About this episode

The episode explores the phenomenon of cute cat AI and its cultural implications, featuring guest Chelsey Weber-Smith.

This week we're cooking up a couple stories in the lab so while you wait, please check out Panic World, a fantastic podcast hosted by friend of the show Ryan Broderick. ----- Why are cats so popular on the internet? It started with cat memes like I Can Haz Cheezburger and Keyboard Cat, then we became enamored with cat celebrities like Lil Bub, Grumpy Cat, and Princess Monstertruck. And now, we’re witnessing the next evolution in cat internet content: “cute cat AI.” Our guest and host of American Hysteria, Chelsey Weber-Smith, calls it a “Kitty Horror Picture Show.” Chelsey joins Ryan and Grant to tell us about the explosion of really weird AI-generated cat videos depicting cat families that’s all over TikTok and YouTube right now — much like Elsagate once did in 2014. Then, Ryan takes us back even further, to cover an older cat-based moral panic: Bonsai Kittens. Together, we look at how though technology has changed, we’ve pretty much always wanted to show each other freaky stuff on the internet — whether real or fake. Our guest Chelsey Weber-Smith hosts American Hysteria, a show that explores the fantastical thinking and irrational fears of Americans. Check it out here or…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Broderick

Guest: Chelsey Weber-Smith

Topics covered

• cute cat AI
• internet culture
• moral panic
• AI-generated content
• cat celebrities

Keywords

• cute cat AI
• internet memes
• cat celebrities
• Bonsai Kittens
• AI-generated videos

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Hysteria, Panic World, Garbage Day Newsletter

More episodes of Hyperfixed

• A Story About a Mouse That’s Actually About Everything · July 2, 2026 · 30 min
• Samurai Gone Girl · June 18, 2026 · 31 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Hyperfixed podcast page.