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When A Good Deed Gets You Sued, A Heist Unravels, And AI Comes For Your Job for 11/6/25

• Lawrence Elrod & Meryl Klemow

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A good deed sparks a legal storm: a teen returns a wallet with ten thousand dollars, only to face a lawsuit over three thousand allegedly missing. We dig into the messy intersection of ethics, law, and incentives—why honesty can feel risky, why legal fees dwarf small claims, and how stories like this reshape what people do the next time they find cash on the ground.

From there, we zoom out to power and responsibility. Billie Eilish donates $11.5M to food equity and climate efforts, then calls on billionaires in the room to give more. We break down the real difference between a millionaire and a billionaire, the compounding math that keeps fortunes growing, and why giving isn’t about guilt—it’s about stewardship and the systems we all share. Then we shift to the Louvre heist that unraveled quickly: obvious ladders, glass-cutting in public, strategic but puzzling choices, and arrests that suggest bravado over brilliance. Security tightens, copycats lurk, and the myth of a clean heist meets the reality of modern surveillance.

Music debates take center stage as headlines claim a rap drought on the charts. We push back. Talent thrives, but discovery is clogged by label templating and risk-averse marketing. We talk independence, the pressure to “sell” a persona, and how TikTok keeps surfacing unexpected hits and reviving 90s gems. Finally, AI steps into the spotlight. Companies cite automation for layoffs, productivity tools monitor workers, and the line between augmentation and replacement blurs. We share first-hand impacts, caution against hallucinated outputs, and argue for trust-based management where outcomes matter more than mouse movement.

The hour ends on a roller coaster at 75 mph, where riders hold a stranger in her seat after a belt allegedly fails. It’s a stark reminder that while systems fail, people still show up for each other. If you enjoy thoughtful takes on ethics, culture, tech, and the headlines that won’t leave your brain, tap follow, share with a friend, and drop us a note with the next thorny topic you want us to tackle. Your stories make this show better.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

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Hello, and thank you for listening to Thirsty Topics podcast! I'm Lawrence Elrod, and every week Meryl Klemow and I dive deep into the stories that matter, the conversations that shape our world."

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SPEAKER_00:

Hello everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. I'm Lauren Selt.

SPEAKER_02:

And I'm Meryl Kleemau.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey Meryl, how are you?

SPEAKER_02:

Good. I don't know why. I just heard like heavy breathing. I can hear myself. I'm like, shut up. I'm really good. Yeah. That happens on videos too. I'll like play it back and I'll hear myself like breathing so loudly. I'm like, ew, go away. But other than that, I'm really good. How about yourself?

SPEAKER_00:

I am doing fantastic. I can't complain.

SPEAKER_02:

Good.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm going to start off with a very interesting topic.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Now we've all, you know, at one point or another found something sitting, you know, on the floor, let's say in a store, a park lot, wherever. Well, a 17-year-old boy's name is Adrian found a wallet in a supermarket parking lot. He returned the wallet to the owner. Uh, the wallet had$10,000 in it, and he returned it to her for all$10,000 in there. And then, ironically, was sued by the owner saying that um there's$3,000 missing. What to me, this whole story is just absolutely nuts for a number of reasons.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, for one, I don't know, maybe it's me, but if I'm gonna steal money out of wallet, I'm gonna take all of the money. I'm not gonna just take personal back. And then you kind of wonder is is there something going on with the person trying to, you know, you know, trying to pull a fast one or trying to take advantage of the situation? What do you think, Meryl?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, well, I mean, like, yeah, that's so are they suing him for three thousand dollars? And that's crazy. I wonder if there's a way to like yeah, that's absolutely crazy. And and they you it they lost it in the first place. So like it's gone. You know what I mean? Like, that's I feel like that's if you lose your wallet, like unfortunately, you're not entitled to. I mean, I think I don't know legal what the legal answer is, but to me, like even if like a dollar is missing to ten thousand dollars, like that's that's your that's just bad, you know. Like that's unfortunate, but you've lost it.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah. I mean, when the police were called, even the police said that they have no way of knowing who's telling the truth or who's lying. You know, so and what what's interesting is that there's something that I kind of pulled off of uh off the internet, so I want to kind of read it to everyone to kind of get your perspective. Um, it says here Adrian can't be sued by the wallet's owner for returning the money. Instead, the owner is likely suing Adrian for damages related to the$10,000 in the wallet. The owner has no legal grounds to sue for the return of the money if it was returned intact, but could potentially sue for the costs incurred due to not having the money, such as bank fees or lost income. Adrian can defend himself by providing evidence that the wallet was returned and the money was intact.

SPEAKER_02:

This is nuts, and all the truth is it really is because it's like, why would you think and even say let's say that is the truth. Like, if worse comes to worse and that person returned it for some reason, but also stole three thousand dollars, then like I'm sorry, but then that also like that sucks, but that's just the person that found your wallet and returned it, you know. Like, like you're lucky that I feel like most people probably wouldn't have it returned it at all and just kept going.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, exactly. And you know, people are gonna see this story and be like, Oh, that's an easy fix to this. If I find money in a wallet, yeah, I'm just gonna keep the wallet and then I'll destroy, I'll keep the money and I'll destroy the wallet. That's what people say.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. And also, I mean, I'm sure many of us are asking, even if you have the money and so much money, like why on earth would you keep ten thousand dollars of cash on you? Like, unless you are walking physically to the bank to deposit that, it just seems like not a very good idea to have that much cash like on your person at any given time.

SPEAKER_00:

No, and then the other thing too, what's so crazy about it, Merle, is you know, it costs money to sue someone. So if hypothetically, let's say the person stole 3,000, it's gonna cost you more than that to get the 3,000 back. So you know, you have to kind of look at it as what are you really suing for? Because it ain't the money, because you're gonna spend more on legal fees.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. You almost have to pretend like that's the like the reward or like a finder's fee or something is like thirty thousand dollars, and then just figure, okay, I mean that that's a ton of money, but that's not so much that like if you're that wealthy, you can't just move on with your life and just be like, okay, maybe they took it, maybe they didn't. I'm not gonna think about this anymore.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I agree. And and and here's the other thing: even if let's say you can't afford to lose anybody, the way I look at it like this is because there's no way of knowing who's telling the truth to who's lying, if I lost a wallet with 13,000 and I got 10,000 back, I still chalk that up as a win. Yeah, I'm not happy about losing 3,000, but I still chalk it up as a win. What do you think? Me too.

SPEAKER_02:

I think so too. I would be like, okay, that's annoying. Can you please give it back to me if you took it? But also I would just say, I would just understand that's probably such a big amount of money to some people that they would just like that even if they had to take it, who knows? You know, that yeah, that's just crazy. It's funny too, because I really can say like wholeheartedly, if I found that I wouldn't keep it, not because I'm like such a good person, but because I'm like, I don't I believe that if you take money like that, I really do believe in karma in that kind of way. And I do believe that like something bad would end up like coming from taking that type of money.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I hear you. Yeah, if I found that money, I I'd give it back too. Wink wink. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm just yeah, normally I would like if it was like I I only would do that because I'm scared for myself. It's like a self-centered reason why I wouldn't keep it, it's not like an altruistic reason.

SPEAKER_00:

You know what? Hey, you're a very honest person, there's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, I know, but it's only because I'm I'm I'm obsessed with my own situation. Like, you know what I mean? It has nothing to do with the other person, it's just because like I don't want the bad thing. I'm like, okay, if you take three thousand dollars and you put a down payment on a car or something, I just would believe that then like that car might like get into an accident, or like I don't know, I just have like weird superstitions in that kind of way.

SPEAKER_00:

So now now you're making me give the money back if I found a mess.

SPEAKER_02:

Sorry, but we have to give the money back because then I also believe that the universe not to be so California, but like then I believe that the universe will reward you. Like, I really do to think like I've even heard that them say that too, that if you like pick up trash, like obviously not trash that's gonna make you sick or something, but if you like throw away garbage and that that like is supposed to bring you a lot of good luck because you're helping like clean the world and stuff. So I believe it when it comes to this, too. That if you gave it back, I really do think they'll get rewarded.

SPEAKER_00:

That's true, that's true. And I think this young man is probably gonna get rewarded when he least expected because of this good deed that he did.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. Oh, that's true. The possibility that he didn't take anything is getting blamed for this, that's crazy too. Like, which is probably the truth. Like, if he is giving it back in full, and then the things that he gets is getting sued is like that would make yeah, that would make me like really crash out, as the kid say.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, like I said, we we don't know one way or the other, but I don't know. To me, if this kid wanted to spend spend uh steal money, he's not giving any of it back. That's just if I'm gonna if I'm gonna steal three thousand, why not just steal the whole thing?

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly, exactly, and just say, Oh, here's your wallet. Like, I don't know where the cash was, I'm not sure, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly, exactly. Oh interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, someone that is giving some money away is Billie Eilish, the singer that we all know and a lot of people love. Um, she will be she donated eleven uh$11.5 million of proceeds from her hit me hard and soft tour to support organizations, projects, and voices dedicated to food equity, um, reducing carbon pollution and combating the climate crisis. And then she made news when she was um accepting a music innovator award at um, I think it was a Wall Street Journal magazine um awards. Yeah, yeah, it was an um an award is for Wall Street Journal. And uh she was talking with Stephen Colbert, and then she got up and took the mic and then was very brave and saying, like, you know, there's a lot of people here in the room that have more money than me, alluding to the billionaires in the room, which were like Mark Zuckerberg, and I think a few others, and just basically saying, like, there's no need to be a billionaire. And then she said, like, give your money away, shorties, which I thought was really cute. And I mean, Billie Eilish is young, is really young, so of course she has that kind of like younger bravado, but I think that's amazing. Um, it got a lot of backlash online just because I think people sometimes feel like, well, you're one to talk, you have lots of money, but it's like a millionaire is a lot different than a billionaire, and she does actively give away a lot of money, like she does give away a lot of money, you know. So um I think I think I understand the sentiment of like it was almost when like AOC wore address to Grammys or somewhere that's had like tax the rich or whatever, and people are like, ew, you know, you're one of them too, whatever. But I think there's a definite difference, and it's no one usually people in that circle don't call each other out, so I feel like it's a really big deal for like a young woman to to speak up to like people that are more powerful and rich than her.

SPEAKER_00:

Agree. And you know, the other thing too, and I know some people are gonna get mad about me saying this, but a lot of people don't understand how money works. And what I mean by that is let's say you won a million dollars, okay, in a lottery, okay, and you don't have to get it over the years, you get in one lump sum payment. Well, that million dollars is not a million dollars because you're gonna pay taxes on it, and the tax on that million dollars is probably gonna be somewhere around 40% or more. So let's just say 40%. So now that million just went down to 600,000. Okay, so you're thinking, well, hey, that's still a lot of money. Okay, you want to buy a house. Well, most houses these days for a standard three-bedroom, two-bath, depending on where you live, is probably gonna be somewhere between 150 and 350, depending on where you live. So more than half your money is already gone. Yeah. You want to buy a vehicle? Well, the average vehicle cost is around 50,000 now. So now you just lost 50,000 to a new vehicle, but you again, you don't have no note. Again, you can live comfortably off that for a few years, but let's say, let's say you're 40 years old, even 50 years old. How long do you think a couple hundred thousand dollars is gonna carry you on? So huge difference between a billionaire and a billionaire, they're not even in the same ballpark. So I really like for what she's saying because here's the reality: if you have a billion dollars free and clear in your account, what is giving up a few million dollars and all.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, I know, and it's like how many houses and like cars? I mean, uh, the answer is a lot. Like, we know if I it's like I want a lot of houses and a lot of cars, but you can have all that and help a lot of people. Um, and also like, except I do I do think people can help people in the way that they want, they don't have to like donate to every single thing because I also think too, like, you know, I love animals. I feel like if I was to become like a billionaire, millionaire, that's it. Like, I would priceke you a little bit more towards helping animals than I would like the environment, or you know, who knows? But like uh, I think people can donate in ways that they want, and what we also don't need to put pressure on those with money to like donate exactly the way we want to, you know, like that we see fit. But I mean, this is an actual issue too, like the food crisis and the environmental crisis like does affect all of us. So I think that they're saying that okay, well, if you're taking so much from our system, it's like you should give back to everyone and like as an overall kind of unit.

SPEAKER_00:

I agree. And you know, the reality is that you know there's nothing wrong with with being human and having compassion for other people. There really isn't. Because when it boils down to it, what you know, one day we're all gonna die. We're all in that line to go up, go to go up to heaven or the opposite, depending on your opposite. But the reality is that when you die, that graveyard plot is the same, regardless of whether you have a dollar or a billion dollars. There's no difference in the two. So why not show compassion while you're here? And again, I'm not saying go crazy, give away all your money or whatever, but you know, there's nothing wrong with having a heart and helping people who need help. There's nothing wrong with that at all.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, especially since like if you can buy like nine houses outright and help your family and have parts, and then have so much more, and then just be like living off, like even the interest that you make is enough to like replenish itself over and over. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, absolutely. This is gonna be a fun one here. I'm quite sure everyone remembers the uh the Louvre Museum heist. Yeah, um, a couple things. One, they really need to find them a new occupation. Um, the four suspects were arrested. And I'm thinking, wow, that didn't take very long.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that was really quick.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. Um, I'm looking at a story here. Four suspects in uh Louvre Heist have been uh handed uh preliminary charges and incarcerated, including three believed to be masterminded with a team who forced its way into the museum, leaving with$102 million worth of crown jewels. Paris prosecutor uh Laurie Bacoua noted that apparent closeness of the suspects. Two of them were convicted in 2015 in the same theft case, and all are based in Paris, northern suburbs. Okay, so that yeah, that further says that yeah, y'all need to find y'all a different um hobby there. But I'm shocked that they arrested them so fast. What about you, Myral?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I mean, normally I would say yes, but the way this whole thing went down with just the fact there was like a ladder above the museum and people were taking videos of like we can see the ladder, and this whole thing just seems kind of like sloppy and quick to me, even though you know it went down really quickly and they were able to get out and like uh they were able to do stuff very quickly. It just seems like it was kind of sloppy thinking. It doesn't seem like it was the most precise heist ever. So it doesn't surprise me.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because I mean when it first happened, it was amazing that they were showing the ladder that went up there. Then there was a video of the person cutting into one of the glasses. I'm like, okay, maybe they know what they're doing. I mean, don't sound too bright there, but you know, hey, maybe they know what they're doing. And then I think there was even a video of the getaway vehicle or whatever. I'm like, yeah, this ain't looking too good for them, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. But yeah, that has to be like what a roller coaster of emotions they've had in the past few weeks, because then they it's like they probably planned it, they did it, they think they got away with it, and then it's like, nope, you're caught.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh big question is is where's the crown jewels that they stole?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know. Remember, there were some that they just like threw on the sidewalk, or you know, that they were like, Okay, we don't need this, or they didn't get away with it. Who knows if they like put them somewhere knowing they may get caught, or there's like another person or entity involved somewhere, or yeah, if it's like hidden.

SPEAKER_00:

I wonder if there's something else going on involved because one of the things that authorities have pointed out was they bypass other jewelry and other relics worth way more than what they stole, which is kind of weird when you think about it. It's like what was what was so unique about the specific pieces they're after? You know, yeah, you know, were they I'm sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I was gonna ask, like, my inner conspiracy theorist is already is like what if the people that work there are also involved a lot. Like, do you believe that even more people are in on it than than that were caught?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, the sad part is it wouldn't surprise me. Um the reason I say that is because one they had no fear of doing what they're doing, and the museum was open when they were doing it, and people were on the floor with as well. So either they're they've they got a lot of balls or they're very stupid. I don't know which one of the two. Probably sometimes those two go hand in hand. But they left a lot of evidence behind, so maybe they're not the brightest, you know, the sharpest knife in the drawer, I guess, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

And that's that's the whole because everyone was saying how much it did feel like an Ocean's 11 situation, but it's like you have to not get caught, you have to be so good that your traces are almost invisible.

SPEAKER_00:

That is true, that is true. Um, do you think it's gonna spur a lot of copycats?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, in fact, I even saw I saw it um in California there were some type of heist in a museum that happened. I wasn't I didn't have enough time to see exactly what it was. Um, but we went to a museum over the weekend, uh, an art museum that had a lot of like gold and sculptures and old um ancient art and everything. They had like a few really big ones, like a Monet and a different ones. And they had the security was like off the charts. Like usually there's people standing around, but they were like monitoring every move. Um, they were yelling at us at people for getting too close to the painting. So I feel like word has spread, and they definitely are like doubling down a lot in the museums, at least that I've been to.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that that's definitely true. That's definitely true. I just figure that they're probably gonna be on um you remember that show, America's dumbest criminals? Yeah, they're probably gonna be highlighted on that show for some reason.

SPEAKER_02:

I know it I feel like it's it's gonna be Vem, and then a lot of people from Florida. Like, I feel like it's just it's always the criminals that are like, you know, at the gas station, they drive away like with a pump still in the car or something, just like so ridiculous.

SPEAKER_00:

That's true, that's true. Or or I I remember one watching one story where someone went into a store, paid something, paid for something with a check, and then turn around and rob the store.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00:

Literally went to their house to arrest them.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh see, that's really like I know my place. Like, I'm not smart enough to rob a bank or to understand how to do that, so I just stay stay here.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. Um, yeah, they they really should spend some time on a new career, though.

SPEAKER_02:

Definitely. Well, I thought this one was interesting. I'd love to know your thoughts and even your son's thoughts on this. Um, the article was titled, Are We Living Through a Rap Drought? The Billboard Charts Suggest We Are. Now, it's for the first time since 1990, there's no hip-hop in the top 40 of the Billboard 100 chart. Um the last time that happened was the week of February 2nd, 1990, when the top-rinking rap song was Biz Marquis song, Just a Friend, which I love that song so much. Uh, and yeah, there's no rap songs currently on the Hot 100 list. I think Susa and Kendrick Lamar, um, they had a 13-week billboard that fell off. Um, and yeah, I think it's kind of interesting. Like, I think I think we're I mean, I guess my answer is no. I don't think hip hop is declining. I feel like there's a lot of a ton of amazing artists out there. Um, but we just radio and social media and everyone like need help to put the spotlight on them. Like, I don't feel like it's that they're not good people out there. I feel like they just need a little push in getting discovered.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's true. I think part of the other problem too is the industry has this real bad habit of copycat. In other words, they see someone that is very popular, their song is doing great, and what they try to do is mimic that person. So you'll basically listen to it, and it's similar to other songs that you've heard, and a lot of the creativity is gone in in music, even rap and hip-hop. There was a lot of creativity back in the 90s, even the 2000s.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, but you don't see that now.

SPEAKER_00:

Excuse me.

SPEAKER_02:

See, yeah, and I feel like the artists, the artists are out there, they just need help being discovered. I think, I think that's like I think when we we look at the Billboard 100, and it's like so many pop girls, which I love. Like, I love that's kind of like what I really love so much. But it's like the Taylor Swifts and the Sabrina Carpenters and the Tate McRae's, like, they all have so much help and money behind them. And I just think we need to like pour a little more into the into the the new, you know, indie people, indie rap people.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I I think that you know, maybe the record companies aren't doing the best job, you know, finding people because there's a lot of incredible talent out there. Yeah, um, even in the the RB hip hop world, there's a lot of incredible talent that most people have never heard of. Um, primarily because either A, they don't want anything to do with record companies because of all the negative things associated with it, or they get passed up because you know, maybe they do have a potential deal on the table, but the the record company wants them to kind of change their style. Say, well, we like what you're doing, but this is hot over here, so just do something similar to this. And I think I think the creativity is really, really missing from a lot of what's going on out there.

SPEAKER_02:

I think you're so right. I feel like it's such a longer topic that we could talk about for it, could be its own episode, but I feel like artists like Lujia Cat, and I was hoping I was really hoping this wouldn't happen to Dochi. But like once the industry kind of gets your their hooks in you, I feel like they make people I don't want to say sell out, but they definitely have a certain path that they want their artists to go down. And all of a sudden they're like, I hate to say it, but I have like little Nas X and stuff, you know. Like, I don't know, all of a sudden you're like dancing with Satan, and it just kind of like looks weird. And I feel like these are artists that are true, truly great musicians, but it's like once a huge label and the music industry gets into them, it like it turns them into what they want it to be instead of like their natural, you know, talent.

SPEAKER_00:

That's sad, but it's so true. It is so true. That's why, you know, sadly enough, a lot of up-and-coming artists want nothing to do with the with the music industry, they'd rather just go independent just because they don't want to deal with the nonsense.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I also don't like the the idea that in order for like hip-hop or rap to be on the charts, there has to be some type of like beef between artists too. Because that was another sentiment that I saw, you know, and of course, beef is fun, we love it, but it's like I feel like a Kendrick or a Drake or whoever deserves to be on the charts just as much, like even if they don't have a beef and like there's not a distract or something. So I feel like it's like it's sometimes it needs to be taken more seriously as a genre, too, without having to have beef.

SPEAKER_00:

I agree with you 100% on that because you know, when it's all said and done, there's room for everyone to be successful. No one's gonna listen to one song over and over again for 20 hours straight. Um except for they not like there's some other issues going on if you do. Yeah, but there's enough room for everyone to be successful. So I think they should really, really kind of open their eyes on what's out there and you know, and not be so so cynical and so so ruthless because there's been artists that have said, uh, and this is allegations, we don't know that you know they've had their record company shelf their songs because they want to boost another arts.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and then they get stuck, yeah. Even like like Jojo and people like that. There's been people that have been very vocal about saying I would I couldn't have made a new record because I was like under the record label and I was just stuck there. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

So let's hope things change.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and that's one reason I love TikTok because I think a lot of times too, songs that like wouldn't be expected become really popular or songs recirculate from the 90s, and like the new generation finds out stuff, and I just I think it's a really great tool for like showing the industry what's what we like.

SPEAKER_00:

I agree, I agree 100% on that.

SPEAKER_02:

Really fast. Did we get any hate from what I said about Britney last week? Were people upset or not really? You know what? No, no backlash at all.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

If you if you if you didn't listen, don't go back and listen. It was okay. All I'm saying is that Britney's not not on the 100 charts, so uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Talk about interesting trends. Um, an increasing trend of companies laying off employees and replacing them with AI. Um this is something I know that we've touched on many times, and now it's starting to become reality. Um, there's an increasing trend of companies laying off employees, with many explicitly citing AI adoption, automation, and strategic shift towards the towards an AI-first future as key reasons. Um things to highlight here. There's a growing statistics in the US that over 10,000 job cuts in the first seven months of 2025 were directly linked to AI, and a single month, September 2025, saw another 7,000 AI-related cuts reportedly by one outplacement firm. I personally think that number is low. I could be wrong, but I think that number is low. Um, some high-profile examples of this is uh SalesPurse CEO Mark Minioff stated that AI enabled him to reduce support headcount from 9,000 to 5,000. UPS eliminated 48,000 positions in 2025 using automation, corporate shorthand for AI to improve network efficiency. And Amazon, which everyone knows who they are, leadership has indicated that efficiency gains from using AI extensively help shrinkage its corporate workplace. Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, like for my other when I'm not doing this, I wish I could do this full time, but when I'm not doing this, um a lot of my job is going to definitely be replaced. Like I work in podcasting, writing, writing for people and copywriting. And I've already had like maybe three of my long-term clients lovingly pack up and go and just say, like, we love you, but we're going to use AI instead. So like I've definitely seen it happen real time. And then, you know, you think you're not replaceable, or people will want humans, but it's like, no, they just want like they want to do the work with themselves in like 12 minutes when I, you know, years ago, it would take me a really long time to do it. Now it's just like you can put in a transcript and have it done really quickly. Um, so I do think it's sad. And and as much as they say, like, oh, it's up to us to work with the tools and work with chat GPT and then and AI, it just is not fun. And like, I don't know, I feel like AI just their chat GBT like gives me a headache and it kind of makes me feel icky when I'm like using it for too long. So I'm actually trying to like move away from it. And I think I don't know, it just seems like they're it the two are gonna like butt up against each other, you know, like people using it and and workforces wanting like stuff for cheaper and quicker.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's true. And you know, the other thing about using AI, and you know, we've experienced this is that you have to be careful when using AI because AI can tend to kind of make up stuff along the way. Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, to me, it's it's a tool. It's I I don't see it as replacing people, I see it as a tool. Um are there certain instances where you can replace AI for human beings and vice versa? Yeah, I can see those arguments being, but um I think it's a dangerous trend because you don't want to go crazy with it because if you're not careful, um AI can kind of invent stuff on their own that could be catastrophic to your business too.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, I was just I was reading about some, I think a university or something that had sent out a brochure um in that they put like people's faces in it, but really it was like a just a picture of like cut-off heads. So it's a bunch of like join our students this year. And it was just a picture of like headless students, which I think is amazing. I I've even like something that I don't like, which is kind of a cousin of all of this, is um luckily none of my jobs have had this, but I've heard more and more about like productivity tools that managers make their people have, where it's like you download it and it's a very big brother in the fact that you have it on your computer and it like tracks your mouse and then it tracks your if your computer like you know, and some I've even heard some of like it if you like go dark for longer than 10 minutes, it alerts your management and it will lock your computer. I'm like, what if you have to just use the bathroom or like take a personal call? And I feel like that is becoming really scary too, just like the monitoring and treating us like not humans, you know, like that treating people like robots, I feel like is a big issue. And like I I don't know now in this point of my life, like I wouldn't take a job like that that's monitoring your like every move just because that feels so gross.

SPEAKER_00:

I agree. I mean, I look at it like this, Maryland. If you need to watch someone that closely, there's one of two things going on. Either one, one, you're a shitty manager to begin with, or you don't have the right person in a position. But if you have the time to monitor people like that in your team, what are you doing all day?

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, you don't have the yeah, like I I can totally see, I mean, it's a whole different side thing, but I I can see the usage of like time tracking tools, but not when it's like, okay, you're away from your computer for longer than five minutes or ten minutes. Like, I I think that's gonna be like the next kind of epidemic that we're talking about, too, because a lot of the work from home stuff now, it's like, okay, you can work from home, but we're going to um like look at your screen and then we'll download so that they can like actively in real time watch what people are doing, and that just seems so weird.

SPEAKER_00:

And you know, the interesting thing, and I know I did see this, I gotta look it up. But on average, when people work from home, they actually work more hours, yeah. So you actually get a lot more productivity of a person working from home, it sounds it does.

SPEAKER_02:

I think it's so cruel to be like you can't step away from your computer for longer than five minutes. Like, what if you need a drink of water or like to let your pet out or something? And I I just think more and more employees and managers have to like fight back the same way that we're fighting back against like AI and hopefully not firing everyone. We also have to that's not okay either, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah. And you know, with a lot of people, and I know there's this big kick about getting everybody back in the office, but there's a lot of companies that see the benefit in having either remote or hybrid workers, and you know, that's one of the biggest things that people ask about now when they're interviewing about, you know, especially if it's an office job, you know, is it remote, is it hybrid or whatever? That's a huge, huge factor that uh a lot of people put, you know, on their top three things that they want in the job.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. I'd rather work like 30 freelance jobs than have one job that was like tracking when I'm like taking a drink of water and stuff. So yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I agree with you on that. I I would be miserable on that kind of job.

SPEAKER_02:

I just can't like I think once you're past the age of like eight, you don't need to be tracked like you're a robot, but um, but yeah, we'll see. AI will be out of control. Well, that makes me feel like I'm on a roller coaster ride, just like this next story. Uh, I thought this was super crazy. Uh uh a couple saved a girl on a roller coaster after she let out a blood-curdling scream when her seatbelt allegedly failed. Um, it was a Missouri couple, Chris and Cassie Evans, said that they were riding the Mamba roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City when they heard a scream behind them. And uh they heard that uh it was he and his wife looked back and saw that a girl in her seat, the seatbelt had become unsecure, and like between her and the bar was a really big, uh big space, like big enough for her to fall out. So people started holding on to her when the roller coaster was dipping and turning. And thank goodness she was able to uh they held her down, and the wife pushed her down on her legs, and she was able to survive. Um, the Mamba was it is the tallest ride at the park, and there's an initial drop of 205 feet, and it accelerates at 75 miles per hour. So, of course, like if she was to fall, she probably wouldn't have made it. And you know, this girl really owes them her life, and sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen against the park, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, it is, and I've I've said this before, and I'll say it again. This is why I no longer ride roller coasters because you know, to me, making me feel like I'm about to lose my life or something like that, that's not fun. That's that's not fun.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I also feel like the amount of beeferoni I've been eating, like, no couple's about to hold me down on the roller coaster. Like if my seatbelt is popping open, I'm every the whole roller coaster is gonna go down at this point, so yeah. But but don't you hear all the time about people getting stuck on like almost I feel like daily the same situation where we're hearing about planes and like just all these weird plane things, it also feels like the um amusement parks are going crazy.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, they are, and you know the thing is it's like everybody's trying to outdo a person. What about just some simple little bit of loops or whatever, and little curves here and there? You just have a good time, you know, not trying to scare people to death, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I agree, and I think it's awesome of the couple because a lot of people in this society in this state wouldn't help, they would just be like, they wouldn't even like think to not because they're bad, but just because they're like frozen in fear or something.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's true. I I don't know. I just think that um it's just getting a little bit too crazy because at what point do you stop? You know what I mean? What's the next thing? You're gonna bungee jump from the top of the world series of the uh you know of uh of the Sears Tower? It's called the Willows Tower. I'm old school, it's still Sears Tower, but what's the you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. I mean, people do all the time too, but yeah, it seems like uh especially like I'm not getting stuck upside down on a roller coaster or anything.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I agree. And here's the thing you know, when they get stuck, that little platform they walk on is incredibly, incredibly thin, it's not very wide at all.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, no, there's no way. I there's no I know I would get to like 10 feet and then just slip off.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, if you slip off that high, you probably won't remember it.

SPEAKER_01:

So exactly. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00:

So let me ask you this if they had this big opening, world's tallest roller coaster, and we're gonna give you ten thousand dollars, Merle, if you ride it. Would you ride it?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh has it been tested?

SPEAKER_00:

I would hope so, but yes, let's it's been tested.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, yeah, for 10 grand. I do think it depends, and it's not like a fair that just came in. If it's I I do think I would ride it, I I would just have to like take I would take like 19 Xanax and then ride it. I would just be like limp.

SPEAKER_00:

But yeah, you know what? That's a good point because those traveling um amusement parks are much different than the regular standard amusement parks because it seems like the traveling ones, their equipment is like incredibly old and rattly, and it's like this don't sound very safe.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, and the ones that scare me the most too the ones that like almost don't have a track and then they click in, like you know, you it's like they have a track and it's like a space, and then they click back together. That's just crazy, or ones that like go underwater or something like that's that's just now, but yeah, I feel like for 10 grand I would greet and bear it like one time and just really hope for the best.

SPEAKER_00:

There you go. I I like that. I like that. What about the ones that swing back and forth and then it goes up and stops?

SPEAKER_02:

No, I probably honestly for 10 grand. I I probably stupidly would go on it, and then if we got stuck upside down, I would just fall out. I would just release myself like a bat and fall out.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, this is a great, great episode. Hey Merle, tell everybody what you have coming up.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, well, I promise this show will happen soon, and we guys won't have to hear about it. But today you do um November 12th at the La Jolla Comedy Store. Uh, it's called the Shindig Show, and I'm hosting, and Tom Arnold is the headliner.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, cool. Well, this has been a lot of fun. This has been so fun. Well, everyone, thank you for watching us. Um, definitely remember to tell people who we are, share. Um, and also if you have any suggestions, comments, or anything about some of the topics we talk about, come to our social media sites and let us know.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm Lauren Selbrod.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm Meryl Climo.

SPEAKER_00:

Have a great day, everyone. Hi, everybody.

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Lawrence Elrod

Host
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Meryl Klemow

Co-host