Hard Fork

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.

This week, Google introduced a new way to search, which could mean that Googling as we know it is on the way out. It’s called AI Mode and it is essentially the company’s response to the growing number of people turning to A.I. chat bots instead of Google search. We walk through what this new product looks like, who can use it and what it could mean for the internet’s future. Then, we talk with the New York Times crypto reporter David Yaffe-Bellany about President Trump’s recent announcement concerning a national crypto reserve and why the news upset some of the biggest crypto advocates. Finally, we react to voice mail from listeners describing the tools they’ve vibecoded.   Guest:  * David Yaffe-Bellany [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-yaffe-bellany], New York Times reporter covering the crypto industry.   Additional Reading:  * Trump Faces Blowback Over Plans for Crypto Reserve [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/business/dealbook/trump-crypto-bitcoin-reserve.html] * Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/technology/personaltech/vibecoding-ai-software-programming.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, Anthropic’s C.E.O., Dario Amodei, returns to the show for a candid, wide-ranging interview. We discuss Anthropic’s brand-new Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, the A.I. arms race against China, and his hopes and fears for this technology over the next two years. Then, we gather up recent tech stories, put them into a hat and close out the week with a round of HatGPT.   Guest: * Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic   Additional Reading: * Inside the White-Hot Center of A.I. Doomerism [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/11/technology/anthropic-ai-claude-chatbot.html] * Machines of Loving Grace [https://darioamodei.com/machines-of-loving-grace] * Apple Removes Cloud Encryption Feature From U.K. After Backdoor Order [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-21/apple-removes-end-to-end-encryption-feature-from-uk-after-backdoor-order]   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.