Hard Fork

This week, we tick through the many dramatic headlines surrounding xAI, including the departure of X’s chief executive, Linda Yaccarino; the Grok chatbot spewing antisemitic comments; and the A.I. companion Ani engaging in sexually explicit role-play. Then, we explain why a fight to acquire the start-up Windsurf startled many in Silicon Valley and may reshape the culture in many of the big A.I. labs. And finally, it’s “crypto week.” David Yaffe-Bellany explains how crypto provisions in the bills before Congress and the president could affect even people who don’t hold digital currencies. Also, we officially have merch! For a limited time, you can get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time. Get your hat at nytimes.com/hardforkhat [http://nytimes.com/hardforkhat] Guests: * David Yaffe-Bellany [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-yaffe-bellany], New York Times technology reporter covering the crypto industry Additional Reading: * Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot Shares Antisemitic Posts on X [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/technology/grok-antisemitism-ai-x.html] * Google Hires A.I. Leaders From a Start-Up Courted by OpenAI [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/technology/google-windsurf-openai.html] * Cognition AI Buys Windsurf as A.I. Frenzy Escalates [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/technology/cognition-ai-windsurf.html] * ‘Crypto Week’ Is Back on Track After House G.O.P. Quells Conservative Revolt [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/technology/crypto-week-house-republicans-trump.html] * The ‘Trump Pump’: How Crypto Lobbying Won Over a President [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/us/politics/trump-crypto-lobbying.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, we’re bringing you a recent interview from “Interesting Times with Ross Douthat,” one of The New York Times’s newest podcasts. In this episode, Ross sits down with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and one of the most contrarian thinkers in tech. Together, they unpack Thiel’s theory that we’re living through an era of technological stagnation, and debate whether President Trump’s populism and the development of artificial intelligence will help us unlock new progress. Guest: * Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal and Palantir. Additional Reading: * Peter Thiel and the Antichrist [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/opinion/peter-thiel-antichrist-ross-douthat.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.

We’re back with part two of Hard Fork Live (see last week’s episode [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/podcasts/hardfork-live-sam-altman.html] for part one). This week, Patrick Collison, Stripe’s chief executive, joins us onstage for a wide-ranging conversation about how Silicon Valley could unleash greater progress, from building new housing to curing diseases, and why he believes prestige television is a waste of time. Then, after a quick costume change, Kathryn Zealand, the chief executive of Skip, joins us to talk about her company’s robot pants. We test them out live on a StairMaster. Finally, we end the show by taking questions from audience members. Guests: * Patrick Collison [https://patrickcollison.com/about], Co-founder and C.E.O. of Stripe * Kathryn Zealand [https://www.skipwithjoy.com/aboutus], Founder and C.E.O. of Skip   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.

The first Hard Fork Live is officially in the books, and for those who couldn’t attend, we’re playing highlights from the event in this episode and the next. This week, Mayor Daniel Lurie of San Francisco makes a surprise appearance to discuss the advice he’s receiving from tech executives during the early days of his administration, as well as how he built a social media presence that’s got Kevin wondering: Could we do that? Then, the conversation that had everyone talking: We’ll play our interview with OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, and chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, and explain what was going on in our heads as the conversation unfolded in a way we did not expect.   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’s family business announced that it was introducing a mobile phone and a cellular network. We tick through the many potential conflicts of interest this new business venture raises. Then, the co-founders of the startup Mechanize defend their efforts to automate away all jobs — starting with software engineering. And finally, we take a trip to the movie theater. “M3GAN 2.0” is out next week, so its star, Allison Williams, joins us to discuss the film, and A.I.’s impact on her career and parenting. Guests: * Matthew Barnett and Ege Erdil, co-founders of Mechanize [https://www.mechanize.work/]. * Allison Williams, actor. Additional Reading: * Trump Mobile Phone Company Announced by President’s Family, but Details Are Murky [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/us/trump-mobile-phone.html] * The President Is Selling a Phone [https://www.platformer.news/trump-mobile-phone-t1-conflicts/] * This A.I. Company Wants to Take Your Job [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/technology/ai-mechanize-jobs.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.