Episodes

  • Apple After Tim Cook, OpenAI’s New Mojo, Meta’s Internal Tracking Escapade

    Apple After Tim Cook, OpenAI’s New Mojo, Meta’s Internal Tracking Escapade
    Apr 25 2026
    Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus's biggest challenge 2) Is turnover at Apple a good thing 3) The products Ternus will take to market 4) What is Apple's tabletop robot all about 5) OpenAI is communicating differently 6) Is TBPN helping OpenAI messaging? 7) Anthropic's Mythos rollout vs. OpenAI's Spud rollout 8) Meta's latest layoffs. 9) Meta tracks employees keystrokes 10) Is Meta's tracking a reinforcement learning play? 11) Ranjan's Streamflation rant. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • OpenAI President Greg Brockman on GPT-5.5 “Spud,” AI Model Moats, and Cybersecurity Risks

    OpenAI President Greg Brockman on GPT-5.5 “Spud,” AI Model Moats, and Cybersecurity Risks
    Apr 23 2026
    Greg Brockman is the president and co-founder of OpenAI. Brockman joins Big Technology to discuss GPT-5.5, also known as Spud, and what it means for OpenAI’s next phase of AI development. Tune in to hear Brockman explain how the model gets better at coding, computer use, slides, spreadsheets, and agentic work across everyday applications. We also cover OpenAI’s competitiveness, model economics, distillation, cybersecurity risk, trust in agents, and the compute-powered economy. Hit play for a timely look at OpenAI’s newest model and where the AI race goes next. ---- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Chapters: 00:00 Intro: GPT-5.5 “Spud” 00:57 What GPT-5.5 Can Do 02:56 OpenAI’s Agent Roadmap 05:49 Training and Real-World Tasks 09:55 Model Moats and Distillation 15:55 Cybersecurity Risks 21:01 Trusting Agents 23:36 The Compute Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Are We Too Obsessed With AI Predictions? — With Carissa Véliz

    Are We Too Obsessed With AI Predictions? — With Carissa Véliz
    Apr 22 2026
    Carissa Véliz is an Oxford philosopher and the author of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI. Véliz joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss whether society has become dangerously naive about prediction as AI systems shape decisions around jobs, loans, justice, surveillance, and war. Tune in to hear a debate about predictive algorithms, generative AI, prediction markets, and whether forecasts are actually tools of knowledge or instruments of power. We also cover privacy, policing, protest anonymity, flood prediction, and why humor might be one of the best defenses against a prediction-obsessed world. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. More on Carissa: https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/carissa-veliz-2/ Find the book: https://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Prediction-Future-Ancient-Oracles/dp/0385550979 Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Tim Cook Steps Down — With Joanna Stern

    Tim Cook Steps Down — With Joanna Stern
    Apr 21 2026
    Joanna Stern is the ex-WSJ senior personal technology columnist and author of I Am Not a Robot. News of Tim Cook stepping down as CEO of Apple broke as Stern and I were recording a forthcoming episode of Big Technology Podcast. In this episode, we discuss Cook's exit, his successor, John Ternus, and his legacy. Tune in for a quick but substantial look at what's next for Apple after Cook's exit. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 mins
  • Jensen On The Ropes, Sam Altman’s Conflicts, Allbirds’ GPU Pivot

    Jensen On The Ropes, Sam Altman’s Conflicts, Allbirds’ GPU Pivot
    Apr 17 2026
    Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's pedestrian performance on the Dwarkesh Podcast 2) Jensen's argument about competing chipmakers 3) Jensen's argument about China export controls 4) What Jensen should've said 5) Why Jensen is in a tough place when he does these interviews 6) Mythos seems real btw 7) Anthropic is talking with the government about a peace deal 8) Alex's interview philosophy 9) Sam Altman's conflicts of interest 10) Are OpenAI investors considering replacing Sam as CEO? 11) Wait, Allbirds is a GPU company now?? --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • The Pentagon's AI Plan + Behind the Anthropic Fight — With Under Secretary of War Emil Michael

    The Pentagon's AI Plan + Behind the Anthropic Fight — With Under Secretary of War Emil Michael
    Apr 15 2026
    Emil Michael is the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering at the Pentagon. Michael joins Big Technology to discuss how AI is transforming the Department of War, from targeting systems to drone warfare to cyber defense. Tune in to hear his account of why the Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, what actually happened in the contract negotiations, and whether the decision was wise. We also cover how the military's Maven Smart System works in practice, what the U.S. learned from drone warfare in Ukraine and Iran, and whether the Pentagon Pizza Index is credible. Hit play for one of the most candid conversations you'll hear about AI and national security. --- Questions? Feedback? Write bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Anthropic’s Mythos Dilemma, Violence Against AI, Tokenmaxxing at Meta

    Anthropic’s Mythos Dilemma, Violence Against AI, Tokenmaxxing at Meta
    Apr 10 2026
    Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Anthropic's new Mythos preview 2) Is Mythos marketing or a legit breakthrough? 3) The Mythos sandwich guy story 4) OpenAI and Anthropic's brewing 1st party vs. API conflict of interest 5) The Meta-Harness 6) Violence against AI on the rise 7) Maine is going to pass a data center moratorium 8) Was Medvi really a $1.8 billion two person startup? 9) Tokenmaxxing is all the rage --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • OpenAI vs. Anthropic's Direct Faceoff + Future of Agents — With Aaron Levie

    OpenAI vs. Anthropic's Direct Faceoff + Future of Agents — With Aaron Levie
    Apr 8 2026
    Aaron Levie is the CEO of Box . Levie joins Big Technology to discuss the battle between OpenAI and Anthropic as their product roadmaps converge around coding, enterprise, and AI agents. Tune in to hear where AI agents are actually gaining traction, why coding has emerged as the breakthrough use case, and what stands in the way of broader adoption across knowledge work. We also cover trust and security concerns, the messy reality of enterprise data, and the debate over whether value will accrue to the labs or the application layer. Hit play for a sharp look at where the AI market is heading and who stands to benefit most. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins