Everybody's Business: The Business of KPop Demon Hunters

SPEAKER_2 (0:02)

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio, News.

Max Chafkin (0:11)

This is Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Business Week. I'm Max Chafkin.

Stacey Vanek Smith (0:14)

I'm Stacey Vanek Smith. And Max, I think the theme for this week is situation ships.

Max Chafkin (0:20)

I don't know where this is going, but okay.

Stacey Vanek Smith (0:22)

Situation ships as in a relationship that's kind of messy, not entirely defined, source of a lot of drama. Situation ships.

Max Chafkin (0:30)

All right, Stacey, I'm going to work with you here because I think you're right a little bit. Like it does kind of describe our situation with tariffs right now. Yes. Maybe they're awesome. Maybe they're not. Maybe they're legal. Maybe they're not. We've got Joe Weisenthal of Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast, a friend of the pod here talking markets and tariffs.

Stacey Vanek Smith (0:52)

Also, the movie of the summer is, well, it's not in theaters, Max.

It is on Netflix. The movie of the summer is on Netflix.

Max Chafkin (1:03)

I'm so excited about this. I just want to say the title.

Stacey Vanek Smith (1:05)

I know. The Great Sam Sanders is here to talk. Go ahead.

Max Chafkin (1:08)

K-pop Demon Hunters.

Stacey Vanek Smith (1:09)

K-pop Demon Hunters. Max is very into this movie. And we'll talk with Sam about it.

Max Chafkin (1:14)

And finally, I'm told it's pumpkin spice latte season now.

Stacey Vanek Smith (1:18)

I'm told.

Max Chafkin (1:18)

Americans love the flavor. It's everywhere. Nothing is complicated about that one, right Stacey?

Stacey Vanek Smith (1:25)

Except, most of the ingredients are imported. So, tariffs are complicating our relationship with pumpkin spice lattes. It's pumpkin spice tariff season. Now, I think right now in our economy, the ultimate situationship is between companies, workers and AI.

Max Chafkin (1:47)

And we talked about this two weeks ago on the episode with Exitron, which people should check out if they haven't listened to. There's all this promise with AI where a lot of businesses are super excited about it. They're investing billions, in some cases tens of billions.

Stacey Vanek Smith (2:02)

Happily laying off workers that will be replaced by this technology in some cases.

Max Chafkin (2:06)

Right. And there's also the promise that it could create more jobs. It just feels like so much there is up in the air. We really don't know anything yet, except we're all spending tons of money on it.

Stacey Vanek Smith (2:16)

Yes. Well, and I think things are changing really fast and everyone's like, is this going to take my job? Is this going to help me do my job? But I thought I would go to students because they are, tend to be more comfortable with new technology on the cutting edge. So to Columbia, to NYU, to kind of track down some students and ask them how they are using AI. And here's what they said. Do you guys use AI?

SPEAKER_6 (2:38)

Yes. All the time. We're actually AI students.

SPEAKER_7 (2:42)

No, really?

SPEAKER_6 (2:43)

Yes.

Stacey Vanek Smith (2:44)

What do you use it for?

SPEAKER_6 (2:45)

Editing. So like if you write a paper, it could be like as simple as just like a text, just to polish my language or just like some simple researches. I don't trust an AI on like super deep academic stuff yet.

Stacey Vanek Smith (2:56)

And what about like with schoolwork? Is it like a big helper?

SPEAKER_6 (2:59)

I would say take AI with a grain of salt because they make mistakes, just like humans do as well. Always double check.

Max Chafkin (3:08)

Honestly, it's basically the greatest cheat code for college.

SPEAKER_8 (3:10)

Like I'm not even kidding.

SPEAKER_6 (3:11)

I do know a few people who have used AI or ChatGBT. As kind of like a friend, like getting advice from.

SPEAKER_9 (3:19)

I agree, but I definitely think that other people might find more comfort in AI as a friend than what we might like to think.

SPEAKER_1 (3:29)

I study actually in the field of public health. I studied cancer and epidemiology. We're actually working with AI, like studying and working with it.

SPEAKER_6 (3:39)

With the rise of AI, like pretty much anything is possible. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_5 (3:43)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_8 (3:45)

Oh, my God.

Joe Weisenthal (3:46)

Oh, God.

Max Chafkin (3:47)

I'm so worried for our future.

SPEAKER_5 (3:49)

Really?

Max Chafkin (3:50)

The AI students? Are they AIs or are they actual people?

Stacey Vanek Smith (3:54)

What do you mean?

Max Chafkin (3:55)

Well, I just got worried for a second that you had interviewed like a couple of chatbots.

Stacey Vanek Smith (3:59)