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Ep. 008: “Food Is Safe, Just Ask the Food Company” — AI Washing, the Apple AI Settlement & the Fight Over What’s in Your Food

Apple AI Settlement, Food Safety Reform, and Corporate Accountability

Welcome to Represent More, a production of We Are Them Media.

This week, Ryan and Shireen are back in the studio fresh off a major win in the Apple AI settlement, a $250 million result that may be the largest false advertising settlement in history. The case centers on “AI washing“: Apple’s alleged failure to deliver on the artificial intelligence features it used to sell its iPhone 15 and 16 models.

Ryan breaks down how the Apple AI settlement works, what class members can expect, and why this verdict matters beyond the dollar figure. He also explains what “AI washing” looks like as a legal theory and how false advertising claims may continue to evolve as more companies market products around artificial intelligence.

Then Shireen digs into something that affects every single person who eats: the fight over GRAS, or “Generally Recognized as Safe.” This FDA designation allows food companies to introduce certain ingredients and chemicals into the food supply without meaningful government oversight. With 28 food safety bills currently moving through Congress, she explains what is at stake, what the GRAS loophole actually means, and why food safety reform is long overdue.

Topics covered this episode

  • The $250M Apple AI washing settlement: what it means, how to claim your share, and what “AI washing” as a legal theory looks like going forward
  • AI washing and false advertising: how companies market artificial intelligence features and what happens when those promises allegedly fall short
  • GRAS explained: how a 1950s-era FDA designation became a loophole for synthetic food chemicals, and why 99% of food chemicals introduced since 2000 have entered the food supply through industry self-affirmation
  • The 28 food safety bills working through Congress right now, including a major GRAS reform proposal
  • The glyphosate/Roundup preemption case at the Supreme Court and the Trump administration’s troubling position
  • Industry consolidation as a common thread — from food to airlines — and what happens to accountability when competition is just an illusion

From the courtroom to the grocery store, accountability requires someone willing to fight for it. If you want to stay up to date on the Apple case and the firm’s other AI litigation, visit togetheron.ai to sign up for updates.

Represent More is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and find us on Substack at representmore.substack.com.

About the Podcast

Represent More is a podcast about power — who has it, who doesn’t, and what happens when accountability breaks down. Hosted by Ryan and Shireen Clarkson, founding partners of Clarkson, the show explores the systems shaping everyday life, from healthcare and AI to consumer markets and corporate behavior. Drawing on decades of civil litigation, they unpack real cases, real harm, and the forces that often go unchecked.

This podcast isn’t legal advice.

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