Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.
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In part two of this week's two-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how America’s economic growth has become dependent on Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta’s AI capital expenditures - and how this inevitably harms both the economy and our markets. Better Offline listener deal: Get $15 Off Where's Your Ed At Premium! Deal goes until the end of August. https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/better-offline-discount YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE ME...
In part one of this week's two-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how AI startups’ overstuffed valuations make them impossible targets for acquisition or IPO - and how this may cause lasting harm to Silicon Valley when the bubble bursts. Better Offline listener deal: Get $15 Off Where's Your Ed At Premium! Deal goes until the end of August. https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/better-offline-discount YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go t...
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks through the rough launch of GPT-5, and how ChatGPT’s fandom-like following has become a huge problem for OpenAI. The Enshittification of Generative AI: https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-enshittification-of-generative-ai/ The Wall Street Journal - The Next Great Leap in AI Is Behind Schedule and Crazy Expensive: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-gpt5-orion-delays-639e7693?ref=wheresyoured.at Live service game post: https://bsky.app/profile/catharsis23.bsky...
In a paper released earlier this year, three academics from the University of Glasgow classified ChatGPT's outputs not as "lies," but as "BS" - as defined by philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt in "on BS" (and yes I'm censoring that) - and created one of the most enjoyable and prescient papers ever written. In this episode, Ed Zitron is joined by academics Michael Townsen Hicks, James Humphries and Joe Slater in a free-wheeling conversation about ChatGPT's mediocrity - and how it's not built to repre...
In this week’s Better Offline monologue, Ed talks about Anker’s Nebula X1, an expensive, excellent-looking and adaptable projector that can work just about anywhere. Better Offline listener deal: Get $15 Off Where's Your Ed At Premium! Deal goes until the end of August. https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/better-offline-discount Nebula X1 Projector: https://amzn.to/45645dR Nebula Wireless Satellite Speakers: https://amzn.to/45E2EmZ Nebula gimbal stand for...
In this episode, Ed is joined by writer and critic Molly White to talk about how RSS can purify your news experience, the challenge of the newsletter economy, and what gives her optimism for the future. Citation Needed Newsletter: https://www.citationneeded.news Molly on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/molly.wiki Better Offline listener deal: Get $15 Off Where's Your Ed At Premium! Deal goes until the end of August. https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/b...
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through how and why OpenAI and Anthropic use “annualized revenues” to hide that they’re nowhere near their yearly revenue projections. https://www.theinformation.com/articles/anthropic-revenue-hits-4-billion-annual-pace-competition-cursor-intensifies?rc=kz8jh3 www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-hits-12-billion-annualized-revenue-breaks-700-million-chatgpt-weekly-active-users?rc=kz8jh3 Episode note: I say “$5.5 billion” for OpenAI’s potential reve...
Welcome to Radio Better Offline, a tech talk radio show recorded out of iHeartRadio's studio in New York City. Ed Zitron is joined in studio by Mia Sato of The Verge and Dave Lee of Bloomberg to talk how companies like TikTok and Google change the web with their incentives, the nihilism of Pop Mart's viral Labubus, and why people are more game to pay independent writers. Mia Sato, The Verge https://www.theverge.com/authors/mia-sato https://bsky.app/profile/miasato.bsky.social https://www.instagr...
In part three of this week's three-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how AI agents don’t really exist, how deceitful AI marketing has become, and why everything is brittle as a result. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ Di...
In part two of this week's three-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how little money there is in generative AI, how Anthropic and OpenAI are killing their own customers, and why there may never be a profitable LLM company. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ Reddit: https...
Host Ed Zitron critically examines the AI bubble, asserting its instability stems from massive capital expenditures by the "Magnificent Seven" on NVIDIA GPUs, yielding negligible real revenue. He details how Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Tesla, and Apple's AI efforts are largely unprofitable, and systematically debunks the common comparison to Amazon Web Services' early growth, revealing it as a distinct and more financially sound venture. The episode warns of the broader economic risks as the US stock market's health becomes increasingly dependent on this "fragile" AI trade.
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through the pale horses of the AIpocalypse - and how the AI bubble’s deepest weakness is that it’s almost entirely based on vibes. Anthropic’s new data center in Indiana: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/technology/amazon-ai-data-centers.html YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks ...
Welcome to Radio Better Offline, a tech talk radio show recorded out of iHeartRadio's studio in New York City. Ed Zitron is joined in studio by actor, writer and producer Brian Koppelman, Engadget Managing Editor Cherlynn Low and comedian Mike Drucker to talk about the current state of the tech industry, what AI can actually do, and what the tech industry looks like in the next year. Anthropic and OpenAI Have Begun The Subprime AI Crisis https://www.wheresyoured.at/anthropic-and-openai-have-begu...
In part two of this week's two-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron makes a plea to the tech media - to stop automatically accepting what the tech executives have to say, and to admit that these people sound really, really stupid, even if they use long words. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured....
In this monologue, Ed Zitron examines the sudden and confusing price changes implemented by AI coding environment Cursor, including the introduction of expensive new tiers and rate limits, potentially degrading their service. He argues this is a form of 'chain enshittification' driven by upstream AI model providers like Anthropic and OpenAI drastically increasing their own costs and implementing new pricing structures like prompt caching taxes and priority tiers. Zitron revisits his 'Subprime AI Crisis' thesis, suggesting these changes across the industry indicate unsustainable business models and impending trouble for AI startups.
This episode of Better Offline critiques the speaking style and perceived intelligence of prominent tech CEOs like Sam Altman and Satya Nadella, arguing their public statements are often vague, nonsensical, and unchallenged by the media. Host Ed Zitron contends these leaders are not technological geniuses but rather business figures whose companies ship increasingly poor products. He advocates for reporters to stop coddling the powerful, openly mock their absurd statements, and focus on the real-world problems with modern technology, like broken software and intrusive notifications.
Ed Zitron discusses his personal journey getting into vinyl records as a way to relax and change his music listening habits in the digital age. He covers the basics of how record players function, the equipment he chose, and the process of buying and listening to records, highlighting the unique sound and ritual compared to digital audio.
This episode features a panel discussion dissecting the current state of the AI industry. Guests critique the overhyped nature of AI, arguing that despite massive investment, it lacks genuinely useful or exciting applications for everyday users. They touch on the financial unsustainability of the industry, the "cult-like" belief system surrounding AGI, the questionable motivations behind ventures like WorldCoin, and the role of tech journalism and leadership in perpetuating the hype cycle. The discussion covers examples from fitness trackers to negotiation tactics, highlighting the perceived lack of intelligence and practical utility.
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through the murky lawsuit between OpenAI’s soon-to-be-acquired hardware wing and Iyo, a company they met with multiple times that makes a similar-sounding product with a near-identical name. Sam Altman tweets: https://x.com/sama/status/1937606794362388674 Jason Rugolo tweets: https://x.com/jasonRugolo/status/1936933761964511721 YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free ship...
Ed Zitron talks with GamersNexus' Steve Burke about the recent Computex trade show dominated by AI, and the state of consumer graphics cards. They dive deep into NVIDIA's alleged pressure on tech media outlets, the controversial Multi-Frame Generation technology, and broader concerns about the company's shift towards AI, its impact on independent reviewers and partners, and the health of the consumer GPU market. They also touch on the challenges for competitors and the ethical concerns around AI content.
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through OpenAI’s desperate attempts to lean on Microsoft to change the terms of their agreement, and how the entire AI bubble may rest on this negotiation. WSJ: OpenAI and Microsoft Tensions Are Reaching a Boiling Point https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-and-microsoft-tensions-are-reaching-a-boiling-point-4981c44f The Information: OpenAI Seeks New Financial Concessions From Microsoft, a Top Shareholder https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-s...
Welcome to Radio Better Offline, a tech talk radio show recorded out of iHeartRadio's studio in New York city. Ed Zitron is joined in studio by Pablo Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out and David Roth of Defector to talk about independent media, what makes a compelling show, and what it’s like raising a turtle. Pablo Torre Finds Out: https://www.youtube.com/@PabloTorreFindsOut Investigating Belichick's Girlfriend: The Power of Jordon Hudson, Revealed https://youtu.be/As5P5TA-ERk?si=-PfM7fZ-Tw8S-yQc H...
In part three of this week's three-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how the era of the Business Idiot has led to a dramatic deceleration in innovation - and how the tech media must fight back against their ridiculous narratives to save Silicon Valley. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www...
In part two of this week's three-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how Business Idiots demanded we all return to the office to hide their own lack of utility - and how this directly led to their desperation to adopt generative AI. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ Redd...
In part one of this week's three-part Better Offline, Ed Zitron walks you through how Business Idiots have captured our society, with middle management losers breeding out true meritocracy and value-creation in favor of symbolic growth and superficial intelligence. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.w...
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through how the media is misleading you about AI job loss as a form of propaganda for OpenAI and Anthropic - and the Business Idiots behind it. CNN - The ‘white-collar bloodbath’ is all part of the AI hype machine - https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/30/business/anthropic-amodei-ai-jobs-nightcap Oxford Economics - Educated but unemployed, a rising reality for college grads - https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/US-Educated-but-unem...
In this episode, Ed Zitron is joined by Carl Brown, a veteran software developer and host of The Internet of Bugs, to talk about the realities of software development, what coding LLMs can actually do, and how the media gets it wrong about software engineering at large. https://www.youtube.com/@InternetOfBugs New GitHub Copilot Research Finds 'Downward Pressure on Code Quality' - https://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2024/01/25/copilot-research.aspx Report: AI coding assistants aren’t a pana...
In this week’s monologue, Ed Zitron walks you through the awesome world of handheld gaming PCs - and why you should pick one up over a Nintendo Switch 2. Rog Ally X: https://rog.asus.com/us/gaming-handhelds/rog-ally/rog-ally-x-2024/ Lenovo Legion Go S: https://amzn.to/4kgZCKD MSI Claw: https://amzn.to/43PPNNG YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com...
In this episode, Ed Zitron is joined by producer Sophie Lichterman to answer questions about life, technology, and Better Offline itself. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. --- LINKS: https://www.tinyurl.com/betterofflinelinks Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BetterOffline/ Discord: chat.wheresyoured.at Ed's Socials: https://twitter.com/...
In this episode, Ed Zitron walks you through the ridiculousness of OpenAI acquiring Jony Ive’s pre-product hardware startup for $6.5bn in stock - and why it only proves how washed the company might be. YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. WSJ: What Sam Altman Told OpenAI About the Secret Device He’s Making With Jony Ive https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-sam-altman-told-openai-abou...
