The AI vibes continue to find all-time lows. David and Nilay open the show by talking through the absurd Allbirds pivot to AI, the attacks on Sam Altman, and the increasing divide between what AI companies say is inevitable and what people actually want. Then, the Hype Desk crew talks Coachella and RAMageddon, before David and Nilay catch up on the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly suit and the increasing price of everything. In the lightning round, it's time for Brendan Carr is a dummy, satellite internet, brain-computer interfaces, and the Trump Phone.
Further reading:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/912484/allbirds-ai-hyperscale">Allbirds announced a switch from shoes to AI and its stock jumped 600 percent </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/business/912634/the-allbirds-pivot-to-meme-stock">The Allbirds pivot to… meme stock? </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/911778/ai-violence-sam-altman-home">The attacks on Sam Altman are a warning for the AI world </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/910890/openai-sam-altman-second-home-attack-shooting">Sam Altman reportedly targeted in second attack </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/912989/altman-attack-suspect-proposed-luigiing-some-tech-ceos">Altman attack suspect proposed “Luigi’ing some tech CEOs.” </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/news/inside-the-ai-index-12-takeaways-from-the-2026-report">Stanford’s AI study</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li>NYT: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/style/gen-z-ai-gallup-study.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share">Half of Gen Z Uses AI, but Their Feelings Are Souring, Study Shows</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.threads.com/@reesewitherspoon/post/DXKp2yvlJNJ">Reese Witherspoon on Threads on AI</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/912689/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-monopoly-trial-verdict">Ticketmaster is an illegal monopoly, jury finds </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li>
<a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/909192/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-closing-arguments">A jury is about to decide the fate of Ticketmaster</a><a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/909192/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-closing-arguments"> </a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/912639/microsoft-counters-the-macbook-neo-with-freebies-for-students">Microsoft counters the MacBook Neo with freebies for students</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/streaming/909698/youtube-premium-price-hike-us">YouTube Premium is getting pricier </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/911322/microsoft-surface-price-increase-ram">RAMageddon has come for Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptop </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/912921/meta-quest-3-3s-vr-price-hike-ram-memory-shortage">Meta blames RAM shortage for $100 Quest 3 price hike</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/14/media/fccs-brendan-carr-again-blasts-deals-between-nfl-and-streaming-services-says-antitrust-exemption-is-at-risk/">FCC’s Brendan Carr again blasts deals between NFL and streaming services</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/911888/netgear-router-ban-conditional-approval">The FCC just saved Netgear from its router ban for no obvious reason </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/912750/netgear-and-the-fcc-have-not-responded-to-our-emails">Netgear and the FCC have not responded to our emails. </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/910834/neuralink-bcis-bet?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6Inl6QXVMc3NUVHciLCJwIjoiL3RlY2gvOTEwODM0L25ldXJhbGluay1iY2lzLWJldCIsImV4cCI6MTc3NjgwNzkwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzc2Mzc1OTA0fQ.EnIh6s6exAVty1Z0p22x3XC2fPGvOGzxfXTwo3nJV9o&utm_medium=gift-link">Did Neuralink make the wrong bet?</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/911617/amazon-globalstar-apple-iphone-watch-satellite-internet">Apple and Amazon are teaming up to challenge Starlink’s smartphone ambitions </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/912249/point-musk">Point, Musk. </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/910971/amazon-leo-antenna-in-flight-wifi">Amazon’s Starlink competitor now has an airplane antenna. </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/909122/amazons-starlink-competitor-leo-gets-a-new-date">Amazon’s Starlink competitor Leo gets a new date </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/911503/trump-mobile-t1-phone-redesign-new-website">The new Trump Phone design is here </a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.theverge.com/subscribe">Subscribe to The Verge</a> for unlimited access to <a href="http://theverge.com/">theverge.com</a>, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our <a href="https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to">ad-free podcast feed</a>.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to <a href="mailto:vergecast@theverge.com">vergecast@theverge.com</a> or call us at 866-VERGE11.

--EPISODE RUNDOWN--
(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Allbirds Goes AI
00:06:00 From Shoes to Tech Hype
00:09:00 Altman Attacks and Backlash
00:13:00 Why AI Feels Threatening
00:18:00 Gen Z Polls and Trust Gap
00:29:00 Reese Witherspoon AI Pushback
00:35:00 Hype Desk Returns
00:36:00 RAM Apocalypse and Wikifeet
00:39:00 Coachella Livestream Era
00:43:00 Ticketmaster Monopoly Verdict
00:47:00 MacBook Neo Spurs Microsoft
00:49:00 OpenAI Clouds and Copilot Backlash
00:51:00 Windows vs Mac Value Shift
00:54:00 The Pricing Apocalypse Hits
00:55:00 Why YouTube Premium Costs More
01:02:00 Lightning Round
01:03:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy
01:07:00 NFL Antitrust Exemption Fight
01:15:00 Amazon Buys Globalstar
01:22:00 FCC Router Ban Chaos
01:27:00 Trump Phone Gets Realer
01:31:00 Neuralink Bet
01:32:00 Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

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