The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

AI’s Power Problem, Have We Passed Peak Social Media? and How to Save Democracy

October 31, 2025

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  • The massive energy demands of AI data centers are significantly straining the U.S. power grid, potentially doubling consumption by 2028 and driving up consumer electricity prices, necessitating infrastructure upgrades funded by a more progressive corporate tax structure. 
  • Time spent on social media has peaked and is declining, as platforms shift from connecting friends to promoting mindless browsing and AI-generated 'slop,' leading to negative mental health outcomes, especially for younger users. 
  • Economic strikes and targeted boycotts, rather than broad actions like boycotting international events, are viewed as one of the most effective ways for consumers to create a check on corporate or political power, provided they generate significant, targeted media attention. 

Segments

AI Power Strain and Grid Costs
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: U.S. data centers consumed 4.4% of total power in 2023, projected to reach 7-12% by 2028, driving electricity price increases that could raise average bills by 8% nationwide by 2030.
  • Summary: Data centers are rapidly increasing energy demand, with Sam Altman citing OpenAI’s need for 250 gigawatts, and this growth is pushing electricity prices up, evidenced by a 5.6% rise in the past year. The expansion is occurring in areas with weak regulation, and simultaneously, the government is canceling cheap renewable energy projects like the Esmeralda 7 solar farm. Funding infrastructure upgrades requires a more progressive tax structure, such as a 30-40% alternative minimum tax on corporations, to collect owed taxes and address the $750 billion tax gap.
Peak Social Media and User Decline
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(00:07:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Time spent on social media peaked in 2022 and has since declined by nearly 10% among users 16 and older, with the shift moving from connecting with friends to mindless doom-scrolling through AI-generated content.
  • Summary: The Financial Times data indicates a steady decline in social media usage since 2022, most pronounced among teens and 20-year-olds. The core function has devolved from social connection to filling spare time, exacerbated by the ‘great slopification’ of AI-generated content. Despite this, companies like Meta maintain revenue through hyper-targeted advertising, leveraging AI to increase CPMs.
AI’s Impact on Relationships
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(00:11:18)
  • Key Takeaway: AI tools are making it nearly impossible for users, particularly young men, to look away from screens, sequestering them from real-world relationships in favor of low-friction interactions with character AIs.
  • Summary: AI testing millions of prompts per second optimizes engagement, potentially leading users away from difficult, real-world relationships that build competence. These synthetic relationships offer constant encouragement without the friction necessary for human skill development. Corporations like Meta and OpenAI benefit from this sequestration, despite their regulatory capture evidenced by executive visits to the White House.
Economic Boycotts and Political Leverage
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(00:16:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Targeted economic strikes against specific companies that create visible media tension are more effective than broad boycotts against entities like the Olympics for checking political power.
  • Summary: Voting with one’s wallet is powerful because Donald Trump listens to the economy; the stock market’s performance, currently driven by AI-related gains in 10 companies, emboldens his actions. The wealthy, accounting for 50% of consumer spending, could enact a meaningful strike by reducing spending by 10-20%. Effectiveness relies on creating negative media attention around a specific company and a clear ask, as seen with the Disney Plus cancellations.