AmberMac Blog

The AmberMac Show Ep021: Trump’s Canadian Trade Chaos & The Problem With AI Music

by Amber Mac on July 7, 2025

Trump’s trade talk continues to threaten Canada, so Amber speaks to an award-winning economist about what this chaos means for Canadians. Speaking of chaos, Meta is testing out AI chatbots that will message you whether you want them to or not, just to keep you talking. Speaking of chatbots, an Xbox executive suggested that laid-off employees might want to use AI to manage their emotions (and unemployment). In The Other Mac, Jeff shares his thoughts on The Velvet Sundown and the problem with AI music.

Check out our guest on social…

Daniel Schwanen – Senior Vice President at C.D. Howe Institute: X/Twitter | LinkedIn

And be sure to follow our hosts…

Amber Mac: Bluesky | X/Twitter
Jeff MacArthur: Bluesky | X/Twitter

The AmberMac Show is a weekly SiriusXM radio and podcast production with Amber Mac, Jeff MacArthur, and guests that unpacks the latest tech, business, and digital news shaping our lives. Listen and subscribe using the links below (or click here for RSS and other links).

Playlist of Video Segments from this Ep

AmberMac Podcasts

More of The AmberMac Show

The AmberMac Show Ep039: Meta’s $16B Ad Scam & Guest Frank McCourt’s TikTok Bid

November 10, 2025

On this week’s episode on The AmberMac Show: We dig into how Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms are raking in billions by scamming online users through deceptive ads and, speaking of scams, Elon Musk is taking his Tesla board for a ride for a cool one trillion dollars –… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep038: Broken by Misinformation, Resisting the Robots, & Building a Better Facebook

November 3, 2025

On this week’s show, which tech companies are shedding thousands of jobs in the age of AI, why Character.ai is finally banning teens from its chatbot, what are the politics around one of the most popular video doorbells, and why Canadians are stepping up and opening their wallets for a… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep037: Why the Internet Sucks with Cory Doctorow & A.I. Mistakes Chips for Guns

October 27, 2025

This week on The AmberMac Show, author Cory Doctorow joins us to talk about his new book, why everything is worse, and what we can do about it. We talk with Taylor Owen, founding director of The Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy (and host of Machines Like Us), and… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep036: ChatGPT Gets Erotic & Musk Battles Bots

October 21, 2025

This week on The AmberMac Show, the makers of ChatGPT want to be a new home for erotic content. TechRadar Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff joins us to talk about what this means and why it’s so controversial. We also dive into the dangers of embracing crypto and why Pinterest is going to… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep035: Surviving a Plane Crash & the AI Bubble

October 14, 2025

This week on The AmberMac Show, we discuss why it should concern you that OpenAI wants ChatGPT to be the new operating system of the internet, plus Sora’s copyright issues, and Jeff dives into OpenAI (and others’) circular financing and related issues that may cause the AI bubble to burst. Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep034: How Meta Hurts Kids & Takes Shady Ad Money Along the Way

October 6, 2025

On this week’s episode: the latest on OpenAI’s new AI-only TikTok clone (which seems like an AI slop nightmare), the AI actor taking on Hollywood, and the increasing amounts of money President Trump receives from media and tech companies in legal settlements. In The Other Mac, Jeff uncovers how scammers… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep033: Canada’s AI Minister on Trust, Musk Sues OpenAI, & Spotify AI

September 29, 2025

On this week’s episode, we have a conversation with the Honourable Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of AI and Digital Innovation, about why this new government is all in on artificial intelligence. Speaking of AI, we share how this technology is working to keep Indigenous languages alive. Moving south of the… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep032: Tesla’s Dumb Doors, Bike Lane Politics, & Canada’s Healthcare Crisis

September 22, 2025

On this week’s episode, Tesla’s door handles are dumb and dangerous. Amber and Jeff share more on what the car company plans to do about it in the wake of recent investigations. Speaking of dumb and dangerous, OpenAI is trying to make ChatGPT safer for teens, but age-specific accounts are… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep031: Charlie Kirk’s Murder, China’s Influence & Canada’s AI Potential

September 15, 2025

On this week’s episode, Amber and Jeff discuss the rise in hate that’s turning into real-world violence, and what happened online in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Plus, what you should know about Apple’s latest devices, including a very cool feature that makes travel more accessible. In… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep030: Trump’s Tech Dinner, Alberta’s Book Ban & Musk’s $1T Payday

September 8, 2025

In this week’s episode, we discuss the chaos happening in Washington alongside America’s biggest tech leaders. Plus, there’s always a lot of talk about a minimum wage, but in the face of Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, maybe it’s time we have a maximum wage. Rob Breakenridge, a columnist… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep029: ChatGPT’s Deadly Dangers & Fast Food AI Fails

September 2, 2025

On this week’s episode, we discuss why hundreds of Canadians got their Facebook and Instagram accounts disabled without warning, and what Meta is doing to help (spoiler alert: not much). Plus, why a fast food chain in the United States is saying no to AI after a man ordered 18,000… Read More

The AmberMac Show Ep028: Canada's Sovereign AI, AI’s Climate Disaster, & White House TikTok

August 25, 2025

On this week’s episode, Don Lenihan & Amber discuss the challenge of sovereign AI and why it’s a priority for Canada in the age of Trump. Speaking of the US President, the White House is now on TikTok and Jeff has some news about tariffs. Plus, how Hertz is using… Read More