How Based Is Grok 3? + Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev On Markets For Everything + Vibecoding 101 Hard Fork podcast

1:13:42

This week, we take a field trip to Google and report back about everything the company announced at its biggest show of the year, Google I/O. Then, we sit down with Google DeepMind’s chief executive and co-founder, Demis Hassabis, to discuss what his A.I. lab is building, the future of education, and what life could look like in 2030. Guest : Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMind Additional Reading: At Google I/O, everything is changing and normal and scary and chill Google Unveils A.I. Chatbot, Signaling a New Era for Search Google DeepMind C.E.O. Demis Hassabis on the Path From Chatbots to A.G.I. We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Ed Helms Answers Your Hard Questions 56:03

14 days ago56:03

56:03

The actor, comedian and author Ed Helms has a new book out about historical blunders. He swings by Hard Fork to tell us about it and answer your moral quandaries, ethical dilemmas and etiquette questions about technology: How do I tell my mom she can’t post about her grandkids on Facebook? Am I being an A.I. hypocrite at work? And is it OK to troll the scammers who blow up my cellphone? Guest : Ed Helms, actor, podcaster and author of “ Snafu: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups ” Additional Reading: Interview: Ed Helms on Historical Snafus and His Reading Life 7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor Camp We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Bad Apple + The Rise of the AI Empire + Italian Brain Rot 1:11:48

21 days ago1:11:48

1:11:48

This week, iPhone users started to feel the impact of a stern court order against Apple that requires the company to stop collecting a commission on some app sales. We break down what this means for apps like Kindle and Spotify and why the judge suggested that Apple and a top executive should be investigated for criminal contempt. Then, Karen Hao joins us to discuss her new book about OpenAI and explain why she believes the benefits of using the company’s tools do not outweigh the moral costs. And finally, Casey introduces Kevin to a strange new universe of A.I. slop that’s racking up millions of likes on TikTok. Guest : Karen Hao , Author of “Empire of AI” Additional Reading: Judge Rebukes Apple and Orders It to Loosen Grip on App Store Brain Rot Comes for Italy We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
The Dangers of A.I. Flattery + Kevin Meets the Orb + Group Chat Chat 1:07:24

28 days ago1:07:24

1:07:24

This week we dig into the ways chatbots are starting to manipulate us, including ChatGPT’s sycophantic update, Meta’s digital companionship turn and a secret experiment run on Reddit users. Then Kevin reports back from the unveiling of a new eye-scanning orb. And finally, we’re joined by PJ Vogt for a brand-new segment called Group Chat Chat. Tickets to “Hard Fork Live” on June 24 are sold out. You can join the wait list here to be alerted if additional tickets become available. Guest: PJ Vogt, host of the podcast “ Search Engine ” Additional Reading: Meta’s ‘Digital Companions’ Will Talk Sex With Users — Even Children Reddit Issuing ‘Formal Legal Demands’ Against Researchers Who Conducted Secret A.I. Experiment on Users The Group Chats That Changed America The Ice Bucket Challenge Worked. Why Not Try It Again? We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Is Google Breaking Up? + Seasteading Is Back + Tool Time 1:07:37

5 weeks ago1:07:37

1:07:37

This week, with big developments in two antitrust cases against Google, we discuss how the company may be forced to change its business. Then we’re joined by the journalist Mark Yarm to discuss his recent visit to an underwater home for his article about techno-utopians who want to colonize the ocean. And finally, it’s tool time! We’ll tell you about our latest experiments with ChatGPT’s o3, Casey’s newest journaling practice and Kevin’s continued battle to get to inbox zero. Tickets to Hard Fork live are on sale! See us June 24 at SFJAZZ. Guest: Mark Yarm , an executive editor at PCMag and the author of “Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge.” Additional Reading: Google May Be on the Brink of a Breakup Google Is Illegally Monopolizing Online Advertising Tech, Judge Rules The Techno-Utopians Who Want to Colonize the Sea We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Meta on Trial + Is A.I. a ‘Normal’ Technology? + HatGPT 1:20:28

6 weeks ago1:20:28

1:20:28

This week Meta is on trial, in a landmark case over whether it illegally snuffed out competition when it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp. We discuss some of the most surprising revelations from old email messages made public as evidence in the case, and explain why we think the F.T.C.’s argument has gotten weaker in the years since the lawsuit was filed. Then we hear from Princeton computer scientist Arvind Narayanan on why he believes it will take decades, not years, for A.I. to transform society in the ways the big A.I. labs predict. And finally, what do dolphins, Katy Perry and A1 steak sauce have in common? They’re all important characters in our latest round of HatGPT. Tickets to Hard Fork live are on sale now! See us June 24 at SFJAZZ. Guest: Arvind Narayanan , director of the Center for Information Technology at Princeton and co-author of “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference.” Additional Reading: What if Mark Zuckerberg Had Not Bought Instagram and WhatsApp? AI as Normal Technology One Giant Stunt for Womankind We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Big Tech's Tariff Chaos + A.I. 2027 + Llama Drama 1:09:18

7 weeks ago1:09:18

1:09:18

This week, with the tech world in chaos over President Trump’s tariffs, we look at how four specific companies are navigating the new day-to-day reality. Then, the A.I. researcher Daniel Kokotajlo returns to the show to discuss a new set of predictions for how artificial intelligence could transform the world in just the next few years and how we avoid the most dystopian outcomes. Finally, we explore whether Meta cheated on an important A.I. benchmark with its new Llama model. Guest: Daniel Kokotajlo, executive director of the AI Futures Project Additional Reading: Inside Trump’s Reversal on Tariffs: From ‘Be Cool!’ to ‘Getting Yippy’ A.I. 2027 Meta Gets Rebuked Over Benchmark Gaming We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Tech Stock Shock + Solving the Mystery of OpenAI's "Blip" + Tinder's Flirt-Off 1:02:27

8 weeks ago1:02:27

1:02:27

This week, President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs that are roiling the global economy. We discuss what this could mean for the tech sector and whether this will give China a competitive advantage over the United States in the development of A.I. Then, we chat with a Wall Street Journal reporter, Keach Hagey, about her new book on Sam Altman and how she solved the mystery of his firing from OpenAI. And finally, Tinder has a new chatbot that you can practice your flirting skills with — which means it’s time for a flirting competition. Guest: Keach Hagey, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the forthcoming book The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future. Additional Reading: What Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs Mean for the Global Economy, and for You Trump’s New Tariffs Test Apple’s Global Supply Chain The Secrets and Misdirection Behind Sam Altman’s Firing From OpenAI We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
The Tech Behind Signalgate + Dwarkesh Patel's "Scaling Era" + Is A.I. Making Our Listeners Dumb? 1:07:49

9 weeks ago1:07:49

1:07:49

This week, we dig into the group chat that’s rocking the Trump administration and talk about why turning to Signal to plan military operations probably isn’t a great idea. Then, we’re joined by the podcaster Dwarkesh Patel to discuss his new book “The Scaling Era,” and whether he’s still optimistic about the broad benefits of A.I. And finally, a couple weeks ago we asked whether A.I. was making you dumber. Now we hear your takes. Guest: Dwarkesh Patel , tech podcaster and author of “The Scaling Era: An Oral History of A.I., 2019-2025” Additional Reading: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans Signal Chat Leak Angers U.S. Military Pilots Is A.I. Making Us Dumb? We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
A.I. Action Plans + The College Student Who Broke Job Interviews + Hot Mess Express 1:01:50

10 weeks ago1:01:50

1:01:50

With all of Silicon Valley weighing in on the Trump administration’s new action plan for artificial intelligence, Kevin and Casey break down what’s on everybody’s wish list. Then, a Columbia undergrad explains why he built a tool that lets coders use A.I. to cheat on job interviews. And finally, we climb aboard the Hot Mess Express to talk Solana’s anti-woke ad, anxious A.I. algorithms and Slack spycraft in the world of H.R. Guest: Roy Lee, Columbia sophomore and founder of Interview Coder Additional Reading: America Crafts an A.I. Action Plan Meet the 21-Year-Old Helping Coders Use A.I. to Cheat in Google and Other Tech Job Interviews Solana Pulls Ad After Huge Backlash Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds Rippling Sues Deel, a Software Rival, Over Corporate Spying We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Apple's Siri-ous Problem + How Starlink Took Over the World + Is AI Making Us Dumb? 1:02:46

11 weeks ago1:02:46

1:02:46

This week, as the long-promised new Siri faces increasing delays, we explore why Apple seems to be falling even further behind in artificial intelligence. Then, the New York Times reporter Adam Satariano joins us to explain how Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink took over the world. And finally, we look at a new study that asks: Is A.I. eroding our critical thinking skills? Guest: Adam Satariano , New York Times reporter Additional Reading: Apple Delays Siri Upgrade Indefinitely as AI Concerns Escalate With Starlink, Elon Musk’s Satellite Dominance Is Raising Global Alarms The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Is Google Search Cooked? + We’re Getting a U.S. Crypto Reserve? + What You’re Vibecoding 1:10:23

12 weeks ago1:10:23

1:10:23

This week, Google introduced a new way to search, which could mean that Googling as we know it is on the way out. It’s called AI Mode and it is essentially the company’s response to the growing number of people turning to A.I. chat bots instead of Google search. We walk through what this new product looks like, who can use it and what it could mean for the internet’s future. Then, we talk with the New York Times crypto reporter David Yaffe-Bellany about President Trump’s recent announcement concerning a national crypto reserve and why the news upset some of the biggest crypto advocates. Finally, we react to voice mail from listeners describing the tools they’ve vibecoded. Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany , New York Times reporter covering the crypto industry. Additional Reading: Trump Faces Blowback Over Plans for Crypto Reserve Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough. We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
Anthropic’s C.E.O. Dario Amodei on Surviving the A.I. Endgame 1:07:28

13 weeks ago1:07:28

1:07:28

This week, Anthropic’s C.E.O., Dario Amodei, returns to the show for a candid, wide-ranging interview. We discuss Anthropic’s brand-new Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, the A.I. arms race against China, and his hopes and fears for this technology over the next two years. Then, we gather up recent tech stories, put them into a hat and close out the week with a round of HatGPT. Guest: Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic Additional Reading: Inside the White-Hot Center of A.I. Doomerism Machines of Loving Grace Apple Removes Cloud Encryption Feature From U.K. After Backdoor Order We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
How Based is Grok 3? + Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Markets For Everything + Vibecoding 101 1:11:40

14 weeks ago1:11:40

1:11:40

This week, Elon Musk brought a new chatbot into the crowded A.I. universe — Grok 3, the latest model from his company xAI. We break down how it compares with other leading models and what it reveals about Musk’s larger ambitions. Then, Vlad Tenev, the chief executive of the investing platform Robinhood, lays out his vision for the future of investing and fields some difficult questions about his company’s role in fueling a culture of risky financial speculation. Finally, Kevin revisits his high school coding era and tries to make Casey a new software tool, with an A.I. assist. Guest: Vlad Tenev , chief executive of Robinhood and co-founder of Harmonic. Additional Reading: There Are Probably Too Many A.I. Companies Now An Investing Revolution Is Coming. The U.S. Isn’t Ready for It. Is Math the Path to Chatbots That Don’t Make Stuff Up? We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com . Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok . Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Hard Fork

1
A.I. Accelerates in Paris + Can A.I. Fix Your Love Life? 1:12:07

15 weeks ago1:12:07