Best Idea Is Tech Briefs Podcasts (2025)

1
The New Politics of AI 24:53

9h ago24:53

24:53

Today’s AI Daily Brief examines AI’s rise as a geopolitical flashpoint. The U.S. government’s unprecedented 10% Intel stake via CHIPS Act funding, NVIDIA’s halt of China-specific H20 production amid U.S.–China tensions, and the launch of a $100M+ PAC, “Leading the Future,” to shape AI policy, show how AI now drives national security, diplomacy, and…

1
What AI Backlash at YouTube Can Teach Other Companies 22:45

1d ago22:45

22:45

Today we're covering the AI backlash at YouTube and Netflix's new rules for generative AI in content production. YouTube creators are angry after the platform secretly used AI to enhance their videos without asking, making content look artificially sharpened and potentially training viewers to accept AI-generated material. Netflix just released cle…

1
The Problem of AI That Seems Alive 23:04

3d ago23:04

23:04

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of AI at Microsoft and co-founder of DeepMind, has published a provocative essay warning about the dangers of “seemingly conscious AI.” On today’s Big Think edition of The AI Daily Brief, we explore his argument that as AI systems develop memory, personality, and the illusion of subjective experience, people may begin treating…

1
No, 95% of AI Pilots Aren't Failing 30:15

5d ago30:15

30:15

Today, we're breaking down the MIT study claiming 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing - and why this headline is misleading the entire market. The report, based on just 52 interviews and 150 survey responses, has been cited as a reason for AI stock crashes, but the methodology is deeply flawed and the findings are being wildly misi…

1
Is Pixel 10 the AI Phone iPhone Never Was? 25:48

6d ago25:48

25:48

Google's Pixel 10 delivers the AI phone features Apple promised but never shipped. While Apple continues to struggle with delayed and underwhelming AI rollouts, Google has just launched its most AI-integrated smartphone yet, featuring Magic Q (an agentic assistant that searches through your apps), visual overlays for live camera AI queries, tone-de…

1
What AI Builders Are Actually Excited About 26:19

7d ago26:19

26:19

Are we really witnessing the "most expensive flop in tech history" with AI, or is something else going on? While headlines scream about failed AI pilots and wasted billions, there's a massive disconnect between public narratives and what's actually happening in AI development. This episode dives into the recent wave of AI pessimism following GPT-5'…

1
BNPL Demystified: Sezzle's President on the Future of Payments 30:34

7d ago30:34

30:34

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Paul Paradis, president of Sezzle, a mission-driven fintech empowering the next generation with interest-free installment plans that enhance purchasing power online and in-store. Listen in as Paradis discusses Sizzle's founding and what differentiates it in the buy…

1
Can AI Predict the Future? 24:57

7d ago24:57

24:57

A breakthrough benchmark is testing whether AI can actually predict future events by analyzing real-world data. Researchers at the University of Chicago just launched Profit Arena, a new AI evaluation platform that measures "predictive intelligence" by having models forecast outcomes on live prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. Early resu…

1
Everything Sam Altman Is Thinking About Right Now 27:21

9d ago27:21

27:21

Sam Altman just had dinner with journalists and spilled details about OpenAI's biggest challenges and future plans. He admitted GPT-5's launch was botched, revealed the company is profitable on inference (minus training costs), and confirmed they're sitting on better models they can't release because of GPU shortages. Altman also discussed OpenAI's…

1
Will AI Destroy or Reinvent Education? 20:12

10d ago20:12

20:12

Is AI going to destroy education—or completely reinvent it? With millions of students and parents preparing for back-to-school, the debate over AI in classrooms raises a deeper question: is the purpose of education to teach people how to think, or simply how to do economically productive things? This episode explores perspectives on how AI is resha…

1
BONUS EPISODE: Enterprise AI Trends and Predictions (You can with AI.) 37:02

11d ago37:02

37:02

NLW recently collaborated with KPMG on a 7-part enterprise AI-focused series called You can with AI. On this Saturday bonus preview, we share episode 7 of the series, all about the trends shaping the AI-ready organization of the future. Featuring Steve Chase, KMPG Global Head of AI and Digital Innovation. Learn more about the series: https://www.kp…

1
The Claude Code Problem 27:39

12d ago27:39

27:39

This episode examines how pricing challenges in AI coding platforms like Cursor and Claude Code reveal a fundamental shift in the software industry. While these tools currently struggle with unsustainable economics - where users pay far less than actual compute costs - this mismatch signals AI's inevitable transition from premium software tool to e…

1
Everyone's Using AI But No One's Quite Sure What to Think About It 27:49

13d ago27:49

27:49

A Northeastern University survey finds AI use has gone mainstream in the U.S., with half of adults using at least one tool and most states above 40% adoption. While many expect AI to reshape their jobs within five years, a third remain unsure about regulation. At the same time, Anthropic’s new Claude Sonnet 4 boosts capacity to 1 million tokens—eno…

1
How to Prompt GPT-5 29:42

14d ago29:42

29:42

Nearly a week into the GPT-5 era, users are still divided on its quality—but one thing’s clear: it’s more steerable than any previous model, and prompts make or break results. In this episode, we cut through the debate and share 11 practical prompting techniques you can use right now to get more from GPT-5. From “think harder” prompts and explicit …

1
Who Thinks There's an AI Bubble? 28:15

15d ago28:15

28:15

Today's AI Daily Brief covers how GPT-5's launch changed Wall Street's thinking about the AI bubble debate and why old market comparisons might not work anymore. We look at Leopold Aschenbrenner, a 23-year-old former OpenAI researcher who raised $1.5 billion for his hedge fund "Situational Awareness" and beat markets by 47% after fees in just six m…

1
A ChatGPT Rebellion Wins Back GPT-4o 31:05

16d ago31:05

31:05

When OpenAI replaced GPT-4o with its new GPT-5 rollout, the backlash was immediate and fierce. Power users decried hidden model switching, casual users mourned the loss of a “friend,” and debates erupted over AI’s role as strategic collaborator versus sterile assistant. In this episode, NLW unpacks the revolt that forced OpenAI to restore GPT-4o, t…

1
10 Things GPT-5 Changes 23:31

17d ago23:31

23:31

This episode explores ten practical shifts in the AI landscape following GPT-5’s release — from the plateau of raw LLM capability gains to the rise of tool-driven performance, consumer-first design choices, and the explosion of “vibe coding.” NLW breaks down how these changes reshape enterprise competition, open up opportunities for rival labs, dri…

1
The Most Important AI Stories This Week 30:58

19d ago30:58

30:58

First, a collection of first reactions to GPT-5. This week saw major AI shifts — from web-scraping battles to the brutal economics of AI coding startups. Cloudflare took aim at Perplexity over “stealth crawling,” Google defended AI overviews against claims they hurt web traffic, and reports revealed that coding firms like Windsurf and Replit face s…

1
GPT-5: Everything You Need to Know 31:50

20d ago31:50

31:50

NLW covers the big announcement from OpenAI, and explores why the big use case that they're clearly driving at is coding. Sharing the first impressions from early testers, we cover the good and bad of the AI model that will become the default for 700 million people. Brought to you by: KPMG – Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
Is GPT-OSS Actually Any Good? 28:27

20d ago28:27

28:27

A day after OpenAI's surprise open source release, we dig into how the model is performing in the wild. Early reactions are mixed—while some praise its speed and efficiency, others describe strange behavior, safety-maxed responses, and limited general knowledge. Is it optimized for coding and STEM? We also cover Eleven Labs’ entry into AI music, Li…

1
3 Major New AI Model Releases: GPT-OSS, Claude Opus 4.1, Genie 3 25:52

22d ago25:52

25:52

Three major AI model drops in one day signal a shifting landscape at the frontier. We break down OpenAI’s unexpected open-source GPT-OSS, Anthropic’s powerful Claude Opus 4.1, and Google’s ambitious Genie 3 world model—exploring what each reveals about the strategies, capabilities, and directions of the top AI labs. Brought to you by: KPMG – Go to …

1
Welcome to the AI Economy 26:03

23d ago26:03

26:03

Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are pouring nearly $400B into AI infrastructure this year—more than the EU’s defense budget and over 1% of US GDP. This wave rivals the fiber boom of the '90s and now outpaces consumer spending in driving US growth. Wall Street’s tone has flipped, with Microsoft and Meta showing real AI revenue, while Google navi…

1
Where AI Is Right Now: 15 Charts in 15 Minutes 22:24

24d ago22:24

22:24

In today’s episode, we take a rapid-fire tour through 15(ish) charts that capture the current state of artificial intelligence across consumer use, enterprise adoption, agents, and infrastructure. From skyrocketing usage metrics and token consumption to the rise of agentic workflows and the reshaping of corporate org charts, this presentation outli…

1
The AI Model Wars Just Heated WAY Up 24:42

26d ago24:42

24:42

Today’s AI Daily Brief dives into the escalating model wars between OpenAI, Google, and Apple. OpenAI seems to have leaked GPT-5 and their open weights model temporarily, plus the surprise launch of Google’s Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, and why Apple is scrambling to catch up—with M&A as its only viable AI strategy. We also explore new AI interface innov…

1
Can AI Trade Stocks? 21:43

27d ago21:43

21:43

Can AI really pick winning stocks? In this episode, we dive into the wild world of AI trading—where agents like ChatGPT and Perplexity aren’t just talking about the market, they’re playing it. From bold bets to biotech wins, we explore the surprising ways AI is learning to invest, hold steady, and sometimes even outperform the pros. Ask GPT about o…

1
AI Starting to Self-Improve Says Zuckerberg 25:49

27d ago25:49

25:49

Mark Zuckerberg just published a major essay on Meta’s vision for “Personal Superintelligence,” claiming their AI is beginning to show signs of self-improvement. This follows Meta’s aggressive talent push, with billion-dollar offers to AI researchers from OpenAI and Anthropic—many of which are being declined. Zuckerberg contrasts competitors by pro…

1
Is Global AI Cooperation Even Possible? 24:14

29d ago24:14

24:14

The episode investigates the escalating AI rivalry between the US and China, triggered by the release of both nations’ AI strategies. It examines China’s reaction to the US approach, including its call for a World AI Cooperation Organization based in Shanghai, and the intensifying dispute over NVIDIA’s H20 chip exports. The conversation explores wh…

1
Walmart Blasts Past Agent Experimentation 24:47

30d ago24:47

24:47

Walmart has evolved from individual AI agents to "agent orchestration" - a unified system of four "super agents" that coordinate specialized sub-agents across their entire operation. This shift represents moving beyond the experimentation phase to full-scale agentic systems, featuring Sparky (customer shopping agent), Marty (partner/supplier agent)…

1
Ambient Agents and 6 Other Big Ideas Coming Out of AI 25:39

1M ago25:39

25:39

Ambient Agents. Pay per crawl. User experience to agent experience. On this weekend episode, NLW explores some of the most interesting emergent concepts swirling around the AI space. Ask GPT about our Agent Readiness Audits - ⁠https://bit.ly/supersuperagent⁠ Brought to you by: KPMG – Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
9 AI Predictions from Jensen Huang 22:28

1M ago22:28

22:28

Today’s five‑minute headlines cover the strongest signal yet that GPT‑5 will drop in early August, GitHub’s Spark entry into vibe coding, Satya Nadella’s morale memo amid Microsoft layoffs, and fresh controversy around Google’s Windsurf acqui‑hire. Then we zoom out with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who lays out nine sweeping forecasts—from an AI‑driven…

1
How One Company Saved 213,000 Hours with AI 19:29

1M ago19:29

19:29

Norway’s $1.8T Sovereign Wealth Fund made AI core to how it works—unlocking 213,000 hours in annual savings. Led by CEO Nikolai Tangen, the team embraced AI to boost productivity and career growth. With Anthropic’s Claude, employees now query data in plain English, analyze earnings calls instantly, and make smarter decisions faster. Brought to you …

1
America's AI Action Plan 25:05

1M ago25:05

25:05

The White House just released a 28-page AI Action Plan alongside Anthropic's infrastructure report, revealing America's strategy for global AI dominance. This episode breaks down the energy crisis where China is adding 400+ gigawatts while the US manages only "several dozen," creating a massive infrastructure gap that threatens American AI leadersh…

1
Are World Models the Key to AGI? 21:28

1M ago21:28

21:28

A groundbreaking Harvard study trained AI on 10 million solar systems and found it perfectly predicted orbits but completely failed to understand gravity, raising questions about whether LLMs can develop true world models. While companies pour billions into scaling, Meta's Yann LeCun believes current systems will be "obsolete within 3-5 years" and …

1
AI Just Achieved Something No One Thought it Would Until Years From Now 26:05

1M ago26:05

26:05

An experimental reasoning model from OpenAI and Deep Thinking model from Gemini just achieved a Gold Medal performance at the International Math Olympiad. In both cases, the models solved 5 out of 6 IMO problems without any external tools, using pure mathematical reasoning that rivals human mathematicians. Industry experts were caught off-guard by …

1
A Free Course on Using Agents Created by ChatGPT Agent 22:42

1M ago22:42

22:42

On today's episode, NLW puts ChatGPT's new Agent (and Manus) to the test to see how well they do in creating a free online course on agent management. Watch the episode then try for yourself: https://docsend.com/view/s/awcwzv6kw9hsveka Brought to you by: KPMG – Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
All the Cool Things People are Vibe Coding 23:00

1M ago23:00

23:00

Vibe coding is exploding in 2025, and it's way more than just a tech trend – it's revolutionizing how we build software. From a recent study showing 88% satisfaction rates among users to real-world examples of people creating everything from custom drug molecule catalogs to Airbnb photo enhancement tools, vibe coding is democratizing app developmen…

1
5 Uses for the New ChatGPT Agent 22:20

1M ago22:20

22:20

ChatGPT Agent just launched, and it's already showing impressive results - beating humans on about half of knowledge work tasks according to OpenAI's internal benchmarks. In this video, we break down 5 practical use cases people are already getting value from: from analyzing customer feedback to handling multi-step planning tasks like wedding prepa…

1
How Much AI Do Workers Actually Want? 21:08

1M ago21:08

21:08

NLW explores a groundbreaking Stanford study of 15,000+ workers across 100+ occupations that reveals what employees actually want from AI. While 69% welcome AI automation, it’s only for specific tasks—just 2% support full automation. Nearly half want AI to reduce repetitive work, but 41% of startups are building in the “red zone,” where workers rej…

1
Does AI Secretly Slow Developers Down? 26:01

1M ago26:01

26:01

Are AI coding tools actually making developers less productive? A new study from Meta’s AI research nonprofit, METR, claims that developers using AI were 19% slower, even though they believed they were 20% faster. In this episode of the AI Daily Brief, we break down the study’s design, explore criticisms from Emmett Shear and other AI leaders, and …

1
Are AI Acquihires Screwing Up Startups? 22:56

1M ago22:56

22:56

Google just pulled off a $2.4 billion acquihire of AI coding startup Windsurf—but the way it happened is shaking up the startup world. What began as a $3B OpenAI acquisition quietly fell apart after Microsoft intervened, paving the way for Google to license Windsurf’s IP and hire its top talent. The catch? Most employees are getting nothing, even s…

1
15 Ways I Use AI (And the Models I Use for Each) 22:23

2M ago22:23

22:23

In this episode of the AI Daily Brief, Nathaniel Whittemore walks through 15 practical ways he uses AI—and exactly which models power each task. From podcast editing and enterprise agent audits to deep research, strategic pitching, and creative writing, Nathaniel shares insights into his favorite tools, and discusses AI's surprising limitations (es…

1
Are AI Browsers the Next Big AI Trend? 22:42

2M ago22:42

22:42

AI browsers could be the next transformative trend in how we interact with the internet. This week, Perplexity launched its new agentic browser, Comet; OpenAI is reportedly preparing its own AI browser; and Arc Browser continues beta testing its inline browsing tool, Dia. Unlike traditional browsers with basic AI add-ons, these tools integrate AI a…

1
Is Grok 4 the Best LLM Yet? 22:11

2M ago22:11

22:11

Elon Musk's XAI has dropped Grok 4, and early benchmarks are raising eyebrows across the AI world. In today’s episode, we break down the bombastic midnight launch event, the key performance claims—including a top score on the notoriously hard ARC-AGI test—and why even Grok skeptics are starting to take it seriously. Is Grok 4 really state of the ar…

1
Everything We Know About GPT-5 So Far 23:53

2M ago23:53

23:53

After a year of speculation and shifting narratives, GPT-5 appears to be nearing release—and it could be OpenAI’s most ambitious model yet. In this episode, NLW breaks down everything we know about GPT-5: how it integrates OpenAI’s reasoning and multimodal capabilities into a single, unified model; what rumors are swirling around features like long…

1
From Brand to Build Mode: How Retailers Are Navigating Leaner Teams and Tighter Margins 21:00

2M ago21:00

21:00

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Katie Carlson, vice president of partner success at Fluent Co., a leading commerce media platform helping brands engage audiences, unlock new revenue streams, and drive measurable results at scale. Listen in as Carlson discusses her career shift from brand-side mar…

1
The 7 Types of AI Agents 27:23

2M ago27:23

27:23

NLW looks at two different ways to categories agents -- by functioning and by focus -- both of which have seven subcategories. Understanding how to organize different types of agents can help you better plan your agentic strategy. Get Ad Free AI Daily Brief: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.c…

1
The Latest AI Job Loss Predictions 18:03

2M ago18:03

18:03

In today's episode, we dive into the latest predictions around AI-driven job displacement, highlighted by Ford CEO Jim Farley's blunt warning that AI could eliminate half of all white-collar jobs in the U.S. Farley's remarks at the Aspen Ideas Festival, echoed in a pointed Wall Street Journal article, underscore an emerging trend: executives outsid…

1
The State of AI - Mid-2025 16:08

2M ago16:08

16:08

At the midpoint of 2025, private markets dominate AI growth, reasoning models spark rapid adoption, and consumer AI reaches unprecedented penetration. NLW analyzes recent reports from Coatue and Menlo, highlighting accelerated IPOs, surging AI coding revenues, shifting public market leaders, and emerging consumer behaviors reshaping the future AI l…

1
Velvet Sundown, or, How Scared Should We Be of AI Music? 23:41

2M ago23:41

23:41

A new band called Velvet Sundown appeared on Spotify with two albums and hundreds of thousands of listeners, but has no evidence of real members or a history online. Music sites note that the music sounds like it could be generated by AI tools, while the band insists it is real. NLW explores the big question: does it matter if it IS AI? Get Ad Free…

1
How AI Companies Are Using AI 18:36

2M ago18:36

18:36

This episode explores a recent report on how AI companies themselves are utilizing AI. The discussion highlights key trends, including popular AI models, common deployment challenges like hallucinations, and the rapid rise of AI agents. It also examines prominent AI use cases delivering significant productivity gains—especially coding assistance—an…

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