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Decoder with Nilay Patel

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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.

#789

Intuit asked us to delete part of this Decoder episode

Today’s episode, well — it’s a ride. I’m talking to Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi, who’s built Intuit into a juggernaut business software company in part through a series of major acquisitions: TurboTax, MailChimp, CreditKarma, and loads more. There’s a lot of good Decoder material there, and we get into it. But it’s TurboTax, and the company’s tax lobbying efforts to protect it, that really drives a major narrative about Intuit, for better and worse. So you can bet I asked Sasan about all this, and it got a bit contentious. In fact, the company's chief communications officer even demanded we delete a portion of this interview over an exchange with Sasan on TurboTax. Don’t worry — we don’t do that here at The Verge. So expect to hear that section right up top, with the rest of the interview following after, Links: ---Inside TurboTax’s 20-year fight to stop Americans from filing taxes for free| [ProPublica] (https://propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free) ---TurboTax deliberately hid free file page from Google Search | [ProPublica] (https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-deliberately-hides-its-free-file-page-from-search-engines) ---TurboTax maker Intuit spent millions in record lobbying blitz | [OpenSecrets] (https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2024/02/turbotax-maker-intuit-spent-millions-in-record-lobbying-blitz-amid-threats-to-tax-prep-industry/) ---FTC: Intuit’s “free” TurboTax ads misled consumers | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23864538/turbotax-intuit-ftc-deceptive-practices-free-tax-filing) ---TurboTax isn’t allowed to say it’s ‘free’ anymore | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/23/24047807/turbotax-misleading-advertising-free-tax-file-ftc-final-order) ---Intuit owes you money if it made you pay for TurboTax “free” | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/4/23057463/intuit-141-million-agreement-new-york-attorney-general-turbotax-free) ---IRS extends its Free File tax program for five more years | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/23/24163530/irs-free-file-tax-program-extended) ---IRS Direct File set to expand availability in a dozen new states | [IRS] (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-direct-file-set-to-expand-availability-in-a-dozen-new-states-and-cover-wider-range-of-tax-situations-for-the-2025-tax-filing-season) ---Mint is shutting down, and it’s pushing users toward Credit Karma | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/2/23943254/mint-intuit-shutting-down-credit-karma) ---Intuit Mailchimp CEO Rania Succar on Decoder | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/24115515/intuit-mailchimp-ceo-rania-succar-acquisition-email-marketing-ai-small-business-decoder-interview) ---Ethics Statement | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/ethics-statement) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24037861] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24037861) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

Yesterday

56 MINS

56:53

Yesterday

#788

How influencers are changing advertising with Digitas CEO Amy Lanzi

Today’s episode is a little different: Digitas CEO Amy Lanzi and I recorded this conversation live on stage during advertising week in New York City at an event graciously hosted by Adweek. I've actually been dying to talk to Amy. Digitas is one of the most important agencies in the entire advertising business with huge clients and massive influence over big platforms like Instagram and YouTube. After all, they're the ones buying the ads that keep all of those companies afloat. As you'd expect, she has a lot of thoughts about influencers, creators, AI, and everything that is going to change the advertising industry in the months and years to come. Links: ---Publicis Groupe acquires influencer-marketing giant Influential | [Marketing Dive] (https://www.marketingdive.com/news/publicis-groupe-acquires-influential-influencer-marketing/722520/) ---Epsilon has first Digital CDP to provide native omni-channel activation | [Epsilon] (https://www.epsilon.com/us/about-us/pressroom/epsilon-digital-cdp-first-customer-data-platform-to-provide-native-omni-channel-activation-for-marketers) ---Stagwell is on the hunt for adtech as the ad company continues its acquisition spree | [BI] (https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-penn-stagwell-group-eyes-adtech-acquisitions-2024-4) ---Emma Chamberlain Is the People’s Influencer | [Allure] (https://www.allure.com/story/emma-chamberlain-june-2020-cover-interview) ---Inside the World of Sephora Squad | [Marketing Scoop] (https://www.marketingscoop.com/consumer/what-is-sephora-squad/) ---Fanatics Launches Fanatics Live, a Next-Gen Live Commerce Platform | [Fanatics] (https://www.fanaticsinc.com/press-releases/fanatics-officially-launches-fanatics-live-a-next-gen-live-commerce-platform) ---There’s no AI without the cloud, says AWS CEO Adam Selipsky | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23824200/ai-cloud-amazon-aws-adam-selipsky) ---A Google breakup is on the table, say DOJ lawyers | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/8/24265832/google-search-antitrust-remedies-framework-android-chrome-play) ---For Gen Z, TikTok Is the New Search Engine | [The New York Times] (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.html) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

17 Oct 2024

1 HR 04 MINS

1:04:50

17 Oct 2024

#787

Duolingo CEO Luis Von Ahn wants you addicted to learning

Luis von Ahn is the co-founder and CEO of Duolingo. There are lots of opportunities to enhance a product like Duolingo with AI, and we talk about all that — but I also wanted to talk to Luis about learning, generally. Duolingo is a global product, and there are a lot of tech tensions there, dealing with different user needs worldwide. We talk about it all in a pretty direct way... including all those unhinged things the owl does on social media. Links: --- [Duolingo Introduces AI-Powered Innovations at Duocon 2024] (https://investors.duolingo.com/news-releases/news-release-details/duolingo-introduces-ai-powered-innovations-duocon-2024) (Duolingo) --- [Video Call with Lily] (https://www.youtube.com/embed/PIxxfBwjkTA) (Duolingo / YouTube) --- [AI Boosts Duolingo As Company Posts First Profit] (https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/ai-boosts-duolingo-as-company-posts-first-profit) (Nasdaq) --- [Foreign Language Training] (https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training/) (US State Department) --- [Exploring My Villain Origin Story] (https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo/video/7415619477552827679?lang=en) (Duolingo / TikTok) --- [Duolingo cuts workers as it relies more on AI] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/10/duolingo-ai-layoffs/) (The Washington Post) --- [Why Silicon Valley Is Talking About Founder Mode] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/03/business/dealbook/founder-mode-chesky-graham.html) (The New York Times) --- [Duolingo's Math and Music lessons finally hit Android a year after iOS] (https://www.androidpolice.com/duolingo-math-music-lessons-arrive-on-android/) (Android Police) --- [Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on taking it back to basics] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/9/23716903/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-rooms-ai-travel-future-of-work-summer-2023) (Decoder / The Verge) --- [How Duolingo is using its 'unhinged content' with Duo the Owl] (https://digiday.com/marketing/how-duolingo-is-using-its-unhinged-content-with-duo-the-owl-to-make-people-laugh-on-tiktok/) (Digiday) --- [How we turned Duo's butt into a viral Super Bowl commercial] (https://blog.duolingo.com/super-bowl-commercial-2024/) (Duolingo) --- [A Duolingo employee has apologised for joking about Amber Heard] (https://thetab.com/uk/2022/05/19/duolingo-amber-heard-252204) (The Tab) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24031882] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24031882) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Oct 2024

1 HR 23 MINS

1:23:55

14 Oct 2024

#786

The impossible dream of good workplace software

I’m talking with my good friend David Pierce, Vergecast co-host and The Verge’s editor-at-large, about something he spends an ungodly amount of time thinking and writing about: software. Scores of new workplace apps are cropping with clever metaphors to try to make us work differently. Sometimes that works… and sometimes it really, really doesn’t. And it feels like the addition of AI to the mix will accelerate the pace of experimentation here in pretty radical ways. Links: ---Why software is eating the world | [Wall Street Journal] (https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903480904576512250915629460) (2011) ---Mailchimp CEO Rania Succar on why email makes sense for Intuit | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24115515/intuit-mailchimp-ceo-rania-succar-acquisition-email-marketing-ai-small-business-decoder-interview) ---Why would anyone make a website in 2023? | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23795154/squarespace-ai-seo-web-social-algorithms-anthony-casalena) ---Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami isn’t worried AI will kill the web | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23977985/wix-ceo-avishai-abrahami-generative-ai-web-google-search-interview) ---Figma CEO Dylan Field is optimistic about AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24102160/figma-ceo-adobe-deal-design-ai-web-future-regulation-sxsw-decoder-interview) ---We don’t sell saddles here | [Stewart Butterfield] (https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d) (2014) ---The CEO of Zoom wants AI clones in meetings | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/3/24168733/zoom-ceo-ai-clones-digital-twins-videoconferencing-decoder-interview) ---Dropbox CEO Drew Houston wants you to embrace AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24128606/dropbox-drew-houston-ai-remote-work-virtual-organization) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Oct 2024

50 MINS

50:22

10 Oct 2024

#785

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu isn't thinking too far ahead

Rabbit’s adorable R1 gadget launched with a lot of hype, but early reviews of the device were universally bad. Now, a core feature, its long-promised LAM Playground has arrived. I had a lot of big questions for CEO Jesse Lyu about how it all works — not just technologically, but if his plans are sustainable from a business and legal perspective. Links: ---Rabbit R1 review: an unfinished, unhelpful AI gadget | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/2/24147159/rabbit-r1-review-ai-gadget) ---Loopholes aren’t a technology | [Buzzfeed News] (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jwherrman/loopholes-arent-a-technology) (2012) ---I tested Rabbit R1's next generation LAM — and it tried to gaslight me | [Tom’s Hardware] (https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/i-just-tested-rabbit-r1s-next-generation-lam-is-this-what-the-company-actually-promised) ---I tried Rabbit's LAM Playground, and I'm still disappointed | [Android Authority] (https://www.androidauthority.com/rabbit-lam-playground-3486938/) ---Rabbit's AI bot will try to help you do anything (keyword is 'try') | [Fast Company] (https://www.fastcompany.com/91201935/rabbits-long-awaited-ai-bot-will-try-to-help-you-do-anything-keyword-is-try) ---Rabbit’s web-based ‘large action model’ agent arrives on R1 October 1 | [TechCrunch] (https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/23/rabbits-web-based-large-action-model-agent-arrives-on-r1-as-early-as-this-week/) ---Rabbit R1 founder defends “unfinished” AI gadget | [City AM] (https://www.cityam.com/rabbit-r1-founder-defends-unfinished-ai-gadget/) ---AI hardware is in its flip-phone phase | [Fast Company] (https://www.fastcompany.com/91196736/ai-hardware-is-in-its-flip-phone-phase) ---The iPhone 16 will ship as a work in progress | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/10/24241043/apple-iphone-16-pro-intelligence-ai-missing) ---Humane AI Pin review: Not even close | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24126502/humane-ai-pin-review) ---Marques Brownlee says ‘I hear you’ after fans criticize his new wallpaper app | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/24/24253023/mkbhd-panels-wallpaper-app-response-criticism) Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/24024222 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Oct 2024

1 HR 22 MINS

1:22:55

07 Oct 2024

#784

The toxic transformation of Warcraft maker Blizzard

Today, I’m talking to Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg journalist and author of the new book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. If you don’t know Blizzard, you do know its games — the studio behind Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch has achieved legendary status over three decades. At the same time, the company has become emblematic of many of gaming’s biggest failings. Jason’s book is out on October 8th, and it’s an incredible, detailed accounting of how Blizzard started, grew into a hitmaker and, eventually, became a victim of its own mismanagement. Oh, and there are a series of chaotic acquisitions along the way, culminating in Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard last year. In this episode, Jason and I get into all of this and more. Links: ---Play Nice: The Rise, Fall and Future of Blizzard Entertainment | [Hachette] (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725443/?lens=grand-central-publishing) ---How Blizzard’s canceled MMO Titan fell apart | [Polygon] (https://www.polygon.com/excerpt/458330/why-blizzard-mmo-titan-was-cancelled) ---Blizzard was built on crunch, co-founder says, but it’s ‘not sustainable’ | [Polygon] (https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/27/18761120/video-games-crunch-developers-unionize-mike-morhaime-comments-blizzard-world-of-warcraft) ---Inside Activision and Blizzard’s corporate warcraft | [Bloomberg] (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-09-25/book-excerpt-play-nice-the-rise-fall-and-future-of-blizzard-entertainment) ---Blizzard cofounder’s new company Dreamhaven aims to recreate old magic | [Bloomberg] (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-18/blizzard-co-founder-s-new-company-dreamhaven-aims-to-recreate-the-old-magic) ---Activision Blizzard’s rot goes all the way to the CEO, alleges report | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/16/22785457/activision-blizzard-bobby-kotick-ceo-wall-street-journal-wsj-report-allegations) ---Activision Blizzard’s workplace problems spurred $75 billion microsoft Deal | [WSJ] (https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-blizzard-microsoft-deal-11642557922) ---California settles Activision Blizzard gender discrimination lawsuit | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/15/24003556/california-activision-blizzard-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-settlement) ---Microsoft completes Activision Blizzard acquisition | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/13/23791235/microsoft-activision-blizzard-acquisition-complete-finalized) ---Microsoft lays off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

03 Oct 2024

53 MINS

53:36

03 Oct 2024

#783

NBCU's streaming chief isn't worried about you canceling cable

Matt Strauss is the Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer at NBC Universal. That’s a big fancy title that means he’s not only in charge of Peacock but also every other streaming video offering the company has worldwide. So you can bet Matt and I got into what that structure even looks like, and how it all operates under the overall ownership of Comcast, which is in the middle of its own massive transition as its traditional cable TV business continues to fade. There’s a lot in this one – tech, media, sports, and culture, all at once. It’s quite a ride. Links: --- [Comcast's new DVR ditches the hard drive, stores your recordings in the cloud] (https://www.theverge.com/2013/6/11/4418868/comcast-xi3-dvr-ditches-hard-drive-puts-your-recordings-in-cloud) (The Verge, 2013) --- [Comcast and Charter Lost Another 269,000 Broadband Customers Last Quarter] (https://www.fool.com/investing/2024/08/08/comcast-and-charter-lost-another-269000-broadband/) (The Motley Fool) --- [It's official, people aren't watching TV as much as they used to] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/15/23833516/nielsen-tv-cable-50-percent-decline-viewership-bum-bums) (The Verge) --- [The future of TV is up in the air] (https://www.theverge.com/23629525/tv-atsc3-free-antenna-broadcasts-scripps-nuvyyo) (The Verge) --- [Peacock Quarterly Loss Narrows to $348M as Subscribers Drop to 33M] (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/comcast-q2-earnings-report-peacock-loss-nbcuniversal-1235953927/) (THR) --- [OTA and free online video drives higher US TV-video viewing hours] (https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/ota-and-free-online-video-drives-higher-us-tv-video-viewing-hours) (S&P Global) --- [Streaming was part of the future — now it’s the only future] (https://www.theverge.com/21536842/streaming-disney-hbo-max-peacock-cbs-all-access-warnermedia-viacom-nbcuniversal) (The Verge) --- [US pay-TV losses reach a nadir] (https://www.lightreading.com/video-streaming/US-pay-TV-losses-reach-a-nadir) (Light Reading) --- [The 2024 Olympics were a big win for TV of all kinds] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/20/24224359/olympics-2024-paris-big-win-streaming-tv) (The Verge) --- [Court blocks Disney-Fox-WBD sports streaming bundle] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/16/24222035/venu-sports-disney-fox-wbd-blocked-court-antitrust) (The Verge) --- [An AI version of Al Michaels will deliver Olympic recaps on Peacock ] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24185774/olympics-ai-al-michaels-voice-recaps) (The Verge) Transcript: Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

30 Sep 2024

1 HR 15 MINS

1:15:34

30 Sep 2024

#782

Why Mark Zuckerberg wants to end the smartphone era

We have a very special episode of Decoder today. It’s become a tradition every fall to have Verge deputy editor Alex Heath interview Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the show at Meta Connect. This year, before his interview with Mark, Alex got to try a new pair of experimental AR glasses the company is calling Orion. Alex talked to Mark about a whole lot more, including why the company is investing so heavily in AR, why he's shifted away from politics, Mark's thoughts on the link between teen mental health and social media, and why the Meta chief executive is done apologizing for corporate scandals like Cambridge Analytica that he feels were overblown and misrepresented. Links: ---Hands-on with Orion, Meta’s first pair of AR glasses | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24253908/meta-orion-ar-glasses-demo-mark-zuckerberg-interview) ---The biggest news from Meta Connect 2024 | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/25/24250234/meta-connect-rayban-glasses-orion-ai-llama) ---Mark Zuckerberg: publishers ‘overestimate the value’ of their work for training AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/25/24254042/mark-zuckerberg-creators-value-ai-meta) ---Meta extends its Ray-Ban smart glasses deal beyond 2030 | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/17/24247236/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-essilorluxottica) ---The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses actually make the future look cool | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23922425/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-review) ---Meta has a major opportunity to win the AI hardware race | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/21/24250020/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-ai-hardware-meta-connect) ---Instagram is putting every teen into more private and restrictive new account | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/17/24246423/instagram-teen-account-private-restrictive) ---Threads isn’t for news and politics, says Instagram’s boss | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/7/23787334/instagram-threads-news-politics-adam-mosseri-meta-facebook) ---Facebook puts news on the back burner | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/20/23271108/facebook-news-bulletin-newsletter-shift-resources-video-feed-creators) ---Meta is losing a billion dollars on VR and AR every single month | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/26/24142055/meta-is-losing-a-billion-dollars-on-vr-and-ar-every-single-month) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24017522] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24017522) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt; our editor is Callie Wright. This episode was additionally produced by Brett Putman and Vjeran Pavic. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:55

25 Sep 2024

#781

Arc creator Josh Miller on why you need a better browser than Chrome

Today, I’m talking with Josh Miller, co-founder and CEO of The Browser Company, a relatively new software maker that develops the Arc browser. The company also has a mobile app called Arc Search that does AI summaries of webpages, which puts it right in the middle of a contentious debate in the tech industry around paying web creators for their work. We’ve been talking about these topics pretty much nonstop for last year here on Decoder. So I was really excited to have Josh on the show to explore why he built Arc, what he hopes it will accomplish, and what might happen to browsers, search engines, and the web itself as these trends evolve. Links: ---Researcher reveals ‘catastrophic’ security flaw in the Arc browser | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/20/24249919/arc-browser-boost-firebase-vulnerability-patched) ---The Arc browser is the Chrome replacement I’ve been waiting for | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23462235/arc-web-browser-review) ---Arc’s mobile browser is here — and it’s not really a web browser at all | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/30/23662130/arc-mobile-browser-hands-on-ios) ---Arc is getting better bookmarks and search results, all thanks to AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/1/24058013/arc-browser-smart-folders-browse-for-me-ai) ---Arc Search combines browser, search engine, and AI into something new | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/28/24053882/arc-search-browser-web-app-ios) ---Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist’ in US antitrust case | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/5/24155520/judge-rules-on-us-doj-v-google-antitrust-search-suit) ---Google paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be Safari’s default search engine | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/2/24147007/google-paid-apple-20-billion-in-2022-to-be-safaris-default-search-engine) ---One startup's quest to take on Chrome and reinvent the web browser | [Protocol] (https://web.archive.org/web/20230119090437/https://www.protocol.com/browser-company) ---Scenes from a dying web | [Platformer] (https://www.platformer.news/arc-search-quora-poe-perpexity-journalism-web-future/) ---Perplexity’s grand theft AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/27/24187405/perplexity-ai-twitter-lie-plagiarism) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24011410] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24011410) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

23 Sep 2024

1 HR 12 MINS

1:12:20

23 Sep 2024

#780

Why Google is back in court for another monopoly showdown

Google’s in the middle of its antitrust case in just as many months, after it lost a landmark trial in August over anticompetitive search practices. This time around, the DOJ is claiming Google has another illegal monopoly in the online advertising market. Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner has been on the ground at the courthouse to hear testimony from news publishers, advertising experts, and Google executives to make sense of it — and, ultimately, to see whether a federal judge hands the company another antitrust defeat. Links: ---Google and DOJ return for round two of their antitrust fight | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24236989/google-doj-ad-tech-antitrust-trial-preview) ---Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist’ in US antitrust case | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/5/24155520/judge-rules-on-us-doj-v-google-antitrust-search-suit) ---In US v. Google, YouTube’s CEO defends the Google way [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/17/24247066/neal-mohan-us-v-google-testimony) ---Google and the DOJ’s ad tech fight is all about control | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/9/24240386/google-doj-ad-tech-antitrust-trial-court-day-one) ---How Google altered a deal with publishers who couldn’t say no | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/13/24243342/google-doj-ad-tech-antitrust-unified-pricing-rules) ---Google dominates online ads, says antitrust trial witness, but publishers are feeling ‘stuck’ | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/11/24241386/former-news-corp-executive-google-doj-ad-tech-trial) ---US considers a rare antitrust move: breaking up Google | [Bloomberg] (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-13/doj-considers-seeking-google-goog-breakup-after-major-antitrust-win) ---This deal helped turn Google into an ad powerhouse. Is that a problem? | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/technology/google-doubleclick-antitrust-ads.html) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

19 Sep 2024

35 MINS

35:28

19 Sep 2024

#779

How Philips CEO Roy Jakobs is turning the company around after major recall

Today, I’m talking with Roy Jakobs. He’s the CEO of Royal Philips, which makes medical devices ranging from MRI machines to ventilators. Philips has a long history —- the company began in the late 19th century as a lightbulb manufacturer, and over the past century it’s grown and shrunk in various ways. Basically, while every other company has been trying to get bigger, Philips has been paring itself down to a tight focus on healthcare, and Roy and I talked about why that market is worth the focus. Roy and I also talked about an ongoing controversy at Philips that he had a part in: In 2021, after years of consumer complaints, Philips was made to recall millions of its breathing machines. Those devices were eventually tied to more than 500 deaths. That’s a pretty big decision, with massive life-or-death consequences, and you’ll hear us talk about it in detail. Links: ---Problems reported with recalled Philips ventilators, BiPAP & CPAP machines | [FDA] (https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/recalled-philips-ventilators-bipap-machines-and-cpap-machines/problems-reported-recalled-philips-ventilators-bipap-machines-and-cpap-machines) ---FDA says 561 deaths tied to recalled Philips sleep apnea machines | [CBS News] (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-sleep-apnea-philips-recall-cpap/) ---Philips kept complaints about dangerous breathing machines secret | [ProPublica] (https://www.propublica.org/article/philips-kept-warnings-about-dangerous-cpaps-secret-profits-soared) ---Top Philips executive approved sale of defective breathing machines | [ProPublica] (https://www.propublica.org/article/philips-executive-defective-breathing-machines) ---Philips reaches final pact with DOJ, FDA on ventilator recall | [WSJ] (https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/philips-reaches-final-pact-with-u-s-justice-department-fda-on-ventilator-recall-e6be04a7) ---Philips suspends U.S. sales of breathing machines after recall | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/health/philips-cpap-breathing-devices.html) ---CPAP maker reaches $479 million settlement on breathing device defects | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/health/cpap-defect-recall-philips-respironics.html) ---Philips exits shrinking home entertainment business | [Reuters] (https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/philips-exits-shrinking-home-entertainment-business-idUSDEE90S07X/) ---Original TSMC investor Philips sells off final shares | [PC World] (https://www.pcworld.com/article/536451/article-7729.html) ---Philips unveils new AI-powered cardiovascular ultrasound | [Mass Device] (https://www.massdevice.com/philips-unveils-ai-powered-cardiovascular-ultrasound/) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24006874] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24006874) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

16 Sep 2024

1 HR 11 MINS

1:11:12

16 Sep 2024

#778

Why AI image editing isn’t “just like Photoshop”

We’ve been covering the rise of AI image editing very closely here on Decoder and at The Verge for several years now — the ability to create photorealistic images with nothing more than a chatbot prompt could completely reset our cultural relationship to photography. But one argument keeps cropping up in response. You’ve heard it a million times, and it’s when people say “it’s just like Photoshop,” with “Photoshop” standing in for the concept of image editing generally. So today, we’re trying to understand exactly what it means, and why our new world of AI image tools is different — and yes, in some cases the same. Verge reporter Jess Weatherbed recently dove into this for us, and I asked her to join me in going through the debate and the arguments one by one to help figure it out. Links: ---You’re here because you said AI image editing was just like Photoshop | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/26/24228808/ai-image-editing-photoshop-comparison-argument) ---No one’s ready for this | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/22/24225972/ai-photo-era-what-is-reality-google-pixel-9) ---The AI photo editing era is here, and it’s every person for themselves | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/19/24221884/google-photos-magic-editor-ai-reimagine) ---Google’s AI ‘Reimagine’ tool helped us add disasters and corpses to photos | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24224084/google-pixel-9-reimagine-ai-photos) ---X’s new AI image generator will make Taylor Swift in lingerie and Kamala Harris with a gun | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/14/24220173/xai-grok-image-generator-misinformation-offensive-imges) ---Grok will make gory images — just tell it you're a cop. | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/15/24220961/grok-will-make-gory-images-just-tell-it-youre-a-cop) ---Leica launches first camera with Content Credentials | [Content Authenticity Initiative] (https://contentauthenticity.org/blog/leica-launches-worlds-first-camera-with-content-credentials) ---You can use AI to get rid of Samsung’s AI watermark | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/18/24043179/turns-out-you-can-use-ai-to-get-rid-of-samsungs-ai-watermark) ---Spurred by teen girls, states move to nan deepfake nudes | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/technology/deepfake-ai-nudes-high-school-laws.html) ---Florida teens arrested for creating ‘deepfake’ AI nude images of classmates | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094633/deepfake-ai-explicit-images-florida-teenagers-arrested) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

12 Sep 2024

45 MINS

45:50

12 Sep 2024

#777

Anthropic’s Mike Krieger wants to build AI products that are worth the hype

Today, I’m talking with Mike Krieger, the new chief product officer at Anthropic, one of the hottest AI companies in the industry. Anthropic’s main product right now is Claude, the name of both its industry-leading AI model and a chatbot that competes with ChatGPT. Mike has a fascinating resume: he was the cofounder of Instagram, and then started AI-powered newsreader Artifact. I was a fan of Artifact, so I wanted to know more about the decision to shut it down as well as the decision to sell it to Yahoo. And then I wanted to know why Mike decided to join Anthropic and work in AI — an industry with a lot of investment, but very few consumer products to justify it. What’s this all for? Links: ---Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger is Anthropic’s new chief product officer | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/15/24157240/mike-krieger-anthropic-instagram-ai) ---Instagram’s co-founders are shutting down their Artifact news app | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/12/24036539/artifact-shutting-down-kevin-systrom) ---Yahoo resurrects Artifact inside a new AI-powered News app | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/13/24177980/yahoo-news-app-launch-artifact-ai-architecture) ---Authors sue Anthropic for training AI using pirated books | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/20/24224450/anthropic-copyright-lawsuit-pirated-books-ai) ---The text file that runs the internet | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24067997/robots-txt-ai-text-file-web-crawlers-spiders) ---Anthropic’s crawler is ignoring websites’ anti-AI scraping policies | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205943/anthropic-ai-web-crawler-claudebot-ifixit-scraping-training-data) ---Golden Gate Claude | [Anthropic] (https://www.anthropic.com/news/golden-gate-claude) ---Inside the white-hot center of AI doomerism | [New York Times] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/11/technology/anthropic-ai-claude-chatbot.html) ---Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, on the paradoxes of AI safety | [Hard Fork] (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/podcasts/dario-amodei-ceo-of-anthropic-on-the-paradoxes-of-ai-safety-and-netflixs-deep-fake-love.html) ---No one’s ready for this | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/22/24225972/ai-photo-era-what-is-reality-google-pixel-9) ---OpenAI announces SearchGPT, its AI-powered search engine | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205701/openai-searchgpt-ai-search-engine-google-perplexity-rival) ---Amazon-backed Anthropic rolls out Claude AI for big business | [CNBC] (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/04/amazon-backed-anthropic-rolls-out-claude-enterprise-ai-for-big-business.html) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/24001603] (https://www.theverge.com/e/24001603) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

09 Sep 2024

1 HR 23 MINS

1:23:19

09 Sep 2024

#776

How the Wayback Machine is fighting linkrot

The web has a problem: huge chunks of it keep going offline. The web isn’t static, parts of it sometimes just… vanish. But it’s not all grim. The Internet Archive has a massive mission to identify and back up our online world into a vast digital library. In 2001, it launched the Wayback Machine, an interface that lets anyone call up snapshots of sites and look at how they used to be and what they used to say at a given moment in time. Mark Graham, director of the Wayback Machine, joins Decoder this week to explain both why and how the organization tries to keep the web from disappearing. Links: ---When Online Content Disappears | [Pew Research] (https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2024/05/17/when-online-content-disappears/) ---Game Informer is shutting down | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/2/24212016/game-informer-shutting-down-layoffs-gamestop) ---When Media Outlets Shutter, Why Are the Websites Wiped, Too? [Slate] (https://slate.com/business/2024/02/messenger-gawker-vice-media-layoffs-sites-deleted-why.html) ---MTV News lives on in the Internet Archive | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/2/24190953/mtv-news-lives-on-in-the-internet-archives) ---The video game industry is mourning the loss of Game Informer | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/3/24212291/game-informer-video-game-industry-mourns) ---Guest host Hank Green makes Nilay Patel explain why websites have a future | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/24087834/hank-green-decoder-podcast-google-youtube-web-media-platforms-distribution-future) ---How The Onion is saving itself from the digital media death spiral | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/24225592/the-onion-new-owners-print-newspaper-digital-media-gawker-ben-collins-decoder-interview) ---The Internet Archive is defending its digital library in court today | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/20/23641457/internet-archive-hachette-lawsuit-court-copyright-fair-use) ---The Internet Archive has lost its first fight to scan and lend ebooks | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/24/23655804/internet-archive-hatchette-publisher-ebook-library-lawsuit) ---The Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/4/24235958/internet-archive-loses-appeal-ebook-lending) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

05 Sep 2024

44 MINS

44:01

05 Sep 2024

#775

The AI election deepfakes have arrived

Decoder is off this week for a short end-of-summer break. We’ll be back with both our interview and explainer episodes after the Labor Day holiday. In the meantime we thought we’d re-share an explainer that’s taken on a whole new relevance in the last couple weeks, about deepfakes and misinformation. In February, I talked with Verge policy editor Adi Robertson how the generative AI boom might start fueling a wave of election-related misinformation, especially deepfakes and manipulated media. It’s not been quite an apocalyptic AI free-for-all out there. But the election itself took some really unexpected turns in these last couple of months. Now we’re heading into the big, noisy home stretch, and use of AI is starting to get really weird — and much more troublesome. Links: ---The AI-generated hell of the 2024 election | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/policy/24098798/2024-election-ai-generated-disinformation) ---AI deepfakes are cheap, easy, and coming for the 2024 election | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/29/24085663/ai-deepfakes-misinformation-policy-free-speech-first-amendment-decoder-podcast) ---Elon Musk posts deepfake of Kamala Harris that violates X policy | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/29/24208671/elon-musk-deepfake-ai-kamala-harris-parody) ---Donald Trump posts a fake AI-generated Taylor Swift endorsement | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/19/24223589/trump-ai-generated-swift-harris-social-media) ---X’s Grok now points to government site after misinformation warnings | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/28/24230325/x-grok-chatbot-election-misinformation-warnings-vote) ---Political ads could require AI-generated content disclosures soon | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24162676/fcc-ai-generated-political-ads-disclosure-federal-communications-commission) ---The Copyright Office calls for a new federal law regulating deepfakes | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/31/24210697/the-copyright-office-calls-for-a-new-federal-law-regulating-deepfakes) ---How AI companies are reckoning with elections | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/19/24098381/ai-chatbots-election-misinformation-chatgpt-gemini-copilot-bing-claude) ---The lame AI meme election | [Axios] (https://www.axios.com/2024/08/21/memes-election-2024-trump-musk-swift-ai) ---Deepfakes' parody loophole | [Axios] (https://www.axios.com/2024/07/30/ai-deepfake-parody-musk-first-amendment) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

29 Aug 2024

45 MINS

45:06

29 Aug 2024

#774

Disney Is a Tech Company?

Decoder is off this week for a short end-of-summer break. We’ll be back with both our interview and explainer episodes after the Labor Day holiday, and I’m very excited for what we have coming up on the schedule. But while we’re out, we’d like to highlight a great episode from the Land of the Giants podcast, which is over at Vulture this season, for a deep dive into Disney. Can it be a tech company? It’s the question that defines the struggles of its streaming service Disney Plus — and it also tells us where it needs to go in the future to compete with Amazon, Apple, and Netflix. Links: ---Disney Is a Tech Company? | [Vulture] (https://www.vulture.com/article/land-of-the-giants-the-disney-dilemma-podcast.html#ep-6) ---Why Disney plussed itself | [Vulture] (https://www.vulture.com/article/disney-plus-streaming-tech-company.html) ---Disney’s CEO drama explained, with Julia Alexander | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/23495146/disney-ceo-bob-iger-julia-alexander-disney-plus-netflix-streaming-chapek-marvel-star-wars) ---The clock is ticking on Disney’s streaming strategy | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/18/24133936/the-clock-is-ticking-on-disneys-streaming-strategy) ---The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle is now available | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205865/disney-plus-hulu-max-streaming-bundle-price-availability) ---Disney reportedly wants to bring always-on channels to Disney Plus | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/15/24131034/disney-plus-fast-channels-streaming) ---How baseball's tech team built the future of television | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-streaming-internet-tv-nhl-hbo-now-espn) ---The year Netflix ended the streaming wars | [The Ringer] (https://www.theringer.com/movies/2023/12/14/24001087/netflix-2023-streaming-wars) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

26 Aug 2024

42 MINS

42:23

26 Aug 2024

#773

How The Onion is saving itself from the digital media death spiral

The Onion is a comedy institution — and like everything else in media, it went on a pure nightmare hell ride in the 2010s. We could do an entire episode on the G/O Media calamity, but the short version is: A bunch of friends just managed to buy The Onion, and they're busy relaunching the website, going back to print, and, clearly, having a blast doing it. CEO Ben Collins and chief product officer Danielle Strle joined me to explain how that even works in 2024. Links: ---The Onion sold by G/O Media | [The New York Times] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/business/media/the-onion-sold.html) ---Sam Reich on revamping the game show - and Dropout’s success | [NPR] (https://www.npr.org/2024/02/06/1197954697/game-changer-sam-reich-dropout) ---Platformer’s Casey Newton on surviving the great media collapse | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/5/24059524/platformer-casey-newton-substack-moderation-email-newsletters-media-layoffs) ---Craig Silverman: Digital advertising’s structure has been weaponized | [Digiday] (https://digiday.com/media/buzzfeed-digital-advertising-craig-silverman-nfrastructure-weaponized/) ---US Warns a Gaza Ceasefire Would Only Benefit Humanity | [The Onion] (https://theonion.com/u-s-warns-a-gaza-ceasefire-would-only-benefit-humanity-1850958637/) ---The Truth is Paywalled but the Lies are Free | [Current Affairs] (https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2020/08/the-truth-is-paywalled-but-the-lies-are-free) ---A newsroom expands and The Onion is out again on paper | [Washington Post] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/08/21/the-onion-print-newspaper-star-tribune-local-media/) ---Report: Nuclear War Sounds Fucking Amazing Right Now | [The Onion] (https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1806519569885851875) ---Google defends AI search results after they told us to put glue on pizza | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/30/24168344/google-defends-ai-overviews-search-results) ---Jury awards nearly $1B to Sandy Hook families in Alex Jones defamation case | [CNN] (https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/alex-jones-sandy-hook-trial-decision/index.html) ---‘No Way to Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens | [The Onion] (https://theonion.com/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-r-1848971668/) Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23989633 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

22 Aug 2024

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:48

22 Aug 2024

#772

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke says the AI industry needs competition to thrive

Today I’m talking with Thomas Dohmke, the CEO of GitHub. GitHub is the platform for managing code – but since 2018, it’s also been owned by Microsoft. We talk a lot about how independent GitHub really is inside of Microsoft — especially now that Microsoft is all-in on AI, and Gitbhub Copilot is one of the biggest AI product success stories that exists right now. But his perspective on AI is pretty refreshing: It’s clear there’s still a long way to go. Links: ---Original GitHub landing page | [Wayback Machine] (https://web.archive.org/web/20080514210148/http://github.com/) ---Introducing Entitlements | [GitHub Blog] (https://github.blog/news-insights/product-news/introducing-entitlements-githubs-open-source-identity-and-access-management-solution/) ---ashtom (Thomas Dohmke) | [GitHub] (https://github.com/ashtom) ---The developers suing over GitHub Copilot got dealt a major blow in court | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/9/24195233/github-ai-copyright-coding-lawsuit-microsoft-openai) ---GitHub Copilot can now help start a project with AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/29/24144454/github-copilot-workspace-ai-coding-developer-preview-launch) ---GitHub users can mess around with different AI models | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/1/24211448/github-users-can-mess-around-with-different-ai-models-in-github-models) ---GitHub’s AI-powered Copilot will help you write code for $10 a month | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/21/23176574/github-copilot-launch-pricing-release-date) ---Google DeepMind co-founder joins Microsoft as CEO of its new AI division | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/19/24105900/google-deepmind-microsoft-mustafa-suleyman-ai-ceo) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23986019] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23986019) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

19 Aug 2024

1 HR 20 MINS

1:20:34

19 Aug 2024

#771

What's next for the controversial 'child safety' internet bill

There’s a major internet speech regulation currently making its way through Congress, and it has a really good chance of becoming law. It’s called KOSPA: the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which passed in the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support late last month. At a high level, KOSPA could radically change how tech platforms handle speech in an effort to try and make the internet safer for minors. It’s a controversial bill, with a lot going on. To break it all down, I invited on Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner, who’s been covering these bills for months now, to explain what’s happening, what these bills actually do, and what the path forward for this legislation looks like. Links: ---Senate passes the Kids Online Safety Act | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24205718/senate-passes-kids-online-safety-act-kosa-content-moderation) ---The teens lobbying against the Kids Online Safety Act | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24210795/kosa-kids-online-safety-act-senate-teens-student-lobby) ---How the Kids Online Safety Act was dragged into a political war | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/technology/kosa-child-online-safety.html) ---House Republicans won’t bring up KOSA in its current form | [Punchbowl News] (https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/schumer-july-biden-out-democrats-hopes-in-senate/) ---Why a landmark kids online safety bill is still deeply divisive | [NBC News] (https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/will-kosa-coppa-20-controversial-bills-explained-rcna163243) ---Why Sen. Schatz thinks child safety bills can trump the First Amendment | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/24054658/senator-brian-schatz-congress-kosa-first-amendment-regulation-decoder-interview) ---Child safety bills are reshaping the internet for everyone | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/29/23849375/kosa-child-safety-free-speech-louisiana-utah-parental-consent) ---Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23721306/online-age-verification-privacy-laws-child-safety) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

15 Aug 2024

42 MINS

42:22

15 Aug 2024

#770

Replika CEO Eugenia Kuyda says it’s okay if we end up marrying AI chatbots

Today, I’m talking with Replika founder and CEO Eugenia Kuyda, and I will just tell you right away, we get all the way to people marrying their AI companions, so get ready. It’s a ride. Replika’s basic pitch is pretty simple: what if you had an AI friend? The company offers avatars you can curate to your liking that pretend to be human, so they can be your friend, your therapist, or even your date. That’s a lot for a private company running an iPhone app, and Eugenia and I talked a lot about the consequences of this idea and what it means for the future of human relationships. Links: ---The AI boyfriend business is booming | [Axios] (https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/ai-boyfriend-replika-nomi-chatbot) ---Speak, Memory | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/a/luka-artificial-intelligence-memorial-roman-mazurenko-bot) ---Your new AI Friend is almost ready to meet you | [Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24207029/friend-ai-companion-gadget) ---What happens when sexting chatbots dump their human lovers | [Bloomberg] (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-22/replika-ai-causes-reddit-panic-after-chatbots-shift-from-sex) ---AI chatbot company Replika restores erotic roleplay for some users — [Reuters] (https://www.reuters.com/technology/ai-chatbot-company-replika-restores-erotic-roleplay-some-users-2023-03-25/) ---Replika’s New AI App Is Like Tinder but With Sexy Chatbots — [Gizmodo] (https://gizmodo.com/blush-ai-chatbot-replika-online-dating-dating-apps-1850514242) ---Replika’s new AI therapy app tries to bring you to a zen island — [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/30/24056106/tomo-replika-blush-generative-ai-mental-health) ---Replika CEO: AI chatbots aren’t just for lonely men | [Fortune] (https://fortune.com/2024/06/17/ai-chatbots-dating-men-women-replika-ceo-eugenia-kuyda/) ---Gaze Into the Dystopian Hell of Bots Dating Bots | [Slate] (https://slate.com/technology/2024/05/bumble-ai-dating-app-whitney-wolfe-herd.html) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23980789] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23980789) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

12 Aug 2024

1 HR 12 MINS

1:12:06

12 Aug 2024

#769

DOJ antitrust chief is ‘overjoyed’ after Google monopoly verdict

Today, I’m talking to Jonathan Kanter, the assistant attorney general for antitrust at the United States Department of Justice. This is Jonathan’s second time on the show, and it’s a bit of an emergency podcast situation. On Monday, a federal court issued a monumental decision in the DOJ’s case against Google, holding that Google Search and the text ads in search are monopolies. The court hasn’t decided on the penalties for all this yet — that process is scheduled to start next month. But it’s the biggest antitrust win against a tech company since the Microsoft case from two decades ago. I wanted to know what Jonathan thought of the ruling, what it means for the law, and most importantly, what remedies he’s going to seek to try and restore competition in search. Links: ---Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist’ in US antitrust case | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/5/24155520/judge-rules-on-us-doj-v-google-antitrust-search-suit) ---All the spiciest parts of the Google antitrust ruling | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24214574/google-antitrust-search-apple-microsoft-bing-ruling-breakdown) ---Now that Google is a monopolist, what’s next? | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/6/24214641/google-us-monopoly-ruling-what-happens) ---DOJ’s Kanter says the antitrust fight against Big Tech is just beginning | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/24067873/jonathan-kanter-doj-antitrust-google-policy-monopoly-big-tech) ---The DOJ Antitrust Division isn’t afraid to go to court | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24186099/doj-antitrust-division-litigation-apple-google-ticketmaster) ---The US government is gearing up for an AI antitrust fight | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/28/23660101/ai-competition-ftc-doj-lina-khan-jonathan-kanter-antitrust-summit) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23979725] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23979725) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

08 Aug 2024

47 MINS

47:47

08 Aug 2024

#768

Booking CEO Glenn Fogel wants you to take out your travel frustrations on AI chatbots

Today, I’m talking with Glenn Fogel, the CEO of Booking Holdings, which owns a large portfolio of familiar travel brands: OpenTable, Kayak, and Priceline, as well as its largest subsidiary, Booking.com. This episode is pure Decoder bait all the way through — from Booking’s structure, to competition with hotels and airlines increasingly going direct to consumer, even to how European regulation affects competition with Google. Oh, and of course, how Booking is incorporating AI; Glenn has some fascinating thoughts there. Glenn really got into it with me — there’s a lot going on in this space, and it’s interesting because there are so many players and so much competition across so many of the layers, even among Booking’s own subsidiaries. I think we probably could have gone twice as long. Links: ---The oral history of travel’s greatest acquisition | [Skift] (https://skift.com/oral-history-of-booking-acquisition/) ---Long-term travel looks like a strong growth industry, says Booking’s Glenn Fogel | [CNBC] (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/24/long-term-travel-looks-like-a-strong-growth-industry-says-bookings-glenn-fogel.html) ---Ryanair wins screen-scraping case against Booking.com | [Airways] (https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/224869/ryanair-booking-com/) ---Aggregation Theory | [Stratechery] (https://stratechery.com/aggregation-theory/) ---A Call for Embracing AI—But With a ‘Human Touch’ | [Time] (https://time.com/6968791/ai-transformation-equity/) ---Booking.com launches new AI Trip Planner | [Booking] (https://news.booking.com/bookingcom-launches-new-ai-trip-planner-to-enhance-travel-planning-experience/) ---Priceline releases new AI platform and ‘Penny’ chatbot | [Skift] (https://skift.com/2023/06/28/priceline-releases-new-ai-platform-and-penny-the-chatbot/) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23976178] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23976178) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. Our supervising producer is Liam James. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

05 Aug 2024

1 HR 16 MINS

1:16:57

05 Aug 2024

#767

AI has a climate problem — but so does all of tech

Every time we talk about AI, we get one big piece of feedback that I really want to dive into: how the lightning-fast explosion of AI tools affects the climate. AI takes a lot of energy, and there’s a huge unanswered question as to whether using all that juice for AI is actually worth it, both practically and morally. It’s messy and complicated and there are a bunch of apparent contradictions along the way — so it’s perfect for Decoder. Verge senior science reporter Justine Calma joins me to see if we can untangle this knot. Links: ---This startup wants to capture carbon and help data centers cool down | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/11/24195989/climate-change-carbon-removal-startup-280-earth-google) ---Google’s carbon footprint balloons in its Gemini AI era | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/2/24190874/google-ai-climate-change-carbon-emissions-rise) ---Taking a closer look at AI’s supposed energy apocalypse | [Ars Technica] (https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/is-generative-ai-really-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-the-power-grid/) ---AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle | [WaPo] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/06/21/artificial-intelligence-nuclear-fusion-climate/) ---AI Is already wreaking havoc on global power systems | [Bloomberg] (https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-ai-data-centers-power-grids/) ---What do Google’s AI answers cost the environment? | [Scientific American] (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-googles-ai-answers-cost-the-environment/) ---AI is an energy hog | [MIT Tech Review] (https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/05/23/1092777/ai-is-an-energy-hog-this-is-what-it-means-for-climate-change/) ---Microsoft’s AI obsession is jeopardizing its climate ambitions | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/15/24157496/microsoft-ai-carbon-footprint-greenhouse-gas-emissions-grow-climate-pledge) ---The answer to AI’s energy needs could be blowing in the wind | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24152249/ai-data-center-renewable-energy-offshore-wind) ---AI already uses as much energy as a small country | [Vox] (https://www.vox.com/climate/2024/3/28/24111721/climate-ai-tech-energy-demand-rising) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Callie Wright and Amanda Rose Smith. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

01 Aug 2024

36 MINS

36:42

01 Aug 2024

#766

Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber wants your next mouse to last forever

Today, I’m talking with Hanneke Faber, the CEO of Logitech. Hanneke’s still pretty fresh to the role: She joined the company last October, after former CEO Bracken Darrell left following the pandemic boom and subsequent economic slowdown that halted Logitech’s growth. Hanneke, who comes from Unilever and Procter & Gamble, is new to the world of consumer electronics. So we talked about the structural changes she’s already making at Logitech, and the changes she intends to make in the future. It sounds like some Logitech products, like its smart home doorbells and cameras, are not long for this world. You’ll also hear Hanneke talk about a concept called the “forever mouse” — a mouse you buy once and upgrade over time with new software features — features that of course might carry a subscription fee. Subscription mice! It’s a lot. Links: ---How Logitech bet big on work from home | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/22846681/logitech-ceo-interview-mouse-keyboard-work-from-home-pc-g502-decoder-podcast) ---Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell is leaving for another job | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/13/23760115/logitech-ceo-bracken-darrell-resigns) ---Webcams have become impossible to find, and prices are skyrocketing | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/9/21199521/webcam-shortage-price-raise-logitech-razer-amazon-best-buy-ebay) ---Logitech appoints Hanneke Faber as new CEO | [Reuters] (https://www.reuters.com/technology/computer-parts-maker-logitech-appoints-hanneke-faber-ceo-2023-10-30/) ---Logitech’s new low-profile keyboard fits Cherry MX keycaps | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/25/24185020/logitech-keyboard-mx-keycaps-gaming) ---Logitech’s Meta Quest stylus helps artists work in 3D | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/17/24180060/logitech-mx-ink-stylus-meta-quest-vr-ar) ---Logitech targets faster growth via education, health and AI | [Reuters] (https://www.reuters.com/technology/logitech-targets-faster-growth-via-education-health-ai-2024-04-30/) ---Logitech wants you to press its new AI button | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/17/24132468/logitech-ai-prompt-builder-button) ---Logitech’s best gaming mouse just got better | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094746/logitech-g-pro-x-superlight-2-4khz-polling-rate-update-firmware) ---Logitech’s articulating arm webcam launches on Indiegogo | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23960374/logitech-reach-articulating-webcam-indiegogo-launch-price) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23970888] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23970888) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

29 Jul 2024

1 HR 05 MINS

1:05:26

29 Jul 2024

#765

The Supreme Court ruling that could kill net neutrality

The Supreme Court has just taken on the entire idea of the US administrative state — and the Court is winning. Earlier this month, a conservative majority overturned a longstanding legal principle called Chevron deference. The implications are enormous for every possible kind of regulation — and net neutrality looks poised to be the first victim. Verge editor Sarah Jeong joins me to explain why. Links: --- [Supreme Court overrules Chevron, kneecapping federal regulators | The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/28/24180118/supreme-court-chevron-deference-decision-opinion) --- [What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more | The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24188365/chevron-scotus-net-neutrality-dmca-visa-fcc-ftc-epa) --- [FCC votes to restore net neutrality | The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/25/24140157/fcc-vote-restore-net-neutrality-rosenworcel-biden) --- [Reinstatement of net neutrality rules temporarily halted by appeals court | The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/15/24199126/net-neutrality-rules-temporarily-halted-sixth-circuit) --- [Clarence Thomas' 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel | ProPublica] (https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court) --- [The Supreme Court's coming war with Joe Biden | Vox] (https://www.vox.com/22276279/supreme-court-war-joe-biden-agency-regulation-administrative-neil-gorsuch-epa-nondelegation) Transcript: Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

25 Jul 2024

38 MINS

38:09

25 Jul 2024

#764

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says too many carmakers are copying Tesla

Today, I’m talking with Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. RJ was on the show last September when we chatted at the Code Conference, but the past 10 months have seen a whirlwind of change throughout the car industry and at Rivian in particular. This year alone, the company unveiled five new models in its lineup and also just announced a $5 billion joint venture with Volkswagen. We got into all that and more. If you’re a Decoder listener, you’ve heard me talk to a lot of car CEOs on the show, but it’s rare to talk to a car company founder, and RJ was game to talk about basically anything — even extremely minor feature requests I pulled from the forums. It’s a fun one. Links: ---Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe isn't scared of the Cybertruck | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/23908667/rivian-rj-scaringe-r1t-electric-truck-interview-decoder) ---VW will invest up to $5 billion in Rivian as part of new EV joint venture | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/25/24185946/vw-rivian-joint-venture-investment-software-r2) ---Rivian blazed a trail with its adventure EVs — can it stay on top? | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/6/24091419/rivian-r2-ev-crossover-suv-profit-earnings-future) ---Rivian R2 revealed: a $45,000 electric off-roader for the masses | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093215/rivian-r2-revealed-ev-suv-price-specs-price) ---Rivian surprises with R3 and R3X electric SUVs | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093570/rivian-r3-r3x-electric-suv-crossover-pics-specs) ---Rivian puts its Georgia factory plans on pause | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093708/rivian-puts-its-georgia-factory-plans-on-pause) ---Rivian’s R1 vehicles are getting a gut overhaul | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/6/24172761/rivian-r1t-r1s-refresh-update-motor-battery-price) ---Rivian R1S review: king of the mountain | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/23688504/rivian-r1s-review-ev-photos-specs-price) ---Rivian’s long, narrow road to profit | [WSJ] (https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/rivians-long-narrow-road-to-profit-43d373d6) ---Tesla’s Share of U.S. Electric Car Market Falls Below 50% | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/business/tesla-electric-vehicles-market-share.html) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23965790] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23965790) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

22 Jul 2024

1 HR 03 MINS

1:03:48

22 Jul 2024

#763

What happened to the metaverse?

This week I’m talking to Matthew Ball, who was last on the show in 2022 to talk about his book “The Metaverse: How it Will Revolutionize Everything.” It’s 2024 and it’s safe to say that has not happened yet. But Matt’s still on the case — in fact he just released an almost complete update of the book, now with the much more sober title, “Building the Spatial Internet.” Matt and I talked a lot about where the previous metaverse hype cycle landed us, and what there is to learn from these boom and bust waves. We talked about the Apple Vision Pro quite a bit; if you read or watched my review when it came out, you’ll know I think the Vision Pro is almost an end point for one set of technologies. I wanted to know if Matt felt the same and what needs to happen to make all of this more mainstream and accessible. Links: ---Fully revised and updated edition to the “The Metaverse” | [W.W. Norton] (https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324095286) ---Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24054862/apple-vision-pro-review-vr-ar-headset-features-price) ---Apple’s Vision Pro: five months later | [Vergecast] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/2/24190641/apple-vision-pro-headset-future-cheaper) ---Is the metaverse going to suck? A conversation with Matthew Ball | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/23269170/what-is-the-metaverse-matthew-ball-interview-decoder-podcast) ---Interviewing Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth on the Metaverse, VR/AR, AI | [Matthew Ball] (https://www.matthewball.co/all/bozinterview2024) ---Interviewing Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and author Neal Stephenson | [Matthew Ball] (https://www.matthewball.co/all/sweeneystephenson) ---An Interview with Matthew Ball about Vision Pro and the state of gaming | [Stratechery] (https://stratechery.com/2024/an-interview-with-matthew-ball-about-the-vision-pro-and-the-state-of-gaming/) ---Tim Sweeney explains how the metaverse might actually work | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/23/23652928/tim-sweeney-interview-epic-games-fortnite-metaverse) ---Fortnite is winning the metaverse | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24065901/fortnite-metaverse-disney-epic-partnership) ---Is the Metaverse Just Marketing? | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/podcasts/metaverse-marketing.html) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Jul 2024

44 MINS

44:17

18 Jul 2024

#762

Biden’s top tech advisor on why AI safety is a “today problem”

Today, I’m talking with Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. That’s a cabinet-level position, where she works as the chief science and tech advisor to President Biden. Arati and her team of about 140 people at the OSTP are responsible for advising the president on not only big developments in science but also about major innovations in tech, much of which come from the private sector. Her job involves guiding regulatory efforts, government investment, and setting priorities around big-picture projects like Biden’s cancer moonshot and combating climate change. More recently, Arati has been spending a lot of time talking about the future of AI and semiconductors, so I had the opportunity to dig into both of those topics with her as the generative AI boom continues and the results of the CHIPS Act become more visible. One note before we start: I sat down with Arati last month, just a couple of days before the first presidential debate and its aftermath, which swallowed the entire news cycle. So you’re going to hear us talk a lot about President Biden’s agenda and the White House’s policy record on AI, among other topics. But you’re not going to hear anything about the president, his age, or the presidential campaign. Links: ---Biden’s top science adviser resigns after acknowledging demeaning behavior | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/us/politics/eric-lander-resigns-white-house.html) ---Teen girls confront an epidemic of deepfake nudes in schools | [NYT] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/technology/deepfake-ai-nudes-westfield-high-school.html) ---Senate committee passes three bills to safeguard elections from AI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/15/24157328/senate-rules-committee-ai-election-safeguards-bills) ---The RIAA versus AI, explained | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24186085/riaa-lawsuits-udio-suno-copyright-fair-use-music) ---Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24162429/scarlett-johansson-openai-legal-right-to-publicity-likeness-midler-lawyers) ---Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet | [Decoder] (https://www.theverge.com/23948871/barack-obama-ai-regulation-free-speech-first-amendment-decoder-interview) ---Meet the Woman Who Showed President Biden ChatGPT | [WIRED] (https://www.wired.com/story/arati-prabhakar-ostp-biden-science-tech-adviser/) ---Biden releases AI executive order | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23914507/biden-ai-executive-order-regulation-standards) ---Biden’s science adviser explains the new hard line on China | [WashPo] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/03/arati-prabhakar-china-tech/) ---Where the CHIPS Act money has gone | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24166234/chips-act-funding-semiconductor-companies) Transcript: [https://www.theverge.com/e/23961278] (https://www.theverge.com/e/23961278) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

15 Jul 2024

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:54

15 Jul 2024

#761

Why The Atlantic signed a deal with OpenAI

Today I’m talking to Nicholas Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic. I was really excited to talk to Nick. Like so many media CEOs, including Vox Media’s, he just signed a deal allowing OpenAI to use The Atlantic’s vast archives as training data, but he also has a rich background in tech. Before he was the CEO of The Atlantic, Nick was the editor-in-chief of Wired, where he set his sights on AI reporting well before anyone else. I was also really interested in asking Nick about the general sense that the AI companies are getting vastly more than they’re giving with these sorts of deals — yes, they’re paying some money, but I’ve heard from so many of you that the money might now be the point — that there’s something else going on here – that maybe allowing creativity to get commodified this way will come with a price tag so big money can never pay it back. If there is anyone who could get into it with me on that question, it’s Nick. Links: ---Vox Media and The Atlantic sign content deals with OpenAI | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/29/24167072/openai-content-copyright-vox-media-the-atlantic) ---Journalists “deeply troubled” by OpenAI’s content deals with Vox, The Atlantic | [Ars Technica] (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/05/openai-content-deals-with-vox-and-the-atlantic-spark-criticism-from-journalists/) ---What the RIAA lawsuits mean for AI and copyright | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24186085/riaa-lawsuits-udio-suno-copyright-fair-use-music) ---Perplexity plagiarized our story about how Perplexity Is a bullshit machine | [Wired] (https://www.wired.com/story/perplexity-plagiarized-our-story-about-how-perplexity-is-a-bullshit-machine/) ---How to stop Perplexity and save the web from bad AI | [Platformer] (https://www.platformer.news/how-to-stop-perplexity-oreilly-ai-publishing/) ---The text file that runs the internet | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/24067997/robots-txt-ai-text-file-web-crawlers-spiders) ---OpenAI, WSJ owner News Corp strike content deal valued at over $250 Million | [WSJ] (https://www.wsj.com/business/media/openai-news-corp-strike-deal-23f186ba) ---The media bosses fighting back against AI — and the ones cutting deals — [WashPo] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/05/27/ai-media-barry-diller-iac-nyt/) ---The New York Times spent $1 million so far in its OpenAI lawsuit | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/9/24152893/the-new-york-times-spent-1-million-so-far-in-its-openai-lawsuit) ---AI companies have all kinds of arguments against paying for copyrighted content | [The Verge] (https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/4/23946353/generative-ai-copyright-training-data-openai-microsoft-google-meta-stabilityai) Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) ... Read more

11 Jul 2024

51 MINS

51:28

11 Jul 2024

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Why The Atlantic signed a deal with OpenAI