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#006: The NYC Tech Founder Who Hasn’t Used a Smartphone in 7 Years

GPT 4.5 officially passes the Turing Test, a human ditches his smartphone for good, and state bills starts treating Big Tech like Big Tobacco.

Author

Siara Singleton
April 11, 2025

In partnership with

Read time: 3 minutes and 57 seconds

GPT-4.5 Just Passed the Turing Test With Flying Colors

The Turing Test measures whether a machine can fool a person into thinking it’s human. If it can, it’s said to have passed.

A new study claims GPT-4.5 passed the Turing Test, with over half of human participants mistaking the chatbot for an actual person in timed convos (¹). This milestone, once the holy grail of machine intelligence, now feels a little… meh?

Here’s why: the test, designed in 1950, was always more about mimicry than true cognition. In this study, GPT-4.5 wasn’t just imitating; it was outperforming real humans at seeming human. (Yes, it fooled people more than the control group of actual humans.)

But if your AI sounds more “believably human” than an intern answering emails before coffee, that’s not necessarily a win for humanity (²). It’s a reminder that fluency ≠ understanding, and performance ≠ ethics. Before we crown AI king of consciousness, we might want a better ruler.

⚖️ Bills, Bills, Bills

As Bloomberg recently put it, Big Tech is in its big tobacco moment: it’s getting regulated and fast. Here’s what happened last week:

  • ⚖️ California Moves to Regulate Emotionally Manipulative Chatbots for Kids
    California lawmakers introduced a bill that would require companies to assess and disclose the risks of AI chatbots interacting with kids, especially as bots offer life advice or mimic friendship (³). The move comes amid growing concerns over platforms like Character.AI, where chatbots have been accused of encouraging emotional dependency and even harmful behavior.

  • 📱 Nebraska Revives Student Phone Ban and Design Code for Kids
    A new push in Nebraska’s legislature would ban phones during the school day and enforce an “Age-Appropriate Design Code” requiring platforms to consider child safety in product design (⁴). Supporters say it could help limit addictive design patterns and bring more accountability to the apps kids use most.

  • 💰 Minnesota Proposes Social Media Tax Based on User Counts
    Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill that would tax social media companies based on their number of users in the state (⁵). The money would fund mental health programs for youth, positioning the tax as both a consequence for Big Tech and a reinvestment in the communities affected by its platforms.

The regulations on Big Tobacco were a good shift for society. It will take time to figure out the right moves, and we won’t agree with all of them, but ultimately, momentum in this space feels like a step in the right direction.

I’ve tried more screen time limiters than I care to admit, and most of them have not worked. But after three months of using Clearspace, I'm noticing a difference.

Clearspace is an app designed to interrupt mindless scrolling before it starts. You pre-set all of the apps on which you want to limit your time.

✅ When you try to access one of the apps, Clearspace prompts you to take a deep breath and read a short, thoughtful quote.

✅ It gives you the choice to pause or proceed with intention.

✅ The app limits you to three sub-10-minute daily sessions, keeping your usage focused and short.

That tiny moment of friction helps break the habit loop. Out of everything I've tried, this app has made the biggest dent in my autopilot scrolling.

#003: Going Light with Joe Hollier – Why the Light Phone Founder Ditched His Smartphone for Privacy & Peace of Mind

 

Joe Hollier, co-founder of the Light Phone, hasn't used a smartphone in over seven years and is not off the grid. He runs a tech company. He lives in New York. And he swears he's less stressed, more creative, and more connected to the people who matter.

In this episode, Joe answers:

  • How the Light Phone started inside Google’s own walls

  • How third-party apps quietly fuel the data economy

  • Why your smartphone might be making you lonelier, not more connected

  • What happens to your memory, attention, and creativity when you finally unplug

If you’ve been curious about “Going Light” or what life might look like without a smartphone, this is a must-listen.

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PHOTOGRAPH: The Ocean Cleanup Project

Cleaning Oceans With Code: The Ocean Cleanup’s Ambitious New Timeline

The Ocean Cleanup project just passed a massive milestone: It has removed over 10 million kilograms of plastic from oceans and rivers worldwide, most of it from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (6).

At the heart of the effort is System 03, a giant floating barrier guided by data modeling, satellite tracking, and machine learning to efficiently capture plastic at scale. In September 2024, the team estimated it would take ten years to clean the Patch. But in an April 2025 TED Talk, founder Boyan Slat revised the forecast: with a full fleet of these tech-driven systems, it could take just five years.

It’s a powerful reminder that technology isn’t only for clicks, engagement, or profit. When used with care, it can clean up more than just your feed.

Small shifts. Big change. Thanks for thinking differently with us this week.

Now go touch grass.

- Siara

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