Hard Fork

OpenAI 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 Times
• John Herrman covers technology for New York Magazine

Additional Reading: 

• How OpenAI is approaching 2024 worldwide elections
• $4 Billion of New Bitcoin Funds Change Hands in First Trading Day
• What I Learned Selling a Used Pencil on TikTok Shop

We want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

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Casey 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 Journal
• Felix Wong, postdoctoral fellow at M.I.T. and co-founder of Integrated Biosciences

Additional Reading: 

• Why Platformer is leaving Substack.
• Elon Musk has used illegal drugs, worrying leaders at Tesla and SpaceX.
• Researchers have discovered a new class of antibiotics using A.I.

We want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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 vs. green bubbles.

We want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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 [email protected]. 

Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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 Reading: 

• Epic Games won its lawsuit against Google.
• ‘Effective Accelerationism’ is Silicon Valley’s latest, and maybe weirdest, counterculture.
• Cloudflare tracked the biggest changes to the internet in 2023.

We want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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 people cancel their Cybertruck pre-orders, it could still be massively successful.
• A new A.I. development may help fight wine fraud.
• Amazon’s new enterprise chatbot had a “severe hallucinations” problem.
• OpenAI blocked a prompt that would cause ChatGPT to regurgitate its training data.
• Mountain Dew’s latest marketing stunt had an A.I. watching Twitch streams.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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?

Today’s guest: David Yaffe-Bellany covers crypto for The New York Times.

Additional Reading:

Casey has new details from the OpenAI board fight.

Changpeng Zhao, the Binance founder, agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down from his role as chief executive.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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, Microsoft hired Sam Altman after OpenAI had fired him.
• Kevin breaks down the winners and losers from the OpenAI rift.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

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.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.