Hard Fork
Grok Puts People in Bikinis. Elon Musk Thinks It's Funny.
- Title
- Grok Puts People in Bikinis. Elon Musk Thinks It's Funny.
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- The hosts of "Hard Fork," Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, speak with the New York Times reporter Kate Conger about Grok's recent undressing scandal and Elon Musk's reaction to it. Watch the full episode at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Claude Code Made the Internet Fun Again
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose shared his recent vibecoding project with Casey Newton on the "Hard Fork" podcast. Watch the full episode at youtube.com/hardfork to find out what else they've made since the launch of Claude Code.
- Title
- Grok's App Store Double Standard #ai #podcast #grok
- Runtime
- 1:57
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Casey Newton and Kevin Roose, the hosts of Hard Fork from The New York Times, discuss Grok's latest scandal — people using the A.I. tool to create scantily-clad images from existing photos posted on X, including some of children. With both X and Grok increasingly hosting and being used for adult content, why are these apps still rated for use by young teens?
- Title
- Grok’s Deepfake Disaster: Can Anyone Stop Musk's A.I. Chatbot? | EP 173
- Runtime
- 1:13:38
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Users of X are asking the platform’s built-in A.I. chatbot, Grok, to remove clothing from images of celebrities and everyday people. We talk with the New York Times reporter Kate Conger about how some of the targets of this sexual harassment, including children and their families, are responding, and whether anyone will take action to stop it. Then, we recap a holiday break spent experimenting with Claude Code. We unveil what we built, how we did it and why the tool’s dramatic improvement could be scary for society. And finally, Casey debunks a viral Reddit post that accuses the food delivery industry of shocking exploitation. We explain how a scammer tried to fool us all using AI-generated evidence.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/podcasts/hardfork-grok-crisis-claude-code.html
Guest:
Kate Conger, New York Times reporter covering X
Additional Reading
Grok Is Undressing Children — Can the Law Sto...
- Title
- How ‘Hard Fork’ Got Its Name
- Runtime
- 0:54
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, explain how the show got its name.
- Title
- Who's Regulating Data Centers in Outer Space?
- Runtime
- 0:55
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss the race to build A.I. data centers in outer space.
- Title
- How to Optimize Your Life in 2026: Productivity Tips, Deepfakes, and More | EP 172
- Runtime
- 55:12
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Happy New Year! We’re kicking things off by sharing our tech resolutions for 2026 and reflecting on how we fared with our social media and meditation goals from last year.
Then, we open up the listener mailbag and answer your questions on data centers in space, who’s to blame when a customer service A.I. bot lies to you and whether it’s OK to deepfake Santa into your home security footage.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - This week on the show
00:00:21 - Our New Year's tech resolutions
00:21:06 - Listener Mailbag
For more on this episode, go to:
http://nytimes.com/2026/01/02/podcasts/hardfork-tech-resolutions-listener-questions.html
Also, get your very own “Hard Fork” hats, now available at the Times Store:
https://store.nytimes.com/products/hard-fork-baseball-cap
Additional Reading:
What I Learned About Productivity This Year
https://www.platformer.news/productivity-tools-ai-2025...
- Title
- AI Hype vs Reality: What's Overhyped and Underhyped? #podcast #ai #tech
- Runtime
- 2:02
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Sam Rodriques, a founder of the artificial intelligence science lab FutureHouse, tells us what A.I. and tech live up to the hype in a game with Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, hosts of the “Hard Fork” podcast.
- Title
- How Will A.I. Advance Medical Research? #podcast #ai #science
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Sam Rodriques, the C.E.O. and co-founder of FutureHouse, discusses the bottlenecks around A.I. drug development, and how Kosmos – the company's A.I. scientist – aims to solve some of these hurdles and accelerate medical discovery.
- Title
- A.I. Scientists Are Here. But Is Progress Accelerating? | EP 170
- Runtime
- 37:39
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- The leaders of the biggest A.I. labs argue that artificial intelligence will usher in a new era of scientific discovery, which will help us cure diseases and accelerate our ability to address the climate crisis. But what has A.I. actually done for science so far?
To understand, we asked Sam Rodriques, a scientist turned technologist who is developing A.I. tools for scientific research through his nonprofit FutureHouse and a for-profit spinoff, Edison Scientific. Edison recently released Kosmos — an A.I. agent, or A.I. scientist to use the company’s language, that it says can accomplish six months of doctoral or postdoctoral-level research in a single 12-hour run.
Sam walks us through how Kosmos works, and why tools like it could dramatically speed up data analysis. But he also discusses why some of the most audacious claims about A.I. curing disease are unrealistic, as well as what bottlenecks still stand in the way of a true A.I.-accelerated future.
...
- Title
- Is It OK to Deepfake Santa Into Home Security Footage? #ai #parenting
- Runtime
- 1:16
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, debate the merits of using A.I. to put Santa Claus in your home.
- Title
- Will A.I. Finally Crack a Millennium Prize Problem in 2026?
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- On the "Hard Fork" podcast, the hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss Kevin's high-confidence 2026 prediction that an A.I. company will solve one of the Millennium Prize Problems. Watch this week's full episode at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- 2026 Predictions: 16 and Up for Social Media Worldwide?
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- On the "Hard Fork" podcast, the hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss Casey's high-confidence prediction for 2026 that a minimum age of 16 will become the new norm for social media platforms worldwide. Watch this week's full episode at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- It's a Hard Forkin' Christmas!
- Runtime
- 0:40
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- The "Hard Fork" co-hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton sing an original, tech-inspired rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Watch this week's full episode at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- How Cats Riding Roombas Went Viral | With Former iRobot C.E.O.
- Runtime
- 1:31
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- The former iRobot C.E.O. Colin Angle reflects on the heyday of the Roomba, and the unexpected role that social media played in helping a "small, scrappy company punch wildly above its weight." Angle expresses gratitude to all the cats who rode on Roombas and the "wonderful" viral shark cat meme of 2008.
Watch Angle's full interview with Kevin Roose and Casey Newton on the "Hard Fork" podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQNTk9T-Mrg
- Title
- What Does iRobot’s Bankruptcy Mean for the Future of U.S. Robots? + 2026 Predictions! | EP 169
- Runtime
- 59:56
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- This week, iRobot, the pioneering American robotics company behind the Roomba, filed for bankruptcy and announced that it would be taken over by its Chinese creditor. Colin Angle, a co-founder and a former longtime chief executive of the company, joins us to explain why the company lost its market dominance and what America should do to protect its newest crop of A.I. and robotics start-ups from the same fate. Then, we settle the score on our high, medium and low predictions from last year and lay down our new ones — including a spicy take on who will take over after Tim Cook at Apple. And finally, we wish all of our listeners a very happy holiday season with our annual tech-themed Christmas carol.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/podcasts/hardfork-roomba-predictions-song.html
Guest:
Colin Angle, iRobot co-founder and former chief executive for over three decades.
Additional Reading:
Roomba Ma...
- Title
- How Much Water Does the A.I. Industry Use?
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, spoke with Andrew Masley, executive director for Effective Altruism DC, about how much water A.I. data centers use.
- Title
- Is Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids a Good Idea?
- Runtime
- 1:21
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- On the "Hard Fork" podcast, the hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss a new law in Australia barring kids under 16 from social media. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Are A.I. Data Centers Really Ruining Our Water Supply?
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 6 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, spoke with Andrew Masley, executive director for Effective Altruism DC, about A.I. data centers and water use.
Correction: "Andew Manley" should be spelled "Andew Masley" in the video.
- Title
- Was Hank Green Right About the AI Water Problem? We Asked This Environmentalist. | EP 168
- Runtime
- 1:06:22
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- This week, the blogger Andy Masley joins us to separate fact from fiction on the topic of A.I. water use, which Hank Green recently made a video about. Does A.I. really drain our water supply? Or is this a distraction from more pressing environmental concerns? Then, Australia implemented the most aggressive social media ban in a democracy to date, kicking children under 16 off 10 of the most popular social platforms. We discuss how the platforms lost the argument around child safety and whether others will follow Australia’s lead. And finally, our first-ever “Hard Fork” Wrapped: We break down our favorite stats from 2025 and bring you up to date on three of our biggest stories of the year.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/podcasts/hardfork-australia-water.html
Guest:
Andy Masley, who writes the blog "The Weird Turn Pro"
https://andymasley.substack.com
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction
...
- Title
- Why OpenAI Is Spooked. Plus, Which AI Model Should You Use? | EP 167
- Runtime
- 55:55
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- It’s A.I. model rollout season in Silicon Valley, and OpenAI appears to be feeling the pressure. Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, sent a memo to staff on Monday declaring a “code red” effort to improve ChatGPT and delay other initiatives. We explain why the latest frontier models from Google and Anthropic have OpenAI spooked and how the company is reshuffling priorities to respond. Then, we give our honest thoughts on which A.I. models we like best and share how we’re using A.I. in our day-to-day lives. And finally, we take a look at some of the most popular A.I.-generated content on the internet this week in our latest installment of the Hard Fork Review of Slop.
For more on this episode, go to:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/podcasts/hardfork-openai-code-red.html
Additional Reading:
What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/technology/openai-chatgpt-users-risk...
- Title
- Trump Coin: No. 2 Most Iconic Technology of 2025
- Runtime
- 1:22
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Casey Newton and Kevin Roose, hosts of "Hard Fork" from The New York Times, rank the 50 most iconic technologies of 2025 and reveal why Trump coin is their No. 2 pick.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/kZ5Jq2Is888
- Title
- The No. 1 Most Iconic Technology of 2025?
- Runtime
- 1:38
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Casey Newton and Kevin Roose, hosts of Hard Fork from The New York Times, rank the 50 most iconic technologies of 2025 and reveal their number one choice.
Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ5Jq2Is888
- Title
- The 50 Most Iconic Technologies of 2025: Countdown! | EP 166
- Runtime
- 1:11:22
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Presenting: The 50 Most Iconic Technologies of 2025. Kevin Roose and Casey Newtown, the hosts of “Hard Fork,” unveil their list of the year’s very best (and worst) technologies. It was a groundbreaking year for A.I., Group Chats, Labubus and more. You can’t tell the story of 2025 without these icons. So sit back, enjoy and try to guess what tops the list at No. 1 (Hint: It has two words).
For more countdowns, watch Hard Fork’s 100 Most Iconic Technologies, a definitive list of the top technologies of all time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCNwOQ_9Kg4&t
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro to the Top Iconic Technologies of 2025
00:02:32 - What’s at No. 50?
00:03:29 - The Top 40s
00:14:10 - The Top 30s
00:25:40 - The Top 20s
00:37:43 - The Top 11-19
00:46:46 - The Top 10!
01:06:27 - The #1 Most Iconic Technology
Hard Fork is a weekly look into the future that's already here. Hosts Kevin Roose a...
- Title
- Roblox's C.E.O. on the Platform's Predator Problems
- Runtime
- 1:06
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Casey Newton and Kevin Roose, hosts of Hard Fork from the New York Times, talk with the C.E.O of Roblox, David Baszucki, about whether the popular gaming platform has a problem with child predators.
Watch the full interview, hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIXRgMlPo4
- Title
- Roblox's C.E.O. on the Platform's Child Safety Problem #roblox #podcast
- Runtime
- 1:47
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- The C.E.O. of Roblox, David Baszucki, spoke to the hosts of “Hard Fork" about how the company is trying to use A.I. to improve safety on its platform. Roblox claims to have 150 million users, and a significant number of those are children under the age of 13.
Watch the full interview, hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIXRgMlPo4
- Title
- We Asked Roblox's C.E.O. About Child Safety. It Got Tense. | EP 163
- Runtime
- 38:00
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Today Roblox has more than 150 million daily active users, and functions as one of the primary online gathering places for preteens. But precisely because Roblox is so popular with children, it has also attracted the attention of adult predators.
We spoke to Roblox's C.E.O., David Baszucki, about how the company is responding to allegations that it has become unsafe for children, and the new measures the gaming platform says it’s now implementing to protect them.
For more on this episode, visit:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/podcasts/hardfork-roblox-child-safety.html
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Coming up
00:00:42 - Kevin's dream
00:02:08 - This week on the show
00:02:24 - What's happening at Roblox?
00:07:51 - Interview with Roblox C.E.O. David Baszucki Part 1
00:32:10 - Interview with Roblox C.E.O. David Baszucki Part 2
Hard Fork is a weekly look into the future that's already here. Hosts Ke...
- Title
- How Will Starcloud Build Data Centers in Space?
- Runtime
- 1:51
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Starcloud is a new Nvidia-backed company that is joining Google and a few other companies in developing plans to eventually put data centers in space. The "Hard Fork" co-hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss what those data centers will look like and how they will transmit information to Earth. Watch the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Demis Hassabis & Josh Woodward Tell Us Why Gemini 3.0 Puts Google in Front of the A.I. Race
- Runtime
- 25:10
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Today we have a special segment on the release of Google's Gemini 3 A.I. model. Demis Hassabis and Josh Woodward, two of the heads of Google's A.I. efforts, join us to discuss Gemini's new capabilities, A.I. scaling and how Google got its A.I. groove back.
For more on this episode, visit:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/podcasts/hardfork-gemini-3.html
Guests:
Demis Hassabis, chief executive and co-founder of Google DeepMind
Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Labs and Google Gemini
Further reading:
The Man Who ‘A.G.I.-Pilled’ Google
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/podcasts/google-ai-demis-hassabis-hard-fork.html
Google Unveils Gemini 3
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/business/google-gemini-3.html
Hard 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.
Casey’s publication,...
- Title
- What Does the Right Think About A.I.? #ai #podcast
- Runtime
- 1:34
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, talk with Dean Ball, a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, on how the right and the MAGA movement view A.I.
- Title
- Google Wants to Send Data Centers to Space #ai #podcast #space
- Runtime
- 1:33
- Date posted
- 7 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of Hard Fork, discuss Google's Project Suncatcher, one of a number of companies' ambitious plans to build solar-powered datacenters in space. As the demands for electricity increase, is going to orbit our only option
- Title
- Why Google Wants to Put Data Centers in Space | EP 162
- Runtime
- 1:11:13
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- This week, we talk about Google’s new plan to build data centers in space. Then, we’re joined by Dean Ball, a former adviser at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Ball worked on the Trump administration’s A.I. Action Plan, and he shares his inside view on how those policies came together. Finally, Professor Mark Humphries joins us to talk about a strange Gemini model that offered mind-blowing results on a challenging research problem.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/podcasts/hardfork-data-center-space.html
Guests:
Dean Ball, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and former White House senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence and emerging technology
Mark Humphries, professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University
Additional Reading:
Towards a Future Space-Based, Highly Scalable A.I. Infrastructure System Design
https://services...
- Title
- Elon Musk’s xAI Trained Racy Chatbot With Employee Biometric Data
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss a recent story in The Wall Street Journal revealing that Elon Musk personally oversaw a project at his company, xAI, that compelled employees to turn over their biometric data to train a racy chatbot.
- Title
- Will Humanoid Robots Soon Be Common in Homes?
- Runtime
- 1:03
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, ask Bernt Bornich, chief executive of 1X, how soon we can expect humanoid robots to have a presence in American homes.
- Title
- Hard Fork's First Robot Guest
- Runtime
- 1:57
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, meet NEO, the viral humanoid robot, for the first time and share their first impressions of the experience.
- Title
- We Finally Got a Robot on the Show | EP 161
- Runtime
- 1:09:56
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- This week, we’re joined by Bernt Bornich, chief executive of 1X. We talked with him about NEO, his company’s new humanoid robot, which has the internet buzzing. Then we meet NEO itself, and compare notes on the experience. Finally, we close the week with a roundup of tech news headlines: It’s time for some HatGPT.
For more on this episode, go to
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/podcasts/hardfork-neo-humanoid-robot.html
Guest:
Bernt Børnich, chief executive of 1X
Additional Reading:
I Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/i-tried-the-robot-thats-coming-to-live-with-you-its-still-part-human-68515d44
Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/technology/humanoid-robots-1x.html
There Are More Robots Working in China Than the Rest of the World Combined
https://www.nytimes...
- Title
- Why Character.AI is Banning Teens | EP 160
- Runtime
- 1:01:32
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- This week, Character.AI announced that it would soon be taking its A.I. companions away from teens. We explain why this is a major development in the world of chatbots and child safety and how we expect other companies to respond. Then, Elon Musk has built a Wikipedia clone called “Grokipedia.” We discuss what it means for the control of knowledge on the web. And finally, we’re joined by A.J. Jacobs to talk about his 48-hour experiment in which he tried to avoid all forms of artificial intelligence. We ask why that led him to collect rainwater and forage for food in Central Park.
For more on this episode, go to
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/podcasts/characterais-teen-chatbot-crackdown-elon-musk-groks-wikipedia-48-hours-without-ai.html
Guest:
A.J. Jacobs, author, journalist and host of the podcast “The Puzzler”
Additional Reading:
Character.AI to Bar Children Under 18 From Using Its Chatbots
https://www.nytime...
- Title
- First Impressions of ChatGPT Atlas
- Runtime
- 1:35
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss their first impressions from experimenting with OpenAI's newly released ChatGPT Atlas browser.
- Title
- Unpacking OpenAI's Justification for Sora 2
- Runtime
- 1:43
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss the recent backlash to OpenAI's Sora 2 A.I. product.
- Title
- Why OpenAI Stirred Chaos in Hollywood
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- The "Hard Fork" hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss recent news surrounding the Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston and OpenAI's new app, Sora 2. Watch the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Open AI’s Sora 2 Was a Big Sloppy Mess | EP 159
- Runtime
- 1:08:33
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Backlash to OpenAI’s video generation app Sora has reached a new tipping point. We discuss two big changes the company is making, after Bryan Cranston and the family of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. complained about deepfakes. Then, New York Times reporter Karen Weise joins us to discuss her scoop that Amazon plans to reduce its hiring needs by more than half a million workers, thanks to new improvements to warehouse automation. And finally, A.I. browsers are here. We offer our first impressions on ChatGPT Atlas and how it stacks up against alternatives like Perplexity’s Comet and The Browser Company’s Dia.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/podcasts/hardfork-sora-amazon-atlas.html
Guest:
Karen Weise, New York Times technology reporter covering Amazon.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/karen-weise
Additional Reading:
OpenAI Blocks Videos of Martin Luther King Jr. After Racist Depictions
...
- Title
- What It Means That Apps Are Coming to ChatGPT
- Runtime
- 1:42
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss OpenAI's recent announcement that apps will soon be integrated into ChatGPT.
- Title
- A.I. Slop Is CoComelon For Adults
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, watch and react to the viral glass fruit cutting A.I. slop.
- Title
- Finally, Some Common-Sense A.I. Regulation #podcast #ai #news
- Runtime
- 2:31
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- This week, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss the slate of new artificial intelligence laws recently passed in California.
- Title
- How California will Regulate Chatbots | EP 158
- Runtime
- 1:05:06
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed a big package of A.I. and social media bills into law — including the first state law in the United States to regulate A.I. companions. We talk through what stood out to us in the package and whether these protections will work. Then, the subpoena that has the whole tech world talking. Nathan Calvin, general counsel at Encode, an A.I. safety advocacy group that has been critical of OpenAI, talks with us about why he thinks the company is investigating him. And finally, grab your opera glasses. It’s time for the first edition of The Hard Fork Review of Slop.
For more on this episode, go to
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/podcasts/california-regulates-ai-companions-openai-investigates-its-critics-the-hard-fork-review-of-slop.html
Guest:
Nathan Calvin, vice president of state affairs and general counsel at Encode
Additional Reading:
California Regulates A.I. Companions...
- Title
- Is A.I. Video the Future of Social Media?
- Runtime
- 2:07
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, discuss OpenAI’s recent release of Sora 2 and whether A.I.-generated video could become the foundation of future social media companies.
- Title
- Samsung Galaxy Ring Swells User’s Finger
- Runtime
- 1:25
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- All aboard the Hot Mess Express! Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, discuss the recent news story that a Samsung Galaxy Ring swelled and crushed a user's finger, causing a missed flight and a hospital visit.
- Title
- OpenAI's AgentKit wants to be your portal to the web | Ep 157
- Runtime
- 1:07:07
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, we discuss the standout moments from our field trip to OpenAI’s third annual DevDay — including a bizarre chat between Jony Ive and Sam Altman, and the announcement that OpenAI is putting apps into ChatGPT. Then, we try to make sense of the massive computing deal between OpenAI and AMD, and how it could impact the larger economy. And finally, Katie Notopoulos, a Business Insider reporter, joins us to discuss the growing backlash to A.I. slop and why she refuses to stop making deranged videos of us on Sora.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/podcasts/hardfork-openai-devday-amd.html
Guests:
Katie Notopoulos, senior correspondent at Business Insider covering technology and culture.
https://www.businessinsider.com/author/katie-notopoulos
Additional Reading:
OpenAI’s Platform Play
https://www.platformer.news/openai-dev-day-2025-platform-chatgpt/
OpenAI Agrees to Use C...
- Title
- Drama with MrBeast, Samsung's Galaxy Ring, and Friend A.I. | Clip
- Runtime
- 16:20
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- All aboard the Hot Mess Express! It’s time to rate the messiest stories in tech.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/podcasts/sora-and-the-infinite-slop-feeds-chatgpt-goes-to-therapy-hot-mess-express.html
Additional Reading:
YouTube Settles Trump Lawsuit Over Account Suspension for $24.5
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/technology/youtube-trump-lawsuit-settlement.html
Hard 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.
Casey’s publication, Platformer: https://www.platformer.news/
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- Title
- This Therapist Psychoanalyzed A.I. | Interview
- Runtime
- 21:31
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, the psychotherapist Gary Greenberg stops by to discuss his recent New Yorker essay about treating ChatGPT as a patient, and why what he saw left him unsettled.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/podcasts/sora-and-the-infinite-slop-feeds-chatgpt-goes-to-therapy-hot-mess-express.html
Guest:
Gary Greenberg, writer and psychotherapist
https://www.garygreenbergonline.com/
Additional Reading:
Putting ChatGPT on the Couch
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/putting-chatgpt-on-the-couch
What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/opinion/chat-gpt-mental-health-suicide.html
Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/technology/ai-chatbots-delusions-chatgpt.html
Hard Fork is a weekly look into the fut...
