The collapse of modern attention (and how to get it back) - Cal Newport - #1067

Mar 5, 2026 · 1h 45m

Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University, a productivity expert and an author. Has AI “workslop” damaged our ability to focus? When AI entered the workplace, many thought it would replace knowledge workers. Instead, we’re flooded with AI-generated noise that feels productive but often isn’t. In this new era, is the real competitive advantage simply the ability to focus? Expect to learn what the future of work will be with major advancements in AI, what most people’s relationship with productivity is like at the moment, why your ability to focus is becoming increasingly more important, how people should deal with a lot of work messages, if new AI tools actually have been as transformative as they have claimed to be, if AI in the workplace has been a huge disappointment so far and why and much more… Timestamps: (0:00) Did Cal Predict the Attention Crisis? (3:57) Why Distraction Is Exploding Right Now (9:56) Can You Actually Retrain Your Attention Span? (14:30) Cal’s Top Focus Strategies (22:56) Should We Have Shorter Work Weeks? (33:29) Is Workslop Destroying Productivity in the Workplace? (48:53) Can AI Reliance Create More Opportunities For Us? (01:00:31…

On this episode

Nobody's credited on this episode yet.

The show's regulars