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Hard Fork

“Hard Fork” is a show about the future that’s already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.

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(Yet Another) Emergency Pod: Sam Altman Is Back

Hard Fork

  • 720 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 13:47

In yet another head-spinning twist at OpenAI, Sam Altman was reinstated as the company’s chief executive on Tuesday night, a mere five days after the OpenAI board had fired him. The board will be overhauled and a new set of directors, including Bret Taylor and Lawrence Summers, will join.Today, we discuss how Altman returned to the top seat — and whether the OpenAI news will ever slow down.Additional Reading:Late Tuesday night, Sam Altman was reinstated as OpenAI’s chief executive. 

Mayhem at OpenAI + Our Interview With Sam Altman

Hard Fork

  • 810 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 01:30:56

Last week, we interviewed Sam Altman. Since then, well, everything has changed. The board of OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, fired Altman as chief executive on Friday. Over the weekend, it looked as if he might return. On Sunday night, Microsoft hired Altman to lead a new A.I. venture. Who knows what will happen next.Today, an update on a crazy weekend in tech, and our interview with Sam Altman.Today’s Guest:Sam Altman is the former chief executive of OpenAI.Additional Reading:On Sunday, Microsoft hired Sam Altman after OpenAI had fired him.Kevin breaks down the winners and losers from the OpenAI rift.

Emergency Pod: Sam Altman is Out at Open AI

Hard Fork

  • 720 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 21:16

Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, was pushed out of the company by its board of directors on Friday. The news was a complete shock to much of the company’s employee base and to its largest corporate partner, Microsoft. Silicon Valley insiders are scrambling to get answers on exactly what happened and why the board’s decision seemed so abrupt. We rundown what we know and the many things we still don’t.

An A.I. Pin Drops + YouTube’s Take on Deepfakes + A Lab-Grown Thanksgiving

Hard Fork

  • 760 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 59:58

The tech start-up Humane launched a new device, an A.I. pin meant to be worn on our clothing. Might this be the device that replaces the iPhone? It’s the question on Silicon Valley’s mind. The pin allows users to take phone calls, catch up on messages and get answers to questions, all without ever looking at a screen.Then, why YouTube is bucking the trend on deepfakes.Plus: We eat a Thanksgiving meal made with meat that was grown in a lab.Today’s Guest:Joshua March is the chief executive of SCiFi Foods, the lab-grown meat company.Additional Reading:Humane says it’s artificial intelligence pin can replace screens. Is the pin the start of the next generation of hardware?Casey on YouTube’s latest approach to deepfakes. 

Personalized GPTs Are Here + F.T.C. Chair Lina Khan on A.I. Competition + Mayhem at Apefest

Hard Fork

  • 780 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 01:08:18

Warning: this episode contains some explicit language.OpenAI has unveiled a new way to build custom chatbots. Kevin shows off a few that he’s built – including a custom Hard Fork bot, and a bot that gives investment advice inspired by his late grandpa. Then, we talk to Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, about the agency’s approach to regulating A.I., and whether the tactics she’s used to regulate big tech companies are working.And finally, a Bored Ape Yacht Club event left some attendees' eyes burning, literally. That, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction has us asking, how much damage hath the crypto world wrought? Today’s guest:Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade CommissionAdditional reading: OpenAI’s new tools allow users to customize their own GPTs.Lina Khan believes A.I. disruption demands regulators take a different approach than that of the Web 2.0 era.More than 20 people reported burning eye pain after a Bored Ape Yacht Club party in Hong Kong.