Hard Fork
A Therapist's Takeaways From Talking to A.I. Like a Patient
- Title
- A Therapist's Takeaways From Talking to A.I. Like a Patient
- Runtime
- 1:07
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- As a guest on the "Hard Fork" podcast, the writer and psychotherapist Gary Greenberg explained his recent experiment: talking to an A.I. chatbot as if it were his patient. Watch the full interview with the co-hosts Casey Newton and Kevin Roose at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Why the Internet Rejected Meta's New App, Vibes
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- The "Hard Fork" co-hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton share their takes on Meta's new app, Vibes, and discuss why the internet had a negative response to it. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- A.I. Slop Gets Personal: OpenAI Has a New Social Network | EP 156
- Runtime
- 1:04:21
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, we’re talking about the new A.I.-generated video tools and social media feeds from Google, Meta and OpenAI. Is this how A.I. is going to cure cancer? Then, 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. And finally, 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
Guest:
Gary Greenberg, writer and psychotherapist
https://www.garygreenbergonline.com/
Additional Reading:
OpenAI Launches a Social Network
https://www.platformer.news/sora-2-hands-on-openai-social-network/
OpenAI’s New Video App Is Jaw-Dropping (for Better and Worse)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/technology/openai-sora-video-app...
- Title
- H-1B Visa Fee Could Have Huge Implications for Start-Ups
- Runtime
- 0:42
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- The "Hard Fork" co-hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton speak with Jeremy Neufeld, the director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress, about how changes to the H-1B visa program may affect the tech industry. Listen to the full episode at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Why TikTok Decided the World Was About to End | Clip
- Runtime
- 14:18
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, we take a look at one of the latest trends sweeping TikTok: planning for a biblical Rapture.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/podcasts/hardfork-nvidia-h1b-tiktok.html
Additional Reading:
The Rapture Was Predicted to Happen Today. TikTok Has Some Advice.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/us/rapture-tiktok-sept-23.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
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Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
Kevin...
- Title
- How RaptureTok Actually Started
- Runtime
- 1:21
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discussed the TikTok theory that the rapture was going to occur in late September 2025.
- Title
- Tech is in Turmoil over H1B Visa Fees | Interview
- Runtime
- 20:34
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, we try to make sense of the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa program, which generated mixed reactions from tech leaders; the immigration expert Jeremy Neufeld joins us to explain why the new $100,000 visa fee is likely to hurt start-ups, universities and the broader U.S. economy.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/podcasts/hardfork-nvidia-h1b-tiktok.html
Guest:
Jeremy Neufeld, director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress
https://ifp.org/author/jeremy-neufeld/
Additional Reading:
$100,000 Per Employee: How the H-1B Visa Fee Could Reshape Work Forces
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/09/25/business/economy/h1b-visa-fee.html
A $100,000 Per Worker Visa Fee Tips the Balance to Big Tech
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/technology/trump-h1b-visa-tech-start-ups.html
Hard Fork is a weekly look into the future that's a...
- Title
- A.I. Datacenters Will Reshape US Infrastructure | Ep 155
- Runtime
- 53:16
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, an eye-popping $100 billion deal between OpenAI and Nvidia — along with an announcement about the construction of five new American data centers — has us re-examining our predictions of an A.I. bubble. Then, we try to make sense of the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa program, which generated mixed reactions from tech leaders; the immigration expert Jeremy Neufeld joins us to explain why the new $100,000 visa fee is likely to hurt start-ups, universities and the broader U.S. economy. And finally, we take a look at one of the latest trends sweeping TikTok: planning for a biblical Rapture.
For more on this episode, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/podcasts/hardfork-nvidia-h1b-tiktok.html
Guest:
Jeremy Neufeld, director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress
https://ifp.org/author/jeremy-neufeld/
Additional Reading:
Nvidia to Invest $100 Billion in OpenAI
https://www....
- Title
- This Week in A.I.: Record-Setting Brainrot, A.I. Anticorruption, and ChatGPT For Teens | Clip
- Runtime
- 20:59
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- It’s time to round up This Week in A.I.
Additional Reading:
OpenAI’s Risky Step to Protect Teens
https://www.platformer.news/openai-teen-accounts-safety-senate-hearing/
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
Kevin - https://www.threads.net/@kevinroose
Casey - https://www.threads.net/@crumbler
Subscribe to the audio only podcast:
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-fork...
- Title
- The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches | Interview
- Runtime
- 25:58
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, The Times’s David Yaffe-Bellany brings us inside the blockbuster New York Times investigation into a $2 billion investment in Trump’s crypto company World Liberty Financial and a controversial deal to send the most powerful A.I. chips to the United Arab Emirates.
Guests:
David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times technology reporter covering the crypto industry
https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-yaffe-bellany
Additional Reading:
In Giant Deals, U.A.E. Got Chips, and Trump Team Got Crypto Riches
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/us/politics/trump-uae-chips-witkoff-world-liberty.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kev...
- Title
- Is the Internet Optimized for Rage?
- Runtime
- 0:53
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- On the "Hard Fork" podcast, the co-host Kevin Roose discusses rising tensions on the internet in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. Watch the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Kirk's Shooting Reveals the Cracks in Free Speech | EP 154
- Runtime
- 1:13:37
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week, we discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, freedom of speech and the terrifying new reality of extremely online violence. Then The Times’s David Yaffe-Bellany brings us inside the blockbuster New York Times investigation into a $2 billion investment in Trump’s crypto company World Liberty Financial and a controversial deal to send the most powerful A.I. chips to the United Arab Emirates. And finally, it’s time to round up This Week in A.I.
Guests:
David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times technology reporter covering the crypto industry
https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-yaffe-bellany
Additional Reading:
Trump Administration Wields Its Full Toolbox to Bring Media to Heel
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/business/media/trump-kimmel-cancel-culture-free-speech.html
Social Platforms Duck Blame for Inflaming Divisions Before Charlie Kirk’s Death
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/technology/charlie-kirk-met...
- Title
- How Would You Stop the A.I. Apocalypse? #artificialintelligence
- Runtime
- 2:18
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This week on the "Hard Fork" podcast, Kevin and Casey talk with Eliezer Yudkowsky, an A.I. researcher and the founder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, about his worry that A.I. will doom humanity — and how to stop it.
- Title
- Who is the iPhone Air for? #apple #iphone
- Runtime
- 1:23
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin and Casey discuss the new iPhone Air, a super-slim phone, that seems to come with a few downsides.
- Title
- Will A.I. Kill Us All? Our Guest Says It Might. | Interview
- Runtime
- 49:57
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Eliezer Yudkowsky, one of the most fascinating people in A.I., has a new book coming out: “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.” He joins us to make the case for why A.I. development should be shut down now, long before we reach superintelligence, and how he thinks that could happen.
This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 153 https://youtu.be/UDLiWTXaGeo
Guests:
Eliezer Yudkowsky, founder of Machine Intelligence Research Institute and a co-author of “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies”
Additional Reading:
A.I.’s Prophet of Doom Wants to Shut It All Down
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/technology/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-book.html
AI as Normal Technology, revisited
https://www.platformer.news/ai-normal-technology-timelines-education/
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.<...
- Title
- Is Smartphone Innovation Officially Dead?
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss how we are in the age of matured smartphones, and compare the lack of innovation in phones to that of modern televisions.
- Title
- What We Really Think About the iPhone Air | EP 153
- Runtime
- 1:11:34
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Apple’s yearly iPhone event took place this week, and it left us asking, Is Apple losing the juice? We break down all the new products the company announced and discuss where it goes from here. Then, Eliezer Yudkowsky, one of the most fascinating people in A.I., has a new book coming out: “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.” He joins us to make the case for why A.I. development should be shut down now, long before we reach superintelligence, and how he thinks that could happen.
Guests:
Eliezer Yudkowsky, founder of Machine Intelligence Research Institute and a co-author of “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies”
Additional Reading:
A.I.’s Prophet of Doom Wants to Shut It All Down
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/technology/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-book.html
AI as Normal Technology, revisited
https://www.platformer.news/ai-normal-technology-timelines-education/
Apple’s misunderstood cross...
- Title
- Your Hot Takes on A.I. & Education | Clip
- Runtime
- 19:30
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- This week, we hear directly from students who are on the front line of technological change.
This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 152 https://youtu.be/X-KzyPRdcmc
Additional Reading:
OpenAI and Microsoft Bankroll New A.I. Training for Teachers
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/technology/chatgpt-teachers-openai-microsoft.html
Welcome to Campus. Here’s Your ChatGPT.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/technology/chatgpt-openai-colleges.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin...
- Title
- What is A.I. Doing to Higher Education? | Interview
- Runtime
- 23:39
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- This week, Princeton historian D. Graham Burnett joins us to discuss the existential threat that A.I. poses to the traditional humanities degree and why he believes we’ll see thousands of new schools emerge outside the university system to carry on the exploration of what it means to be a person in the world.
This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 152 https://youtu.be/X-KzyPRdcmc
Guests:
D. Graham Burnett, historian of science and technology at Princeton University
https://history.princeton.edu/people/d-graham-burnett
Additional Reading:
Will the Humanities Survive Artificial Intelligence?
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/will-the-humanities-survive-artificial-intelligence
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/
...
- Title
- How Literacy as We Know It Is Ending
- Runtime
- 0:59
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- "Hard Fork" podcast, the Princeton historian of science and technology D. Graham Burnett discusses the current cultural shift from literacy to orality, saying, "Long-form, immersive literacy is coming to an end." Listen to the full conversation with the co-hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Melania Trump Announces Presidential A.I. Challenge
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, discuss Melania Trump’s video announcement of a presidential A.I. challenge for students.
- Title
- Is A.I. About to Change Education Forever?
- Runtime
- 1:16
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, spoke with MacKenzie Price, the co-founder of Alpha Schools, about how A.I. will change how we learn in school.
- Title
- How Alpha School Is Bringing A.I. to the Classroom | EP 152
- Runtime
- 1:11:15
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- This week, we check in on the state of artificial intelligence in education. We talk with a co-founder of Alpha Schools, MacKenzie Price, about how her private K-12 schools are using A.I. to generate personalized lesson plans and enabling teachers to spend their time motivating rather than teaching students. Then, the Princeton historian D. Graham Burnett joins us to discuss the existential threat that A.I. poses to the traditional humanities degree and why he believes we’ll see thousands of new schools emerge outside the university system to carry on the exploration of what it means to be a person in the world. And finally, we hear directly from students who are on the front line of technological change.
Guests:
MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha Schools
https://2hourlearning.com/founder/
D. Graham Burnett, historian of science and technology at Princeton University
https://history.princeton.edu/people/d-graham-burnett
Addit...
- Title
- Unraveling The Trump Family's Entanglements in Tech | Clip
- Runtime
- 12:25
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- We introduce a new segment where we run through the most surprising technology projects the Trump family is getting involved in.
This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 151 https://youtu.be/7TAn7o6srGc
Additional Reading:
First Lady Melania Trump Launches Nationwide Presidential A.I. Challenge
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/08/first-lady-melania-trump-launches-nationwide-presidential-ai-challenge/
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Case...
- Title
- Waymo Co-CEO on Where Their Robotaxis are Heading Next | Interview
- Runtime
- 26:29
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Waymo’s co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana joins us in the studio to discuss the company’s strategy for expanding its driverless car service to Miami, D.C. and the snowy Northeast.
This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 151 https://youtu.be/7TAn7o6srGc
Guest:
Tekedra Mawakana, co-chief executive of Waymo
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
Kevin - https://www.threads.net/@kevinroose
Casey - h...
- Title
- Bernie Sanders Actually Likes the Intel Deal
- Runtime
- 0:59
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, spoke about the varied reactions to the Trump administration's stake in Intel on behalf of the United States government.
- Title
- Trump Appoints First-Ever Chief Design Officer
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, discuss President Trump’s appointment of the Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia as the country’s first-ever chief design officer.
- Title
- Why the U.S. Government Is Taking a 10% Stake in Intel | EP 151
- Runtime
- 1:00:30
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- President Trump announced this week that the U.S. government, in a highly unusual deal, had agreed to take a 10 percent stake in the chip maker Intel, and that he was considering similar investments in other companies. We discuss why Trump cares so much about Intel, what the government is trying to accomplish with this deal, and how people in Silicon Valley and elsewhere are reacting. Then Waymo’s co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana joins us in the studio to discuss the company’s strategy for expanding its driverless car service to Miami, D.C. and the snowy Northeast. And finally, we introduce a new segment where we run through the most surprising technology projects the Trump family is getting involved in.
Guest:
Tekedra Mawakana, co-chief executive of Waymo
Additional Reading:
Intel Agrees to Sell U.S. a 10% Stake in Its Business
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/technology/trump-intel-stake.html
First Lady M...
- Title
- NSFW AI Country Music Shocks the Internet (& Kevin) | Clip
- Runtime
- 12:10
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Casey introduces Kevin to a shocking new TikTok trend.
Additional Reading:
Why Is TikTok Overflowing With A.I. Country Music Erotica?
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/why-is-tiktok-overflowing-with-ai-country-music-erotica/
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
Kevin - https://www.threads.net/@kevinroose
Casey - https://www.threads.net/@crumbler
Subscribe to the audio only podcast:
Apple ...
- Title
- Disturbing Examples of Meta’s Rules for A.I. Chatbots
- Runtime
- 1:39
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A Reuters journalist, Jeff Horwitz, talks with Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, about examples from his recent reporting that Meta allows its A.I. chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
- Title
- Is A.I. Going to Crash Like the Dotcom Bubble?
- Runtime
- 0:51
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, discuss why they don’t see the A.I. “bubble” crashing anytime soon.
- Title
- An Investigation into Meta’s Secret Internal Documents | Interview
- Runtime
- 28:22
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- We’re joined by the journalist Jeff Horwitz to discuss his blockbuster reporting about an internal Meta policy document that permit the company’s chatbots to engage in romantic role-playing with children.
Guests:
Jeff Horwitz, investigative technology reporter for Reuters
Additional Reading:
Meta’s A.I. Rules Have Let Bots Hold ‘Sensual’ Chats With Children
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-guidelines/
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - ...
- Title
- Are We in an A.I. Bubble? Debriefing Dinner with Sam Altman. | EP 150
- Runtime
- 1:06:29
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- This week, the whole tech world seemed to be asking: Are we in an A.I. bubble? We’ll explore the cases for and against, including who we think stands to lose most. Then we’re joined by the journalist Jeff Horwitz to discuss his blockbuster reporting about an internal Meta policy document that permit the company’s chatbots to engage in romantic role-playing with children. And finally, Casey introduces Kevin to a shocking new TikTok trend.
Guests:
Jeff Horwitz, investigative technology reporter for Reuters
Additional Reading:
My Dinner With Altman
https://www.platformer.news/sam-altman-gpt-5-interview-lightcap-turley/
Companies Are Pouring Billions Into A.I. It Has Yet to Pay Off
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/business/ai-business-payoff-lags.html
Meta’s A.I. Rules Have Let Bots Hold ‘Sensual’ Chats With Children
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-guid...
- Title
- Is Perplexity’s Bid to Buy Chrome a Stunt?
- Runtime
- 2:14
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, ask Perplexity AI’s co-founder and C.E.O. Aravind Srinivas whether his company’s unsolicited $34.5 billion bid to buy Google Chrome is genuine or a marketing stunt.
- Title
- ChatGPT Users Mourn the Loss of Previous Model
- Runtime
- 1:12
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Users of ChatGPT-4o are complaining on Reddit about the model being replaced by the latest release of ChatGPT-5. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss why people have such strong feelings about the previous model.
- Title
- R.I.P. AOL, An AI “Disgrace,” & Billionaires Fighting | Clip
- Runtime
- 18:15
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- We rate the craziest tech stories of the week in our game Hot Mess Express.
Additional Reading:
Elon Musk Threatens to Sue Apple Over Claims It Favors OpenAI
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/technology/elon-musk-apple-openai-xai.html
U.S. Government to Take Cut of Nvidia and AMD A.I. Chip Sales to China
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/technology/us-government-nvidia-amd-chips-china.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewt...
- Title
- Musk Accuses Apple of Cheating #podcast #ai #apple
- Runtime
- 1:33
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Elon Musk took to X to accuse Apple of manipulating the App Store rankings to keep any A.I. brand other than OpenAI out of the top spot. Sam Altman jumped into the fray, posting that Musk has manipulated the X algorithm to prioritize his tweets, and journalists were quick to point out that the Chinese A.I. firm Deep Seek briefly held the No. 1 spot in the App Store, as did Grok, Musk's own A.I. app, this past spring.
- Title
- Why Perplexity Bid $34.5B to Buy Chrome with CEO Aravind Srinivas | Interview
- Runtime
- 24:58
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Aravind Srinivas, the chief executive of Perplexity AI, joins us to discuss his company’s new artificial intelligence-powered browser, Comet; his company’s bid to buy Google Chrome; and what the future of the internet looks like when users turn to A.I.
Guests:
Aravind Srinivas, chief executive of Perplexity AI.
https://www.perplexity.ai/
Additional Reading:
A.I. Start-Up Perplexity Offers to Buy Google’s Chrome Browser for $34.5 Billion
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/technology/perplexity-google-chrome-bid.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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Casey N...
- Title
- The Internet’s Backlash to GPT-5 & OpenAI’s Response | EP 149
- Runtime
- 1:11:12
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- OpenAI spent the week responding to outcry from users who miss the behavior of the old ChatGPT, before the latest flagship model was released.
We discuss the criticism, why it caught the company by surprise and what it indicates about the deepening emotional relationships that people are forming with chatbots.
Then, Aravind Srinivas, the chief executive of Perplexity AI, joins us to discuss his company’s new artificial intelligence-powered browser, Comet; his company’s bid to buy Google Chrome; and what the future of the internet looks like when users turn to A.I. assistants to browse the web for them. Finally, to cap it all off, we rate the craziest tech stories of the week in our game Hot Mess Express.
Guests:
Aravind Srinivas, chief executive of Perplexity AI.
https://www.perplexity.ai/
Additional Reading:
Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens.
https://www.nytime...
- Title
- Will OpenAI Continue to Lead the A.I. Industry?
- Runtime
- 1:27
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the co-hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss whether open OpenAI is staying ahead of the competition with its newly released ChatGPT-5 model. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- First Look at OpenAI's GPT-5
- Runtime
- 1:44
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the co-hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, share their first impressions of OpenAI's newly released GPT-5 model. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Meet the VP Behind Amazon Alexa’s Glow-Up | Interview
- Runtime
- 24:47
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- We take our Alexa+ feedback to Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, who helps us understand why powering Alexa with L.L.M. capabilities is a major computer science challenge. This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 148 https://youtu.be/F3OtgJorWx8
Guest:
Daniel Rausch, Amazon vice president of Echo and Alexa
Additional reading:
Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative A.I.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/technology/amazon-alexa-plus-generative-ai.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twit...
- Title
- Alexa+: Reliable Assistant or Not Quite Ready? | Clip
- Runtime
- 20:54
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- We explain why we were underwhelmed by Amazon’s new Alexa+, which is powered by generative A.I. This is a clip from Hard Fork episode 148 https://youtu.be/F3OtgJorWx8
Additional reading:
Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative A.I.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/technology/amazon-alexa-plus-generative-ai.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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
Kevin - https://www.threads.net/@kevinroose
Case...
- Title
- This Week's Releases from OpenAI | EP 148
- Runtime
- 1:12:04
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- This week, OpenAI released its much-anticipated flagship model, GPT-5. We break down what we know about the upgrade, drawing from our initial testing and a special news briefing with Sam Altman. Then, we explain why we were underwhelmed by Amazon’s new Alexa+, which is powered by generative A.I., and take our feedback to Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, who helps us understand why powering Alexa with L.L.M. capabilities is a major computer science challenge.
Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time (U.S. only). Go to nytimes.com/hardforkhat.
Guest:
Daniel Rausch, Amazon vice president of Echo and Alexa
Additional reading:
OpenAI Aims to Stay Ahead of Rivals With New GPT-5 Technology
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/technology/openai-chatgpt-gpt-5.html
Amazon Unve...
- Title
- Why A.I. Companies Should Pay for Access to Content
- Runtime
- 1:50
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- The Cloudflare C.E.O. Matthew Prince has observed an existential threat to the internet, and he set out to fix it. Hear his solution for democratizing the internet on the "Hard Fork" podcast with the hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton. The full episode is available at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- Substack Pushes a Nazi Blog & a Bird Draws Itself (Kind of) | HatGPT
- Runtime
- 15:56
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- This week, we round up some headlines from around the tech world in the latest round of HatGPT.
Guests:
Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare
Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time. Go to https://www.nytimes.com/hardforkhat
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/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork
Insta:
Kevin Roose - https://www.instagram.com/kevinroose/
Casey Newton - https://www.instagram.com/crumbler/
Twitter (X):
Kevin - https://x.com/kevinroose
Casey - https://x.com/CaseyNewton
Threads:
- Title
- Democratizing Web Traffic with Cloudflare's C.E.O. | Interview
- Runtime
- 30:08
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- This week, Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, returns to the show to discuss his company’s new plan to help publishers fight back against A.I. scrapers and potentially to create a new online marketplace for quality content in the process.
Guests:
Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare
Additional Reading:
Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/technology/cloudflare-ai-data.html
Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time. Go to https://www.nytimes.com/hardforkhat
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/
FOLLOW...
- Title
- Sam Altman Warns That There's No Confidentiality for ChatGPT Therapy #ai #podcast #news
- Runtime
- 1:27
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the co-hosts of "Hard Fork" at The New York Times, discuss the implications of using chatbots as therapists after Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, says there is no legal confidentiality with ChatGPT. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork.
- Title
- The Internet Wants to Know How Old You Really Are | EP 147
- Runtime
- 1:10:51
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- This week, we look at the fallout from a sweeping internet age-verification law that went into effect in Britain. We explain why age restrictions are suddenly popping up all over the internet — and how some might create more problems than they solve. Then Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, returns to the show to discuss his company’s new plan to help publishers fight back against A.I. scrapers and potentially to create a new online marketplace for quality content in the process. Finally, we round up some headlines from around the tech world in the latest round of HatGPT.
Guests:
Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare
Additional Reading:
Supreme Court Upholds Texas Law Limiting Access to Pornography
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/us/supreme-court-pornography-minors.html
The U.K.’s age gates are coming to America
https://www.platformer.news/age-assurance-uk-tea-apple-google-meta/
Clou...
- Title
- How Silence Might Erode Free Speech
- Runtime
- 1:41
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- "This is how gradually the freedom of speech is eroded." On the "Hard Fork" podcast, the hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss controversies surrounding the U.S. government's A.I. Action Plan. Listen to the full conversation at youtube.com/hardfork
