January 20, 2026
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2:23:10Now PlayingThis week, Amanda, Reese, and Chelsea are back from hiatus and joined by tech journalist Amanda Silberling (@amandasilberling) to take on The Cult of ChatGPT, the fast growing congregation of users who’ve turned an AI tool into a trusted authority, therapist, oracle, and romantic partner. We’re diving into why ChatGPT feels so intimate, how people are outsourcing thinking and decision making to a machine, and when convenience starts to look a little culty. We also break down the growing legal scrutiny around AI, including high profile lawsuits, accountability gaps, and what happens when automated advice collides with real world harm. Delete your em-dashes, because if you’ve ever named your chat bot (looking at you Chelsea), it might be time to ask who’s really in charge. 🤖🧠⚖️
Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health crises.
👽 About Sounds Like A Cult Podcast 👽
Putting the “cult” in culture… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about the Royal Family? What about Disney Adults? Or spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? We’re Sounds Like A Cult, a podcast that analyzes a different fanatical group every week to try and answer the big question: This sounds like a cult, but is it really?
Sounds Like A Cult premiered in June of 2021 and has since been downloaded over 30 million times. It was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Wired, Marie Claire, and others. The pod won the 2023 iHeart Radio “Best Emerging Podcast” Award and has been praised by The New York Times and other publications.
New episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
✨Your Co-Hosts ✨
Amanda Montell
Chelsea CharlesMcClure
Reese Oliver
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