Can Tech Get Rid of Bad Trips?

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we talk about some of the latest drug trends and all the ways drugs are changing as they continue to be intertwined with tech.

Whether it's teenagers reviving the Benadryl TikTok challenge or people signing up for an out-of-body experience program previously used by the CIA, some of us are chasing unconventional trips—bad trips, essentially. But these trends are happening at a time when AI companies are also looking to create a “cleaner” trip for users, and others are using AI chatbots to therapeutically guide their psychedelic trips. Host Michael Calore sits down with staff writer Boone Ashworth and senior editor Manisha Krishnan to discuss these trends—and the promises and limitations of relying on tech to avoid bad trips.