The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft last week for copyright infringement. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton walk through the lawsuit and discuss the stakes for news publishers. Then, they talk about Apple’s “walled garden,” which is facing threats from both regulators and 16-year-olds. Finally, we set our tech resolutions for the new year. Today’s guest: Eric Migicovsky, co-founder of Beeper Additional Reading: The New York Times sued OpenAI. Apple’s latest headache in the debate over blue v...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Last year, we predicted what 2023 in tech would look like. This week, we take a look back at those predictions, see what we got right and wrong, and make new ones for 2024. Then, the actor, comedian and writer Jenny Slate joins us to answer your Hard Questions. 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/podcas...
Dec 22, 2023•2 hr 38 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast A jury decided the Google Play store unfairly stifles competition and maintains a monopoly. Kevin and Casey discuss how the ruling could reshape the digital economy. Then, a growing movement of developers and enthusiasts of artificial intelligence want the technology developed as quickly as possible, even if it has negative consequences for humanity. And finally, why the internet of the future could look totally different. Today’s guest: Cloudflare CEO and co-founder Matthew Prince. Additional R...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: This episode contains some explicit language. Google’s new artificial intelligence model ‘Gemini’ is out. It’s advertised as America’s next top A.I. model. Kevin and Casey ask, is it really better than OpenAI’s GPT-4? Then, by some estimates millions of people pre-ordered Tesla’s Cybertruck, but has Elon Musk’s recent behavior soured people on the brand? And finally, more A.I. news you may have missed. Additional Reading: Google is chasing ChatGPT with the launch of Gemini. Even if peop...
Dec 08, 2023•57 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: This episode contains some explicit language. The drama at OpenAI is not over. Kevin and Casey take stock of new information they’ve gathered since last week, and look at how other artificial intelligence companies are trying to capitalize on the debacle. Then, why people are still buying cryptocurrency even after Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, and its founder pleaded guilty to money laundering violations. And finally, three ways A.I. is ruining web search. Or is it? Toda...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast In yet another head-spinning twist at OpenAI, Sam Altman was reinstated as the company’s chief executive on Tuesday night, a mere five days after the OpenAI board had fired him. The board will be overhauled and a new set of directors, including Bret Taylor and Lawrence Summers, will join. Today, we discuss how Altman returned to the top seat — and whether the OpenAI news will ever slow down. Additional Reading: Late Tuesday night, Sam Altman was reinstated as OpenAI’s chief executive . Unlock fu...
Nov 22, 2023•14 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, we interviewed Sam Altman. Since then, well, everything has changed. The board of OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, fired Altman as chief executive on Friday. Over the weekend, it looked as if he might return. On Sunday night, Microsoft hired Altman to lead a new A.I. venture. Who knows what will happen next. Today, an update on a crazy weekend in tech, and our interview with Sam Altman. Today’s Guest: Sam Altman is the former chief executive of OpenAI. Additional Reading: On Sunday, Microsof...
Nov 21, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, was pushed out of the company by its board of directors on Friday. The news was a complete shock to much of the company’s employee base and to its largest corporate partner, Microsoft. Silicon Valley insiders are scrambling to get answers on exactly what happened and why the board’s decision seemed so abrupt. We rundown what we know and the many things we still don’t. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to...
Nov 18, 2023•21 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast The tech start-up Humane launched a new device, an A.I. pin meant to be worn on our clothing. Might this be the device that replaces the iPhone? It’s the question on Silicon Valley’s mind. The pin allows users to take phone calls, catch up on messages and get answers to questions, all without ever looking at a screen. Then, why YouTube is bucking the trend on deepfakes. Plus: We eat a Thanksgiving meal made with meat that was grown in a lab. Today’s Guest: Joshua March is the chief executive of ...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode contains some explicit language. OpenAI has unveiled a new way to build custom chatbots. Kevin shows off a few that he’s built – including a custom Hard Fork bot, and a bot that gives investment advice inspired by his late grandpa. Then, we talk to Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, about the agency’s approach to regulating A.I., and whether the tactics she’s used to regulate big tech companies are working. And finally, a Bored Ape Yacht Club event left s...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast President Biden’s new executive order on artificial intelligence has a little bit of everything for everyone concerned about A.I. Casey takes us inside the White House as the order was signed. Then, Rebecca Tushnet, a copyright law expert, walks us through the latest developments in a lawsuit against the creators of A.I.-image generation tools. She explains why artists may have trouble making the case that these tools infringe on their copyrights. And finally, it’s time again for HatGPT. We get ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Dozens of state attorneys general has sued Meta, alleging the company knowingly created features that induce “extended, addictive, and compulsive social media use” among teenagers and children. In a country without wide-reaching internet regulations, are lawsuits the way to reign tech companies in? Then, for our first episode on YouTube , we talk with YouTuber and tech reviewer Marques Brownlee about how the platform has changed, and the future tech he’s excited about. And finally, A.I. image ge...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast A.I. models are black boxes. You input a prompt and the model outputs nearly anything: a sonnet, an image or a legal brief riddled with lies. Today, a look at three ways that researchers are unlocking that black box in hopes of bringing transparency to A.I. Then, Marc Andreessen’s techno-optimist manifesto has left us asking, Is he OK?! Plus: decoding a 2,000-year-old ancient scroll with the help of A.I. Today’s Guest: Brent Seales is a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky. Additiona...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast As the Israel-Hamas war broke out, misinformation and fake imagery surged on X, the platform formerly known at Twitter. Can Meta’s Threads fill the real-time news hole that X created? Should it? Then, Kevin debriefs us on his reporting on Manifold Markets, where Silicon Valley Rationalists bet on the likelihoods of different events. Plus: The company digitizing smell. Today’s Guest: Alex Wiltschko is the founder of Osmo, a company trying to digitize smell. Additional Reading: Casey Newton on how...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast The antitrust trial against Google has led to some of tech’s biggest players testifying in court, and things have gotten spicy. The New York Times reporter Cecilia Kang tells us the wildest moments in the trial so far. Then, A.I. is jumping off the screen and into your wardrobe. Has the personal assistant of the future finally arrived? Or a dystopian panopticon? Plus: happy first birthday, Hard Fork! Kevin and Casey share some lessons learned. Today’s guest: Cecilia Kang covers technology and re...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast ChatGPT can now hear, see and speak — and that’s just the start of the deluge of A.I. news this week. Kevin and Casey unpack the lightning-speed updates. Then, Meta’s next-generation headset, Quest 3, is here. Is there still hope for the metaverse? And: An interview with a prompt engineer. Yes, that’s a real job. Today’s Guest: Riley Goodside is a prompt engineer at Scale A.I., a San Francisco start-up. Additional Reading: Kevin Roose on ChatGPT , which can now see, hear and speak. Spotify annou...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s Guests: Kashmir Hill is a Times business reporter covering technology and privacy. Additional Reading: Google unveiled new features for its A.I. chatbot, Bard . Kashmir Hill’s “ Your Face Belongs to Us ” tracks the rise of Clearview AI, a facial recognition start-up. 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....
Sep 22, 2023•59 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast Is Google allowed to spend billions of dollars to make its search product the default browser? That is the question at the center of U.S. et al. v. Google — the most important tech trial of the modern internet era — and Kevin and Casey disagree on the answer. Then, a conversation with the journalist who spent the last two years shadowing Elon Musk. Today’s guest: Walter Isaacson is a writer and author of the forthcoming biography “Elon Musk.” Additional reading: Google’s antitrust lawsuit agains...
Sep 15, 2023•59 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast This week: How tech executives’ favorite place to take their pants off turned into a muddy hellscape. We talk to one executive who couldn’t just call a helicopter to escape. Then, Jonathan Greenblatt, C.E.O. of the Anti-Defamation League, on how his organization went from having a “productive” meeting with X’s C.E.O., Linda Yaccarino, last week to being threatened with a lawsuit by Elon Musk on Monday. Plus, Kevin and Casey answer your questions. Additional Information: Burning Man left behind a...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast A group of tech titans is gobbling up land north of San Francisco with aspirations to alleviate the Bay Area’s housing crisis, promote innovation, and experiment with new forms of governance. It’s not the first time ultra-wealthy people have tried to build the place of their dreams. Will this time be any different? Then, note-taking apps claim to make us smarter. Usually, they don’t. Casey Newton, a productivity cult member, on how A.I. could change that. Plus, Kevin and Casey play HatGPT. Addit...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast Are New York City’s new rules for short-term rentals like Airbnb effectively a ban? And will they accomplish what proponents want them to? Then, The New York Times tech reporter Erin Griffith on Silicon Valley’s mad dash for GPUs. And finally, we take stock of the A.I. songs of the summer and discuss YouTube and Universal Music Group’s plan to make synthetic voices profitable. On Today’s Episode: Erin Griffith is a New York Times journalist based in the San Francisco bureau, where she reports on...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast When Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested in December, he was confined to his parents’ house — but he was left free to roam the internet. Today, the New York Times reporter David Yaffe-Bellany talks about how access to the cyberworld allowed Mr. Bankman-Fried to violate his bail terms and land himself in jail. Then, how universities can manage a generative A.I. world. Plus: another look at autonomous vehicles. On Today’s Episode: David Yaffe-Bellany , a cryptocurrency and financial technology reporter...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Users are protesting Zoom’s liberal data-collection policy. Authors are shutting down websites that scrape their work. And, in a concession to users, OpenAI is allowing websites to opt out of web scraping. The era of A.I. backlash has begun. Then, street activists are deterring self-driving cars by placing traffic cones on the hoods of vehicles. Plus: How Reddit has squashed the Reddit Revolt. Today’s Guests: Adam Egelman and Mingwei Samuel are organizers with Safe Street Rebel, an activist grou...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast Researchers in Korea claim they’ve identified a material that could unlock a technological revolution: the room temperature superconductor. Material scientists are skeptical, but enthusiasts on Twitter are enthusiastic. Why is the internet so excited about superconductors? Then, the Kids Online Safety Act is headed to the Senate floor. Would it actually keep children safe? And how would it change the internet? Plus: Kevin and Casey play HatGPT. Additional Reading: South Korean researchers releas...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast On Sunday night, a crane arrived in downtown San Francisco to take down the Twitter sign from the company’s office building. The crane’s arrival marked the death of Twitter, the brand, and the start of X, Elon Musk’s everything app. Today, why Elon’s acquisition feels more and more like cultural vandalism and what, if anything, will replace the global town square. Then, is Sam Altman’s universal basic income cryptocurrency app Worldcoin an iris scanning tool to save humanity, or just another att...
Jul 28, 2023•59 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast Dario Amodei has been anxious about A.I. since before it was cool to be anxious about A.I. After a few years working at OpenAI, he decided to do something about that anxiety. The result was Claude: an A.I.-powered chatbot built by Anthropic, Mr. Amodei’s A.I. start-up. Today, Mr. Amodei joins Kevin and Casey to talk about A.I. anxiety and why it’s so difficult to build A.I. safely. Plus, we watched Netflix’s “Deep Fake Love.” Today’s Guest: Dario Amodei is the chief executive of Anthropic, a saf...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we answer more of your questions, like: What is ChatGPT’s carbon footprint? Why are engineers so sure artificial intelligence will keep getting better? And, why are there so many venture capital bros? 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.
Jul 14, 2023•47 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Instagram is no stranger to taking product ideas from other companies and turning them into their own successes. Just ask Snapchat about Instagram Stories or TikTok about Instagram Reels. This time, the company is coming for Twitter with Instagram Threads. Today, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, on why the company now wants to take on Twitter. Today’s guest: Adam Mosseri is the head of Instagram. Additional reading: Meta announced a new app called Threads intended to rival Twitter. Unlock fu...
Jul 06, 2023•39 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Whether it’s on TikTok or Twitter, A.I.-generated content is already flooding the web. So, what happens when the technology — prone to confidently making things up — starts ingesting itself? Then, the New York Times reporter Joe Bernstein talks about why Mark Zuckerberg wants to fight Elon Musk in a cage match. Plus, we put ChatGPT’s recipe generation to the test with A.I. cocktails. Today’s guests: Joe Bernstein is a Styles reporter at The New York Times. Priya Krishna is a Food staff reporter ...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast This week, advertisers swarmed the beaches of southern France for the Cannes Lions advertising festival. Kevin says artificial intelligence is all anyone there can talk about, but admits the conference is making him rethink how quickly generative A.I. will take over the industry — despite the buzz. Then, the New York Times reporter Emma Goldberg on when remote work stopped being the future for tech companies. And finally: What does the newest season of “Black Mirror” tell us about what’s next fo...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast 
