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The Vergecast

The Vergecast

By: The Verge
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Summary

 The Vergecast is the flagship podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, hosts Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And every Tuesday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives – and which ones you should bring into yours.© 2022 Vox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Everybody wants to rule the AI world

    Everybody wants to rule the AI world
    May 8 2026
    The Musk v. OpenAI trial continues, which means so do the allegations and leaks surrounding some of the most influential people in tech. Nilay and David recount the most interesting and entertaining moments from the courtroom this week, before digging into what we've learned about when Sam Altman was fired. After that, the hosts discuss OpenAI's apparent plans to build a phone, which seem utterly necessary and utterly doomed, along with the new Fitbit Air and a truly strange new home robot. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for the Hype Desk, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the Chinese company that wants to make everything, and the next big rebrand for xAI. Further reading: ⁠Internal Tech Emails on X: "Sam Altman texts Mira Murat⁠ ⁠We are going through the removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI in detail. ⁠ ⁠Toner is relating how Sam Altman’s firing happened. ⁠ ⁠Toner says she found out about ChatGPT by seeing screenshots on Twitter. ⁠ ⁠Zilis sent Altman a text message of support after his 2023 ouster. ⁠ ⁠Google’s taking a big swing at AI health with the Fitbit Air⁠ ⁠OpenAI is reportedly launching a phone for ChatGPT ⁠ ⁠The creator of Roomba is back with a furry robot companion ⁠ ⁠Inside Dreame’s wild launch event — packed with products no one can buy⁠ ⁠Dreame — the vacuum company — just ‘launched’ its own phones | The Verge⁠ ⁠Dreame’s rocket-powered car can do 0–60 in 0.9 seconds because you can just say things now⁠ ⁠A foldable iPhone dummy — on video. ⁠ ⁠Apple agrees to pay iPhone owners $250 million for not delivering AI Siri ⁠ ⁠DOJ assault on the NFL could end the Packers as we know them.⁠ ⁠Apple could let you pick a favorite AI model in iOS 27 ⁠ ⁠xAI is becoming SpaceXAI.⁠ ⁠Microsoft gives up on Xbox Copilot AI ⁠ ⁠Microsoft’s new Xbox shake-up is all about platform changes ⁠ ⁠Subscribe to The Verge⁠ for unlimited access to ⁠theverge.com⁠, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ⁠ad-free podcast feed⁠.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠ or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 Trial Discovery Era 00:06:00 Early OpenAI Origins 00:11:00 Elon Power Struggle 00:17:00 Altman Firing Texts 00:27:00 Why The Board Panicked 00:36:00 ChatGPT Phone Rumor 00:39:00 OpenAI Phone vs App Store 00:41:00 Why Apps Still Matter 00:44:00 Apple Siri Power Play 00:49:00 Apple Intelligence Lawsuit 00:53:00 Google Fitbit Air 00:57:00 Google Health Rebrand Backlash 01:01:00 Familiar Robot Pet Debate 01:10:00 Nintendo Star Fox Returns 01:12:00 Nintendo Weirdness Wins 01:15:00 Furry Overlap Discourse 01:16:00 Zach Gardening Surprise 01:21:00 Brendan Carr Broadband Fight 01:23:00 NFL Antitrust And Packers 01:29:00 Dreame Vaporware Parade 01:32:00 Rocket Car Reality Check 01:34:00 Elon Corporate Matryoshka 01:36:00 Xbox Ditches Copilot 01:37:00 Wrap Up And Schedule Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • What an AI-designed car looks like

    What an AI-designed car looks like
    May 5 2026
    Car companies are beginning to use AI tools to radically speed up their development process, which could change the cars we drive forever — and have some big effects on the people who make them now. Verge contributor Tim Stevens explains. Then, The Verge’s Hayden Field catches us up on Codex vs. Claude Code, Anthropic vs. the US government, the vibes at OpenAI, and more, before helping answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about whether all the recent tech layoffs are really about AI. Further reading: ⁠The AI-designed car is taking shape | The Verge⁠ ⁠Pentagon strikes classified AI deals with OpenAI, Google, and Nvidia — but not Anthropic⁠ ⁠Google employees ask Sundar Pichai to say no to classified military AI use | The Verge⁠ ⁠Anthropic’s new cybersecurity model could get it back in the government’s good graces | The Verge⁠ ⁠Microsoft and OpenAI’s famed AGI agreement is dead | The Verge⁠ ⁠Here’s how the new Microsoft and OpenAI deal breaks down | The Verge⁠ ⁠ChatGPT downloads are slowing — and may cause problems for OpenAI’s IPO | The Verge⁠ ⁠Claude can now plug directly into Photoshop, Blender, and Ableton | The Verge⁠ ⁠OpenAI’s new security model is for ‘critical cyber defenders’ only | The Verge⁠ ⁠Anthropic releases a new Opus model amid Mythos Preview buzz | The Verge⁠ ⁠Jack Dorsey’s Block cuts nearly half of its staff in AI gamble | The Verge⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 Today Show Preview 00:04:00 Car Design Primer 00:08:00 AI Speeds Up Design 00:13:00 Clay Models and Craft 00:15:00 Jobs Pipeline Risk 00:18:00 Software Defined Cars 00:20:00 Regulation and Safety 00:27:00 Slate Truck Update 00:34:00 Claude Code vs Codex 00:42:00 OpenAI Vibes Check 00:44:00 PR vs AI Doomerism 00:48:00 Pentagon Deals Exclude Anthropic 00:53:00 Mythos Reality Check 00:56:00 RIP AGI Moment 01:04:00 Hotline AI Layoffs ROI 01:13:00 Wrap Up and Sign Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Elon Musk had a bad week in court

    Elon Musk had a bad week in court
    May 1 2026
    Elon Musk spent a lot of his week trying to explain how OpenAI wronged him — but mostly just seemed to annoy everyone else in the courtroom. Nilay and David discuss Musk's testimony in the OpenAI trial, and what it might mean for the trial going forward. After that, the Hype Desk gang recommends a couple of new things to watch, before the hosts chat about the week's new gadgets, including the Steam Controller and the dual-screen Zephyrus Duo laptop. Finally, in the lightning round, Brendan Carr picks a fight over Jimmy Kimmel again, Netflix buys into the clip economy, and Taylor Swift fights the AI. Further reading: Elon Musk confirms xAI used OpenAI’s models to train Grok All the evidence unveiled so far in Musk v. Altman Elon Musk appeared more petty than prepared Elon Musk tells the jury that all he wants to do is save humanity Elon Musk’s worst enemy in court is Elon Musk Jury selection in Musk v. Altman: ‘People don’t like him’ Microsoft and OpenAI’s famed AGI agreement is dead Now that OpenAI’s Microsoft exclusivity is over, it has a new deal with Amazon and AWS. ChatGPT downloads are slowing — and may cause problems for OpenAI’s IPO Meta lost 20 million users last quarter The more young people use AI, the more they hate it Google Search queries hit an ‘all time high’ last quarter Valve’s new Steam Controller isn’t perfect, but I’m buying one anyway Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam Machine Why the Steam Controller is (and isn’t) a big deal Samsung’s first smart glasses have leaked Is this Samsung’s upcoming wide foldable? The long rumored foldable iPad may never see the light of day. The new Razr Ultra is still the best-looking phone out there Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo (2026) review: 2 screens 2 furious Trump demands ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel The FCC is going after the broadcast licenses of Disney-owned ABC stations Former FCC staffers agree: Brendan Carr needs to be stopped The FCC is saving Amazon’s Eero and Leo routers from its ban, too. Taylor Swift deepfakes are pushing scams on TikTok Here’s what Netflix’s new vertical video feed is like Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:00 Elon vs OpenAI Overview 00:07:00 Jury Selection Drama 00:12:00 Elon's Testimony Begins 00:23:00 Trial Implications 00:26:00 Microsoft and OpenAI Split 00:30:00 The AWS Deal 00:32:00 Consumer AI Backlash 00:41:00 AI Powered Ad Targeting 00:44:00 Enterprise AI Success Story 00:45:00 Widow's Bay Recommendation 00:46:00 Apple TV Quality Content 00:48:00 Coyote vs Acme 00:55:00 Steam Controller Review 00:57:00 Universal Remote Theory 01:01:00 Smart Glasses Problem 01:05:00 Wide Foldable Phones 01:09:00 Motorola Razr Ultra 01:12:00 ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 01:17:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy 01:18:00 Jimmy Kimmel Controversy 01:25:00 FCC Open Meeting Response 01:26:00 News Distortion Rule Lawsuit 01:29:00 Router Ban Update 01:33:00 Taylor Swift Trademark Strategy 01:37:00 YouTube Likeness Protection 01:41:00 Netflix Clips Feature 01:44:00 The Clip Economy Shift 01:46:00 Streaming Services vs TikTok 01:49:00 Show Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 49 mins
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