This week on Net Society, the conversation moves from Bay Area tech culture and a ground level look at San Francisco’s renewed energy into Frontier Tower as a real world example of hacker driven experimentation, DAO run spaces, and the return of the American tinkerer. From there, the group explores network states, regional innovation, and open systems before turning to DeFi, yield, and the Clarity Act, followed by a sober discussion on AI’s impact on labor, robotics, and where optimism starts to blur into real dystopian risk. The episode closes with reflections on identity and intellectual property in the age of AI, celebrity as a scalable asset, and what current TV and media reveal about the cultural moment.

Mentioned in the episode

Frontier tower in San Francisco https://frontiertower.io/

Minerva University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_University

Matthew McConaughey Trademark vs AI https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/matthew-mcconaughey-trademarks-himself-to-fight-ai-misuse-8ffe76a9

Creator of Industry on NY https://spectator.com/article/get-me-out-of-new-york/

Show & Hosts

Net Society: https://x.com/net__society

Aaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01

Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0x

Derek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedws

Priyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesai

Production & Marketing

Editor: https://x.com/0xFnkl

Social: https://x.com/v_kirra

• (00:00) - Peptides, Tech Culture, and Bay Area Vibes
• (03:53) - Frontier Tower and the Return of the Tinkerer
• (16:10) - Network States, Regional Innovation, and Open Systems
• (32:20) - DeFi, Yield, and the Clarity Act
• (41:45) - AI, Labor, and the Dystopia Debate
• (49:00) - Identity, IP, and the Celebrity-as-Asset Era
• (58:50) - Industry, TV, and Cultural Commentary
• (01:04:34) - Welcome & Disclaimer