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Decoder with Nilay Patel podcast

Decoder with Nilay Patel

·

  The Verge  

Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.

Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.

 

#711

Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami isn’t worried AI will kill the web

Today I’m talking with Avishai Abrahami, the CEO of Wix. You might know Wix as a website builder. It’s a competitor to WordPress and Squarespace. Tons of sites across the web run on Wix. But the web is changing rapidly, and Wix’s business today is less about web publishing, and more about providing software to help business owners run their entire companies. It’s fascinating, and Avishai has built a fascinating structure inside of Wix to make all that happen.   Wix is also an Israeli company. Avishai joined from the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv. And I’ll just tell you right up front that we talked about Israel’s war with Hamas and its impact on the company. And that this conversation was not always comfortable. But the main theme of our conversation was, of course, the future of the web, especially a web that seems destined to be overrun by cheap AI-generated SEO spam. Links:  --- [Doom runs on Excel] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2qU7t6Jmfw) --- [Wix will let you build an entire website using only AI prompts] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/17/23796600/wix-ai-generated-websites-chatgpt) --- [Wix.com Launches Wix ADI and Delivers the Future of website creation] (https://www.wix.com/press-room/home/post/wix-com-launches-wix-adi-artificial-design-intelligence-and-delivers-the-future-of-website-creat) --- [YouTube is going to start cracking down on AI clones of musicians] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23959658/google-youtube-generative-ai-labels-music-copyright) --- [The people who ruined the internet] (https://www.theverge.com/features/23931789/seo-search-engine-optimization-experts-google-results) --- [The restaurant nearest Google] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/26/23931825/google-search-local-seo-thai-food-near-me-maps) --- [OpenAI can’t tell if something was written by AI after all] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/25/23807487/openai-ai-generated-low-accuracy) --- [AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/26/23773914/ai-large-language-models-data-scraping-generation-remaking-web) --- [Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena on why anyone makes a website in 2023] (https://www.theverge.com/23795154/squarespace-ai-seo-web-social-algorithms-anthony-casalena) --- [What will changing Section 230 mean for the internet?] (https://www.theverge.com/22302850/section-230-reform-internet-speech-moderation-platforms) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23742026] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23742026) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

28 Nov 2023

1 HR 11 MINS

1:11:36

28 Nov 2023


#710

Chaos at OpenAI: What happened to Sam Altman, and what's next

What actually happened at OpenAI in the last three days? Decoder host and Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with Verge editors Alex Heath and David Pierce to break it down and try to work out what's next. Further reading: --- [Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/17/23965982/openai-ceo-sam-altman-fired) --- [OpenAI’s new CEO is Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968848/openai-new-ceo-emmett-shear-twitch-co-founder-hiring) --- [OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23967199/breaking-openai-board-in-discussions-with-sam-altman-to-return-as-ceo) --- [Emmett Shear named new CEO of OpenAI by board] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23967515/sam-altman-openai-board-fired-new-ceo) --- [Microsoft hires former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968829/microsoft-hires-sam-altman-greg-brockman-employees-openai) --- [Hundreds of OpenAI employees threaten to resign and join Microsoft] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968988/openai-employees-resignation-letter-microsoft-sam-altman) --- [Sam Altman is still trying to return as OpenAI CEO] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969586/sam-altman-plotting-return-open-ai-microsoft) We’re doing a survey on how people use The Verge (and what they’d want from a Verge subscription). If you’re interested in helping us out, you can fill out the survey right here: [http://theverge.com/survey] (http://theverge.com/survey) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Liam James, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. It was edited by Andru Marino.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

20 Nov 2023

1 HR 09 MINS

1:09:17

20 Nov 2023


#709

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan thinks dropping CarPlay is a mistake

Today, I’m talking to Jim Rowan, the CEO of Volvo Cars. Now, Jim’s only been at Volvo for a short time. He took over in 2022 after a decades-long career in the consumer electronics industry. Before Volvo, his two longest stints were at BlackBerry, whose QNX software is used in tons of cars, and then at Dyson, which once tried and failed to make an electric car. Jim and I talked a lot about how that unique experience has influenced how he thinks about the transformational changes happening in the world of cars. For Volvo, the stakes are high. The company has pledged to be all-electric by the end of the decade, and Jim is also making some very different bets on software and revenue than the rest of the car industry. Jim’s view is that automakers are undergoing three major shifts all at once: electrification, autonomy, and direct-to-consumer sales. With Volvo, Jim is trying to steer the ship through these changes and come out an EV-only carmaker on the other end. Links: --- [Volvo plans to sell only electric cars by 2030] (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/business/volvo-electric-cars.html) --- [Volvo’s EX90 is a powerful computer that also happens to be an impeccably designed EV] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23447288/volvo-ex90-suv-ev-price-specs-lidar-mile-range) --- [Can Polestar design a new kind of car company?] (https://www.theverge.com/22574395/polestar-decoder-interview-thomas-ingenlath-ev-cars) --- [The EV transition trips over its own cord] (https://www.theverge.com/23934889/electric-vehicle-ev-transition-sales-delays-politics) --- [Volvo’s upcoming EVs join the Tesla Supercharger bandwagon] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/27/23775579/volvo-tesla-electric-car-supercharger-nacs) --- [Future Volvo cars to run on Volvo operating system] (https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/283545/future-volvo-cars-to-run-on-volvo-operating-system-as-company-takes-software-development-in-house) --- [Audi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming cars] (https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/15/15640596/google-android-auto-audi-volvo-apple-carplay-io-2017) --- [Volvo’s first EV will run native Android] (https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/9/20906777/volvo-xc40-suv-ev-native-android-auto-google-assistant-maps) --- [The rest of the auto industry still loves CarPlay and Android Auto] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/3/23667793/gm-carplay-android-auto-ford-volvo-honda-response) --- [The future of cars is a subscription nightmare] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23206999/car-subscription-nightmare-heated-seats-remote-start) --- [Everybody hates GM’s decision to kill Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its EVs] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/4/23669523/gm-apple-carplay-android-auto-ev-restrict-access) Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23722862 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Nov 2023

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:11

14 Nov 2023


#708

Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet

We’ve got a good one today. I’m talking to former President Barack Obama about AI, social networks, and how to think about democracy as both of those things collide.  I sat down with Obama last week at his offices in Washington, DC, just hours after President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order about AI. You’ll hear Obama say he’s been talking to the Biden administration and leaders across the tech industry about AI and how best to regulate it. My idea here was to talk to Obama the constitutional law professor more than Obama the politician. So this one got wonky fast.  You’ll also hear him say that he joined our show because he wanted to reach you, the Decoder audience, and get you all thinking about these problems. One of Obama’s worries is that the government needs insight and expertise to properly regulate AI, and you’ll hear him make a pitch for why people with that expertise should take a tour of duty in the government to make sure we get these things right. Links:  --- [Biden releases AI executive order directing agencies to develop safety guidelines] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23914507/biden-ai-executive-order-regulation-standards) --- [Clarence Thomas really wants Congress to regulate Twitter moderation] (https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/5/22368045/clarence-thomas-social-media-regulation-knight-v-trump) --- [Google CEO Sundar Pichai compares impact of AI to electricity and fire] (https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/19/16911354/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-ai-artificial-intelligence-fire-electricity-jobs-cancer) --- [Sam Altman sells superintelligent sunshine as protestors call for AGI pause] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/24/23735982/sam-altman-openai-superintelligent-benefits-talk-london-ucl-protests) --- [The Skokie case: How I came to represent the free speech rights of Nazis] (https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/skokie-case-how-i-came-represent-free-speech-rights-nazis) --- [Disinformation is a threat to our democracy] (https://barackobama.medium.com/my-remarks-on-disinformation-at-stanford-7d7af7ba28af) --- [World leaders are gathering at the U.K.'s AI Summit. Doom is on the agenda.] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/31/uk-ai-safety-summit-rishi-sunak-elon-musk/) --- [George R.R. Martin and other authors sue OpenAI for copyright infringement] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/20/23882140/george-r-r-martin-lawsuit-openai-copyright-infringement) --- [A conversation with Bing’s chatbot left me deeply unsettled] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html) --- [Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing] (https://www.theverge.com/23604075/ai-chatbots-bing-chatgpt-intelligent-sentient-mirror-test) Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23712912 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Nov 2023

47 MINS

47:48

07 Nov 2023


#707

AI is on a collision course with the music industry. Reservoir's Golnar Khosrowshahi thinks there’s ...

Today I'm talking with Golnar Khosrowshahi, the founder and CEO of Reservoir Media, a newer record label that I think looks a lot like the future of the music industry. As Golnar explains, Reservoir thinks of individual songs as assets, and after acquiring them, the company sets about monetizing those assets in various ways. This is a copyright-based business in an age where copyright is under a lot of pressure — from TikTok, generative AI, and all of the now-familiar threats to the music business. If you're a Decoder listener, you know that I love thinking about the music industry. Whatever technology does to music, it does to everything else five years later. So paying attention to music is the best way I know to get ahead of the curve. I also just love music. Golnar is herself a musician. She obviously cares about music a lot, and she's clearly given a lot of thought to what happens next. So this was a great conversation.  Links: --- [Drake’s AI clone is here — and Drake might not be able to stop him] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/1/23703087/ai-drake-the-weeknd-music-copyright-legal-battle-right-of-publicity) --- [Hipgnosis made mega deals for song catalogs. Its future Is unclear.] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/arts/music/hipgnosis-songs-fund-shareholder-rejection.html) --- [Reservoir acquires iconic Tommy Boy Music for $100 million] (https://variety.com/2021/music/news/reservoir-acquires-tommy-boy-1234988666/) --- [Ed Sheeran wins copyright case over Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/04/arts/music/ed-sheeran-marvin-gaye-copyright-trial-verdict.html) --- [Spotify is reportedly making major changes to its royalty model] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/25/23932312/spotify-royalties-swift-deezer-universal-white-noise) --- [Hipgnosis shareholders vote against continuation of UK-listed music investment trust] (https://www.ft.com/content/71e2c7fc-805e-4f45-acb8-76317d0a1009) --- [AI can actually help protect creativity and copyrights] (https://variety.com/2023/music/opinion/ai-protect-creativity-and-copyright-guest-post-reservoir-golnar-khosrowshahi-1235656779/) --- [Google and YouTube are trying to have it both ways with AI and copyright] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/22/23841822/google-youtube-ai-copyright-umg-scraping-universal) --- [No Fakes Act wants to protect actors and singers from unauthorized AI replicas] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/12/23914915/ai-replicas-likeness-law-no-fakes-copyright) --- [‘Glocalisation’ of music streaming within and across Europe] (https://www.lse.ac.uk/european-institute/Assets/Documents/LEQS-Discussion-Papers/EIQPaper182.pdf) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23702539] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23702539) Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

31 Oct 2023

56 MINS

56:39

31 Oct 2023


#706

Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig on why AI and social media are causing a free speech crisis for th...

Today, I’m talking to internet policy legend Lawrence Lessig. He's been teaching law for more than 30 years, and is a defining expert on free speech and the internet — and something of a hero of mine, whose works I've been reading since college. You’ll hear us agree that the internet at this moment in time is absolutely flooded with disinformation, misinformation, and other really toxic stuff that’s harmful to us as individuals and, frankly, to our future as a functioning democracy. But you’ll also hear us disagree a fair amount about what to do about it. The First Amendment, AI, copyright law — there's a lot to unpack here. Links:  [https://asml.cyber.harvard.edu/] (https://asml.cyber.harvard.edu/) [https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/17/1081194/how-to-fix-the-internet-online-discourse/] (https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/17/1081194/how-to-fix-the-internet-online-discourse/) [https://www.protocol.com/facebook-papers] (https://www.protocol.com/facebook-papers) [https://www.tiktok.com/@aocinthehouse/video/7214318917135830318?lang=en] (https://www.tiktok.com/@aocinthehouse/video/7214318917135830318?lang=en) [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sensitive-claims-bias-facebook-relaxed-misinformation-rules-conservative-pages-n1236182] (https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sensitive-claims-bias-facebook-relaxed-misinformation-rules-conservative-pages-n1236182) [https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/repetition-lie-truth-propaganda/] (https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/repetition-lie-truth-propaganda/) [https://www.theverge.com/23883027/alvarez-stolen-valor-first-amendment-kosseff-liar-crowded-theater] (https://www.theverge.com/23883027/alvarez-stolen-valor-first-amendment-kosseff-liar-crowded-theater) [https://fortune.com/2023/05/30/sam-altman-ai-risk-of-extinction-pandemics-nuclear-warfare/] (https://fortune.com/2023/05/30/sam-altman-ai-risk-of-extinction-pandemics-nuclear-warfare/) [https://www.americanbar.org/groups/intellectual_property_law/publications/landslide/2019-20/september-october/into-fandomverse/] (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/intellectual_property_law/publications/landslide/2019-20/september-october/into-fandomverse/) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23693274] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23693274) Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

24 Oct 2023

54 MINS

54:49

24 Oct 2023


#705

Clearview AI and the end of privacy, with author Kashmir Hill

Today, I’m talking to Kashmir Hill, a New York Times reporter whose new book, Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It, chronicles the story of Clearview AI, a company that’s built some of the most sophisticated facial recognition and search technology that’s ever existed. As Kashmir reports, you simply plug a photo of someone into Clearview’s app, and it will find every photo of that person that’s ever been posted on the internet. It’s breathtaking and scary. Kashmir was the journalist who broke the first story about Clearview’s existence, starting with a bombshell investigation report that blew the doors open on the company’s clandestine operations. Over the past few years, she’s been relentlessly reporting on Clearview’s growth, the privacy implications of facial recognition technology, and all of the cautionary tales that inevitably popped up, from wrongful arrests to billionaires using the technology for personal vendettas. The book is fantastic. If you’re a Decoder listener, you’re going to love it, and I highly recommend it.  Links:  --- [The secretive company that may end privacy as we know it] (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/technology/clearview-privacy-facial-recognition.html) --- [What we learned about Clearview AI and its secret ‘co-founder’] (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/technology/clearview-facial-recognition-ai.html) --- [Clearview AI does well in another round of facial recognition accuracy tests] (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/technology/clearview-ai-facial-recognition-accuracy.html) --- [hiQ and LinkedIn reach proposed settlement in landmark scraping case] (https://www.natlawreview.com/article/hiq-and-linkedin-reach-proposed-settlement-landmark-scraping-case) --- [My chilling run-in with a secretive facial-recognition app] (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/clearview-ai-facial-recognition-app-chilling/) --- [Clearview’s facial recognition app Is identifying child victims of abuse] (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/business/clearview-facial-recognition-child-sexual-abuse.html) --- [‘Thousands of dollars for something I didn’t do’] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/technology/facial-recognition-false-arrests.html) --- [How we store and search 30 billion faces] (https://www.clearview.ai/post/how-we-store-and-search-30-billion-faces) --- [Clearview AI agrees to permanent ban on selling facial recognition to private companies] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/9/23063952/clearview-ai-aclu-settlement-illinois-bipa-injunction-private-companies) --- [Clearview fined again in France for failing to comply with privacy orders] (https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/10/clearview-ai-another-cnil-gspr-fine/) --- [Privacy law prevents Illinoisans from using Google app’s selfie art feature] (https://www.illinoispolicy.org/privacy-law-prevents-illinoisans-from-using-google-apps-selfie-art-feature/) --- [Madison Square Garden uses facial recognition to ban its owner’s enemies] (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/nyregion/madison-square-garden-facial-recognition.html) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23683175] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23683175) Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

17 Oct 2023

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:49

17 Oct 2023


#704

CEO David Baszucki's mission to make Roblox a billion-player platform

Today we’re bringing you the last of our live-on-stage interviews from the 2023 Code Conference. Verge deputy editor Alex Heath sat down to chat with Roblox CEO David Baszucki.  Roblox definitely started out as a kid thing, but the company has big plans to change all that, and Alex got to find out a bit about how that’s going. Roblox is determined to be a platform, even more than a product — something users can develop games and experiences on. And of course, David and Alex spoke about AI. David sees a lot of opportunity for generative AI to help content creators on the Roblox platform in the not-so-distant future.  Links:  --- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfYz8weQm4M] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfYz8weQm4M) --- [https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/roblox-cuts-30-on-talent-acquisition-team-as-hiring-slows/] (https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/roblox-cuts-30-on-talent-acquisition-team-as-hiring-slows/) --- [https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23864858/roblox-ceo-prediction-adults-dating-experiences-rdc-2023] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23864858/roblox-ceo-prediction-adults-dating-experiences-rdc-2023) --- [https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23889307/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-wearables-connect] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23889307/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-wearables-connect) --- [https://www.theverge.com/23775268/roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-gaming-metaverse-robux-virtual-reality] (https://www.theverge.com/23775268/roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-gaming-metaverse-robux-virtual-reality) --- [https://mashable.com/article/karlie-kloss-roblox-klossette] (https://mashable.com/article/karlie-kloss-roblox-klossette) --- [https://www.theverge.com/23734209/parsons-roblox-design-class-metaverse-fashion] (https://www.theverge.com/23734209/parsons-roblox-design-class-metaverse-fashion) Transcript:  [https://www.theverge.com/e/23677085] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23677085) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

12 Oct 2023

31 MINS

31:09

12 Oct 2023


#703

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on ramping up R1T production and competing with the Cybertruck

We’ve got another interview from the Code Conference today. My friend and co-host, CNBC’s Julia Boorstin, and I had a chance to talk with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. Rivian is a newer company — RJ started it in 2009, and it took more than 10 years to start shipping cars to consumers. But its first vehicle, the R1T pickup, made a big splash when it arrived in 2021, and the company has more back orders for both the R1T and its second vehicle, the R1S SUV, than it can handle. For now. We asked RJ about that production ramp and whether Rivian can meet demand, and whether it’s just early adopters buying EVs or if they’ve finally gone mainstream. The conversation also touched on Rivian’s deal with Amazon and the auto industry’s push toward subscription features. And, of course, I had to ask Scaringe about the Cybertruck. How could I resist?! Links:  --- [BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature) --- [BMW drops plan to charge a monthly fee for heated seats] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/7/23863258/bmw-cancel-heated-seat-subscription-microtransaction) --- [U.A.W. expands strikes at automakers: Here’s what to know.] (https://www.nytimes.com/article/uaw-strike-explained-ford-stellantis-gm.html) --- [Rivian boosts EV production target as supply problems ease] (https://www.ft.com/content/b2e558e8-eb98-43ba-afcc-ed9da15e31d2) --- [Ford F-150 Lightning gets $10K price cut as ramping supply meets demand] (https://electrek.co/2023/07/17/ford-f-150-lightning-production-scale-price-cut-near-10000-new-customers/) --- [First look at Cybertruck’s comically large windshield wiper in action] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/14/23683065/cybertruck-windshield-wiper-tesla-video) --- [Amazon says it has ‘over a thousand’ Rivian electric vans making deliveries in the US] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/7/23443995/amazon-rivian-electric-delivery-van-fleet-ev) --- [Rivian to adopt Tesla's charging standard in EVs and chargers] (https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ev-maker-rivian-adopt-teslas-charging-standard-2023-06-20/) --- [Rivian electric pickup caught fire while charging at Electrify America station] (https://electrek.co/2023/06/06/rivian-electric-pickup-caught-fire-while-charging-electrify-america-station/) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23672708] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23672708) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Oct 2023

40 MINS

40:12

10 Oct 2023


#702

Getty Images CEO Craig Peters has a plan to defend photography from AI

Last week, when I was co-hosting the Code Conference, I got to talk with Getty Images CEO Craig Peters. The generative AI boom is a direct threat to Getty in many ways. For example, the company is suing Stability AI for training the Stable Diffusion model on Getty content — sometimes clearly including AI-generated copies of the Getty watermark — without permission. Getty's answer? Its own proprietary, in-house AI tool, trained — with permission — on its own content, using a model where the original creators can get paid. Getty's put some pretty strict guardrails around it for now, but, as even Craig told us, there's still a lot of work to do. Links:  [https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/21/23364696/getty-images-ai-ban-generated-artwork-illustration-copyright] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/21/23364696/getty-images-ai-ban-generated-artwork-illustration-copyright) [https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/6/23587393/ai-art-copyright-lawsuit-getty-images-stable-diffusion] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/6/23587393/ai-art-copyright-lawsuit-getty-images-stable-diffusion) [https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/25/23884679/getty-ai-generative-image-platform-launch] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/25/23884679/getty-ai-generative-image-platform-launch) [https://www.theverge.com/23900198/microsoft-kevin-scott-ai-art-bing-google-nvidia-decoder-interview] (https://www.theverge.com/23900198/microsoft-kevin-scott-ai-art-bing-google-nvidia-decoder-interview) [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/06/section-230-the-internet-law-politicians-love-to-hate-explained/] (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/06/section-230-the-internet-law-politicians-love-to-hate-explained/) [https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176881182/supreme-court-sides-against-andy-warhol-foundation-in-copyright-infringement-cas] (https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176881182/supreme-court-sides-against-andy-warhol-foundation-in-copyright-infringement-cas) [https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/26/23808184/big-ai-really-wants-to-convince-us-that-theyre-cautious] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/26/23808184/big-ai-really-wants-to-convince-us-that-theyre-cautious) [https://journal.everypixel.com/ai-image-statistics] (https://journal.everypixel.com/ai-image-statistics) [https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177590231/fake-viral-images-of-an-explosion-at-the-pentagon-were-probably-created-by-ai] (https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177590231/fake-viral-images-of-an-explosion-at-the-pentagon-were-probably-created-by-ai) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23667741] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23667741) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

05 Oct 2023

33 MINS

33:23

05 Oct 2023


#701

Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on how AI and art will coexist in the future

I co-hosted the Code Conference last week, and today’s episode is one of my favorite conversations from the show: Microsoft CTO and EVP of AI Kevin Scott. If you caught Kevin on Decoder a few months ago, you know that he and I love talking about technology together. I really appreciate that he thinks about the relationship between technology and culture as much as we do at The Verge, and it was great to add the energy from the live Code audience to that dynamic. Kevin and I talked about how things are going with Bing and Microsoft’s AI efforts, as well the company’s relationship with Nvidia and whether it's planning to develop its own AI chips. I also asked Kevin some pretty philosophical questions about AI: Why would you write a song or a book when AI is out there making custom content for other people? Well, it’s because Kevin thinks the AI is still “terrible” at it for now, as Kevin found out firsthand. But he also thinks that creating is just what people do, and AI will help more people become more creative. Links:  --- [Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott thinks Sydney might make a comeback] (https://www.theverge.com/23733388/microsoft-kevin-scott-open-ai-chat-gpt-bing-github-word-excel-outlook-copilots-sydney) --- [Hands-on with the new Bing: Microsoft’s step beyond ChatGPT] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590873/microsoft-new-bing-chatgpt-ai-hands-on) --- [Microsoft Bing hits 100 million active users in bid to grab share from Google] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/9/23631912/microsoft-bing-100-million-daily-active-users-milestone) --- [How Microsoft is trying to lessen Its addiction to OpenAI as AI costs soar] (https://www.theinformation.com/articles/how-microsoft-is-trying-to-lessen-its-addiction-to-openai-as-ai-costs-soar) --- [AMD CEO Lisa Su on the AI revolution and competing with Nvidia] (https://www.theverge.com/23894647/amd-ceo-lisa-su-ai-chips-nvidia-supply-chain-interview-decoder) --- [Microsoft's tiny Phi-1 language model shows how important data quality is for AI training] (https://the-decoder.com/microsofts-tiny-phi-1-language-model-shows-the-importance-of-data-quality-in-ai-training/) --- [Microsoft says listing the Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist destination wasn’t the result of ‘unsupervised AI’] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/17/23836287/microsoft-ai-recommends-ottawa-food-bank-tourist-destination) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23664239] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23664239) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

03 Oct 2023

43 MINS

43:26

03 Oct 2023