These days the culture we consume – movies, books, songs – is determined by platforms aggregating everyone else’s reviews and ratings. So, what does it mean when you say you like something in the age of quantification? And is there a way to beat the algorithm?

Our guest, writer and critic Lauren Oyler, is the author of No Judgment, a recently published collection of essays. She’s a contributing editor at Harper’s, and her divisive, often viral essays on books and culture appear regularly in The New Yorker, The New York Times and the London Review of Books. Oyler talks about how to cultivate good taste organically, the difference between professional criticism and the comments section and what it feels like to be called an “ice queen” online.

Also, Vass and Katrina take turns not laughing at each other’s jokes.

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

The Paris Olympics are nearly upon us, and one thing is clearer than the Seine: For some countries, sports are the ultimate distraction. Dubious human rights records? Look at our athletes!

It’s called sportswashing, an attempt by nations and companies to take the focus off their less-than-stellar practices. Our guest, Globe and Mail reporter Simon Houpt walks us through the long history of sportswashing, all the way from the inception of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece to the present day.

Also, Vass ribs Katrina for being an Olympics superfan.

Simon Houpt writes about sports media and the business of sports for The Globe. His article that inspired this episode is called “Why do we reserve the term ‘sportswashing’ for repressive regimes and not, say, Coca-Cola?”

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Shein and Temu have completely disrupted Amazon’s global domination plans by selling clothes and home goods for ultra-cheap prices, if not ultra-fast delivery – but at what cost?

Our guest, journalist Louise Matsakis, has covered technology, the internet and China for The Atlantic, Wired, The Guardian and NBC News. She also writes a newsletter about e-commerce in China called You May Also Like. She dives into the secretive world of made-in-China e-commerce, the stakes for competitors, and the ethical concerns for consumers who want to shop responsibly without breaking the bank.

Also, Vass tells Katrina that she can’t figure out her Shein shopping cart.

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

A bonus episode for Lately listeners, from the team at Stress Test!

Just mention the word “inheritance” and people get their backs up. It’s no surprise that people are reluctant to chat about free money. In this episode, host Rob Carrick chats with Julia Chung, a financial planner, about why you shouldn’t factor an inheritance into your financial plans. We’re also joined by an Edmonton woman whose parents plan to spend every dime in retirement. And an Ontario millennial walks us through whether or not she should take her parents’ offer of an early inheritance.

Stress Test is the Globe and Mail’s personal finance podcast for Gen Z and Millennials.

Lately will be back in the feed next, and every, Friday.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail podcasts@globeandmail.com

Everyone loves an AI fail, like a few extra fingers on a generated image. But what happens when the flaws of this nascent technology are much more serious? For the LGBTQ+ community, the stakes are high: Machine-learning models and AI-based tech like facial recognition can promote outdated stereotypes and public discrimination.

Our guest, Dr. Sabine Weber, is a computer scientist and an organizer with Queer in AI, a global group of LGBTQ+ researchers and scientists whose mission is to raise awareness of queer issues in artificial intelligence. Weber explains how we got here, how AI is only as good as the data it gobbles up, and the real-world consequences of misrepresentation.

Also, Vass and Katrina discuss how AI tech bros are making the switch from DEI to MEI – and what that might mean for equity in Silicon Valley.

Check out The Zizi Show, a deepfake drag cabaret act created by drag queens when the COVID lockdowns prevented them from performing live. Recommended by Dr. Sabine Weber!

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

A bonus episode for Lately listeners, from the team at The Decibel!

Millennial women are feeling burnt out. The responsibilities and pressures of family, work and caregiving are piling up, amidst the lingering fallout of the pandemic and the economic crisis. But what makes this generation’s burnout unique?

In conversation with host Menaka Raman-Wilms, The Globe and Mail’s demographics reporter, Ann Hui, explains her own experience with burnout, the reasons why millennial women are feeling it more and what to do about it.

The Decibel is The Globe and Mail’s daily news podcast, exploring the stories that shape our world.

Lately will be back in the feed next, and every, Friday.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Location-sharing apps are growing in popularity, not just among families and Gen Z friend groups but with investors, too. (The tracking app Life360 made its Nasdaq debut earlier this month.)

If we're already passively sharing this information with companies almost all the time, why not share it with our loved ones?

Our guest, Dr Katina Michael, who was on the cutting edge of building location-based services in its earliest days, says that the trust and connection we desire when signing up for these apps is exactly what’s being lost by using them.

Michael is a professor at the school for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University. She researches emerging technologies and their corresponding social implications, and she’s published six books.

Also, Vass and Katrina discuss how boring it is to track Vass’ husband.

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

It’s summer concert season, and you may be paying a fortune to see your favourite artists at home, travelling abroad for cheaper tickets, or forgoing the pricey concert experience altogether.

For most musicians, the financial picture is dire. Our guest, author and Polaris Award-winning artist and producer Cadence Weapon – the tech skeptic behind the new album Rollercoaster – breaks down the depressing economics of an industry governed by Ticketmaster trauma, streaming algorithms and an AI invasion.

Also, Vass and Katrina discuss getting cooler friends.

This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.

Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.

Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.

Find the transcript of today’s episode here.

We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.