Hard Fork

This week, with the tech world in chaos over President Trump’s tariffs, we look at how four specific companies are navigating the new day-to-day reality. Then, the A.I. researcher Daniel Kokotajlo returns to the show to discuss a new set of predictions for how artificial intelligence could transform the world in just the next few years and how we avoid the most dystopian outcomes. Finally, we explore whether Meta cheated on an important A.I. benchmark with its new Llama model.   Guest: * Daniel Kokotajlo, executive director of the AI Futures Project   Additional Reading:  * Inside Trump’s Reversal on Tariffs: From ‘Be Cool!’ to ‘Getting Yippy’ [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/us/politics/trump-tariff-pause-be-cool.html] * A.I. 2027 [https://ai-2027.com/] * Meta Gets Rebuked Over Benchmark Gaming [https://www.platformer.news/meta-lmarena-benchmark-gaming-rebuke/]   We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com [hardfork@nytimes.com]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/hardfork] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs that are roiling the global economy. We discuss what this could mean for the tech sector and whether this will give China a competitive advantage over the United States in the development of A.I. Then, we chat with a Wall Street Journal reporter, Keach Hagey, about her new book on Sam Altman and how she solved the mystery of his firing from OpenAI. And finally, Tinder has a new chatbot that you can practice your flirting skills with — which means it’s time for a flirting competition.   Guest: * Keach Hagey, [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/keach-hagey] Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the forthcoming book The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future.   Additional Reading: * What Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs Mean for the Global Economy, and for You [https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china.html] * Trump’s New Tariffs Test Apple’s Global Supply Chain [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/technology/trump-tariffs-apple-iphones.html] * The Secrets and Misdirection Behind Sam Altman’s Firing From OpenAI [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-real-story-behind-sam-altman-firing-from-openai-efd51a5d]   We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com [hardfork@nytimes.com]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/hardfork]and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, we dig into the group chat that’s rocking the Trump administration and talk about why turning to Signal to plan military operations probably isn’t a great idea. Then, we’re joined by the podcaster Dwarkesh Patel to discuss his new book “The Scaling Era,” and whether he’s still optimistic about the broad benefits of A.I. And finally, a couple weeks ago we asked whether A.I. was making you dumber. Now we hear your takes.   Guest: * Dwarkesh Patel [https://www.dwarkesh.com/], tech podcaster and author of “The Scaling Era: An Oral History of A.I., 2019-2025”   Additional Reading: * The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/] * Signal Chat Leak Angers U.S. Military Pilots [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/us/politics/pilots-signal-leak.html] * Is A.I. Making Us Dumb? [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/podcasts/hardfork-siri-starlink.html]   We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com [hardfork@nytimes.com]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/hardfork] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

With all of Silicon Valley weighing in on the Trump administration’s new action plan for artificial intelligence, Kevin and Casey break down what’s on everybody’s wish list. Then, a Columbia undergrad explains why he built a tool that lets coders use A.I. to cheat on job interviews. And finally, we climb aboard the Hot Mess Express to talk Solana’s anti-woke ad, anxious A.I. algorithms and Slack spycraft in the world of H.R.   Guest: * Roy Lee, Columbia sophomore and founder of Interview Coder [https://www.interviewcoder.co/]   Additional Reading: * America Crafts an A.I. Action Plan [https://www.platformer.news/ai-action-plan-submissions-meta-google-openai-anthropic/] * Meet the 21-Year-Old Helping Coders Use A.I. to Cheat in Google and Other Tech Job Interviews [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/09/google-ai-interview-coder-cheat.html] * Solana Pulls Ad After Huge Backlash [https://sherwood.news/crypto/solana-pulls-ad-after-huge-backlash/] * Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/science/chatgpt-digital-therapists-anxiety.html] * Rippling Sues Deel, a Software Rival, Over Corporate Spying [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/business/dealbook/rippling-deel-corporate-spy.html]   We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com [hardfork@nytimes.com]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/hardfork] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, as the long-promised new Siri faces increasing delays, we explore why Apple seems to be falling even further behind in artificial intelligence. Then, the New York Times reporter Adam Satariano joins us to explain how Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink took over the world. And finally, we look at a new study that asks: Is A.I. eroding our critical thinking skills?   Guest: * Adam Satariano [https://www.nytimes.com/by/adam-satariano], New York Times reporter   Additional Reading: * Apple Delays Siri Upgrade Indefinitely as AI Concerns Escalate  [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-07/apple-confirms-delay-of-ai-infused-personalized-siri-assistant] * With Starlink, Elon Musk’s Satellite Dominance Is Raising Global Alarms [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/28/business/starlink.html] * The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf]   We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com [hardfork@nytimes.com]. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/hardfork]and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.