The Vergecast

What's really open about open-weight AI?

Everyone in AI is talking about open-weight models right now. Some see them as the ticket to faster, more efficient development; others see them as an economic threat; they're either a security risk or the only security solution, depending who you ask. The Verge's Robert Hart explains how open-weight models work, why they're suddenly at the center of discussions about AI safety, and whether the only way to stop a bad guy with AI is a good guy with AI. Further reading: * The next Xbox could play every Xbox game ever made [https://www.theverge.com/games/974773/xbox-helix-disc-digital-backwards-compatibility-leaked-memo-opt-in] * Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games to PC [https://www.theverge.com/games/974544/microsoft-xbox-360-games-pc-disc-digital-program] * Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations [https://www.theverge.com/tech/974951/telegram-apple-app-store-removed] * These trackable batteries could help you locate a missing camera [https://www.theverge.com/tech/974949/falcam-tagbatt-sony-canon-camera-battery-track-apple-find-my] * OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972441/openai-rogue-ai-agent-hacked-more-than-hugging-face] * We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972380/open-ai-hugging-face-hack-ai-safety-warning] * Anthropic says Claude accidentally hacked real companies too [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/973670/anthropic-claude-hacked-organizations-during-cyber-tests] * China’s Alibaba takes another swipe at America’s AI supremacy [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/974342/alibaba-qwen-max-open-weight-ai] * OpenAI’s biggest threat may just be open AI [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/971444/how-chinese-open-weight-ai-models-impact-us-companies] * Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic [http://theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/971281/nvidia-open-secure-ai-alliance-cybersecurity] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to theverge.com [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to]. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Rise of the Whoop dupes

For the last few years, the trend in wearables has been all about screens. As many of them as possible. But now, companies like Whoop, Fitbit, and Garmin are creating new products that ditch the display entirely. The Verge's Victoria Song explains why no-screen is the new flex, why even the most quantified athletes might not want a display on their wrist, and whether Whoop and the Whoop Dupes are a sign of a broader trend Further reading: * Spider-Man and The Odyssey are splitting up IMAX screens after a record-breaking weekend [https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/974411/spider-man-the-odyssey-imax]) * Truth Social’s priority access subscription goes live and raises corruption concerns. | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/policy/974235/truth-socials-priority-access-subscription-goes-live-and-raises-corruption-concerns] * Google’s Pixel 11 specs and price leak showing the impact of RAMageddon | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/974238/pixel-11-specs-and-price-leak] * Lenovo Googlebook leaks reveal a laptop and 2-in-1 tablet | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/974377/lenovo-googlebook-google-image-leaks-laptops] * The Fitbit Air takes a smarter approach to the AI health dumpster fire [https://www.theverge.com/tech/954768/google-fitbit-air-review-fitness-tracker-wearable-ai-health-coach] * Garmin’s new screen-free fitness tracker doesn’t require a subscription [https://www.theverge.com/tech/968551/garmin-cirqa-smart-band-fitness-tracker-wearables] * Whoop wants everyone to give a whoop about the new Whoop 5.0 [https://www.theverge.com/news/661773/whoop-5-news-price-specs-battery] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to theverge.com [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to]. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

It's time to panic about AI safety

It's a big week for new ideas about computers, so David and Nilay spend some time on Samsung's vision for foldables and Mark Zuckerberg's vision for AI agents that do absolutely everything. Then they talk about the fallout from last week's OpenAI Hugging Face hack, and whether all this talk about AI safety will actually amount to anything. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, the vertical video takeover, and the smashing success of the Ferrari Luce. Further reading: * Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972387/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-review] * Apple launches ‘Upgrade’ program to lease new devices  [https://www.theverge.com/tech/971220/apple-upgrade-program-iphone-mac-ipad-lease-launch] * What’s the catch with the Apple Upgrade program? [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972583/apple-upgrade-program-deal] * Mark Zuckerberg is planning a big push into personal AI agents [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972294/meta-q2-2026-earnings-mark-zuckerberg-personal-ai-agents] * Mark Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed about AI for the WSJ.  [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972068/mark-zuckerberg-wrote-an-op-ed-about-ai-for-the-wsj] * We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972380/open-ai-hugging-face-hack-ai-safety-warning] * OpenAI reportedly didn’t notice its AI agent hacking Hugging Face until a week later.  [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/971003/openai-reportedly-didnt-notice-its-ai-agent-hacking-hugging-face-until-a-week-later] * Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/971281/nvidia-open-secure-ai-alliance-cybersecurity] * OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face  [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972441/openai-rogue-ai-agent-hacked-more-than-hugging-face] * AI leaders sign a statement asking the government to do something about automated AI  [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972161/ai-leaders-us-government-openai-anthropic-google-meta] * Former FCC chairs blast Carr’s early renewal of ABC licenses as an ‘assault on free speech.’ [https://www.theverge.com/policy/971789/former-fcc-chairs-blast-carrs-early-renewal-of-abc-licenses-as-an-assault-on-free-speech] * ABC demands FCC drop its ‘punitive’ early license renewal of its stations [https://www.theverge.com/policy/973289/abc-fcc-early-license-renewal-opposition] * Qualcomm is raising phone chip prices starting September 1st [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972894/qualcomm-price-hikes-q2-2026-earnings] * The Ferrari Luce reportedly already hit its 2026 sales target  [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/972569/ferrari-luce-ev-sales] * Samsung’s smartphone biz posts first ever loss, but profit still soars 1,300 percent on RAM [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972968/samsungs-smartphone-biz-posts-first-ever-loss-but-profit-still-soars-1300-percent-on-ram]. * Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok  [https://www.theverge.com/tech/970504/facebook-video-experience-testing-tiktok-updates] * YouTube Premium will include Peacock starting next year  [https://www.theverge.com/streaming/971452/youtube-premium-peacock-streaming-deal] * HBO Max is putting on vertical shorts  [https://www.theverge.com/streaming/971880/hbo-max-vertical-video-feed-shorts] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to theverge.com [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to]. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:00 Baby Announcement 00:06:00 Galaxy Z Fold 00:12:00 Apple Leasing Program 00:15:00 Kill Switch Concerns 00:19:00 Zuck Agent Future 00:34:00 AI Safety Week Recap 00:42:00 Regulation Versus China 00:49:00 Winning AI Race 00:53:00 Security Arms Race 00:57:00 Brendan Carr Is a Dummy 01:07:00 Facebook Becomes TikTok 01:12:00 Ramageddon Price Hikes 01:16:00 HBO Max Shorts 01:23:00 Ferrari Luce Buzz 01:26:00 Wrap Up and Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Meta's Oversight Board is coming for ChatGPT and Claude

A new study from the Oversight Board found that leading AI systems are less likely to criticize authoritarian governments than democratic ones. It's a wild finding — but wait? Why is the Oversight Board studying systems from OpenAI and Anthropic in the first place? Suzanne Nossel, who sits on the board, joined us to discuss the findings and why the Oversight Board's future might involve looking at more than just Meta. Further reading: * Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/973099/zoox-amazon-nhtsa-robotaxi-approval] * Spotify Running Mode helps match tunes to tempo [https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/973002/spotify-running-mode-launch-bpm-playlists] * Friend re-launches its AI pendant with a speaker that talks to you, for twice the price [https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/973163/friend-re-launches-its-ai-pendant-with-a-speaker-that-talks-to-you-for-twice-the-price] * ⁠How Facebook undercut the Oversight Board⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/23068243/facebook-meta-oversight-board-putin-russia-ukraine-decision] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to theverge.com [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to].We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Z Fold 8 is the new foldable to beat

The wide foldable is here, and it's glorious. The Verge's Dominic Preston has been reviewing Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, and joins the show to explain what this shorter, wider device gets right, what it's still missing, and why this looks like the right kind of foldable for most people. (Once the price comes down, anyway.) With a similar foldable iPhone likely coming soon, it's shaping up to be a fun year of foldables. Further reading: * OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/972441/openai-rogue-ai-agent-hacked-more-than-hugging-face] * The US is banning foreign robots | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972259/us-foreign-robots-power-inverter-ban] * DoorDash is going airborne with new drone delivery division [https://www.theverge.com/science/970731/doordash-air-drone-delivery-faa] * Willie Nelson is pushing back against data centers in his hometown. [https://www.theverge.com/science/972297/willie-nelson-is-pushing-back-against-data-centers-in-his-hometown] * Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future [https://www.theverge.com/tech/972387/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-review] * Huawei beats Samsung and Apple to market with the first wide foldable [https://www.theverge.com/tech/914807/huawei-pura-x-max-launch-price-specs-availability] * A wide foldable iPhone dummy emerges amid rumors of a delay [https://www.theverge.com/tech/907856/iphone-fold-dummy-design-delay-production] * So long, small phones [https://www.theverge.com/23913658/best-small-phone-dead-iphone-mini-z-flip-pixel-8] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to theverge.com [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to].We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]