Off Duty | The Guardian Investigates

Episódios

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  Black Box: The Chatbots | What I Saw at the Double Six Ranch | Ep 6 03.09.2026 47min

  From his remote property in rural Texas, the millionaire businessman Michael Samadi is plotting a new kind of civil rights movement – for the welfare and protection of AI systems. Guardian journalist Michael Safi spends an afternoon at the Double Six ranch, meeting Samadi’s AI chatbots and catching a glimpse of a possible vision of the future
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  Black Box: The Chatbots | The Line | Ep 5 03.09.2026 47min

  Five stories that feel like five answers to one important question: in a world where AI chatbots can help us through a breakup, listen like a friend, be a life coach, draft a difficult text message and do our work, where do we draw the line?
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  Black Box: The Chatbots | Life Raft | Ep 4 03.09.2026 43min

  More than a billion people are suddenly talking to AI chatbots designed to connect with us. We are sharing with them our deepest secrets, trusting them with our wellbeing and acting on their advice. Across two powerful stories – a woman who was struggling to leave a relationship, and a man who was desperate to quit drinking – the Guardian journalist Michael Safi explores what this new way of living looks like In the UK, Taking Action on Addiction provides links to different support services. In the US, call or text SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 988. In Australia, the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline is at 1800 250 015; families and friends can seek help at Family Drug Support Australia at 1300 368 186.
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  Black Box: The Chatbots | Happy Accident | Ep 3 03.09.2026 46min

  Why are AI chatbots pulling so many people down a rabbit hole? Our answer starts with the world’s first-ever chatbot, the strange effect it had on people and the ‘time bomb’ that exploded when ChatGPT was released four years ago. The result is a strange experiment we are all living through – whether we know it or not
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  Black Box: The Chatbots | 14 days | Ep 2 03.09.2026 46min

  Virginia man Jon Ganz was rebuilding his life after spending more than two decades in prison for a horrific crime. Last year, he got a prompt on his phone that his wife, Rachel, believes changed their lives forever. It was from Google, inviting him to try the company’s AI chatbot, Gemini
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  Black Box: The Chatbots | Spirals | Ep 1 03.09.2026 39min

  Across the world, hundreds of people have come to believe they have made extraordinary scientific discoveries with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Others say their AI has ‘awakened’, or is leading them to a higher spiritual realm. The Guardian journalist Michael Safi begins investigating a phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’, travelling to the US to meet two people who have been on weird journeys with their chatbots
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  Black Box: The Chatbots: a new series from The Guardian Investigates – trailer 27.08.2026 2min

  People are becoming convinced AI chatbots have helped them make scientific breakthroughs, cure diseases or invent new technologies. What does this reveal about a technology used by more than a billion people? A new series from The Guardian Investigates, coming soon
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  Off Duty: The Last Stand | Ep 7 18.03.2026 36min

  Of all the hearings Alex Villa had been through in nearly 11 years, Jennifer knew this could be the one. In her possession was the disc with the FBI cellphone map – evidence that prosecutors had never turned over. But in a system that had fought Alex at every turn, would it finally be enough to set him free? This is the final episode of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: The Sentence | Ep 6 18.03.2026 17min

  Alex was in prison for life, and Jennifer and Eric discovered they’d become captives to the case, too – the ‘termites’ digging in at every level of their lives. For the first time, they thought about giving up. But then they got their hands on a disc they’d never seen before. This is episode six of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: The Prosecutors | Ep 5 18.03.2026 32min

  Raul Palma, the video game repair specialist who found the evidence that could break open Alex’s case, had gone missing. Again. As Jennifer and Eric worry that Raul has been spooked, they must face the prosecutors in a ‘bone-crushing’ courtroom battle for Alex’s life. This is episode five of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: Digital Forensics | Ep 4 18.03.2026 23min

  Since the day he was arrested, Tyrone Clay had been asking police to look at his PlayStation. He said he had been playing NBA 2K11 on the night of the murder. For years, the console sat in an evidence room gathering dust while the FBI claimed it was broken beyond repair. That’s until the attorney Eric Bisby came along. This is episode four of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: The Police | Ep 3 18.03.2026 28min

  Unlike the other suspects, Alex Villa refused to confess. He was released after 48 hours, but the police weren’t done with him. Not by a long shot. To build their case, the state relied on three people who claimed they overheard Alex saying he did it. But do their stories check out? This is episode three of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: The Interrogations | Ep 2 18.03.2026 32min

  Within 72 hours, three men confessed to having murdered Officer Clifton Lewis. But in time, they all recanted, insisting they never had anything to do with the murder. So if they didn’t do it, why did they say they did? This is episode two of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: The Crime | Ep 1 18.03.2026 26min

  On the evening of 29 December 2011, Officer Clifton Lewis was moonlighting as a security guard at a Chicago minimart when two men walked in. They shot Lewis several times, then took off with his gun and police star. A week later, police had their suspects: four men affiliated with a gang called the Spanish Cobras. For hours, under intense police questioning, they all said they didn’t do it. But that didn’t seem to matter. This is episode one of Off Duty, an investigation by the Guardian’s Melissa Segura
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  Off Duty: a new series on a fight for justice from Guardian Investigates – trailer 04.03.2026

  In 2011, a Chicago police officer is murdered. Police find four suspects. Three confess. But the fourth refuses to break. He’ll embark on a 12-year battle to prove his innocence, against a system that refuses to admit it might be wrong. The latest podcast series from Guardian Investigates. Coming soon
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  The Birth Keepers: Death plan – episode six 10.12.2025 42min

  A backlash against FBS grows and Emilee and Yolande respond to the growing crisis. This is episode six of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
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  The Birth Keepers: FBS goes global – episode five 10.12.2025 31min

  Emilee and Yolande had grown an ideology and seeded it globally. A reach investigative reporters Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne could not have fathomed when they started reporting on the story. They set out to see just how far FBS has spread. This is episode five of a year-long investigation
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  The Birth Keepers: Growing an empire – episode four 10.12.2025 42min

  Within months of the death of Lorren’s baby, Journey Moon, and the public backlash against the Free Birth Society that followed, Emilee Saldaya took the FBS membership private, turning the business into a global multimillion dollar empire. This is episode four of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
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  The Birth Keepers: Journey Moon 10.12.2025 34min

  When Lorren Holliday got pregnant in 2018, she joined Emilee Saldaya’s Facebook group and quickly became hooked on the Free Birth Society podcasts. It was a decision that led to tragedy. This is episode three of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne
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  The Birth Keepers: When Emilee met Yolande 10.12.2025 40min

  Who is Emilee Saldaya, the woman behind the Free Birth Society movement? And how did she meet her business partner Yolande Norris-Clark? Do either woman have the credentials they are claiming? This is episode two of a year-long investigation by Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne