# The Shoggoth in the Machine: AI, ARGs, and the Future of Play (w/ Reed Berkowitz)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/team-human-with-douglas-rushkoff-52239/the-shoggoth-in-the-machine-ai-args-and-the-future-of-play-w-reed-berkowitz
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/team-human-with-douglas-rushkoff-52239/the-shoggoth-in-the-machine-ai-args-and-the-future-of-play-w-reed-berkowitz.md
Podcast: [Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff](https://stenobird.com/podcast/team-human-with-douglas-rushkoff-52239)
Published: 2026-06-19T13:06:40+00:00
Episode link: http://teamhuman.fm/feed/episodes
Audio file: https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/40a46e0e-5b7a-439d-ac89-a83fb6051983/stream.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/team-human-with-douglas-rushkoff-52239/episodes/the-shoggoth-in-the-machine-ai-args-and-the-future-of-play-w-reed-berkowitz
Duration seconds: 3852

## Resource

How do we keep the machine from pulling us into another world, or escaping into ours? Rushkoff is joined by OG game designer, hacker, and Director of Curiouser Institute Reed Berkowitz to explore the liminal space between reality, fiction, and artificial intelligence. From the early days of late-80s text-based worlds and San Francisco’s cyberdelic rave culture to the complex modern landscape of AI development, Douglas and Reed compare notes on what they thought the internet would become - and what it actually grew into. ✨ Learn more about Reed’s work: http://www.curiouserinstitute.com 🌍 Your support keeps Team Human alive! Support the show to receive ad-free access to videos, livestream Q&As with Rushkoff, access to the community Discord and more: https://www.patreon.com/teamhuman 🤝 Team Human is proudly supported by Groucho. You can take 50% off your first month by using promo code "teamhuman": https://mygroucho.club/teamhuman Download Groucho: Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/groucho/id6756526142?ct=teamhuman&mt=8 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trampoline.groucho&utm_source=website&utm_medium=landing&utm_campaign=teamhuman Follow Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff: Instagram: https:/www.instagram.com/douglasrushkoff TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/douglasrushkoff Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rushkoff.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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