Business, Spoken
2,340 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★ - 16 ratingsGet in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and society.
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Episodes
The Binance Crackdown Will Be an 'Unprecedented' Bonanza for Crypto Surveillance
December 07, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesBinance’s settlement requires it to offer years of transaction data to US regulators and cops, exposing the company—and its customers—to a “24/7, 365-days-a-year financial colonoscopy.” Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Pilots Delivering Your Amazon Packages Are Ready to Strike
December 06, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesPilots for Amazon’s largest air freight provider voted to strike, complaining of low pay and high turnover. If a strike happens in the new year, Amazon deliveries could be impacted. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Innovation-Killing Noncompete Agreements Are Finally Dying
December 05, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesMore US states are moving to bar companies from binding workers with noncompete agreements. Research shows the move could boost wages and innovation. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fresh Bitcoin Hype Shows Crypto Just Can’t Help Itself
December 04, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesAfter crashes, scandals, and SBF’s guilty verdict, many hoped the crypto industry would grow up. Speculation around the arrival of a spot bitcoin ETF shows old hype dies hard. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Elon Musk Just Told Advertisers 'Go Fuck Yourself'
December 01, 2023 11:00 - 6 minutesIn a rambling interview at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Elon Musk suggested advertisers fleeing X were blackmailing him and could kill the platform. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI’s Custom Chatbots Are Leaking Their Secrets
November 30, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesReleased earlier this month, OpenAI’s GPTs let anyone create custom chatbots. But some of the data they’re built on is easily exposed. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A New Type of Geothermal Power Plant Just Made the Internet a Little Greener
November 29, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutesA new approach to geothermal energy makes it possible to tap the energy of hot rocks just about anywhere. A pilot plant in Nevada is now helping to power Google data centers. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Problems Lurking in Hollywood’s Historic AI Deal
November 28, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesThe terms the Screen Actors Guild negotiated with Hollywood studios put historic AI guardrails in place, but they may not be able to protect performers. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
China Tried to Keep Kids Off Social Media. Now the Elderly Are Hooked
November 27, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutesAs smartphone costs fall and society becomes more atomized, China’s elderly are using apps like Douyin to find connection and companionship. Many feel they have no choice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A DOJ Settlement Would Show Binance Is Too Big to Fail
November 22, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesThe US government is reportedly willing to suspend criminal charges against crypto exchange Binance, provided it steps into line—and pays $4 billion. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Climate Activists Tell the EV Industry to Fix Its Filthy Supply Chain
November 21, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesEV production often relies on coal power and harmful labor practices. Climate activists in Squid Games costumes disrupted the LA Auto Show this weekend to demand urgent change. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Watchdog Group Calls for an Investigation of X’s Sneaky New Ads
November 20, 2023 11:00 - 6 minutesIndustry watchdog Check My Ads is petitioning the Federal Trade Commission to investigate X for unlabeled—and potentially misleading—advertisements. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sweden’s Tesla Blockade Is Spreading
November 17, 2023 11:00 - 5 minutesStarting Friday, dockworkers in all Swedish ports will refuse to offload Teslas, cleaning crews will no longer clean showrooms, and mechanics won’t fix charging points as the labor dispute rages on. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Government Is Now the Hottest Tech Employer in Town
November 16, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutesMeta, Google, Amazon, and other major tech firms have laid off thousands of people. The public sector has tried—and in some cases, succeeded—to lure them in. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google DeepMind’s AI Weather Forecaster Handily Beats a Global Standard
November 15, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesMachine learning algorithms that digested decades of weather data were able to forecast 90 percent of atmospheric measures more accurately than Europe’s top weather center. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The First Small-Scale Nuclear Plant in the US Died Before It Could Live
November 14, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutesSix nuclear reactors just 9 feet across planned for Idaho were supposed to prove out the dream of cheap, small-scale nuclear energy. Now the project has been canceled. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
GM’s Cruise Rethinks Its Robotaxi Strategy After Admitting a Software Fault in Gruesome Crash
November 13, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesCruise set out to win the autonomous car race by starting with urban driving. After a pedestrian was dragged under a robotaxi, the company and its parent GM are cutting jobs and making other changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This New Breed of AI Assistant Wants to Do Your Boring Office Chores
November 10, 2023 11:00 - 5 minutesAn experimental AI helper attempts to operate a web browser in the same way a human does to take on office admin like processing invoices or screening job applicants. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This AI Bot Fills Out Job Applications for You While You Sleep
November 09, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesAI-powered services like LazyApply zip through the grunt work of job applications, helping one programmer apply for 5,000 jobs. But they can make mistakes, and some recruiters scorn the technology. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
WeWork Just Filed For Bankruptcy
November 08, 2023 11:00 - 5 minutesThe troubled coworking company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. WeWork says locations will remain open. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Elon Musk Announces Grok, a ‘Rebellious’ AI Without Guardrails
November 07, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesxAI, Elon Musk’s new company, claims to have built a powerful language model with cutting-edge performance in just two months. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Joe Biden Wants US Government Algorithms Tested for Potential Harm Against Citizens
November 06, 2023 15:16 - 6 minutesDraft rules from the White House would require federal agencies to assess AI systems currently in use in law enforcement, health care, and other areas—and to shut down any algorithms doing harm. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
World Powers Say They Want to Contain AI. They’re Also Racing to Advance It
November 03, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesThe US, China, and others signed a declaration coordinated by the UK warning AI could be “catastrophic.” Yet none seem to be suggesting development of the technology should slow down. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sam Bankman-Fried Sealed His Fate Long Before the FTX Trial
November 02, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutesPrior to his arrest, the FTX founder did a string of media interviews to tell his side of the story. In the courtroom, those comments came back to haunt him. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Joe Biden’s Big AI Plan Sounds Scary—but Lacks Bite
November 01, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutesJoe Biden’s new executive order is billed as the biggest governmental AI plan ever. Unless he can convince a dysfunctional US Congress and overseas rivals to play along, its effects will be limited. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25-Year Lasagna, Special Ops Oatmeal, and the Survival Food Boom
October 31, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutesThe ranks of doomsday preppers have swelled since the pandemic, with many stocking up on freeze-dried rations in case things go bad. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The GitHub Black Market That Helps Coders Cheat the Popularity Contest
October 30, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutesPopularity on GitHub can open valuable doors for developers and startups. Underground stores sell “stars” on the platform, offering coders a way to literally fake it till they make it. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why Read Books When You Can Use Chatbots to Talk to Them Instead?
October 27, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesBook publishers are experimenting with chatbot editions of new titles, providing "conversational companions" for readers. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 5 Instagram Features That US States Say Ruin Teens’ Mental Health
October 26, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutesThese five features of Instagram helped Meta deceptively hook teens and harm their mental health, allege lawsuits filed today by 42 US states. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon’s AI-Powered Van Inspections Give It a Powerful New Data Feed
October 25, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesAmazon delivery drivers at hundreds of sites around the world will be asked to drive through camera-studded archways that log every dent, scratch, or damaged tire. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The US Has Failed to Pass AI Regulation. New York City Is Stepping Up
October 24, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesThe US Congress won’t pass federal AI regulation anytime soon. NYC is forging ahead with an AI Action Plan and a proposal for a new Office of Algorithmic Data Integrity. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Crypto Groups Gemini, Genesis, and DCG Sued for $1.1 Billion ‘Fraud’
October 23, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesNew York’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against crypto companies, including the Winkelvoss twins’ Gemini, alleging they misled investors. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI Is Becoming More Powerful—but Also More Secretive
October 20, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesThe companies behind ChatGPT and other popular and powerful AI systems aren’t transparent enough about their training data and how they work, according to a new report from Stanford University. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Teledriving Is a Sneaky Shortcut to Driverless Cars
October 19, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesGerman startup Vay is pushing teledriving—in which cars are remotely operated by humans—as easier to achieve than fully autonomous driving. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The US Just Escalated Its AI Chip War With China
October 18, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesThe American government has tightened its restrictions on exports of chips and chipmaking equipment, closing loopholes that let Chinese companies access advanced technology. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Millions of Workers Are Training AI Models for Pennies
October 17, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutesFrom the Philippines to Colombia, low-paid workers label training data for AI models used by the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Finding a Tech Job Is Still a Nightmare
October 16, 2023 15:12 - 8 minutesTech companies have laid off more than 400,000 people in the past two years. Competition for the jobs that remain is getting more and more desperate. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Chatbots Are Now Talking to Each Other
October 13, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutesChatGPT-style chatbots that pretend to be people are being used to help companies develop new product and marketing ideas. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Epic Games’ Sale of Bandcamp Has Left the Artist-Friendly Music Platform in Limbo
October 12, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesBandcamp workers say they are unable to do their jobs and keep the platform operating after being locked out of critical systems. They’re also expecting layoffs. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Doctored Biden Video Is a Test Case for Facebook’s Deepfake Policies
October 11, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesMeta’s Oversight Board is reviewing Facebook’s decision not to remove a manipulated video posted during the US midterms, in an attempt to get it to clarify its policies on election deepfakes. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Deepfake Audio Is a Political Nightmare
October 10, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesBritish fact-checkers are racing to debunk a suspicious audio recording of UK opposition leader Keir Starmer. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Men Overran a Job Fair for Women in Tech
October 09, 2023 10:00 - 5 minutesThe Grace Hopper Celebration is meant to unite women in tech. This year droves of men came looking for jobs. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Generative AI Is Coming for Sales Execs’ Jobs—and They’re Celebrating
October 06, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutesChatGPT-style AI can tackle the drudge work of responding to RFPs faster than humans. Sales teams at Google, Twilio, and others say productivity is spiking. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google Assistant Finally Gets a Generative AI Glow-Up
October 05, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutesGoogle is adding AI capabilities from its chatbot Bard to the humble Google Assistant, allowing the virtual helper to make sense of images and draw on data in documents and emails. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sam Bankman-Fried Is a Terrible Client
October 04, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesCriminal defendants often decline to testify at trial for fear of incriminating themselves. For FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, that could be the best option. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory Goes Mainstream
October 03, 2023 10:00 - 5 minutesThe fringe idea that cities built for biking and walking are part of a government plot has been picked up by … the UK government. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Global Victims of FTX’s Collapse Won’t Get Their Day in Court
October 02, 2023 14:10 - 10 minutesFTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is about to stand trial in the US. But many customers who lost big when the exchange collapsed are unlikely to get their money back. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FedEx’s New Robot Loads Delivery Vans Like It’s Playing 3D Tetris
September 29, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesFedEx handles over 15 million packages daily. A two-armed, AI-infused robot is now helping pack some of them into delivery vans with expert care. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Idris Elba Is Ready to Talk About Crypto
September 28, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutesDuring the crypto gold rush, Idris Elba says he turned down a lot of “mad opportunities.” Now he has partnered with the “crypto-for-good” Stellar Development Foundation. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FBI Agents Are Using Face Recognition Without Proper Training
September 27, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutesThe FBI makes heavy use of face recognition services like that of controversial startup Clearview AI, but 95 percent of the agents using them haven’t completed training on the technology. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices