ethical Quandaries: What happens when AI makes decisions about healthcare?
  
• Environmental Impact: AI may seem intangible, but its data centers guzzle energy and water, raising concerns about sustainability.
  
• Job Security vs. Efficiency: Is AI liberating us from drudgery, or is it rendering human labor obsolete?
  
• Personal Reflections in an Automated World
  

Jo Anna doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. She opens up about her midlife crisis, grappling with the existential dread of being replaceable in both her professional and personal life. “I’ve spent years using my creativity to make an income, but I quickly got used to the idea that I was replaceable,” she confesses.

Yet, there’s a defiant optimism woven through the episode. Jo Anna urges listeners to embrace lifelong learning, not just to survive but to thrive alongside AI. “If you learn the patterns that AI spits out, you can spot it better when someone’s handing you something that’s written by AI or created by AI.”

Jo Anna wants to hear from you. How do you feel about AI? Has it impacted your job? Are you embracing it or resisting it? Leave a message at (920) 474-6763, and your thoughts might be featured in a future episode.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Apocalypse…Now? wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a review, share it with friends, and support Jo Anna on Patreon at Patreon.com/joannavt to help keep sassy, independent voices alive.

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• Website: ApocalypseNowPodcast.com
  
• Instagram & TikTok: @JoPincushion
  
• Patreon: Patreon.com/JoannaVT
  
• Music: Stream Jo Anna’s songs “Instagram Stories” and “Codependent” on Spotify and Apple Music or wherever you get your music
  

So, are we doomed? Or are we just at the beginning of something new? Tune in, laugh, cringe, and ponder the future with Apocalypse…Now? because Jo Anna will be right here, holding your hand through the next fucking four years of chaos.