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
Alphabet Layoffs Hit Trash-Sorting Robots
February 24, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesThe company recently laid off thousands of human workers and is also shutting down a unit working on robots that learned to open doors and clean tables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Generative AI Is Coming For the Lawyers
February 23, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesLarge law firms are using a tool made by OpenAI to research and write legal documents. What could go wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One Startup’s Plan to Help Africa Lure Back Its AI Talent
February 22, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesLelapa is building a research lab to serve African businesses and nonprofits, with the hope that locally grown algorithms can better serve communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Germany Raises Red Flags About Palantir’s Big Data Dragnet
February 21, 2023 06:10 - 7 minutesA court has issued strict limits on how police can pull innocent bystanders into big data investigations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Scramble to Save Twitter’s Research From Elon Musk
February 20, 2023 06:28 - 11 minutesFearing the company’s new management, researchers frantically completed studies on misinformation and algorithmic bias, then published them online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Audiobook Narrators Fear Spotify Used Their Voices to Train AI
February 17, 2023 06:24 - 10 minutesAfter a backlash, Spotify has removed a clause that allowed Apple to train machine learning models on some audiobook files. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Generative AI Race Has a Dirty Secret
February 16, 2023 06:10 - 7 minutesIntegrating large language models into search engines could mean a fivefold increase in computing power and huge carbon emissions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Mastodon Bump Is Now a Slump
February 15, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesActive users have fallen by more than 1 million since the exodus from Elon Musk’s Twitter, suggesting the decentralized platform is not a direct replacement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta’s Gruesome Content Broke Him. Now He Wants It to Pay
February 14, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesA Kenyan moderator sued the company for work-related PTSD. A new ruling on his case could signal a global reckoning for Big Tech outsourcing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Startup T2 Wants to Terminate Twitter
February 13, 2023 06:10 - 13 minutesCofounder Gabor Cselle says his upstart social network can offer a “2007 Twitter” community vibe that Elon Musk’s platform no longer supplies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Race to Build a ChatGPT-Powered Search Engine
February 10, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesA search bot you converse with could make finding answers easier—if it doesn’t tell fibs. Microsoft, Google, Baidu, and others are working on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Robot Cars Are Causing 911 False Alarms in San Francisco
February 09, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesCity agencies say the incidents and other disruptions show the need for more transparency about the vehicles and a pause on expanding service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Layoffs Broke Big Tech’s Elite College Hiring Pipeline
February 08, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesStudents from top schools used to waltz from Silicon Valley internships into lucrative jobs. Now, some are reconsidering their options. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How the US Could Ban TikTok in 7 Not-So-Easy Steps
February 07, 2023 06:10 - 11 minutesFormer president Trump tried and failed to ban the app. Now US lawmakers from both parties are preparing legislation they say can finish the job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Get Used to Face Recognition in Stadiums
February 06, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesMadison Square Garden is under fire for using the technology. Other venues are exploring their own uses of face algorithms, raising privacy concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Earth Is Begging You to Accept Smaller EV Batteries
February 03, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesElectric vehicles are selling fast. But unless people change how they get around, the demand for battery materials threatens its own environmental disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alphabet's Layoffs Aren’t Very Googley
February 02, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesThe company’s founders pioneered putting employees first and said they’d never bow down to Wall Street. How things have changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tesla’s Problems Go Way Beyond Elon Musk
February 01, 2023 06:10 - 11 minutesThe EV giant is alienating its customers, bringing in less revenue, and falling behind legacy carmakers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My Week With the Future of Garbage Bins
January 31, 2023 06:10 - 14 minutesA device called Mill from veterans of Nest, the smart-thermostat creator, transforms your would-be kitchen waste into chicken feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FTX Has Wrecked the Crypto Party in Paradise
January 30, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesThe digital currency exchange’s stupendous fallout has put local Web3 companies in the Bahamas on the back foot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Metaverse Landlords Are Creating a New Class System
January 27, 2023 06:10 - 10 minutesVirtual landowners have found a way to put their investments to work, but with unintended consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Collapse of the UK’s Electric Vehicle Champion
January 26, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesBritishvolt promised investors it would be the cornerstone of the country’s battery industry. Now it faces bankruptcy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter Is a Megaphone for ‘Sudden Death’ Vaccine Conspiracies
January 25, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesBy reinstating banned accounts and selling blue checks, Musk has supercharged “the most dangerous” Covid disinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lina Khan’s Plan to Liberate US Workers
January 24, 2023 06:10 - 11 minutesThe chair of the Federal Trade Commission explains why she wants to ban companies from locking up employees with noncompete clauses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On-Demand Tailoring Brings the Gig Economy to Your Wardrobe
January 23, 2023 06:10 - 6 minutesA London-based startup is networking seamsters with the goal of personalizing fit and making garments last longer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Right-to-Repair Advocates Question John Deere’s New Promises
January 20, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesThe tractor maker is accused of blocking farmers from fixing their own equipment. A new agreement offers concessions—but campaigners say it’s not enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The FAA Outage Highlights an Essential System Everyone Hates
January 19, 2023 06:30 - 6 minutesA glitch in the so-called NOTAM system caused the agency to ground flights across the US. But its problems go back years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Iran Says Face Recognition Will ID Women Breaking Hijab Laws
January 18, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesIranian women are baring their heads to protest government controls. A top official said algorithms can identify anyone flouting dress codes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As Gig Economy Companies Flee Europe, Getir Is Taking Over
January 17, 2023 06:10 - 7 minutesRapid grocery delivery apps are leaving the continent, putting the Turkish startup on top. But, its reign is anything but stable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ChatGPT Has Investors Drooling—but Can It Bring Home the Bacon?
January 16, 2023 06:10 - 9 minutesThe loquacious bot has Microsoft ready to sink a reported $10 billion into OpenAI. It’s unclear what products can be built on the technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter Promised Them Severance. They Got Nothing
January 13, 2023 06:10 - 6 minutesStaff laid off by Elon Musk were assured they would be compensated following mass cuts. As the deadline passes, the silence has been deafening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No One Will Escape the FTX Fallout
January 12, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesTry as they might, crypto companies pressured by the trading platform’s collapse are failing to bail themselves out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Slow Death of Surveillance Capitalism Has Begun
January 11, 2023 06:10 - 7 minutesA European Union ruling against Meta marks the beginning of the end of targeted ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Can’t Decide What to Do About Twitter? Here Are Some Options
January 10, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesIt’s not too late to move toward your ideal social media existence. You could opt for Mastodon or Post, or stay and hope things turn around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Digital Traders Want to Go Fish
January 09, 2023 06:10 - 6 minutesA network of trading platforms is restructuring the seafood industry and tackling waste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wine Is Getting Pricier Thanks to a Logistical Nightmare
January 06, 2023 06:10 - 11 minutesSupply chain issues, drought, and war are conspiring to make it way more expensive to produce the drink around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sorry, GDP. There Are Other Ways to Measure a Nation’s Worth
January 05, 2023 06:10 - 5 minutesA country’s real wealth lies in its equality, environment, and happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mastodon Is Hurtling Toward a Tipping Point
January 04, 2023 06:10 - 8 minutesAs the niche, decentralized social networking platform rises in popularity, it faces rising costs, culture shifts—and potential legal risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Overlooked Upsides of Algorithms in the Workplace
December 30, 2022 06:10 - 10 minutesAuthor and labor lawyer Orly Lobel says AI can help mitigate human biases in hiring and compensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Big Tech Laid Off Thousands. Here’s Who Wants Them Next
December 29, 2022 12:50 - 8 minutesGovernments, nonprofits, and small startups hope to scoop up people let go by the likes of Meta and Amazon. It’s their big chance to lure top-tier talent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Spawn of ChatGPT Will Try to Sell You Things
December 28, 2022 06:10 - 7 minutesCompanies are exploring how to adapt powerful new chatbot technology to negotiate with customer service—and to persuade humans to buy stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No One on Twitter Is Safe From Elon Musk
December 23, 2022 06:10 - 7 minutesThe entrepreneur says he’s cracking down on doxing. Many see his account-blocking spree as self-serving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tired, Filthy, and Overworked: Inside Amazon’s Holiday Rush
December 22, 2022 06:10 - 9 minutesThe retailer’s warehouses are flooded with packages. Workers say that means mandatory extra shifts and faster-paced work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon Investors Demand Answers About Its Cloud’s Human Rights Record
December 21, 2022 06:10 - 8 minutesAt the company’s next annual meeting, shareholders will be asked to pressure the company over contracts with US immigration and the Israeli government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Fight Over Automation Plans at US Hydroelectric Dams
December 20, 2022 06:10 - 8 minutesThe US government says replacing staff with automation and remote monitoring saves taxpayers money. Some workers fear accidents and cyberattacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Tale of Two Nuclear Plants Reveals Europe's Energy Divide
December 19, 2022 06:10 - 13 minutesAn upgraded power plant in Slovakia has angered neighboring Austria and fueled the debate over nuclear power and independence from Russian gas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
These Algorithms Are Hunting for an EV Battery Mother Lode
December 16, 2022 06:10 - 9 minutesAI trained on reams of geological data can indicate where to dig in search of metals crucial to electric cars and other green technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ChatGPT’s Most Charming Trick Is Also Its Biggest Flaw
December 15, 2022 06:10 - 8 minutesThe articulate new chatbot has won over the internet and shown how engaging conversational AI can be—even when it makes stuff up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Elon Musk’s Twitter Isn’t Ready for the Next Natural Disaster
December 14, 2022 06:10 - 9 minutesEmergency responders rely on the platform to share and collect lifesaving information. Looser moderation puts that in peril. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Row Erupts Over Texas’ Bold Bitcoin Battery Plan
December 13, 2022 06:10 - 12 minutesBitcoin miners say they can help stabilize a shaky power grid and prevent blackouts. Experts say it will make the problem worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices