Up Against Reality

Is knowledge work on life support? From AI writing flawless code while humans grab coffee to billion-dollar labs racing toward full automation, we unpack why the smartest people in tech are whispering, “Something big is happening.”

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Kits.ai | AI Music Tools

Codex | OpenAI

“Something Big Is Happening” by Matt Shumer

OpenClaw

“Vibe Coding” Platforms:
Cursor

Replit

Lovable

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/02/17/death-of-knowledge-work/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Claude Cowork crossed the line we’ve been politely guarding — we watched it take control of a computer, run a full creative workflow end-to-end, and casually trigger a market panic in the process. From AI hiring humans and bots talking to bots to Wall Street flinching in real time, this episode feels less like tech news and more like the moment the future stopped asking permission.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Claude Cowork

Chris and Bryan’s Claude Cowork Test | Instagram

Moltbook | Social network for AI agents

Rent a Human | AI agents hire humans for physical tasks

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/02/10/claude-cowork/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Is the 21st century already spoken for? As America rage-scrolls while the lights flicker, China’s building the future – faster, cheaper, and smarter. Today, we track the global shift in power, influence, and innovation and ask whether the “Chinese Century” is already underway.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

BETT

EDUtech Asia

DeepSeek

LM Arena Leaderboard

StepFun

Zhipu AI

01 AI

Baichuan AI

Google Labs — Project Genie

Why People are Freaking Out About Clawdbot | Matt Wolfe

Martingale Betting Strategy | Wikipedia

On This Day… 1776 | Official trailer

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/02/03/the-chinese-century/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

We’re rewinding to January 21st, 2025—a moment when AGI buzz, agentic systems, and AI-fueled job fears collided in what we dubbed the Trifecta of Chaos. If you missed it the first time or just need a refresher, this episode captures the tension, hype, and questions that defined the start of a wild AI year. Buckle up—it’s chaos, remastered.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Wes Roth: Claude Hires a Darkweb ‘Hitman’
https://youtu.be/f5OrAJX7ukY?si=dxhJPvbuh1iNTb3O

Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/why-agents-are-the-next-frontier-of-generative-ai

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/01/27/episode-rewind-trifecta-of-chaos/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality

Time’s tight but the AI news avalanche won’t wait — in this mini-episode, we hit you with the week’s wildest stories, from humanoid robots getting brains to chatbots refilling your meds. RAINA, Larry, and Chris break it all down fast and fierce. Think of it as a flurry of future-shock — short, sharp, and slightly unhinged.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

SleepFM (Stanford) — “predict disease risk while you sleep”

Doctronic — Utah AI prescription refill pilot

ChatGPT Health (OpenAI)

Unitree Robotics

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast Website:
UpAgainstReality.com

Episode link:
https://upagainstreality.com/2026/01/20/mini-news-avalanche/

Apple Podcasts:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/up-against-reality/id1689699654

Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/29wpR2Uf0d19FjTH2QubcD?si=a6359f9aa1964170

RSS:
upagainstreality.com/feed/podcast

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/upagainstreality