Sway

This week, President Trump's family business announced that it was introducing a mobile phone and a cellular network. We tick through the many potential conflicts of interest this new business venture raises. Then, the co-founders of the startup Mechanize defend their efforts to automate away all jobs — starting with software engineering. And finally, we take a trip to the movie theater. “M3GAN 2.0” is out next week, so its star, Allison Williams, joins us to discuss the film, and A.I.'s impact on her career and parenting.Guests:Matthew Barnett and Ege Erdil, co-founders of Mechanize.Allison Williams, actor.Additional Reading:Trump Mobile Phone Company Announced by President's Family, but Details Are MurkyThe President Is Selling a PhoneThis A.I. Company Wants to Take Your Job 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, Meta hits the reset button on A.I. But will a new research lab and a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI bring the company any closer to its stated goal of “superintelligence”? Then we break down Apple's big developer conference, WWDC: What was announced, what was noticeably absent, and why Apple seems a little stuck in the past. Finally, a couple of weeks ago we asked if your job is being automated away — it's time to open up the listener mail bag and hear what you said.Additional Reading:Meta looks for an A.I. resetApple Executives Defend Apple Intelligence, Siri and A.I. StrategyThis A.I. Company Wants to Take Your JobWe 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, Kevin and Casey discuss the sudden breakdown between President Trump and Elon Musk, whose disagreements over the policy bill before Congress quickly erupted into an all-out feud. Then, an ex-DOGE coder explains what it was really like to work inside the Trump administration's cost-cutting arm. And finally, the former New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells explains why some chefs are turning to A.I. for inspiration. Guests:Sahil Lavingia, C.E.O. of Gumroad, who spent 55 days working for DOGEPete Wells, New York Times restaurant critic from 2012 through 2024 Additional Reading:If Elon Musk and President Trump Divorce, Who Gets Silicon Valley?This Year's Hot New Tool for Chefs? ChatGPT. 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, we dive into Kevin's recent column about how A.I. is affecting the job market for new graduates, and debate whether the job apocalypse is already here for entry-level work. Then Mike Krieger joins us to discuss the new Claude 4 model, the future of work and the online chatter over whether an A.I. system could blackmail you. And finally, it's time to open up the case files for another round of Hard Fork Crimes Division.Guest:Mike Krieger, chief product officer at AnthropicAdditional Reading:For Some Recent Graduates, the A.I. Job Apocalypse May Already Be HereAnother Suspect Is Charged in Bitcoin Kidnapping and Torture CaseElizabeth Holmes's Partner Has a New Blood-Testing Start-UpWe 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, we take a field trip to Google and report back about everything the company announced at its biggest show of the year, Google I/O. Then, we sit down with Google DeepMind's chief executive and co-founder, Demis Hassabis, to discuss what his A.I. lab is building, the future of education, and what life could look like in 2030.Guest:Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMindAdditional Reading:At Google I/O, everything is changing and normal and scary and chillGoogle Unveils A.I. Chatbot, Signaling a New Era for SearchGoogle DeepMind C.E.O. Demis Hassabis on the Path From Chatbots to A.G.I.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 Podcasts and Spotify.

The actor, comedian and author Ed Helms has a new book out about historical blunders. He swings by Hard Fork to tell us about it and answer your moral quandaries, ethical dilemmas and etiquette questions about technology: How do I tell my mom she can't post about her grandkids on Facebook? Am I being an A.I. hypocrite at work? And is it OK to troll the scammers who blow up my cellphone?Guest:Ed Helms, actor, podcaster and author of “Snafu: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups”Additional Reading:Interview: Ed Helms on Historical Snafus and His Reading Life7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor CampWe 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 A.I. slop that's racking up millions of likes on TikTok.Guest:Karen Hao, Author of “Empire of AI”Additional Reading:Judge Rebukes Apple and Orders It to Loosen Grip on App StoreBrain Rot Comes for Italy 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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”Additional Reading:Meta's ‘Digital Companions' Will Talk Sex With Users — Even ChildrenReddit Issuing ‘Formal Legal Demands' Against Researchers Who Conducted Secret A.I. Experiment on UsersThe Group Chats That Changed AmericaThe Ice Bucket Challenge Worked. Why Not Try It Again?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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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.Guest:Mark Yarm, an executive editor at PCMag and the author of “Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge.”Additional Reading:Google May Be on the Brink of a BreakupGoogle Is Illegally Monopolizing Online Advertising Tech, Judge RulesThe Techno-Utopians Who Want to Colonize the Sea 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 finally, what do dolphins, Katy Perry and A1 steak sauce have in common? They're all important characters in our latest round of HatGPT. Tickets to Hard Fork live are on sale now! See us June 24 at SFJAZZ. Guest:Arvind Narayanan, director of the Center for Information Technology at Princeton and co-author of “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What it Can't, and How to Tell the Difference.” Additional Reading:What if Mark Zuckerberg Had Not Bought Instagram and WhatsApp?AI as Normal TechnologyOne Giant Stunt for Womankind 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 Additional Reading: Inside Trump's Reversal on Tariffs: From ‘Be Cool!' to ‘Getting Yippy'A.I. 2027Meta Gets Rebuked Over Benchmark Gaming 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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. Guest:Keach Hagey, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the forthcoming book The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future. Additional Reading:What Trump's Sweeping Tariffs Mean for the Global Economy, and for YouTrump's New Tariffs Test Apple's Global Supply ChainThe Secrets and Misdirection Behind Sam Altman's Firing From OpenAI 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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., 2019-2025” Additional Reading:The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War PlansSignal Chat Leak Angers U.S. Military PilotsIs A.I. Making Us Dumb? 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

With 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 Crafts an A.I. Action PlanMeet the 21-Year-Old Helping Coders Use A.I. to Cheat in Google and Other Tech Job InterviewsSolana Pulls Ad After Huge BacklashDigital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study FindsRippling Sues Deel, a Software Rival, Over Corporate Spying 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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 Dominance Is Raising Global AlarmsThe Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 and why the news upset some of the biggest crypto advocates. Finally, we react to voice mail from listeners describing the tools they've vibecoded. Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times reporter covering the crypto industry. Additional Reading: Trump Faces Blowback Over Plans for Crypto ReserveNot a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough. 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 Encryption Feature From U.K. After Backdoor Order 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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. assist. Guest:Vlad Tenev, chief executive of Robinhood and co-founder of Harmonic. Additional Reading:There Are Probably Too Many A.I. Companies NowAn Investing Revolution Is Coming. The U.S. Isn't Ready for It.Is Math the Path to Chatbots That Don't Make Stuff Up? 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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. Guests:Rachel Cohn, Hard Fork producer, writer of the newsletter “Are You My Boyfriend?”Justin McLeod, founder and C.E.O. of Hinge Additional Reading:Macron Pitches Lighter Regulation to Fuel A.I. Boom in EuropeVance, in First Foreign Speech, Tells Europe That U.S. Will Dominate A.I.When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, we're joined by the Times reporter Jonathan Swan to discuss Elon Musk's tech takeover of Washington, D.C. Then, Liz Pelly, author of a new book about Spotify, stops by to discuss “ghost musicians” and how Spotify's algorithms are reshaping music culture. And finally — it's Tool Time! We'll tell you all about the new A.I. tools we're using, plus the one that we wish existed.Guests: Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for The New York TimesLiz Pelly, author of “Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist”Additional Reading: Inside Musk's Aggressive Incursion Into the Federal GovernmentThe Ghosts in the MachineChatGPT's deep research might be the first good agent 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.

This week we go even deeper on DeepSeek. ChinaTalks' Jordan Schneider joins us to explain the Chinese A.I. industry and to break down the reaction inside of China to DeepSeek's sudden success. Then … hello, Operator! We put OpenAI's new agent software to the test. And finally, all aboard for another ride on the Hot Mess Express! Guest:Jordan Schneider, founder and editor in chief of ChinaTalk Additional Reading:Why DeepSeek Could Change What Silicon Valley Believes About A.I.OpenAI launches its agentFable, a Book App, Makes Changes After Offensive A.I. MessagesAmazon Pauses Drone Deliveries After Aircraft Crashed in Rain  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.

A 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. 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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, MSNBC Host and author of “The Sirens' Call” Additional Reading:TikTok Comes Back From the DeadTrump's Cryptocurrency Surges to Become One of the World's Most ValuableChris Hayes: I Want Your Attention. I Need Your Attention. Here Is How I Mastered My Own.The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

The deadline for TikTok to sell or to face a ban is fast approaching. We discuss how Supreme Court justices 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 ideas for how to bring more “masculine energy” to Meta. Guest: Sasha Luccioni, A.I and climate lead at Hugging Face. Additional Reading: ‘Red Note,' a Chinese App, Is Dominating Downloads, Thanks to TikTok UsersChina Weighs Sale of TikTok US to Musk as a Possible Option 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 Reading:Meta Says It Will End Its Fact-Checking Program on Social Media PostsOpenAI Unveils New A.I. That Can ‘Reason' Through Math and Science ProblemsNetflix's WWE investment and the Future of Live Events on the PlatformMegaLag's Video Investigation Into HoneyLos Angeles Man Is Trapped in Circling Waymo on Way to Airport: ‘Is Somebody Playing a Joke?' 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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@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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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 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.

Last 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. Additional Reading: TikTok Faces U.S. Ban After Losing Bid to Overturn New LawQuantum Computing Inches Closer to Reality After Another Google BreakthroughCult of ClaudeDealBook Summit Podcast: The A.I. Revolution  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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 cooks and even tech billionaires in our first ever Hard Fork gift guide. Guest:Don Clark, New York Times contributor covering the chips industry.   Additional Reading: Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Steps Down Amid Chipmaker's StrugglesNvidia Rules A.I. Chips, but Amazon and AMD Emerge as Contenders 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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. Additional Reading:This episode was inspired by the Iconic 400 list compiled by the podcast “Las Culturistas”; check it out. 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 to learn more about you, our listeners. Please fill out our quick survey: nytimes.com/hardforksurvey. Guests:Nilay Patel, co-founder of The Verge and host of the podcasts Decoder and The Vergecast.Adam Rodman, internal medicine physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and one of the co-authors of a recent study testing the effectiveness of ChatGPT to diagnose illnesses. Additional Reading:Trump Picks Brendan Carr to Lead F.C.C.A.I. Chatbots Defeated Doctors at Diagnosing IllnessGary Wang, a Top FTX Executive, Is Given No Prison Time 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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 listeners. It will help us make a better show. We would appreciate it if you filled out a quick survey: nytimes.com/hardforksurvey. Thank you. Guest:Nick Turley, ChatGPT head of product at OpenAI Additional Reading:Crypto Industry Lobbies Trump and His Allies After Election WinsHow Crypto Enthusiasts Hijacked a Dog Mayor CompetitionOpenAI Folds A.I.-Powered Search Engine Into ChatGPTBluesky Adds One Million New Users After Election 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

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 Took a ‘Decision Holiday' and Put A.I. in Charge of My LifeAn ‘Interview' With a Dead Luminary Exposes the Pitfalls of A.I.Meta's Plan for Nuclear-Powered A.I. Data Center Thwarted by Rare BeesFired Employee Allegedly Hacked Disney World's Menu System to Alter Peanut Allergy Information 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

Last 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 win the election. Guests:Miles Brundage, former OpenAI senior adviser for A.G.I. readiness.David Yaffe-Bellany, technology reporter for The New York Times. Additional Reading:Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and the Billions of Ways to Influence an ElectionMiles Brundage's on Why He's Leaving OpenAIThe Crypto Website Where the Election Odds Swing in Trump's Favor 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide. This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year's election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the journalist Laurie Segall joins us to discuss the tragic case of a teenager who became obsessed with an A.I. companion bot and later died by suicide. We discuss what A.I. companies could do to make their apps safer for children. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. Guest:Laurie Segall, chief executive of Mostly Human Media Additional Reading:Elon Musk's Big Business and Conflicts of Interest With the U.S. GovernmentCan a Chatbot Named Daenerys Targaryen Be Blamed for a Teen's Suicide? 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.

This 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 industry. And finally, leaked court documents reveal exactly how many TikTok videos you need to watch to get hooked on the app. So, Casey puts the number to the test. Guest:Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of UberAdditional Reading:Dario Amodei's Essay “Machines of Loving Grace”TikTok Executives Know About App's Effect on Teens, Lawsuit Documents AllegeWe 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 Podcasts and Spotify.

This 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 filmmakerAdditional Reading: Another Hurdle in Recovery From Helene: Misinformation Is Getting in the WayBitcoin Documentary ‘Money Electric' Reopens Search for Satoshi NakamotoU.S. Weighs Forcing Google to Break Off Parts of the CompanyWe want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. 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.

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's massive fund-raising deal and the senator who hopped on a call with a “deepfake” former Ukrainian official.Guest:Julia Black, reporter at The Information Additional Reading:California Governor Vetoes Sweeping A.I. LegislationDawn of the Silicon Valley SuperbabyOpenAI Completes Deal That Values Company at $157 Billion‘Deepfake' Caller Poses as Ukrainian Official in Exchange With Key Senator We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. 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.

This 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! Guest:Steven Johnson, author and editorial director, NotebookLM Additional Reading: Meta Unveils New Smart Glasses and Headsets in Pursuit of the MetaverseA.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says?OpenAI Executives Exit as C.E.O. Works to Make the Company For-Profit We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Last 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. Additional Reading:OpenAI Unveils New ChatGPT That Can Reason Through Math and ScienceInstagram, Facing Pressure Over Child Safety Online, Unveils Sweeping ChangesAmazon Tells Corporate Workers to Be Back in the Office 5 Days a Week We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Apple 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 streaming services and how online instructions for building a 3D-printed gun have ended up in the hands of criminals around the world. Guest:Yuval Noah Harari, author of “Sapiens,” “Homo Deus” and “Nexus.” Additional Reading:Apple Unveils New iPhones With Built-In Artificial IntelligenceRussia Secretly Worms Its Way Into America's Conservative MediaHe's Known as ‘Ivan the Troll.' His 3D-Printed Guns Have Gone Viral.The Bands and the Fans Were Fake. The $10 Million Was Real. We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Over 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. Guest:Jack Nicas, Brazil bureau chief for The Times Additional Reading: Brazil Blocks X After Musk Ignores Court Orders Paul Graham's Founder Mode We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Telegram'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 youth mental health. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.Guest:Kathy Hochul, governor of New YorkAdditional Reading:How Pavel Durov, Telegram's Founder, Went From Russia's Mark Zuckerberg to Wanted ManKathy Hochul's ‘Big' Plan to Ban Phones in SchoolsWe want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

This 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 using to become more productive.Guest:Sheera Frenkel, a Times reporter covering technologyVictor Miller, former candidate for mayor in Cheyenne, WyomingAdditional Reading: The Year of the A.I. Election That Wasn'tMayoral Candidate Vows to Let VIC, an AI Bot, Run Wyoming's Capital CityThree Apps That Made Me More Productive This YearWe want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

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 of the L.A. Clippers Is a Hot Ticket for ArtA California Bill to Regulate A.I. Causes Alarm in Silicon Valley We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

This 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 Hot-Mess Express.Guest:David McCabe, a Times reporter covering technology policy.Additional Reading:‘Google Is a Monopolist,' Judge Rules in Landmark Antitrust CaseTech Bosses Preach Patience as They Spend and Spend on A.I.What's Behind All the Stock Market Drama?Willing to Die for MrBeast (and $5 Million)We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

This 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 DeepMind Additional Reading:Liberal “White Dudes” Rally for Harris: “It's Like a Rainbow of Beige”Move Over, Mathematicians, Here Comes AlphaProofNow Narrating the Olympics: A.I.-Al Michaels We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTubeand TikTok.

This 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, Research Director at OpenResearchKate Conger, New York Times reporter Additional Reading: What is the KHive?Is It Silicon Valley's Job to Make Guaranteed Income a Reality?OpenResearch Unconditional Cash StudyWhen Tech Fails, It Is Usually With a Whimper Instead of a Bang  We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

This 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 Media AgeHow a Network of Tech Billionaires Helped J.D. Vance Leap Into PowerWhy Are Gen Z Boys Chewing on Rock-Hard Gum?  We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Throw 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 We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.