TechCheck - podcast cover

TechCheck

Where Silicon Valley meets Wall Street, TechCheck dives deep into stocks, trades, trends and opportunities focused on new technologies while highlighting news from mega-cap heavyweights, social media darlings, streaming giants, growth software and red-hot disruptors. Everyday TechCheck delivers investors what they need to know with compelling in-depth reporting and analysis from investors, analysts and leaders in the industry.
Last refreshed:
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

TechCheck Takes: The AI Boom's Multi-Billion Dollar Blind Spot 6/25/25

AI reasoning models were supposed to be the industry’s next leap, promising smarter systems able to tackle more complex problems. Now, a string of research is calling that into question. In June, a team of Apple researchers released a white paper titled “The Illusion of Thinking,” which found that once problems get complex enough, reasoning models stop working. Even more concerning, the models aren’t “generalizable,” meaning they might be just memorizing patterns instead of coming up with genuin...

Jun 25, 202512 min

Waymo, Uber bring robotaxis to Atlanta 6/24/25

Shares of Uber surging after opening its robotaxi partnership with Waymo to the public in Atlanta. It comes just two days after Tesla launched its small-scale robotaxi fleet in Austin, we dig into the rapidly expanding race for autonomous taxis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 24, 202555 sec

Tesla’s robotaxi debut sends shares surging 6/23/25

Tesla rolled out their first limited batch of robotaxis in Austin Texas over the weekend, sending shares soaring. We dig into how the robotaxi race is rapidly expanding, and how that value may be being overlooked in Google and Amazon shares Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 23, 20254 min

Meta’s all-out AI talent hunt, plus Masayoshi Son’s latest big bet 6/20/25

A source confirming to CNBC that Meta tried to buy Perplexity before the $14.3B deal for Scale AI and its founder Alexandr Wang. Plus, we look at Softbank’s Masayoshi Son is continuing his trend of moonshot bets with a reported proposal to build a $1T AI hub in Arizona. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 20, 20258 min

Countdown to Fed Decision, Sen. Warren on Fed, Iran & More, and AI’s Talent Battle 6/18/25

Ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates, we look at what’s at stake and what to expect from today’s projections. Plus, Senator Warren joins us live from Capitol Hill to address President Trump’s criticism of Fed Chair Powell and the conflict in the Middle East. And OpenAI’s Sam Altman is accusing Meta of poaching its staff with 9-figure signing bonuses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo...

Jun 18, 20255 min

Microsoft and OpenAI’s slow untangling 6/17/25

One of the longest-standing partnerships in AI could be reaching a breaking point. We look at the souring relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft and why AGI is at the center of it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 17, 20257 min

Tech’s tightrope in Gulf AI deals 6/16/25

Geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East continues to escalate, as U.S. tech firms deepen their ties to Gulf states investing in AI. We dig into how those connections are starting to expose the risks of sovereign AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 16, 20255 min

Scale AI CEO joins Meta 6/13/25

Meta making its investment in scale AI official. Spending $14.3B for a 49% stake in the company, as CEO Alexandr Wang departs for a role inside Meta. We dig into how tech giants are spending Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 13, 20255 min

Kalshi airs fully AI-generated ad on primetime 6/12/25

AI has gone primetime, with a completely AI-generated ad from the prediction platform Kalshi airing last night during the NBA finals. The company says it was created from idea to live in less than 72 hours and cost them less than $2,000 to make. It shows just how fast AI is moving up the value chain and raises new questions around public trust and AI media consumption. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ...

Jun 12, 20256 min

Meta spends $15B for Scale AI stake 6/10/25

A source confirming to CNBC that Meta is spending $15B to obtain a 49% stake in AI startup Scale AI. We dig into why Meta is going big on the deal, and the flurry of AI valuation headlines making news this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 10, 20255 min

Apple Researchers' AI Red Flag, Plus OpenAI's Revenue Milestone 6/9/25

Researchers at Apple are out with a new paper that throws cold water on the biggest trend in AI right now: reasoning models. Scientists there say that beyond a certain point, the models lose all accuracy. Plus, OpenAI has just hit $10 billion in annual recurring revenue, driven by chatGPT, its consumer business and APIs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Jun 09, 20257 min

Amazon’s big bet on “Physical AI” 6/6/25

Morgan Stanley calling out Amazon as an “under-appreciated Gen AI winner” over its investments in automation. We dig into how robotics could translate into big savings for Amazon’s core business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 06, 20257 min

TechCheck Takes: Waymo’s co-CEO on 10 million Driverless Rides 6/5/25

Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo may not be as loud as Tesla in the autonomous vehicle race, but co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana says that Waymo is the only company that’s operating fully driverless rides at scale - most recently notching 10 million autonomous rides. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa sits down with her in an exclusive interview at the Google I/O developer conference. Aired on May 21st 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...

Jun 05, 202520 min

How AI “vibe-hacking” could upend cyber security 6/5/25

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is warning against a provision in the GOP’s massive reconciliation bill that would ban state AI laws for 10 years. We dig into the growing debate and the newest AI-related threat to cyber security. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 05, 20254 min

Tesla FSD crash video highlights the camera vs. lidar robotaxi debate 6/4/25

New footage obtained by Bloomberg reveals the shocking moments before a pedestrian was struck and killed in 2023 by a Tesla using FSD technology. We dig into the camera vs lidar debate as Tesla gets set to launch its robotaxis in Austin this month. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 04, 20258 min

AI laws on chopping block in GOP bill 6/3/25

The Senate is getting their turn at the GOP’s massive reconciliation bill, but now state lawmakers are speaking out against a provision buried inside that would tie their hands on AI regulation. We dig into how the controversial rule is reigniting debate on the future of AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 03, 20256 min

Perplexity AI nears deal with Samsung 6/2/25

Startup Perplexity is close to a deal with Samsung that would make their assistant the default on upcoming devices. We look at what the deal means as AI companies battle to reach more users and become the default chatbot. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jun 02, 20258 min

Zuckerberg & Luckey's Reconciliation 5/30/25

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Anduril's Palmer Luckey are now teaming up to make virtual reality headsets for defense military training. But the new venture represents a reconciliation between two tech CEOs who had a complicated last decade and speaks to the new alignments taking shape between Silicon Valley and politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 30, 20257 min

Nvidia's Inference Growth Engine 5/29/25

China may have been the big headline out of Nvidia's quarter, with 28 mentions on the earnings call, but right behind was inference at 27. It represents the next wave of AI, models that generate responses after getting trained, and could unlock a major new growth engine for Nvidia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 29, 20255 min

The growing disconnect in AI 5/28/25

Meta is reportedly shaking up its AI team after months of delays on its latest Llama 4 Behemoth AI model. We look at how Meta is not alone in having model issues, and the reignited debate around slowing AI progress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 28, 20257 min

Tariffs threaten big tech’s physical AI buildout 5/23/25

President Trump’s threat to slap iPhones with a 25% tariff is just his latest attempt to reshape the global supply chain. We look at how his push for American manufacturing could derail big tech’s move into physical AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 23, 20257 min

OpenAI’s Jony Ive deal escalates Google rivalry 5/22/25

OpenAI’s deal with iphone designer Jony Ive came right in the middle of Google I/O and sent a signal the AI company is aiming to challenge the big tech ecosystem. Plus, we look what DOJ’s reported probe of Google’s Character.AI deal means for the AI talent battlefield. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 22, 20257 min

Balancing search, AI at Google I/O 5/20/25

Alphabet kicks off its adeveloper event Google I/O today – we look at the tech giant’s delicate balancing act between prioritizing AI while maintaining its core search business Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 20258 min

Why Palantir, Anduril are Washington's new tech favorites 5/19/25

Apple and Alibaba shares under pressure after New York Times reporting that their deal to bring AI to Chinese iPhones is facing U.S. government scrutiny. We look at how as Apple feels the squeeze of Trump’s trade policies, defense tech is winning big. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 19, 202544 min

Meta reportedly delays launch of flagship AI model “Behemoth” 5/16/25

The Wall Street Journal reporting Meta has again delayed the launch of flagship AI model, named “Behemoth.” We look at how the news highlights Meta’s massive AI spend and the increasing focus on leaner models. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 16, 20258 min

Trump, Cook clash over iPhones 5/15/25

President Trump attacking Tim Cook over Apple’s plans to produce more iPhones in India. We look at how Trump’s tariffs are shifting supply chains. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 15, 20259 min

Databricks buys Neon for $1B, Plus Coreweave’s first quarterly report 5/14/25

Databricks CEO talks with Deirdre Bosa about the company’s $1B deal to acquire cloud-based database software vendor Neon, and the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Plus, we walk through what to watch in AI Infrastructure Coreweave’s first quarterly report since its March IPO. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 14, 20257 min

The Gulf’s AI ambitions, and China backdoor risks 5/13/25

President Trump escalating chip diplomacy in his trip to the Gulf states. We look at how Gulf ambitions to become an AI and their longstanding ties to Chinese tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 13, 20253 min

Gulf nations’ new role in AI race 5/12/25

President Trump kicking off the first major international trip of his second term today, heading to the Gulf states as top tech CEOs make their way to the region for a major investor conference. We look at how a partnership between the Gulf and big tech could reshape the AI landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 12, 20257 min

TechCheck Takes: I Held Google's Willow Chip — What Quantum Means for the Future of AI 5/7/25

"Inside a secretive lab in Santa Barbara, California, scientists at Alphabet are working on one of the company's most ambitious bets yet. They're attempting to develop the world's most advanced quantum computers. Late last year, Google unveiled a breakthrough quantum computing chip called Willow, which it says can solve a benchmark problem unimaginably faster than what's possible with a classical computer. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa gets an exclusive look inside Google quantum lab and explores whether ...

May 07, 202527 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android