Joe Rogan has seen it all on his podcast—from world-class scientists to conspiracy theorists who could talk for six hours without blinking. But nothing quite prepared him for an episode so awkward that he had to turn to artificial intelligence just to keep the conversation interesting.
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, what was supposed to be a deep dive into the mysteries of the New Jersey drone phenomenon quickly unraveled into a tragic comedy. Rogan’s guest, UFO documentary filmmaker James Fox, was expected to provide insightful analysis on the drones allegedly hovering over New Jersey skies. Instead, what listeners got was a masterclass in dodging questions, technological incompetence, and a desperate attempt to steer every topic back to a film plug.
Technical Difficulties: “It’s Like Dealing with My Dad”
The downward spiral began early when Fox attempted to send Rogan a crucial piece of evidence via his phone, only to realize it was on airplane mode. Rogan, visibly baffled by the sheer simplicity of the issue, let out a sigh that could be heard across the multiverse. “It’s like dealing with my dad,” he muttered, as Fox fumbled with his device like a man trying to defuse a bomb with oven mitts.
The momentum never quite recovered. Whenever Rogan pushed for specifics, Fox either delivered vague answers or diverted to promotional chatter about his documentary. Things reached critical levels of absurdity when Fox completely missed a Terrence Howard reference, prompting Rogan to shoot Jamie a look that can best be described as “we are in trouble.”
ChatGPT to the Rescue
Faced with a guest who had all the clarity of a Magic 8-Ball set to “Reply Hazy, Try Again,” Rogan made a decision no podcaster should ever have to make: he turned to ChatGPT.
For roughly 30 minutes, Rogan abandoned Fox entirely, firing off a series of increasingly urgent questions to Jamie, who dutifully consulted the AI. “Ask ChatGPT if New Jersey residents should be evacuating,” Rogan instructed, while Fox sat silently, mesmerized by Jamie’s typing skills.
As ChatGPT churned out answers that were, at minimum, coherent and directly related to the topic at hand, Fox’s role in the episode dwindled to that of a confused bystander. At one point, Fox, seemingly in awe of the AI’s capabilities, leaned over and complimented Jamie’s typing speed—a moment so profoundly off-course that even Rogan had to laugh.
A Warning to Future Guests
This episode of The Joe Rogan Experience serves as a cautionary tale for podcast guests everywhere: come prepared, or risk being replaced by artificial intelligence. Rogan’s audience, accustomed to the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Elon Musk offering mind-expanding insights, had to endure an episode where the most productive exchange took place between a human and a chatbot.
While ChatGPT’s responses may not have been definitive, they were at least structured—something Fox struggled to deliver throughout the entire episode. In a world where AI is becoming more advanced, it seems the real threat isn’t robots taking over, but podcast guests failing to justify their invite.
The final moments of the episode were perhaps the most telling. As Rogan and ChatGPT wrapped up their discussion on the drone mystery, Fox chimed in one last time with a casual plug for his documentary. Rogan, already halfway checked out, simply nodded before hitting the outro music, marking the end of one of the most unintentionally comedic episodes in recent history.
