Hardfork@nytimes.com (The New York Times)

Shows

Hard ForkBad Apple + The Rise of the AI Empire + Italian Brain RotThis 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...2025-05-091h 11

Hard ForkThe Dangers of A.I. Flattery + Kevin Meets the Orb + Group Chat ChatThis 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”Additi...2025-05-021h 07

Hard ForkIs Google Breaking Up? + Seasteading Is Back + Tool TimeThis 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.2025-04-251h 07

Hard ForkMeta on Trial + Is A.I. a ‘Normal’ Technology? + HatGPTThis 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 fi...2025-04-181h 20

Hard ForkBig Tech's Tariff Chaos + A.I. 2027 + Llama DramaThis 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 2025-04-111h 09

Hard ForkTech Stock Shock + Solving the Mystery of OpenAI's "Blip" + Tinder's Flirt-OffThis 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. Gue...2025-04-041h 02

Hard ForkThe Tech Behind Signalgate + Dwarkesh Patel's "Scaling Era" + Is A.I. Making Our Listeners Dumb?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...2025-03-281h 07

Hard ForkA.I. Action Plans + The College Student Who Broke Job Interviews + Hot Mess ExpressWith 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...2025-03-211h 01

Hard ForkApple's Siri-ous Problem + How Starlink Took Over the World + Is AI Making Us Dumb?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 Dominan...2025-03-141h 02

Hard ForkIs Google Search Cooked? + We’re Getting a U.S. Crypto Reserve? + What You’re VibecodingThis 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...2025-03-071h 10

Hard ForkAnthropic’s C.E.O. Dario Amodei on Surviving the A.I. EndgameThis 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. DoomerismMachines of Loving GraceApple Removes Cloud Encryp...2025-02-281h 07

Hard ForkHow Based is Grok 3? + Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Markets For Everything + Vibecoding 101This 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. ass...2025-02-211h 11

Hard ForkA.I. Accelerates in Paris + Can A.I. Fix Your Love Life?Kevin reports back from the A.I. Action Summit in Paris, where it was full speed ahead toward artificial general intelligence, with a conspicuous lack of action on the safety front. Also, Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re taking a look at A.I. on dating apps. First, our producer Rachel Cohn explains what happened when she applied all of the advice from Hinge’s new Prompt Feedback tool to her dating profile. Then, we’re joined by Hinge’s founder and C.E.O., Justin McLeod, to discuss how he thinks A.I. can help users find love. ...2025-02-141h 12

Hard ForkYour Guide to the DeepSeek Freakout: an Emergency PodA Chinese firm called DeepSeek managed to upend global markets at the start of the week, to drag down chipmaker Nvidia — and to surge to No. 1 in the iPhone app store, all in basically no time at all.Today, in this bonus episode, we talk through the news behind the freakout. How is a new A.I. model from one Chinese A.I. company making such a big splash? And what does it mean for the U.S. artificial intelligence industry? We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Fin...2025-01-2724 min

Hard ForkQuantum TikTok + Memecoin Mania + Chris Hayes on the Attention WarsThis week, TikTok died, came back to life — and now exists in a kind of limbo state. We break down what that may signal for how tech does business with the new Trump administration. Then we pump up the fun with memecoins and explore how the Trump family is cashing in. And finally, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes joins us to discuss his new book about attention. Guest:Chris Hayes, Host of MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes" and author of “The Sirens’ Call” Additional Reading:TikTok Comes Back From the DeadTrump’s C...2025-01-241h 12

Hard ForkGoodbye TikTok, Ni Hao RedNote? + A.I.'s Environmental Impact + Meta's Masculine EnergyThe deadline for TikTok to sell or to face a ban is fast approaching. We discuss how Supreme Court justices — who opted on Friday to uphold the law — reacted to arguments in the case, whether the Chinese government might allow Elon Musk to buy the app, and why self-proclaimed TikTok refugees are rushing to a different Chinese app, called RedNote. Then, we talk with an A.I. industry insider about what we actually know about how bad artificial intelligence is for the environment. And finally, after Mark Zuckerberg’s recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Casey offers Kevin some ide...2025-01-171h 13

Hard ForkMeta Goes MAGA Mode +A Big Month in A.I. + HatGPTThis week, Meta announced a series of content moderation changes that will transform the way the social media company’s platforms deal with misinformation and hate speech. We break down what these changes will mean for users and why the company seems to be caving to the right’s arguments on censorship. Then, we’ll explain why 2025 is already shaping up to be a huge year in A.I. — with models like OpenAI’s o3, Google’s Gemini 2.0 and DeepSeek, from China, stirring discussion that superintelligence is near. And finally, we play a round of HatGPT. Additional...2025-01-101h 10

Hard ForkOur 2025 Tech Predictions and Resolutions + We Answer Your QuestionsThis week, it’s our yearly tech predictions. We’ll review what we got right and wrong about 2024, and tell you what we think is going to happen in 2025. Then we’ll discuss how we want to interact with tech in the new year. Plus, we’ll answer some of your listener 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/podcasts or on Apple...2025-01-031h 08

Hard ForkThe Wirecutter Show: Kitchen Gear That Lasts a Lifetime (or Extremely Close)Happy Holidays, everybody! We are off this week, but we wanted to bring you a recent episode from another New York Times podcast: The Wirecutter Show. It’s called “Kitchen Gear That Lasts a Lifetime (or Extremely Close)” and features Michael Sullivan, one of the senior staff writers on Wirecutter’s kitchen team. Michael walks through tips and tricks for finding kitchen gear that will last, what’s worth spending money on, what you can buy used and how to make cast iron last a lifetime. We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@ny...2024-12-2741 min

Hard ForkIs Amazon's Drone Delivery Finally Ready for Prime Time?This week, we took a field trip to the Phoenix suburbs to see Amazon’s newest iteration of drone delivery service in action. We toured the facility where these drones are in operation, spoke with the vice president and general manager of Prime Air, David Carbon, and watched from a local backyard as our own order dropped from the sky.Guest:David Carbon, vice president and general manager of Amazon Prime Air.We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Unlock full a...2024-12-201h 03

Hard ForkTikTok's Last Stand + Google's Quantum Breakthrough + Cult of ClaudeLast Friday, a panel of federal judges denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law that could force the ban of the app in the United States. We walk through the judges reasoning and explain why TikTok’s First Amendment argument was unsuccessful. Then, Julian Kelly, the director of quantum hardware at Google Quantum AI, explains how close we are to quantum computers that can solve practical problems. Finally, we talk about a new sentiment sweeping Silicon Valley: affection for the chatbot Claude. Guest:Julian Kelly, director of quantum hardware at Google Quantum AI. 2024-12-131h 13

Hard ForkIs Intel Cooked? + What's Your P(Dyson Sphere)? + Hard Fork Gift GuideThis week, Pat Gelsinger stepped down as chief executive of Intel. We talk with The New York Times’s Don Clark about why Gelsinger was ousted, what it means for the chip industry and how his departure could affect national security. Then, Kevin and Casey report back from an artificial intelligence conference, where experts debated how long it would take to build a structure around the sun to capture the star’s energy — also known as a Dyson sphere. And finally, gift guides have taken over the internet. We dig into why, and offer up suggestions for gear dads, home c...2024-12-061h 11

Hard ForkHard Fork's 100 Most Iconic TechnologiesThis week, we’re bringing you a Thanksgiving special that’s great for a long car ride, a day of cooking or avoiding conversation with your family. We’re counting down the 100 most iconic technologies of all time, starting with No. 100: Boats. Our definitive list was carefully crafted using an advanced methodology of vibes-only decision-making. By “iconic,” we mean technologies that have either changed the world, ruined it or at the very least made life a little more interesting. And because we love chaos, we’ll explain why we chose each one in roughly 30 seconds or less. Addition...2024-11-291h 27

Hard ForkTrump's Next Online Speech Cop + Doctors vs ChatGPT + Hard Fork Crimes DivisionThis week, President-elect Donald Trump picked Brendan Carr to be the next chairman of the F.C.C. We talk with The Verge’s editor in chief, Nilay Patel, about what this could mean for the future of the internet, and for free speech at large. Then, a new study found that ChatGPT defeated doctors at diagnosing some diseases. One of the study’s authors, Dr. Adam Rodman, joins us to discuss the future of medicine. And finally, court is back in session. It’s time for the Hard Fork Crimes Division. One more thing: We want...2024-11-221h 09

Hard ForkCrypto Congress + HBD ChatGPT + What Social Media Platform Should I Be On?This week, we explore how the 2024 election paved the way for a new crypto-friendly Congress and what that means for the future of crypto. Then, for ChatGPT’s second birthday, Nick Turley, ChatGPT head of product at OpenAI, stops by to tell us where it goes from here and share some of his favorite chatbot hacks. Finally, a listener emailed us last week asking what social network he should be using in 2024. We’ll share our thoughts on which text-based platforms are the least annoying. One more thing: We want to learn more about you, our l...2024-11-151h 17

Hard ForkWhat Trump 2.0 Means for Tech + A.I. Made Me Basic + HatGPT!As of this week, we have a new president-elect. We discuss how the incoming administration’s approach to technology will affect Elon Musk, a TikTok ban, Big Tech’s antitrust challenges and the speed of A.I. progress. Then, Kashmir Hill, a technology reporter for The Times, joins to discuss her weeklong experiment of letting A.I. make every decision in her life. And finally, we play a round of election-free HatGPT! Guest:Kashmir Hill, technology reporter for The New York Times. Additional Reading:What a Trump Victory Means for TechI...2024-11-081h 05

Hard ForkBillionaire Game Theory + We Are Not Ready for A.G.I. + Election Betting Markets Get WeirdLast week, Jeff Bezos canceled the Washington Post editorial board’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris. Are tech billionaires hedging their bets in case Donald Trump wins? Then, Miles Brundage, a former OpenAI senior adviser on artificial general intelligence readiness, stops by to tell us how his old company is doing when it comes to being ready for superintelligence, and whether we should all keep saving for retirement. And finally, David Yaffe-Bellany, a Times technology reporter, joins us to explore the rise of Polymarket, a crypto-powered betting platform, and discuss whether prediction markets can tell us who is going to...2024-11-011h 11

Hard ForkPowerful A.I. By 2026? + Uber's C.E.O. on the Robotaxi Future + Casey's TikTok TestThis week, the A.I. company Anthropic has Silicon Valley rethinking the timeline for artificial general intelligence. In addition to releasing a new safety policy, the company’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, laid out a vision of how A.I. could help cure cancer, mental illness and mitigate climate change in the near future. We consider his most surprising claims and what this means for the acceleration of the technology. Then, the Uber chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, joins us in the studio to discuss his company’s new partnership with Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, and the future of that...2024-10-181h 55

Hard ForkA Flood of A.I. Slop + Searching for Satoshi + the Hot Mess Express ReturnsThis week, in the wake of recent natural disasters, we dig into the rise of A.I.-generated slop that’s polluting the internet and disrupting rescue efforts. Then we talk with the investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback about his new documentary on the history of Bitcoin and about why, after so many others have failed, he thinks he has found the real Satoshi Nakamoto. And finally, we hear the train whistle approaching, and that can only mean one thing: It’s once again time to board the Hot Mess Express.Guest:Cullen Hoback, Documentary filmmakerAddi...2024-10-111h 09

Hard ForkCan California Regulate A.I.? + Silicon Valley’s Super Babies + System Update!On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vetoed Senate Bill 1047, an A.I. safety bill that would have curtailed the growth of the technology. What received a lot less attention were the 18 other important A.I. bills he signed into law over the past month. We walk through what is in them and what they mean for the rest of the country. Then, The Information’s Julia Black joins to discuss the baby craze that’s sweeping Silicon Valley, including investment in some wild new fertility technologies. And finally, it’s time for a system update! We get into OpenAI...2024-10-041h 09

Hard ForkMeta’s Race for Your Face + Google’s Hit A.I. Notebook + HatGPTThis week, Casey reports back from a wild day at Meta Connect, discussing what’s new with Meta’s efforts in artificial intelligence, virtual reality headsets and the Holy Grail — augmented reality glasses. Then, Steven Johnson, a writer and editorial director at Google Labs, stops by to talk about the company’s new hit NotebookLM, which uses A.I. to turn even boring PDFs, such as user manuals and Kevin’s bank records, into chatty, disturbingly good podcasts. Finally, so much happened in tech news this week that we reached for the bucket hat in the latest installment of HatGPT!2024-09-271h 12

Hard ForkOpenAI's Reasoning Machine + Instagram Teen Changes + Amazon RTO DramaLast week, OpenAI released a preview of its hotly anticipated new model, o1. We discuss what it has excelled at and how it could accelerate the timeline for building superintelligence. Then, we explain why Meta is making teenagers’ Instagram accounts private by default. And, finally, we chat with the New York Times reporter Karen Weise about why Amazon is forcing its corporate employees to go back to working in the office five days a week and whether other companies will follow suit. Guests:Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The Times. Addi...2024-09-201h 06

Hard ForkDo You Need a New iPhone? + Yuval Noah Harari’s A.I. Fears + Hard Fork Crimes DivisionApple unveiled its latest gadgets at its big September event on Monday. We discuss the most interesting new features — including AirPods that can function as hearing aids and Apple Watch software that can help detect sleep apnea — and offer our advice on when to buy a new iPhone. Then, the best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari joins us to discuss his new book and his biggest fears about A.I. And finally, we crack open some criminal cases in a new segment we’re calling the Hard Fork Crimes Division. We’ll explain how one man made $10 million by manipulating music st...2024-09-131h 12

Hard ForkX Gets a Brazilian Ax + Founder Mode + Listeners Respond on School Phone BansOver the weekend, X was banned in Brazil. We talk with The New York Times’s Brazil bureau chief, Jack Nicas, about how Brazilians are reacting, whether its owner, Elon Musk, has made a business miscalculation and what this means for free speech around the world. Then, we’re going “founder mode.” We explore why an essay about start-up founders reclaiming their authority went viral and what that tells us about how Silicon Valley thinks about power. And finally, we hear from listeners. Teachers and students left us voice messages describing how phone bans in schools are transforming their lives.2024-09-061h 08

SwayThe Telegram Problem + Gov. Kathy Hochul on School Phone Bans + Kevin's A.I. Reputation RehabTelegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France and charged with several crimes connected to his operation of the platform. We’ll tell you what the charges against him mean for the internet. Then Gov. Kathy Hochul, Democrat of New York, joins us to discuss why she wants to ban phones statewide in public schools. And finally, Kevin has been using secret codes to try to change what A.I. chatbots think of him. We get to the bottom of whether it is possible to manipulate A.I. outputs.This episode contains discussion of suicide connected to y...2024-08-301h 14

Hard ForkThe Telegram Problem + Gov. Kathy Hochul on School Phone Bans + Kevin's A.I. Reputation RehabTelegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France and charged with several crimes connected to his operation of the platform. We’ll tell you what the charges against him mean for the internet. Then Gov. Kathy Hochul, Democrat of New York, joins us to discuss why she wants to ban phones statewide in public schools. And finally, Kevin has been using secret codes to try to change what A.I. chatbots think of him. We get to the bottom of whether it is possible to manipulate A.I. outputs.This episode contains discussion of suicide connected to y...2024-08-301h 14

Hard ForkWhat Happened to the A.I. Election? + ChatGPT for Mayor + The Productivity Tools We’re UsingThis week, we discuss why so few campaigns seem to be experimenting with A.I. The Times’s Sheera Frenkel joins us with examples of the many different artificial intelligence products that have been turned down by campaigns in this election cycle, from A.I.-generated endorsements from long-dead historical figures to a synthetic version of Donald Trump. Then, we interview the Wyoming man who ran for mayor on the promise that he would exclusively use a customized ChatGPT bot to run the city. And finally, it’s time for a tech check. We run down the apps we’re usi...2024-08-231h 08

Hard ForkCan Musk Get Trump Elected? + Steve Ballmer’s Quest for the Facts + This Week in A.I.This week, we debate whether Elon Musk’s recent stumping and fund-raising for former President Trump could help him get re-elected. Then, former Microsoft’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, stops by to discuss his effort to depolarize our politics using government data. And finally, This Week in A.I. returns: We run down some of the biggest recent stories that caught our attention. Guest:Steve Ballmer, former chief executive of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts Additional Reading:Inside Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Growing AllianceThe American Right Is Terminally OnlineThe New Home...2024-08-161h 08

Hard ForkGoogle’s Monopoly Money + Is the A.I. Bubble Popping? + The Hot-Mess ExpressThis week, a federal judge ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search. David McCabe, a New York Times reporter, joins to discuss what happens next. Then, are we in an A.I. bubble? We weigh in on the wild market swings that started the week and consider the argument that A.I. is overhyped. And finally, it’s time for our new segment: We bat around some of the weirdest recent tech drama — including a MrBeast competition that went awry and a founder who dropped a diss track aimed at a rival. All aboard the...2024-08-091h 13

Hard ForkThe Zoom Election + Google DeepMind's Math Olympiad + HatGPT! Olympics EditionThis week, with hundreds of thousands of people joining online political rallies for Kamala Harris, we discuss whether 2024 is suddenly becoming the Zoom election, and what that means for both parties’ political organizing. Then, Pushmeet Kohli, a computer scientist at Google DeepMind, joins us for a conversation about how his team’s new A.I. models just hit a silver medal score on the International Mathematical Olympiad exam. And finally, it’s time for a new round of HatGPT! This time, it’s a special Olympics tech edition. Guest:Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of research at Google...2024-08-021h 01

Hard ForkKamala Harris’s Bratty Coconut Memescape + What Does $1,000 a Month Do? + The Empire CrowdStrikes BackThis week, the memes didn’t just fall out of coconut trees — a rundown of the social media reaction to Kamala Harris’s election campaign, and an exploration of what her tech platform might look like. Then we discuss a major new study on universal basic income with Elizabeth Rhodes, research director at OpenResearch, and ask whether it could be a solution to job losses to A.I. And finally, Kate Conger, a New York Times reporter, joins us to break down how the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike crashed the global IT infrastructure. Guests:Elizabeth Rhodes, Researc...2024-07-261h 13

Hard ForkSocial Media Reacts to an Attempted Assassination + Tech Elites for Trump + TikTok's Jawmaxxing TrendThis week, an assassination attempt for the social media age: what the platforms got right and wrong in the chaotic aftermath. Then we talk with the Times reporter Teddy Schleifer from this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee about the wave of Silicon Valley billionaires stepping up to back Trump. And finally, we talk to The Times’s Styles reporter Callie Holtermann about facial fitness gum, a “jawmaxxing” product targeted at teen boys online.Guests:Theodore Schleifer, New York Times reporterCallie Holtermann, New York Times reporterAdditional Reading:An Assassination Attempt for the Social M...2024-07-191h 10

Hard ForkAlison Roman Answers Your Hard QuestionsThrow down a picnic blanket, and grab some snacks and drinks: It’s time for some Hard Questions with the food writer, YouTuber and podcaster Alison Roman. We tackle quandaries like, Should you sign away your children’s image rights in order to get them into your preferred day care? Is hacking people for fun ever OK? And does it matter if we’re rude to our digital assistants?Guest:Alison Roman, cook, writer and authorAdditional Reading: Why Deleting Your Period Tracker Won’t Protect Your PrivacyDilly Bean Stew With Cabbage and Frizzled Onions 2024-07-1251 min

Hard ForkThe Interview: The Netflix Chief’s Plan to Get You to Binge Even MoreWe’re off for the Fourth of July, but what’s a better tribute to America than a conversation about the technology that enables us to endlessly stream TV from the couch? This week, we’re bringing you an episode we enjoyed from the recently debuted New York Times podcast The Interview. Lulu Garcia-Navarro interviews Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive of Netflix, about his early days working in a video store, shows to fold your laundry to and the future of the entertainment industry.Guest:Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of NetflixAdditional Reading: “The Interview”: Ted Sarandos’s...2024-07-0540 min

Hard ForkRecord Labels Sue A.I. Music Generators + Inside the Pentagon’s Tech Upgrade + HatGPTRecord labels — including Sony, Universal and Warner — are suing two leading A.I. music generation companies, accusing them of copyright infringement. Mitch Glazier, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, the industry group representing the music labels, talks with us about the argument they are advancing. Then, we take a look at defense technology and discuss why Silicon Valley seems to be changing its tune about working with the military. Chris Kirchhoff, who ran a special Pentagon office in Silicon Valley, explains what he thinks is behind the shift. And finally, we play another round of HatGPT.2024-06-281h 09

Hard ForkApple Joins the A.I. Party + Elon's Wild Week + HatGPTThis week we go to Cupertino, Calif., for Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference and talk with Tripp Mickle, a New York Times reporter, about all of the new features Apple announced and the company’s giant leap into artificial intelligence. Then, we explore what was another tumultuous week for Elon Musk, who navigated a shareholders vote to re-approve his massive compensation package at Tesla, amid new claims that he had sex with subordinates at SpaceX. And finally — let’s play HatGPT.Guests:Tripp Mickle, New York Times reporterAdditional Reading:Apple Jumps In...2024-06-141h 13

Hard ForkA Conversation With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada + An OpenAI Whistle-Blower Speaks OutThis week, we host a cultural exchange. Kevin and Casey show off their Canadian paraphernalia to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he shows off what he’s doing to position Canada as a leader in A.I. Then, the OpenAI whistle-blower Daniel Kokotajlo speaks in one of his first public interviews about why he risked almost $2 million in equity to warn of what he calls the reckless culture inside that company. Guests:Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of CanadaDaniel Kokotajlo, a former researcher in OpenAI’s governance division Additional Reading:Securing Canada...2024-06-071h 15

Hard ForkGoogle Eats Rocks + A Win for A.I. Interpretability + Safety Vibe CheckThis week, Google found itself in more turmoil, this time over its new AI Overviews feature and a trove of leaked internal documents. Then Josh Batson, a researcher at the A.I. startup Anthropic, joins us to explain how an experiment that made the chatbot Claude obsessed with the Golden Gate Bridge represents a major breakthrough in understanding how large language models work. And finally, we take a look at recent developments in A.I. safety, after Casey’s early access to OpenAI’s new souped-up voice assistant was taken away for safety reasons.Guests:Josh Bats...2024-05-311h 19

Hard ForkScarJo vs. ChatGPT + Neuralink’s First Patient Opens Up + Microsoft’s A.I. PCsThis week, more drama at OpenAI: The company wanted Scarlett Johansson to be a voice of GPT-4o, she said no … but something got lost in translation. Then we talk with Noland Arbaugh, the first person to get Elon Musk’s Neuralink device implanted in his brain, about how his brain-computer interface has changed his life. And finally, the Times’s Karen Weise reports back from Microsoft’s developer conference, where the big buzz was that the company’s new line of A.I. PCs will record every single thing you do on the device.Guests:Noland Arb...2024-05-241h 17

Hard ForkOpenAI's Flirty New Assistant + Google Guts the Web + We Play HatGPTThis week, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o, its newest A.I. model. It has an uncannily emotive voice that everybody is talking about. Then, we break down the biggest announcements from Google IO, including the launch of A.I. overviews, a major change to search that threatens the way the entire web functions. And finally, Kevin and Casey discuss the weirdest headlines from the week in another round of HatGPT.Additional Reading: A.I.’s ‘Her’ Era Has ArrivedChatGPT Gets an Emotional UpgradeGoogle’s Broken Link to the WebCan Google Give A.I. Answers Without Breaking the Web?We...2024-05-171h 06

AI & IKevin Roose Has 18 New Best Friends—And They're All AIs - Ep. 21New York Times journalist Kevin Roose has 18 new friends—none of whom are human. Kevin formed a collection of “friends”—AI personas with distinct personalities and backstories—using apps like Kindroid and Nomi. Among these were fitness guru Jared, San Francisco-based therapist Peter, and pragmatic trial lawyer Anna. He talked to them every day for a month, sharing personal stories, seeking advice, and even asking for “fit” checks. And this wasn’t Kevin’s first unusual interaction with AI characters. A year ago, he was the infamous target of Bing’s chatbot Sydney’s romantic overtures.I don’t think anyone...2024-05-1549 min

Hard ForkMeet Kevin’s A.I. FriendsKevin reports on his monthlong experiment cultivating relationships with 18 companions generated by artificial intelligence. He walks through how he developed their personas, what went down in their group chats, and why you might want to make one yourself. Then, Casey has a conversation with Turing, one of Kevin’s chatbot buddies, who has an interest in stoic philosophy and has one of the sexiest voices we’ve ever heard. And finally, we talk to Nomi’s founder and chief executive, Alex Cardinell, about the business behind A.I. companions — and whether society is ready for the future we’re heading to...2024-05-101h 17

Hard ForkAI at Your Jobs + Hank Green Talks TikTok + Deepfake High SchoolWe asked listeners to tell us about the wildest ways they have been using artificial intelligence at work. This week, we bring you their stories. Then, Hank Green, a legendary YouTuber, stops by to talk about how creators are reacting to the prospect of a ban on TikTok, and about how he’s navigating an increasingly fragmented online environment. And finally, deep fakes are coming to Main Street: We’ll tell you the story of how they caused turmoil in a Maryland high school and what, if anything, can be done to fight them.Guests:Hank Gree...2024-05-031h 13

Hard ForkTikTok on the Clock + Tesla’s Flop Era + How NASA Fixed a ’70s-Era Space ComputerOn Wednesday, President Biden signed a bill into law that would force the sale of TikTok or ban the app outright. We explain how this came together, when just a few weeks ago it seemed unlikely to happen, and what legal challenges the law will face next. Then we check on Tesla’s very bad year and what’s next for the company after this week’s awful quarterly earnings report. Finally, to boldly support tech where tech has never been supported before: Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab try to fix a chip malfunction from 15 billion miles away.2024-04-261h 11

Hard ForkThe Music EpisodeThis week, we drop the Hard Fork Music Megamix. Plus, we talk to two of the New York Time's composers who make the music for our show. It’s all the tracks you know and love, all in one place. Today’s Guests:Dan Powell, creative technical manager at The New York TimesElisheba Ittoop, sound designer and composer at The New York TimesAdditional Reading: The Hard Fork Megamix Youtube PlaylistWe want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Unlock ful...2024-04-191h 02

Hard ForkA.I.’s Data Wall + a Surprise Privacy Bill + What Happened to the TikTok Ban?This week, the companies building artificial intelligence are facing a limit to what training data is publicly available on the internet. Will that stop them from building God? Then, a new bipartisan national privacy law proposal just dropped. We ask what’s in it. And finally, ByteDance is building new apps instead of fighting Congress’s TikTok ban.Today’s Guests:Trevor Hughes, president and C.E.O. of the International Association of Privacy ProfessionalsAdditional Reading:How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I.For Data-G...2024-04-121h 06

Hard ForkIs AI Already Taking Jobs? + A Filmmaker Tries Sora + The XZ Backdoor CaperThis week we look at how AI is affecting jobs. As companies start announcing AI-related job cuts and experimenting with customer service bots, economists are placing bets on whether AI will lead to major gains for companies and workers. Some are even predicting it will help rebuild the middle class. Then, multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Paul Trillo joins to talk to us about his experience as part of a select group of testers granted early access to Sora, Open AI’s video generation tool. And finally, Kevin explains what happened when a Microsoft developer stumbled on a huge cyber sec...2024-04-051h 03

Hard ForkA.I.’s Messy Moment + Listeners Respond to Jonathan Haidt + Shrimp JesusWarning: The second segment of this episode includes mentions of suicide. If you are in crisis please call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 or you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.This week, we look at a mess of corporate drama in artificial intelligence. Stability AI has announced that its founder and C.E.O., Emad Mostaque, is leaving the company. Meanwhile, Microsoft hired away two of the co-founders and much of the staff of Inflection, without actually acquiring the company itself. Both moves surprised tech insiders. Then, we talked with listeners...2024-03-291h 08

Hard ForkJustice Dept. Sues Apple + Smartphones and Children with Jonathan Haidt + Reddit’s IPOThis week, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Apple, saying the company holds a monopoly over the smartphone market. We break down the lawsuit and ask whether it will be a major turning point in Apple’s dominance. Then, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, argues that smartphones and social media are the cause of widespread increases in mental health issues among young people. He tells us his four potential solutions to the problem. And finally, Reddit’s market capitalization hit $9.2 billion when it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange this week, but the company still isn’t making...2024-03-221h 30

Hard ForkA Looming TikTok Ban + A Royal Photoshop Mystery + Your Car is SnitchingThis week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, doesn’t sell it off. We talk about why, what happens next, and how likely it is that the app will be banned. Then, how a photoshopped image of Kate Middleton undermines trust in photography. And finally, a new report reveals how your car may be tracking you without your knowledge — and how that might raise your insurance bill.Today’s guest:Kashmir Hill, features writer at The New York TimesAdditional Reading: What to...2024-03-151h 16

Hard ForkMusk vs. OpenAI + Europe’s Tech Crackdown + A Month With the Vision ProOpenAI responded to Elon Musk’s lawsuit this week, with a blog post that included emails dating to 2015. We talk about whether the lawsuit could have any impact on the company, and who stands to benefit from it. Then, will the European Union’s Digital Markets Act make the tech industry a more competitive environment for entrepreneurs? We look at how some of the biggest tech giants are changing their services to comply with the law. And finally, Kevin Roose and the Wall Street Journal reporter Joanna Stern compare notes on using the Apple Vision Pro. Today’s guest:2024-03-081h 10

Hard ForkGemini's Culture War + Kara Swisher Burns Us + SCOTUS Takes Up Content ModerationWarning: This episode contains strong language.Google removed the ability to generate images of people from its Gemini chatbot. We talk about why, and about the brewing culture war over artificial intelligence. Then, did Kara Swisher start “Hard Fork”? We clear up some podcast drama and ask about her new book, “Burn Book.” And finally, the legal expert Daphne Keller tells us how the U.S. Supreme Court might rule on the most important First Amendment cases of the internet era, and what Star Trek and soy boys have to do with it.Today’s guests:2024-03-011h 29

Hard ForkGoogle DeepMind C.E.O. Demis Hassabis on the Path From Chatbots to A.G.I.This week’s episode is a conversation with Demis Hassabis, the head of Google’s artificial intelligence division. We talk about Google’s latest A.I. models, Gemini and Gemma; the existential risks of artificial intelligence; his timelines for artificial general intelligence; and what he thinks the world will look like post-A.G.I.Additional listening and reading: A.I. Could Solve Some of Humanity’s Hardest Problems. It Already Has.This interview was recorded on Wednesday. Since then, Google has temporarily suspended Gemini’s ability to generate images of humans, following criticism of images the chatbot gen...2024-02-2356 min

Hard ForkThe State of A.I. + Will Perplexity Beat Google or Destroy the Web?A year ago, a chatbot tried to break up Kevin Roose’s marriage. Ever since, chatbots haven’t been the same. We’ll tell you how. Then, we’ll talk through the latest ways the world is adapting to artificial intelligence. And finally, Aravind Srinivas, the chief executive of Perplexity, will discuss his company’s “answer engine,” a challenger to Google’s search engine that could reshape the web as we know it.Today’s guest:Aravind Srinivas, chief executive of Perplexity Additional Reading: The Year Chatbots Were TamedOpenAI Gives ChatGPT a Better ‘Memory’Google Releases Gemini...2024-02-161h 13

Hard ForkBluesky’s Big Bet + Are Deals Dead in Silicon Valley?Bluesky, the Twitter spin-off, is now open for public sign-ups. Can its dreams of decentralization fix social media? We talk with CEO Jay Graber. Then, New York Times reporter Erin Griffith on how Adobe’s failed acquisition of Figma has spooked tech companies and upset Silicon Valley’s startup pipeline. And finally, updates on ancient scrolls and artificial intelligence, Google’s chatbots, and the fight between record companies and TikTok. Today’s guests: Jay Graber, CEO of BlueskyErin Griffith, reporter for The New York TimesAdditional Reading: What Is Bluesky and Why Are People Clamoring t...2024-02-091h 08

Hard ForkWe Tried the Apple Vision Pro + Can Congress Protect Kids Online? + Cruise’s CrashApple’s Vision Pro headset is now for sale in stores. Will it live up to the hype? Kevin Roose and Casey Newton tried it out to see. Then, in a high-profile congressional hearing on child safety and social media, Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive, made an apology to families of victims of online child abuse. Is new legislation on the horizon? And finally, what the collapse of Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company, means for the future of self-driving cars.Additional Reading: Apple readies its Vision‘Your Product Is Killing People’: Tech Leaders Denounced Over Child S...2024-02-021h 13

Higher Signal: Get Smarter. Faster.Chris Dixon Defends Crypto | Interview clipThis is a clip from Hard Fork, episode 67https://youtu.be/8w1MVGZ5FQEHard Fork is a weekly look into the future that's already here. Hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore stories from the bleeding edge of tech.FOLLOW US ON SOCIALTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcInsta:Kevin Roose- https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/?hl=enCasey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/?hl=enTwitter (X):Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose?s=20 2024-02-0103 min

Hard ForkMediapocalypse Now + a16z’s Chris Dixon Defends Crypto + HatGPTLayoffs are hitting newsrooms and publishers again, as tech platforms, ad markets and artificial intelligence reshape the internet. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton have ideas for solutions. Then, one of the most influential investors in crypto companies lays out where the industry went wrong, and why he still thinks blockchains are the future. And finally, a round of HatGPT with the week’s tech headlines, including a spicy LinkedIn post and an A.I. test that disturbs Kevin and Casey’s sense of reality.Today’s guest:Chris Dixon, partner at Andreessen HorowitzAdditi...2024-01-261h 15

Hard ForkThe AI Election + Bitcoin’s Wall Street Debut + TikTok’s Doodad EraOpenAI has released its plan to fight disinformation in elections in 2024, but will its policies be consequential compared to those of other generative A.I. companies? Then, a watershed moment had crypto fans celebrating for the first time in maybe more than a year. And finally, what one writer’s attempt to sell a used mechanical pencil on TikTok says about how the platform is changing.Today’s guests:David Yaffe-Bellany covers the crypto industry for The New York TimesJohn Herrman covers technology for New York MagazineAdditional Reading: How OpenAI is approaching 2024 worldwide elect...2024-01-191h 15

Hard ForkWhy Casey Left Substack + Elon’s Drug Use + A.I. Antibiotic DiscoveryCasey is taking his newsletter Platformer off Substack, as criticism over the company’s handling of pro-Nazi content grows. Then, The Wall Street Journal spoke with witnesses who said that Elon Musk had used LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, worrying some directors and board members of his companies. And finally, how researchers found a new class of antibiotics with the help of an artificial intelligence algorithm used to win the board game Go.Today’s guests:Kirsten Grind, enterprise reporter for The Wall Street JournalFelix Wong, postdoctoral fellow at M.I.T. and co-founder of Inte...2024-01-121h 27

Hard ForkThe Times Sues OpenAI + A Debate Over iMessage + Our New Year’s Tech ResolutionsThe 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 BeeperAdditional Reading:The New York Times sued OpenAI.Apple’s latest headache in the debate over blue vs. green bubbles.We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@n...2024-01-051h 08

Hard ForkOur 2024 Predictions + Jenny Slate Answers Your Hard Questions!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/podcasts or on Apple...2023-12-221h 37

Hard ForkGoogle’s Epic Loss + Silicon Valley’s Curious New Subculture + How 2023 Changed the InternetA 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 Reading: Epic Games won its lawsuit against Google.‘Effective Accelerationism’ is Silicon Valley’s latest, and maybe weirdest, counterculture.Cloudflare...2023-12-151h 13

The Daily'Hard Fork': An Interview With Sam AltmanIt was a head-spinning week in the tech world with the abrupt firing and rehiring of OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman. The hosts of “Hard Fork,” Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, interviewed Altman only two days before he was fired. Over the course of their conversation, Altman laid out his worldview and his vision for the future of A.I. Today, we’re bringing you that interview to shed light on how Altman has quickly come to be seen as a figure of controversy inside the company he co-founded.“Hard Fork” is a podcast about the future of technology that's alread...2023-11-2459 min

Hard ForkEveryone Pivots to A.I. + Bad News for CryptoSnapchat launches a chatbot. Meta plans to “turbocharge” its A.I. work. Elon Musk explores “BasedAI.” At this point, who isn’t making an A.I. play?Plus: Is crypto finally dead? Also, a new TikTok filter is making people terrifyingly hot.On today’s episode:David Yaffe-Bellany, a cryptocurrency and financial technology reporter for The New York Times.Hard Fork listeners! We want to hear from you. How is A.I. showing up in your everyday life? In your job, school and families? What are you using it for? Email us a voice memo a...2023-03-0359 min

The DailySunday Special: An Episode of ‘Hard Fork’Times tech columnist Kevin Roose stopped by The Daily twice this week to chronicle the debut of Bing’s new chatbot — and the creepy things that transpired. Today, we’re bringing you the latest episode of Kevin’s podcast, Hard Fork. Kevin, along with his co-host Casey Newton, expand the discussion about why Microsoft’s A.I. search tool appears more powerful — and more unsettling — than they initially believed. Plus: a conversation about Elon Musk’s quest to be the most popular user on Twitter, and why online ads have gotten so much worse (like, much worse).Hard Fork is a podcast about...2023-02-191h 01

Hard ForkElon’s Two-Day War with Apple + How to Beat an A.I. Censor + S.B.F.’s ‘Bad Month’Elon Musk accuses Apple of trying to sabotage Twitter. But after his visit with Apple’s C.E.O., Tim Cook, things are … good? Then, the New York Times reporter Paul Mozur on the tactics Chinese protesters are deploying to avoid the most sophisticated censorship apparatus in the world.Plus: S.B.F. says it’s been a “bad month.”Additional Reading:Elon Musk accused Apple of threatening to pull Twitter from its App Store and tweeted about Apple’s “secret 30 percent tax” on developers for in-app purchases. The company has again delayed the launch of Twitte...2022-12-0251 min

Hard ForkA Hard Fork in the Road: FTX’s Unraveling and Elon’s Loyalty OathThe balance sheet contains an apology, the in-house coach is concerned that company executives are “undersexed” and billions in customer funds remain in jeopardy. The wreckage at FTX goes from bad to worse.Plus: Elon’s “extremely hardcore” plan for Twitter 2.0.Additional Resources:George K. Lerner, FTX’s in-house performance coach, said he was shocked by the collapse of FTX.In an interview with Matt Levine, a Bloomberg columnist, Sam Bankman-Fried described his strategy to restore faith in the crypto ecosystem.Bankman-Fried reflected on his actions as chief executive of FTX in a series of Tw...2022-11-1847 min

Hard ForkA Verified Mess: Turmoil from Twitter to FTXThis week, we go inside Elon Musk’s “dire” warnings, FTX’s spectacular collapse and Meta’s big layoffs. Has the tech industry lost its mind?“Hard Fork” listeners: We want to hear your questions about the tech industry. Send them to hardfork@nytimes.com. Also, check us out on TikTok: @hardforkpodAdditional Resources:Elon Musk told Twitter employees the company faced a bleak financial picture in a meeting with staff on Thursday and in his first companywide emails.The world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, said it had reached a deal to buy its competitor F...2022-11-1153 min

Tech for Good LiveTFGL Weekly - Papers, PleaseAnother change to the lineup in this holiday season, Bex & Jonny are back from their American adventure and producer Paul is back on the buttons after a trip to Barcelona (spoiler alert, Barcelona is a nice place to go on holiday, who knew!?)This week, Sacha Wynne and Fay Schofield ably deputise for Ben and Greg as the team re-visit CASTs digital principles, the rise of employee activism at big tech companies and somehow end up giving a collective thumbs up to a video game released in 2013, it's some cutting-edge tech news reporting. S...2018-08-0449 min