AI is blowing up music. How should the Grammys handle it?

AI is blowing up music. How should the Grammys handle it?

I last talked to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr in 2024 — when it was obvious that generative AI would upend the music industry, but not exactly clear how that would happen. Now, Harvey says AI is “omnipresent” in music production. So what kinds of tools are musicians using, in what way, and what kind of music is it making for us? Is it any good? And how do we identify, and take care of, actual human musicians in this mess? Links:  * Why the Grammys need to change, with CEO Harvey Mason Jr | Decoder [https://www.theverge.com/24293447/grammy-awards-recording-academy-harvey-mason-beyonce-discrimination-generative-ai-decoder] * Is ‘blue dot fever’ a real problem for the concert industry? | Los Angeles Times [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-05-12/is-blue-dot-fever-real-problem-for-concert-industry] * USA v. LiveNation-Ticketmaster: All the news | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/24163157/doj-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit] * The future of country music is here, and it’s AI | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/829964/country-music-ai] * Poll: AI is transforming how we think about music | Hollywood Reporter [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/ai-artist-pay-streaming-music-poll-america-survey-1236428233/] * Inside the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ era of AI in music | Rolling Stone [https://ca.rollingstone.com/ai-in-music-how-used-now/] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Rivian's software chief thinks you don't need CarPlay or buttons

Today, I’m talking with Wassym Bensaid, the chief software officer at Rivian, and the co-ceo of Rivian’s platform joint venture with Volkswagen. That joint venture, called RV Tech, is about a year and a half old, so I wanted to ask Wassym how it all works and Rivian’s ongoing relationship with Volkswagen.  Because it’s Rivian, I also had to ask Wassym about CarPlay. But the company also just launched an AI-powered voice assistant, which I got to try early. So I had a lot of fun digging into that with Wassym, too. This is a fun one – really in the weeds of a lot of my favorite things to talk about. Links:  * Rivian’s AI-powered voice assistant is ready to roll | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/928651/rivian-ai-voice-assistant-r1-r2] * The R2 is nearly here — can Rivian stick the landing? | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/893953/rivian-r2-tesla-model-y-specs-compare] * Rivian’s AI pivot is about more than chasing Tesla | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/846783/rivian-ai-autonomy-day-self-driving-lidar-chip-tesla] * Rivian / VW will start testing their first EVs next year | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/transportation/819939/rivian-and-volkswagen-will-start-testing-their-first-evs-next-year] * Rivian CEO: ‘We’re really convicted’ about skipping CarPlay | Decoder (2025) [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/790685/rivian-ceo-rj-scaringe-r2-tariffs-china-ev-apple-carplay] * Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says too many carmakers are copying Tesla | Decoder (2024) [https://www.theverge.com/24201749/rivian-ceo-rj-scaringe-ev-electric-truck-r1-tesla-model-y-competition-decoder-interview] * Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe isn't scared of the Cybertruck | Decoder (2023) [https://www.theverge.com/23908667/rivian-rj-scaringe-r1t-electric-truck-interview-decoder] * Rivian’s chief software officer says in-car buttons are ‘an anomaly’ | TechCrunch [https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/30/rivians-chief-software-officer-says-in-car-buttons-are-an-anomaly/] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt,. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How Sundar Pichai is rethinking Google for the AI era

Connecting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai at I/O every year is one of my favorite Decoder traditions. This was our fifth year doing it, and there’s always a whole slew of new things to talk about. This year, in addition to the news, we talked about Google Zero; picking fights with YouTube creators and publishers; and what being at “the foothills of the singularity" even means. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/936445/sundar-pichai-ai-search-google-zero-youtube-web]. Links: * If Google can’t make AI agents useful, maybe no one can | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/934478/if-google-cant-make-ai-agents-useful-maybe-no-one-can] * The future of Google is a search box that does everything | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/934217/google-search-box-does-everything-ai-io-2026] * Large language mistake | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/827820/large-language-models-ai-intelligence-neuroscience-problems] * You can now remix other people’s YouTube Shorts with AI | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/934704/google-gemini-omni-youtub-shorts-remix-ai] * Condé Nast calls Google Zero | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/google/929641/conde-nast-calls-google-zero] * Demis Hassabis said this may be the ‘foothills of the singularity’ | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/934260/google-io-ai-singularity-demis-hassabis] * Google I/O 2026: All the news and announcements | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/932454/google-io-2026-news-announcements] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Kabir Chopra. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Musk v Altman: Much ado about nothing

Musk v Altman was nominally about OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit entity, and how it went about that change. But really, the suit seems mostly to have been about Elon Musk being mad at Sam Altman — or at OpenAI, for being successful without him — and wanting him punished in some way. Verge reporter Liz Lopatto spent the last month covering the trial, in all its chaos, and joins Decoder to ask: In a courtroom full of untrustworthy, unreliable people all fighting with each other, did anyone even have a reputation left to lose? Read the full interview transcript on The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/934869/elon-musk-sam-altman-openai-suit-loss-pointless]. Links:  * Elon Musk loses his case against Sam Altman | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/932383/jury-verdict-musk-v-altman-openai-trial] * Musk v. Altman proved AI is led by the wrong people | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/932464/musk-v-altman-proved-that-ai-is-led-by-the-wrong-people] * Musk v. Altman accomplished nothing but airing dirty laundry | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/931006/musk-v-altman-closing-arguments-analysis] * Elon Musk’s worst enemy in court is Elon Musk | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/tech/921022/elon-musk-cross-openai-altman] * Behold, the Elon Musk jackass trophy | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/930893/elon-musk-sam-altman-trial-ai-safety-jackass-statue] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Exclusive: Jonah Peretti explains why he sold BuzzFeed

Just days before we spoke, BuzzFeed co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti agreed to sell the company, which was losing money and at risk of shutting down. Now there’s a new lease on life — and new leadership. Jonah is taking on a new role as president of BuzzFeed AI, and Byron Allen will become CEO of BuzzFeed.  That’s obviously a huge structural and organizational change, and a really big decision — prime Decoder bait if there ever was any. What are digital media companies doing to adapt and survive in an information landscape dominated by algorithmic social platforms? Read the full interview transcript on The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/932154/peretti-allen-buzzfeed-ai-slop-social-media]. Links:  * Byron Allen is buying BuzzFeed and becoming CEO | Variety [https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/byron-allen-buying-buzzfeed-ceo-1236745206/] * BuzzFeed issues going concern warning, lacks liquidity | Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/business/c-suite/buzzfeed-issues-going-concern-warning-lacks-liquidity-for-coming-year-d5d0c2ef] * BuzzFeed News is shutting down | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/20/23691169/buzzfeed-news-shut-down-jonah-peretti-memo] * BuzzFeed sells Hot Ones studio in $82.5M deal | NBC News [https://www.nbcnews.com/business/buzzfeed-sells-hot-ones-studio-first-we-feast-rcna183956] * The unbearable lightness of BuzzFeed | The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/23450270/buzzfeed-social-media-aggregation-news-digital-media] * I hate myself because I don’t work for BuzzFeed (2015) | The Awl [https://www.theawl.com/2015/03/i-hate-myself-because-i-dont-work-for-buzzfeed/?ref=typebarmagazine.com] Subscribe to The Verge [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt; this episode was edited by Kabir Chopra. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]