512: Not your Mamdani’s dating site, plus the latest information science updates

(00:00):

Brian Reeves: Welcome to Information Changes Everything. Join us as we take a snappy look at the latest news about information and technology changing our world. This podcast is produced by the University of Michigan School of Information, UMSI. 

I’m Brian Reeves.

Alicia Myers: and I’m Alicia Myers.

Brian Reeves: As always, we'd love your feedback at [email protected]. And remember, we link to every story in our show notes. Let’s jump in...

(00:38)

Alicia Myers: New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his wife met on Hinge four years ago, and their success has led others to try the match-making site. However, as Mashable reports, people seeking relationships are finding dating sites aren’t what they used to be. Reasons for users’ disappointment include too many choices, bad behavior and swipe fatigue. As comedian Keara Sullivan said in 2023, “if you met your partner on a dating app in the last few years, just know you caught the last chopper out of ’Nam.”

(01:11)

Brian Reeves: For over a decade, Yann LeCun headed Meta’s AI division, which he founded back when Meta was still Facebook. Now, the Turing Award winner is leaving the company to launch his own start-up, according to the New York Times. In recent years, LeCun’s philosophy on AI and large language models has diverged from his colleagues. Meta has poured billions into developing large language models to reach “superintelligence, ” while LeCun remains unconvinced that LLMs will ever be able to exceed the abilities of the human brain. He says his new company will focus on advanced machine intelligence that is broader in scope than large language models. 

(01:54)

Alicia Myers: Targeted advertising is likely to become even more tailored to your likes and preferences, as AI really gets to know you. Traditionally, ads on social media have targeted  demographic groups, like college-educated 30-somethings. But using large language models like ChatGPT, ads featuring your favorite colors, your favorite music and language you actually use are in the works. The BBC asks if the result will be better ads or ‘creepy slop’?

(02:23)

Brian Reeves: Travellers who use hotel reservation sites like Booking and Expedia are being targeted by a new scam. In the “I Paid Twice” scheme, scammers contact an individual with a hotel reservation through WhatsApp or email and request confirmation of the payment method. The link goes to a fake landing page that looks like the booking site, and you can guess the rest. Lifehacker’s advice? To avoid paying twice, don’t click - call.

(02:53)

Alicia Myers: Hollywood hopeful Tilly Norwood isn’t just another pretty face. She’s a completely fabricated AI avatar from the UK production company Particle6, and she’s starting to raise concerns among working actors. Especially as Particle6’s CEO is talking to talent agencies about her prospective star, calling her “the next Scarlett Johanssen.”  NPR’s coverage of the AI avatar includes a sneak preview of Tilly in a video teaser released this summer that’s 100% AI-generated. 

(03:24)

Brian Reeves: YouTube and Facebook remain America’s favorite social media apps by a wide margin, and half the online population uses Instagram. The Pew Research Center’s annual poll breaks down social media user preferences by a wide variety of demographic factors, including age, race and ethnicity, education, gender, income and political affiliation. Included in this year’s poll are newcomers Bluesky, Threads and Truth Social.

(03:53)

Alicia Myers: According to Olive Oil Times, The National Geographic Society is backing a project to collect traditional recipes for table olives into a digital archive, according to Olive Oil Times. Researchers are seeking contributions from 20 olive-producing countries, including France, Lebanon and Turkey. The project aims to preserve the culture and history surrounding the fruit at a time when many olive trees are being lost to climate change, rural depopulation and globalization. Another way to help: Adopt an olive tree.

(04:23)

Brian Reeves: On October 22, 2025 the Internet Archive celebrated a milestone achievement: 1 trillion web pages preserved and available for access via the Wayback Machine. In tribute, some noted figures from the early days of the internet shared their memories, including Jean Armour Polly, aka Net-mom. Polly is credited with coining the phrase “surfing the internet” in 1992 and was one of the first librarians to offer free computer and internet service to the public. Our hero!

(04:57)

Alicia Myers: Speaking of contests, back in October Google announced the 17th annual Doodle for Google contest, open to K-12 students. The theme, “My Superpower is…”, urges young artists to “look inward and consider the unique traits that make you special.” Five finalists will receive $10K college scholarships, a Chromebook and of course, their art on Google’s homepage, while the top artist gets another $45K scholarship plus $50K for their school. 

Brian Reeves: For links to all these stories, make sure to check out our show notes.

(05:36)

Now, some news from UMSI.

Alicia Myers: For Master of Science in Information student Kelvin Chang, and Bachelor of Science in Information students Shalin Zarboulas and Zannah Baker, information science is the key to building ventures that bring real value to users. In their final year at the University of Michigan School of Information, all three have been selected as 2025-26 Zell Entrepreneurs on the venture track. 

The competitive program, hosted by the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship at Michigan Ross, provides mentorship, connections and up to $10,000 in funding to students who plan to pursue their ventures full-time after graduation.

Alicia Myers: Click the link in our show notes for details, or to learn more about all the great things going on at UMSI.

(06:24)

Brian Reeves: If you love being the first person to know about new information science research, be sure to request a free subscription to UMSI’s Research Roundup. It’s a summary of the latest findings from researchers at the University of Michigan School of Information. We’ll be happy to add you to the email list at umsi.info/research-email. Or just click the link in our show notes.

The University of Michigan School of Information creates and shares knowledge that empowers people to use information and technology to build a better world. If you liked this episode of Information Changes Everything, subscribe and leave us a review—it helps listeners like you find our show and continue the conversation.

Also, this podcast has a companion newsletter, and you can get the monthly email version for free! Subscribe today at umsi.info/digest. 

This podcast is written and edited by Glenda Bullock and the Marketing & Communications team at UMSI. Pirate Audio is powered by humans and AI and provides hosting, production, and distribution. 

Thanks again for tuning in, and remember: Information changes everything. See you next time!