Fear and loathing at OpenAI
Fear and loathing at OpenAI Sam Altman’s tenure at OpenAI has been… messy. Messy to the point where Altman was briefly fired from his role as CEO, only to be reinstated days later, at which point he began reshaping the organization permanently. This week, The New Yorker published a deep look at Altman, his time […]
The AI industry’s race for profits is now existential
The AI industry's race for profits is now existential Today on Decoder, let’s talk about the looming AI monetization cliff, and whether some of the biggest companies in the space can become real, profitable businesses before they careen right off it. My guest today is Hayden Field, who’s our senior AI reporter here at The […]
How the Amazon Echo learned to talk — and listen
How the Amazon Echo learned to talk — and listen A photo of a black speaker, the Amazon Echo, on a gray background. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Jeff Bezos badly wanted a voice computer. He had been saying so publicly since the very early days of Amazon, telling anyone who would […]
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now?
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now? Today on Decoder, we’re talking about the landmark social media addiction trials that just resulted in two major verdicts against Big Tech. There’s one case in New Mexico against Meta, and another in California against both companies, which have said they plan to appeal. […]
Okta’s CEO is betting big on AI agent identity
Okta's CEO is betting big on AI agent identity Today, I’m talking with Todd McKinnon, who is co-founder and CEO of Okta, a platform that lets big companies manage security and identity across all the apps and services their employees use. Think of it like login management — actually, that’s a great way to think […]
The Macintosh changed computers forever
The Macintosh changed computers forever Apple’s most legendary computer has two legacies: there’s the computer itself, and there’s the commercial. That commercial. Only a couple of days before Steve Jobs debuted the computer that would both help cement his legacy and contribute to his unceremonious exile from Apple, the company dropped a Super Bowl ad […]
Meta’s court losses could be just the beginning
Meta's court losses could be just the beginning Social media companies have long seemed impervious to legal threats. Meta, YouTube, Snap, and the rest have long waved off criticism of their platforms on free speech and Section 230 grounds. But twice this week, juries rendered verdicts against the platforms, not because of some bad videos […]
Here’s how to rank the 50 best Apple products ever
Here's how to rank the 50 best Apple products ever Apple turns 50 next week, and we’re going to spend the week covering the company, its products, its legacy, and its future. But mostly, we’re going to spend the week debating which Apple products are the best. And we need your help. Our ranking system […]
Confronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated me
Confronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated me Today, I’m talking with Shishir Mehrotra, who is CEO of Superhuman — that’s the company formerly known as Grammarly, which is still its flagship product. Shishir also used to be the chief product officer at YouTube, and he’s on the board of directors at Spotify. […]
Why people really hate AI
Why people really hate AI There’s a big, and increasing, disconnect in culture right now when it comes to artificial intelligence. Companies of all shapes and sizes are hunting for places to deploy AI and can’t stop talking about how this new technology will change everything. But when you ask people about AI, the consistent […]