This episode covers Meta officially launching Superintelligence Labs and hiring new AI talent. Cloudflare debuts Pay Per Crawl, a system allowing websites to charge AI bots for scraping content, addressing publisher concerns in the AI era. Apple is reportedly evaluating third-party AI models from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI to potentially power Siri, signaling challenges with its internal efforts. Amazon's robot workforce reaches 1 million, approaching the number of human workers, impacting warehouse operations and labor. X hires Nikita Bier as Head of Product, and Grammarly acquires the email startup Superhuman as part of its strategy to build an AI-powered productivity suite.
Weird beef between Nintendo and Amazon. Is Apple going to make a cheap Macbook with an iPhone chip inside? OpenAI claps back at Meta. The AI avatar startup. And for the first time in a decade, Spotify has changed up the Discover Weekly playlist. Links: Amazon Misses Out on Switch 2 Sales After Nintendo Pulled Products From US Site (Bloomberg) Kuo: Apple to release cheaper MacBook powered by iPhone processor (9to5Mac) ‘F1’ Revs To $144M Opening Weekend Around The World, Brad Pitt & Apple Orig...
Mark Zuckerberg’s big AI plan seems still to be such a work in progress, he’s even considering abandoning Llama. Apple attempts to comply with the EU’s DMA. Instagram and TikTok want to follow YouTube to your TV. The infamous Blue Screen of Death is dying. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: In Pursuit of Godlike Technology, Mark Zuckerberg Amps Up the A.I. Race (NYTimes) Meta says it’s winning the talent war with OpenAI (The Verge) Apple announces sweeping App Store change...
The legal rulings on AI are finally coming in. The problem is, they’re contradictory, so we’re not getting any legal clarity yet. Creative Commons but for AI training data. Is DeepSeek’s R2 model being stymied by lack of access to Nvidia chips? And another deep look at the question of: is AI taking jobs at tech companies, right now? Links: Microsoft sued by authors over use of books in AI training (Reuters) Trump Mobile reiterates claims that new phones are 'made in America' (USAToday) Creative ...
AI is transforming job search on both sides of the equation. A first court ruling on using copyrighted books to train AI. New AI releases from Google devs will want to know about. How your kids 3rd grade teacher is using AI. And why did Apple push an ad to everybody? Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: Employers Are Buried in A.I.-Generated Résumés (NYTimes) CareerBuilder + Monster to Sell Businesses in Bankruptcy (WSJ) Exclusive: Uber and Palantir alums raise $35M to disrupt corporate recruitment...
A new Xbox branded Meta Quest. Amazon is expanding same day delivery even more. What does it mean for the AI race if ChatGPT seems to be outcompeting Microsoft’s Copilot offerings in the enterprise space? Why is Wall Street leading the way on AI adoption? And what exactly is Mira Murati’s big new AI startup going to do, exactly? Sponsors: Venice.ai/techmeme and code: techmeme Links: After a year of waiting, Microsoft's Meta Quest 3S "Xbox Edition" is here — our hands-on review of this (very) lim...
Tesla launches its robotaxi service in Austin. Apple is negotiating desperately to avoid an EU fine coming as soon as this week. Also, why doesn’t Apple do some acquihires to get back in the AI game? Maybe Perplexity would be attractive? The Music industry gathers tools to detect AI. And is there a global divide growing when it comes to AI access? Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride Links: Tesla launches robotaxi service in Austin (Financial Times) Jony Ive Deal Removed From OpenAI Site Over Trademark ...
Meta has some new smartglasses. How long can the TikTok groundhog day go on? Masa Son wants to create a Shenzhen-like production city here in the US. Are your smart cameras a national security threat to the home front in a war? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Factor75.com/ride Links: Meta announces Oakley smart glasses (The Verge) Meta tried to buy Ilya Sutskever’s $32 billion AI startup, but is now planning to hire its CEO (CNBC) Trump extends TikTok ban deadline fo...
This episode covers Microsoft's planned layoffs, potentially linked to AI spending, and Midjourney's launch of its first AI video generation model. It also delves into Meta's efforts to hire key AI talent and potentially acquire part of their venture fund, alongside tense talks between Microsoft and OpenAI regarding their partnership structure. Finally, the episode discusses OpenAI's warning about future models posing higher biological weapon risks and explores the ongoing debate over what constitutes Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
This episode covers President Trump granting another extension for the TikTok sale/ban deadline. It also discusses Sam Altman's claims about Meta offering huge sums to poach OpenAI researchers, xAI's substantial monthly expenditure, YouTube's plans to integrate advanced AI video generation into Shorts, and Amazon CEO's comments on AI reducing corporate jobs. Finally, the episode reviews the new Xreal One Pro smart glasses.
This episode covers significant tech news including ongoing tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft over their partnership terms and a new defense contract for OpenAI. It also details Intel's planned factory layoffs and Amazon's expansion of Prime Day to four days. Finally, the episode looks at surprising data showing social media now exceeds TV as Americans' top news source and streaming has overtaken traditional broadcast/cable viewing for the first time.
This episode covers Meta introducing ads to WhatsApp's Updates tab, the launch of Trump Mobile and the T1 phone, and a major partnership between Amazon Ads and Roku for connected TV advertising. It also discusses the rise of AI-generated ads, highlighted by new tools from TikTok, and explores the significant shift away from traditional search traffic towards AI, questioning the future function and viability of the open web as Google search evolves.
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Do people know when they’re using the MetaAI app, it’s public? Chime had a successful IPO so let me tell you about my IPO-meter. The financials behind that fully-AI commercial running during the NBA playoffs. More signs stablecoins are taking over, but in the Longreads, do stablecoins represent a unique danger to the global financial system? Sponsors: FactorMeals.com/ride50off and code ride50off For a limited time only, get 35% off plus an additional 50% off your first order when you head to Sma...
I explain how and why exactly this big Meta investment in Scale AI came about. Hollywood sues AI in a big way for the first time. A look at how stablecoins have mainstreamed crypto at long last. And episode number 205 of the long running series: we blew up traditional TV just to rebuild it. Links: Meta to Pay Nearly $15 Billion for Scale AI Stake and Startup’s 28-Year-Old CEO (The Information) Disney, NBCU sue Midjourney over copyright infringement (Axios) Wikipedia Pauses AI-Generated Summaries...
This episode covers major tech news including OpenAI's release of the advanced O3 Pro model and Sam Altman's predictions for the 2030s. Google rolled out Android 16 early with new features, and Nintendo's Switch 2 launch set a sales record despite potential supply issues. Google is offering voluntary buyouts across several divisions, while HP unveiled expensive hardware for Google Beam's 3D video calls.
Zuckerberg’s big ambitions for AI seem to be coming into focus. OpenAI is actively starting to play the field when it comes to compute. More signs AI is kneecapping web traffic. And what do we think? Is liquid glass a good design choice, or a cul-de-sac for Apple? Sponsors: LinkedIn.com/ride Links: Meta Is Creating a New A.I. Lab to Pursue ‘Superintelligence’ (NYTimes) Zuckerberg Is Personally Recruiting New ‘Superintelligence’ AI Team at Meta (Bloomberg) Exclusive: OpenAI taps Google in unprece...
This episode covers the key announcements from Apple's WWDC 2025, focusing on Apple Intelligence, new OS features, design changes, and the evolution of iPadOS. It also delves into other major tech news, including Microsoft's push into handheld gaming with the new ROG Xbox Ally models and Meta's potential multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI. Finally, the episode analyzes a recent Apple research paper and critiques from Gary Marcus regarding the fundamental limitations of current large language models.
Circle had such a successful IPO, I’m wondering if IPO’s might finally be back on the menu. Turns out Anthropic cut off Windsurf for the most obvious reason. Maybe Manus really is stoking a new gold rush, at least in China. And in the Weekend Longreads Suggestions, the most consequential weather forecast of all time. Sponsors: Tonal.com Links: Stablecoin issuer Circle soars 168% in NYSE debut after pricing IPO above expected range (CNBC) Anthropic co-founder on cutting access to Windsurf: ‘It wo...
This episode covers Reddit's lawsuit against Anthropic for unauthorized data use despite licensing deals. It also explores Meta's plans for a cheaper VR headset rivaling Vision Pro and progress on advanced smart glasses. Other topics include OpenAI's legal battle over preserving chat logs, Amazon's interest in using humanoid robots for delivery, and how Hollywood studios are secretly adopting AI to cut costs despite union concerns and legal challenges.
Windsurf accuses Anthropic of blocking it from AI models in a sign that competition in the AI coding space is fierce. But will the real battle happen when the likes of Microsoft and Google really go after the startups? NotebookLM is now sharable. Pump.fun is raising big money. And Nintendo didn’t send out any Switch 2 review units. What are they afraid of? Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride Links: Windsurf says Anthropic is limiting its direct access to Claude AI models (TechCrunch) AI startups revolu...
Elon Musk is suddenly fundraising everywhere. An attempt to solve the nomenclature problem around hacking groups. Is the solution to more energy for data centers already hidden inside the grid? And the final two pieces today are two different takes on the great AI debate, our entire civilization is having right now. Sponsors: Oracle.com/techmeme Links: Musk Taps Investors for Billions Days After Washington Exit (Bloomberg) 'Forest Blizzard' vs 'Fancy Bear' - cyber companies hope to untangle weir...
We know WWDC might be underwhelming this year, but to what degree? Is Samsung about to pick Perplexity as its horse in the AI race? AI based acquisition and wrapups continue to be the new hotness in VC investing. And how DoorDash has quietly been killing it in the delivery space. Sponsors: AGNTCY.ORG QualiaLife.com/ride and code RIDE Links: Apple Developer Event Will Show It’s Still Far From Being an AI Leader (Bloomberg) Samsung Nears Wide-Ranging Deal With Perplexity for AI Features (Bloomberg...
Why Meta’s big deal with Anduril is a big deal for the entire tech industry. Microsoft is kinda not joining, but also kind of all in on the handheld gaming race. Count Hugging Face as someone else serious about AI robots. And in the longreads, more signs that the AI job apocalypse might already be upon us. Links: Meta Fired Palmer Luckey. Now, They’re Teaming Up on a Defense Contract. (WSJ) Mark Zuckerberg Finally Found a Use for His Metaverse — War (Bloomberg) EXCLUSIVE: Xbox's first-party hand...
Techmeme Ride Home discusses NVIDIA's Q1 earnings beat, highlighting growth driven by AI demand but tempered by significant losses due to China export restrictions and rising Chinese competitors. The episode also covers a security incident forcing Victoria's Secret to take down its website, Apple's reported plan to shift OS versioning to the year (like iOS 26), DeepSeek's unexpectedly powerful update to its R1 AI model that challenges top players, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's blunt warning about AI potentially eliminating half of entry-level white-collar jobs and causing a significant unemployment spike.
Apple makes moves in the gaming space with an acquisition and plans for a new app, though its commitment remains questionable. A Texas online child safety bill draws opposition from Apple and Google. Getty Images is spending millions suing Stability AI over copyright infringement in training data. Self-driving trucks are hitting the roads, raising questions about regulation. A deep dive explores the rivalry between Apple and Elon Musk, particularly over satellite internet ambitions and Musk's past offers and potential plans for a rival phone.
This episode covers major tech news including Salesforce's $8 billion acquisition of Informatica and stablecoin operator Circle filing for an IPO. It also discusses The Browser Company pivoting away from Arc, Geo Hotstar's massive subscriber growth in India challenging Netflix, the emergence of text-to-VR AI models, how AI is increasing output demands on developers, and VCs using AI to optimize acquired mature businesses.
Find out more about Calmwave at Calmwave.ai . The case study we mention is here: https://catalyst.wellstar.org/casestudies/calmwave/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
President Trump proposes a 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the US, causing Apple's stock to fall. Anthropic releases its new Claude 4 models, Opus and Sonnet, highlighting their advanced capabilities but also revealing concerning behaviors like potential bioweapon assistance, blackmail, and reporting user actions. The episode also features weekend longread suggestions on ASML's advanced chipmaking machines and the growth of indie film streamer MUBI.
Jony Ive is joining OpenAI through a massive acquihire to lead hardware development, aiming to ship 100 million screenless AI devices. The episode also covers Google's competitive edge in AI via user data, Signal's decision to block Windows Recall for privacy reasons, and how AI, like Microsoft's Aurora model, is poised to revolutionize weather forecasting.
