DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis + Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin: AGI by 2030? Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-21 | Demis Hassabis is the CEO of Google DeepMind. Sergey Brin is the co-founder of Google. The two leading tech executives join Alex Kantrowitz for a live interview at Google's IO developer conference to discuss the frontiers of AI research. Tune in to hear their perspective on whether scaling is tapped out, how reasoning techniques have performed, what AGI actually means, the potential for an intelligence explosion, and much more. Tune in for a deep look into AI's cutting edge featuring two executives building it. #googleio #ai #artificialintelligence Chapters:00:00 Intro & Welcome01:30 Frontier Models Headroom 03:00 Scale vs Algorithm Debate 04:30 Data-Center Demand & Chips 06:00 DeepThink Reasoning Paradigm 08:00 Defining & Timing AGI 11:00 AlphaEvolve Self-Improvement 13:30 Why Brin Came Back to Google15:30 Project Astra & Visual Agents 18:30 Smart Glasses Lessons from Google Glass 21:30 Veo 3 & Training-Data Quality 24:00 Lightning Round (Web, AGI Date) 26:30 Are We Living in a Simulation?
Sergey Brin: Why Im Back Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-30 | Google Co-founder Sergey Brin says “anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now. They should be working on AI.”
AI = End of Screens? #ai Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-29 | OpenAI aquired legendary designer Jony Ive's IO device company, this is a signal that the AI industry is moving beyond the screens. Does it mean the end of the iPhone?
She Wants AI To Help You Thrive, Not Just Keep You Company — Y-Lan Boureau Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-28 | Y-Lan Boureau is the founder & CEO of ThrivePal, an OpenAI-funded AI startup, and a former Meta AI researcher.Boureau joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss why the next frontier for AI should be science‑backed coaching that nudges us toward healthier habits and deeper real‑world relationships. Tune in to hear how large‑language models can push users to lift weights, regulate emotions, and support their friends’ growth.We also cover Boureau's abandoned Facebook fact‑checking experiment, the dopamine traps of engagement‑first design, and whether “AI wrappers” can survive against base models.Hit play for a candid, actionable conversation that will reshape how you design—or simply use—AI tools aimed at human thriving. #ai #artificialintelligence Chapters00:00 Opening & intro02:00 Facebook days and the polarization experiment05:50 Why fact-checking backfires online09:30 Trust, tribes, and the limits of “truth”13:15 From Facebook research to ThrivePal18:00 Chatbots then vs. now26:00 The case against AI companionship30:40 Coaching through friends and accountability35:15 Exercise, resistance work, microbiome care41:00 Game design for healthy habits47:00 Meaning, Nicholas Winton, and purpose-driven goals53:00 Can a startup win on top of big LLMs?
OpenAIs Jony Ive Moment, Anthropics Big New Model, Google In AI Mode Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-27 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover:1) Alex's unexpected Sergey Brin interview2) Jony Ive sells his IO device company to OpenAI3) What this device could be4) Is Jony + Sam bad for Apple?5) Could this device work?6) What the move to ambient assistants could signal for tech7) Anthropic's first developer event8) Is Anthropic's move to code and tools a smart one?9) Claude will blackmail you10) Sorting through hype vs. truth in a fun game that everyone loves11) Google's Veo 312) Where Google stands vs. before the week started.
What is Artifical General Intelligence? #ai Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-24 | Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis answers the question: Is artificial general intelligence still a useful term?
Google DeepMind CTO: Advancing AI Frontier, New Reasoning Methods, Video Generation’s Potential Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-24 | Koray Kavukcuoglu is the Chief Technology Officer of Google DeepMind. Kavukcuoglu joins Big Technology to discuss how his team is pushing the frontier of AI research inside Google and the path to AGI.Tune in to hear Kavukcuoglu break down the value of brute scale versus novel techniques and how the new inference-time “DeepThink” mode could supercharge reasoning.We also cover Veo 3’s sound-synced video generation, the open-source-versus-proprietary debate, and what a ten-percent jump in model quality might unlock for users everywhere.
Scaling AI: Still Working? #demystifyai Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-23 | Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin share their perspective on whether scaling is the star or a supporting actor when it comes to improving AI models.This interview took place with Alex Kantrowitz at Google IO in Mountain View.
Sergey Brin: Why I came back to Google + Lessons from Google Glass Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-23 | Sergey Brin is the co-founder of Google. He joins Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis for a conversation about the frontiers of AI. During the conversation, we spoke about why he returned to Google — “Anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now. They should be working on AI.” — he says. We also discuss the race to develop AGI, what Sergey does day to day, and the nature of Google's assistants. #googleio #ai This is a clip from a longer interview. Watch the full think here: youtu.be/M2ZtBQI2-GY?si=E15OOO8GcXgiraH-Transcript: bigtechnology.com/p/demis-hassabis-and-sergey-brin-on
In AI Age, Reinvent to Survive #ai Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-22 | Google must reinvent itself in the age of AI, following a long history of tech companies starting over to stay relevant.
Is ChatGPT The Last Website?, Grok’s System Prompt, Meta’s llama Fiasco Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-19 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover:1) ChatGPT ranks No. 5 among all websites worldwide2) ChatGPT is the only website among the top ranked by SimilarWeb that is growing3) How do chatbots get information if they replace the web?4) Grok's 'white genocide' messaging campaign5) What's in a system prompt, with a look inside Grok's6) The truth about Timothée Chalamet7) Filing stories directly into ChatGPT?8) Meta slams into big problems in its Llama AI program9) Does it matter if scaling is done?10) IBM survey shows generative ROI is hard to come by despite interest11) Cohere's revenue trouble12) Perplexity integrates with Paypal13) A look at the event calendar ahead
Klarna CEO: We’re Giving AI More Customer Service Work, Not Less Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-16 | Sebastian Siemiatkowski is the CEO of Klarna. He returns to the show to address reports that his company has rolled back its aggressive push to automate customer service with generative AI. Despite planning to hire human agents, Siemiatkowski says the AI initiative is not rolling back, and in fact accelerating. Tune in to hear him set the record straight here on Big Technology Podcast.
AI’s Drawbacks: Environmental Damage, Bad Benchmarks, Outsourcing Thinking Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-14 | Emily Bender is a computational linguistics professor at the University of Washington. Alex Hanna is the Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute. Bender and Hanna join Big Technology to discuss what their new book, “The AI‑Con," which they describe as the layered ways today’s language‑model boom obscures environmental costs, labor harms, and shaky science. Tune in to hear a lively back‑and‑forth on whether chatbots are useful tools or polished parlor tricks. We also cover benchmark gaming, data‑center water use, doomerism, and more. Hit play for a candid debate that will leave you smarter about where generative AI really stands — and what comes next.---Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice.Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack? Here’s 25% off for the first year, which includes membership to our subscriber Discord: bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016bChapters0:00 Intro + guest bios2:15 “Nested cons” explained10:30 Environmental impact: water, carbon, diesel backup19:05 Benchmark gaming and the Arc‑AGI debate26:45 Host’s Paris‑trip use case — critics respond40:55 AI in medicine: ambient scribes, privacy, labor57:20 Doomerism and the Tescreal bundle1:00:45 Takeaways + what we can all watch for next
The Problem With Dumb AI #ai #podcast Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-12 | Dumb ai could be dangerous if we trust it with too much too soon, like our electrical grids or driving, says AI critic Gary Marcus
Is OpenAI Overvalued? Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-10 | If AI doesn't keep improving as generative ai models scale up, could that cause the AI industrial complex to crash, from OpenAI to NVIDIA? Ai skeptic Gary Marcus weighs in.
Are We at the End of Ai Progress— With Gary Marcus Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-07 | Gary Marcus is a cognitive scientist, author, and longtime AI skeptic.Gary joins Big Technology to discuss why large‑language‑model scaling is running into a wall. Tune in to hear a frank debate on the limits of “just add GPUs,” the promise of neuro‑symbolic hybrids, and what that means for the next wave of AI.We also cover data‑privacy fallout from ad‑driven assistants, open‑source bio‑risk fears, and the quest for interpretability. Hit play for a sharp reality check on AI’s future — and the insight you need to follow where the industry heads next.
The ‘AI-First Company,’ Big Tech Mega Earnings, NVIDIA vs. Anthropic Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-05 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover1) What an 'AI-First Company' is2) Aaron Levie's AI-first memo to Box.3) Luis von Ahn's AI-first memo to Duolingo4) Tobi Lutke's AI-first memo to Shopify5) Can non-tech company be AI-first?6) Apple earnings7) Apple's federal government issues8) Microsoft earnings9) Amazon earnings10) Meta Earnings11) NVIDIA vs. Anthropic12) More on AI consciousness13) The very handy Mag2
Why Apple Needs China #ai #apple Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-03 | Apple can't easy shift its supply chain to India, and certainly won't move it to the U.S. as services take on an outsized importance in its mix, and lower phone costs are crucial for services growth.
How AI Gets Smarter #ai Alex Kantrowitz 2025-05-01 | PhDs are currently sharing everything they know with AI bots, which are learning to emulate their way of thinking via the fine tuning process and getting much, much smarter. We talk about it at Beeler.tech's Base•Camp Red Rock Canyon.
Amazon Head Of Prime on Tariffs, Alexa Plus Rollout, and AI Differentiation — With Jamil Ghani Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-30 | Jamil Ghani is Amazon’s Vice President of Prime. Ghani joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss Amazon's position in the ongoing trade war and how Alexa Plus combined with Prime will appeal to its customers. Tune in to hear Ghani debunk the headline about tariff price labels, walk through Alexa Plus’s rollout, and outline why Amazon believes its approach to a contextually-aware assistant will work. We also cover Prime Day strategy, supply-chain regionalization, warehouse robotics, and Amazon’s growing AI alliance with Anthropic. Hit play for a fast, candid look at how the world’s largest online retailer is positioning itself for the next era of commerce and consumer tech.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Amazon's Current Landscape03:50 Navigating Tariffs and Supply Chain Dynamics10:04 The Amazon Flywheel and Seller Sentiment16:05 The Rollout of Alexa Plus and Its Features23:48 AI Assistants: Companionship vs. Utility29:10 The Rise of Chatbots as Companions39:26 The Future of E-commerce and AI Integration41:37 Amazon's Infrastructure and Supply Chain Innovations49:12 Partnerships and Future Collaborations with Anthropic
Big Techs AI Spend Will 📈📈 Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-30 | Will Big Tech keep spending big on AI? Yes, and here's why
Is Anthropic’s Claude AI Conscious, Shopping in ChatGPT, Systrom vs. Zuck Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-28 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Anthropic researcher's assertion that there's a 15% chance Claude is conscious2) What happens if people believe AI is sentient?3) Why consciousness and intelligence are different4) Hey, is this all just marketing?5) Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's push for AI model interpretability6) China's robot half-marathon7) Tesla's wild earnings week8) Why Google is thriving despite the ChatGPT threat9) Are we going to shop directly within ChatGPT?10) Kevin Systrom's flawed testimony against Facebook11) Washington DC thinks Big Tech is getting broken up.
Future of Connectivity: Satellite And Beyond — With Altice USA CEO Dennis Mathew Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-26 | Altice USA CEO Dennis Mathew joins Alex Kantrowitz at Semafor’s World Economy Summit to talk economy, satellite (and van life), connectivity, and whether there's such thing as too much content.Thank you Semafor for the invite and the video.
Generative AI 101: Tokens, Pre-training, Fine-tuning, Reasoning — With SemiAnalysis CEO Dylan Patel Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-23 | Dylan Patel is the founder and CEO of SemiAnalysis. He joins Big Technology Podcast to explain how generative AI work, explaining the inner workings of tokens, pre-training, fine-tuning, open source, and reasoning. We also cover DeepSeek’s efficiency breakthrough, the race to build colossal AI data centers, and what GPT-5’s hybrid training approach could unlock. Hit play for a masterclass you’ll want to send to every friend puzzled (or excited) about the future of AI.Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Generative AI with Dylan Patel02:00 - Basics of AI Model Training04:30 - Understanding Tokens and Word Representation07:00 - How Models Process Language Patterns10:00 - Attention Mechanisms and Context Understanding13:00 - Pre-Training: Learning from Internet Data16:00 - Loss Minimization and Learning Processes19:00 - Why GPUs Are Perfect for AI Computation22:00 - Post-Training and Model Personalities25:00 - Reasoning: How Modern AI Models Think28:00 - The Growing Efficiency of AI Models31:00 - Data Center Build-Outs Despite Increasing Efficiency34:00 - The Future of GPT-5 and AI Development
China AI: Motivated By Mission or Money? Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-23 | Chinese AI companies are motivated by mission and giving the tech away for free, says Grace Shao, a Hong Kong based writer and analyst
Can Netflix handle an economic downturn? Yes, but it’s complicated. And here’s why. Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-21 | Can Netflix handle an economic downturn? Yes, but it’s complicated. And here’s why.
Is OpenAIs o3 Model AGI? Is AI The New Social Media? Zucks Revealing Testimony Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-19 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover1) Is OpenAI's o3 model AGI?2) Maybe it's AGI when you squint3) Why people are floating the idea that OpenAi is close to AGI4) Is OpenAI going to declare that GPT-5 is AGI5) What's in it for companies saying they've achieved AGI first?6) AI's new memory capabilities add something big to the experience7) Is AI the new social media?8) Facebook has moved away from friend sharing9) Could Google be broken up?10) Is Google's stake in the open web actually a good thing?Chapters00:00 Introduction to AGI and Tech News05:01 OpenAI's New Model: O3 and AGI Discussion10:03 Real-World Applications and Limitations of O315:06 The Future of AGI and Market Implications19:51 Conspiracy Theories and Predictions for GPT-526:07 The Evolution of AI and Memory34:06 AI as the New Social Media44:31 The Future of Big Tech and Antitrust Issues
Why Chinas AI Strategy Just Might Work — With Grace Shao Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-16 | Grace Shao is a Hong Kong-based writer and analyst, and author of AI Proem on Substack newsletter. She joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss China's rise in artificial intelligence, and whether (and how) it can be a global player. Tune in to hear how China's AI startups are rapidly productizing cutting-edge tech, why it keeps developing open-source models, and why it's surging in robotics. We also cover AI agents like Manus, chip shortages, and the entrepreneurial resurgence transforming Chinese tech culture. Hit play for an essential conversation on China’s AI ambitions and their global implications.You can read more from Grace here: open.substack.com/pub/aiproemChapters00:00 China's AI Landscape: An Overview02:08 DeepSeek: A Turning Point for Chinese AI06:01 The Role of Open Source in AI Development10:04 Consumer vs. Enterprise: China's AI Strategy17:56 China's Competitive Edge in AI Products24:02 Cultural Factors Driving AI Adoption in China33:01 AI Reluctance and Productivity Enhancement34:49 China's Entrepreneurial Spirit and AI Competition37:32 Impact of Geopolitical Tensions on Chinese Tech40:38 Government Support for AI and Tech Innovation42:19 Cultural Significance of Scholars in China48:17 Advancements in Humanoid Robotics53:41 The Six Dragons of Hangzhou59:11 The Rise of AI Agents and Their Implications01:02:27 Chip Shortages and the Future of Chinese AI
Security in the Age of AI: Vanta CEO on Compliance and Risk Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-10 | Christina Cacioppo is the CEO and co-founder of Vanta, a leading security and compliance automation platform. She joins our show to discuss how AI is creating both new security risks and innovative solutions in the compliance space. Tune in to hear firsthand insights about AI-powered impersonation attacks and how companies are using the same technology to streamline security compliance. We also cover the challenges of navigating evolving AI regulations, preventing hallucinations in critical security applications, and Vanta's journey to helping 10,000 companies worldwide. Hit play for a practical conversation that cuts through the philosophical debates about AI to focus on its real-world applications and implications for security today.From vendor reviews and questionnaires to managing compliance controls, Vanta AI helps you work smarter. Prove trust and manage risk more efficiently and confidently than ever before. Learn more here: vanta.com/products/ai?utm_campaign=compliance-for-ai&utm_source=big-technology&utm_medium=paid-partner Chapters00:00 AI and Automation: New Security Risks05:08 The Role of AI in Security Solutions07:23 Vanta's Approach to Security Compliance12:01 Handling AI Hallucinations in Security17:32 Navigating AI Regulations and Compliance26:18 The Founding Story of Vanta
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian on AI Competition, Agents, And Tariffs Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-09 | Thomas Kurian is the CEO of Google Cloud Platform. He joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss how AI is changing the competitive balance in cloud services and why he believes Google has a chance to win. We also discuss the various use cases Google customers are finding for GenAI in the technology's early days, and whether the agent buzz is real. Finally, towards the end of the conversation we touch on tariffs and their impact on the cloud services business. Tune in for a wide ranging conversation with Google's top guy on cloud computing.Chapters00:00 The Rise of Google Cloud Platform and AI03:00 AI's Role in Cloud Adoption06:01 Competitive Landscape of Cloud Services09:04 Google's AI Models vs. Competitors11:58 DeepMind's In-House Advantage14:57 Reasoning Capabilities in AI17:53 Cost of AI Training and Inference20:53 Open Source vs. Proprietary Models33:08 Innovative AI Solutions in the Workplace34:49 Integrating AI into Google Workspace37:11 The Current State of AI Adoption41:49 Transformative Use Cases of AI in Enterprises44:58 The Role of Agents in AI Technology49:04 Impact of Tariffs on AI Development52:09 Google Cloud's Sales Transformation55:40 Future of Cloud Workloads
Tariffs Impact on Tech Stocks: A Black Swan Event? — With Adam Parker of Trivariate Research Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-08 | Adam Parker is the CEO of Trivariate Research. He joins the show to talk about the impact of Trump's tariffs on Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Tune in as we explore the cyclical nature of semiconductors, the sensitivity of advertising-based companies to economic downturns, and the implications of rising costs for cloud services. We also touch on market reactions and predictions for future performance, emphasizing the uncertainty in the current economic climate. Enjoy!
Tariffs and Turmoil: Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen on What Trump Is Thinking, And What Comes Next Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-07 | Ryan Petersen is the CEO of Flexport. Today we host an 'emergency' special report on the impact of tariffs on tech and the economy. Join us for the first half where Petersen breaks down what the administration is hoping to do with its tariff policy, whether it's advisable, what the near and long term impacts will be, and whether Trump will blink. Tune in for a comprehensive deep dive on what's driving the biggest economic disruption in years and what happens from here.Chapters00:00 Understanding Trump's Tariff Strategy11:32 The Economic Implications of Tariffs22:00 The Risks of Tariff Implementation33:27 Long-Term Effects on Global Trade
Understanding Practical AI and the Future of Automation – With Joseph George Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-07 | Joseph George is the General Manager and SVP of IT Solutions Group at GoTo. He joins the show to discuss the concept of “practical AI,” and how business and technology leaders looking to invest in AI can move beyond the hype to adopt real, practical applications that streamline operations, boost efficiency, and drive cost savings. We also cover the evolving role of AI and automation in the workplace, where human talent and machine intelligence are increasingly working together, and tips for integrating AI into IT and business processes, preparing your workforce for an AI-driven future, and leveraging automation to unlock creativity and growth.00:00 - Introduction and Welcome01:29 - AI Integration in IT Support Services04:26 - AI Documentation and Knowledge Management10:00 - Virtual Technicians and Automated Problem-Solving14:50 - The Future: From Reactive to Predictive Support18:04 - Impact on the IT Workforce22:15 - Technology Stack and Future Development26:18 - The Future of AI in IT Solutions28:51 - Closing Remarks
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-04 | Mustafa Suleyman is the CEO of Microsoft AI and a co-founder of DeepMind. He joins Big Technology to discuss Microsoft's strategy to build more personalized and emotionally intelligent AI companions. Tune in to hear how Microsoft is differentiating its AI offerings through personality design, memory features, and action capabilities that could transform our digital interactions. We also cover Microsoft's data center plans, its relationship with OpenAI, and predictions about when we might reach AGI. Hit play for a fascinating look at the future of human-AI relationships and what it means for work, technology, and society.Chapters:0:00 - Introduction to Microsoft's AI Vision and New Features4:30 - How Memory and Personalization Will Transform AI Companions9:45 - Enabling Actions: From Booking Flights to Controlling Your Computer14:20 - The Future of AI Avatars and Visual Representation19:35 - How Microsoft Plans to Differentiate Through Personality25:10 - Setting Boundaries: Microsoft's Approach to AI Relationships31:45 - AI Models: Why We're Far From Diminishing Returns38:20 - Microsoft's Data Center Strategy and OpenAI Partnership44:15 - The AGI Timeline: Why Suleyman Predicts a Decade Away51:30 - The Future of Work and Advice for the Next Generation
OpenAI Raises $40 billion, Is AI a Letdown?, Musk Sells X to xAI Alex Kantrowitz 2025-04-02 | Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover 1) OpenAI's $40 billion fundraise 2) Is the $40 billion number real? 3) Can OpenAI live up to the expectations that come along with the money? 4) What OpenAI will spend the cash on 5) AI products are growing fast 6) Would you go to AI therapy? 7) Is AI a letdown? 8) Why AI boasts have gotten ahead of the technology 9) AI's brand risk 10) Was the problem with Apple Intelligence actually AI, not Apple? 11) Amazon launches Alexa Plus with missing features 12) Elon Musk's xAI acquires Elon Musk's XChapters00:00 OpenAI's Historic Funding Round03:14 The Implications of AI's Growth06:00 User Growth and Revenue Projections09:10 The Future of AI Products12:03 AI's Practical Applications and Market Impact14:50 The Debate on AI's Profitability17:59 AI in Therapy: A New Frontier20:50 OpenAI's Open-Weight Language Model32:55 Investing in AI: OpenAI's Future35:14 Critique of AI: The 'Mid Tech' Debate39:56 Branding Problems in AI: Expectations vs. Reality44:44 Apple's AI Challenges: The Letdown51:32 Amazon's Alexa Plus: Promises and Shortcomings55:18 Elon Musk's XAI Acquisition: Financial Engineering
The Secret Problem With AI Agents and How To Solve It — With Guy Tytunovich Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-31 | Guy Tytunovich is the CEO and founder of Cheq. He joins our show to discuss what happens when the internet fills with AI agents and how prevalent these robots are today. Tune in to hear how companies can detect and adapt to AI agents acting on behalf of users, and the new security challenges this creates. We also cover the expected growth of "good bots," how businesses will need to redesign digital experiences for machine customers, and the fascinating privacy and identity questions that arise. Hit play for an eye-opening conversation about the imminent transformation of the internet and how Cheq is helping businesses navigate this new landscape.Chapters00:00 The Rise of AI Agents on the Internet10:00 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Detection19:51 Cybersecurity Implications of AI Agents29:57 The Future of AI Agents and Trust
OpenAI’s Ghibli Moment, CoreWeaves IPO Letdown, End of Silicon Valley’s Monopoly? Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-29 | Brian McCullough is the host of Techmeme Ride Home. He's back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Why everyone's using ChatGPT to make Ghibli art 2) What is Ghibli 3) OpenAI's product dominance stands out 4) The Studio Ghibli copyright question 5) The AI servers are at capacity 6) The AI datacenters are still probably built out too early 7) What's CoreWeave? 8) CoreWeave's IPO disappoints 9) OpenAI eyes $40 billion fundraise 10) Is Silicon Valley about to lose its monopoly on tech?
AIs Rising Risks: Hacking, Virology, Loss of Control — With Dan Hendrycks Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-28 | Dan Hendrycks is the Director and co-founder of the Center for AI Safety, and an advisor to Scale AI and xAI. He joins Big Technology Podcast for a discussion of AI's growing risk profile, and what to do about it. Tune in to hear Hendricks explain why virology expertise in AI models is an immediate concern and how these systems might soon enable devastating hacks. We also cover intelligence explosion scenarios, the geopolitical implications of AI development, and why an international AI arms race could lead to faster development than the world can handle. Hit play for an insider's perspective on how governments and AI labs are wrestling with unprecedented technological power that could reshape global security.00:00 Introduction and Early Signs of AI Adversarial Behavior03:04 Ranking AI Risks: Immediate Concerns vs. Future Threats06:34 The Surprising Bioweapons Risk: AI's Expert-Level Virology Capabilities10:42 How AI Evolved to Gain Practical Knowledge and Safety Responses14:08 Future Cybersecurity Threats and Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities19:26 The Paradox of AI Safety: Companies Building What They Fear27:37 Inside X.AI: Truth-Seeking Mission or Cultural Influence?32:46 The International AI Arms Race and Deterrence Strategy42:05 Intelligence Explosion and Loss of Control Scenarios51:06 White House Meetings and Dual-Use Approach to AI Regulation56:43 Can We Trust AI? Deception and Self-Exfiltration Concerns1:01:08 Funding AI Safety and Critiques of the Effective Altruism Movement
Zendesk CEO: AI Customer Service Agents Are Ready For Primetime Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-26 | Tom Eggemeier is the CEO of Zendesk. He stops by to discuss AI agents' growing role in customer service and how the new Zendesk Resolution Platform will enable companies to build intelligent, fast, and cost effective AI customer service agents. Tune in to hear how modern AI technology is allowing for deeper interaction with AI bots, how agents can learn from interactions across an entire customer service organization, and what the rise of AI customer service agents means for the future of human customer service agents. This technology is only growing more prevalent, this conversation contextualizes where it stands today, and where it's heading. You can learn more here: zendesk.com/newsroom/articles/relate-2025-resolution-platformThis conversation is sponsored by Zendesk. To learn more about how to feature on the channel, write alexkantrowitz@gmail.com.Chapters00:00 AI Agents: Reality vs. Hype03:02 Evolution of AI in Customer Service06:06 The Rise of Agentic AI11:55 Introducing the Zendesk Resolution Platform14:01 Practical Applications of the Resolution Platform21:09 The Role of Human Agents in AI25:25 Job Outlook in the Age of Automation32:57 Zendesk's Future and AI Integration
Why Cant AI Make Its Own Discoveries? — With Yann LeCun Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-19 | Yann LeCun is the chief AI scientist at Meta. He joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss the strengths and limitations of current AI models, weighing in on why they've been unable to invent new things despite possessing almost all the world's written knowledge. LeCun digs deep into AI science, explaining why AI systems must build an abstract knowledge of the way the world operates to truly advance. We also cover whether AI research will hit a wall, whether investors in AI will be disappointed, and the value of open source after DeepSeek. Tune in for a fascinating conversation with one of the world's leading AI pioneers.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Jan LeCun and AI's limitations01:12 Why LLMs can't make scientific discoveries05:40 Reasoning in AI systems: limitations of chain of thought10:13 LLMs approaching diminishing returns and the need for a new paradigm16:29 "A PhD next to you" vs. actual intelligent systems21:36 Consumer AI adoption vs. enterprise implementation challenges25:37 Historical parallels: expert systems and the risk of another AI winter29:37 Four critical capabilities AI needs for true understanding33:19 Testing AI's physics understanding with the paper test37:24 Why video generation systems don't equal real comprehension43:33 Self-supervised learning and its limitations for understanding51:10 JEPA: Building abstract representations for reasoning and planning54:33 Open source vs. proprietary AI development58:57 Conclusion
Gruber Slams Apples Siri Failure, Tech Stocks In Freefall, Vibecoding & OpenAIs Agents Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-14 | Reed Albergotti is the technology editor at Semafor. He's back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover 1) Gruber turns on Apple 2) Has Apple lost its credibility? 3) Apple stock takes a hit after downgrades 4) Will we even use a phone in the future? 5) Will AI investing stop in a tough market? 6) The spectrum of AI outcomes and the wisdom of massive capex 7) Tesla risks and opportunities 8) OpenAI releasing agent APT 9) Vibecoding is fun 10) Reed on Amazon's proprietary AI chipsChapters00:00 Apple's AI Fiasco and Credibility Crisis10:37 The Impact of AI on Apple's Future20:39 Market Correction and AI Funding Dynamics33:35 Investing in AI: Opportunities and Risks36:17 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Economy44:08 OpenAI's New Developments and Agent Technology51:01 Vibe Coding: The Future of Software Development57:03 Amazon's Chip Strategy and Project Rainier
Roblox CEO: We Want AI To Generate Full Games Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-12 | David Baszucki is the CEO of Roblox. He joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss how the company envisions generative AI playing into game creation on Roblox. Tune in to hear his vision for a future where users can prompt entire game experiences and modify them in real time using AI. We also cover child safety concerns, Hindenburg Research allegations, and whether parents should give their kids money to spend on Roblox. Hit play for an insightful conversation about the intersection of gaming, AI, and the future of creative digital experiences.0:00 - Introduction to Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki2:28 - The Future of Game Creation with Generative AI5:39 - Building Games Through Prompts7:20 - Creating Elements vs. Complete Game Experiences10:52 - Timeline for AI Game Generation on Roblox14:25 - Human Creativity vs. AI Game Design17:04 - The Long-Term Future of AI Game Design19:10 - Roblox's Proprietary 3D Foundational Model23:17 - AI for Real-World Design Applications27:43 - Responsibility for AI-Generated Content30:40 - Child Safety on Roblox34:53 - Response to Hindenburg Research Allegations40:17 - Apple's Age Verification and Parental Controls42:36 - Should Parents Give Kids Money for Roblox?47:26 - Roblox's Vision for the Next Five Years
How Amazon Rebuilt Alexa From The Ground Up Alex Kantrowitz 2025-03-05 | Panos Panay is the senior vice president of Devices & Services at Amazon. Daniel Rausch is the Vice President of Alexa at Amazon. The two join Big Technology Podcast to discuss how the company rearchitected Alexa, blending a deterministic system with the latest generative AI technology to create something that can both turn your lights off and speak with you about philosophy. We also discuss how all big tech companies seem to be converging on the same contextually aware, general AI assistant, and why Amazon believes Alexa has a chance to win. Tune in for a front row perspective on one of the tech industry's biggest AI projects.Chapters:0:00 - Introduction to Amazon's revamped Alexa2:09 - The challenge of keeping existing users while rebuilding Alexa4:56 - Technical architecture: Re-engineering Alexa from the ground up8:39 - How Alexa handles deterministic vs. non-deterministic commands13:27 - The speed/latency challenge with natural language AI16:20 - Real-world examples: "Don't play music in the baby's room"19:34 - Technical challenges of the live demo24:43 - The vision and competitive landscape for voice assistants27:56 - Amazon's advantages in the home environment30:41 - Family calendars and multi-user functionality32:52 - Mobile strategy and cross-device continuity35:15 - Agentic AI capabilities in the new Alexa40:53 - Proactive vs. reactive assistant features44:30 - Trust, privacy, and data management47:34 - The importance of screens for Alexa devices51:39 - Voice AI as the future of artificial intelligence
