Hard Fork

This week, OpenAI released its much-anticipated flagship model, GPT-5. We break down what we know about the upgrade, drawing from our initial testing and a special news briefing with Sam Altman. Then, we explain why we were underwhelmed by Amazon’s new Alexa+, which is powered by generative A.I., and take our feedback to Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, who helps us understand why powering Alexa with L.L.M. capabilities is a major computer science challenge. Guests: * Daniel Rausch, Amazon vice president of Echo and Alexa Additional reading: * OpenAI Aims to Stay Ahead of Rivals With New GPT-5 Technology [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/technology/openai-chatgpt-gpt-5.html] * Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative A.I. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/technology/amazon-alexa-plus-generative-ai.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]. Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time (U.S. only). Go to nytimes.com/hardforkhat [http://nytimes.com/hardforkhat]. 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 look at the fallout from a sweeping internet age-verification law that went into effect in Britain. We explain why age restrictions are suddenly popping up all over the internet — and how some might create more problems than they solve. Then Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, returns to the show to discuss his company’s new plan to help publishers fight back against A.I. scrapers and potentially to create a new online marketplace for quality content in the process. Finally, we round up some headlines from around the tech world in the latest round of HatGPT. Guests: * Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare Additional Reading: * Supreme Court Upholds Texas Law Limiting Access to Pornography [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/us/supreme-court-pornography-minors.html] * The U.K.’s age gates are coming to America [https://www.platformer.news/age-assurance-uk-tea-apple-google-meta/] * Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/technology/cloudflare-ai-data.html] Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time (U.S. only). Go to nytimes.com/hardforkhat [http://nytimes.com/hardforkhat]. 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.

On Wednesday, President Trump signed three A.I.-related executive orders, and the White House released “America’s A.I. Action Plan.” We break down what’s in them, how the federal government intends to target “political bias” in chatbot output, and whether anyone will stand up against it. Then, do we hype up A.I. too much? Are we downplaying potential harms? We reached out to several prominent researchers and writers and asked for their critiques about how we cover A.I.   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: * Brian Merchant [https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/about], author of the book and newsletter “Blood in the Machine” * Alison Gopnik [https://www.alisongopnik.com/], professor at the University of California, Berkeley * Ross Douthat [https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat], New York Times opinion columnist and host of the podcast “Interesting Times” * Claire Leibowicz [https://claireleibowicz.com/], head of A.I. and media integrity at the Partnership on AI * Max Read, [https://maxread.substack.com/] author of the newsletter “Read Max” Additional Reading: * Trump Plans to Give A.I. Developers a Free Hand [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/technology/trump-ai-executive-orders.html] * The Chatbot Culture Wars Are Here [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/technology/trump-ai-chatbots-bias.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 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.