Summary
Overview
Steve Hilton, British political strategist and candidate for California Governor, joins Joe Rogan for a wide-ranging conversation covering their 14-year friendship, the corruption and dysfunction plaguing California's government, social media's impact on society, AI concerns, and Hilton's vision for reforming the state. They discuss everything from the homeless crisis and pharmaceutical industry influence to comedy, California's regulatory overreach, and the challenges of running against the entrenched Democratic machine.
The Origin Story: Meeting on a Hawaiian Beach
Steve and Joe reminisce about meeting in 2012 in Hawaii when their children were playing together on the beach. Steve shares his vivid memory of seeing Joe walk down the beach for the first time, representing a completely different culture from what he knew in England. This led to Steve's first podcast appearance in 2014, before podcasts were mainstream, where he didn't even understand the format and kept wondering when the next guest would arrive.
- Joe and Steve met in Hawaii in 2012 when their children were playing together on the beach
- Steve appeared on episode 509 of the podcast on July 3rd, 2014
- Steve didn't know what a podcast was and thought it was like a radio show, expecting short segments
" I remember you walking down the beach. I've never seen anyone like this before. Just like, it was just an amazing cultural moment. "
Social Media Toxicity and Bot Farms
The discussion shifts to the dangers of social media, with Joe explaining how he avoids paying attention to online criticism. They dive deep into the prevalence of bots on platforms like Twitter, with estimates suggesting 80% of content originates from automated accounts or bot farms. Joe describes the infrastructure of these operations, including rows of Android phones connected to keyboards, and explains how AI has made this even easier to automate.
- A 2022 forensic analysis by cybersecurity expert Dan Woods estimated 80% of Twitter originated from bots
- Bot farms consist of rows of Android phones connected to keyboards that can tweet simultaneously
- Both state-sponsored groups and private companies operate these bot farms to manipulate public opinion
- Israel and other countries openly pay people to post specific narratives online
" If you went to a restaurant and you knew that 20% of their food would literally fucking kill you, would you ever eat there? No. Well, that's like Twitter. "
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