The Vergecast

Latest Episodes:

What an AI-designed car looks like May 05, 2026

Show notes

Car companies are beginning to use AI tools to radically speed up their development process, which could change the cars we drive forever — and have some big effects on the people who make them now. Verge contributor Tim Stevens explains. Then, The Verge’s Hayden Field catches us up on Codex vs. Claude Code, Anthropic vs. the US government, the vibes at OpenAI, and more, before helping answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about whether all the recent tech layoffs are really about AI.

Further reading:

⁠The AI-designed car is taking shape | The Verge⁠

⁠Pentagon strikes classified AI deals with OpenAI, Google, and Nvidia — but not Anthropic⁠

⁠Google employees ask Sundar Pichai to say no to classified military AI use | The Verge⁠

⁠Anthropic’s new cybersecurity model could get it back in the government’s good graces | The Verge⁠

⁠Microsoft and OpenAI’s famed AGI agreement is dead | The Verge⁠

⁠Here’s how the new Microsoft and OpenAI deal breaks down | The Verge⁠

⁠ChatGPT downloads are slowing — and may cause problems for OpenAI’s IPO | The Verge⁠

⁠Claude can now plug directly into Photoshop, Blender, and Ableton | The Verge⁠

⁠OpenAI’s new security model is for ‘critical cyber defenders’ only | The Verge⁠

⁠Anthropic releases a new Opus model amid Mythos Preview buzz | The Verge⁠

⁠Jack Dorsey’s Block cuts nearly half of its staff in AI gamble | The Verge⁠

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:00 Today Show Preview

00:04:00 Car Design Primer

00:08:00 AI Speeds Up Design

00:13:00 Clay Models and Craft

00:15:00 Jobs Pipeline Risk

00:18:00 Software Defined Cars

00:20:00 Regulation and Safety

00:27:00 Slate Truck Update

00:34:00 Claude Code vs Codex

00:42:00 OpenAI Vibes Check

00:44:00 PR vs AI Doomerism

00:48:00 Pentagon Deals Exclude Anthropic

00:53:00 Mythos Reality Check

00:56:00 RIP AGI Moment

01:04:00 Hotline AI Layoffs ROI

01:13:00 Wrap Up and Sign Off

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Elon Musk had a bad week in court May 01, 2026

Show notes

Elon Musk spent a lot of his week trying to explain how OpenAI wronged him — but mostly just seemed to annoy everyone else in the courtroom. Nilay and David discuss Musk's testimony in the OpenAI trial, and what it might mean for the trial going forward. After that, the Hype Desk gang recommends a couple of new things to watch, before the hosts chat about the week's new gadgets, including the Steam Controller and the dual-screen Zephyrus Duo laptop. Finally, in the lightning round, Brendan Carr picks a fight over Jimmy Kimmel again, Netflix buys into the clip economy, and Taylor Swift fights the AI.

Further reading:

Elon Musk confirms xAI used OpenAI’s models to train Grok

All the evidence unveiled so far in Musk v. Altman

Elon Musk appeared more petty than prepared

Elon Musk tells the jury that all he wants to do is save humanity

Elon Musk’s worst enemy in court is Elon Musk

Jury selection in Musk v. Altman: ‘People don’t like him’

Microsoft and OpenAI’s famed AGI agreement is dead

Now that OpenAI’s Microsoft exclusivity is over, it has a new deal with Amazon and AWS.

ChatGPT downloads are slowing — and may cause problems for OpenAI’s IPO

Meta lost 20 million users last quarter

The more young people use AI, the more they hate it

Google Search queries hit an ‘all time high’ last quarter

Valve’s new Steam Controller isn’t perfect, but I’m buying one anyway

Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam Machine

Why the Steam Controller is (and isn’t) a big deal

Samsung’s first smart glasses have leaked

Is this Samsung’s upcoming wide foldable?

The long rumored foldable iPad may never see the light of day.

The new Razr Ultra is still the best-looking phone out there

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo (2026) review: 2 screens 2 furious

Trump demands ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel

The FCC is going after the broadcast licenses of Disney-owned ABC stations

Former FCC staffers agree: Brendan Carr needs to be stopped

The FCC is saving Amazon’s Eero and Leo routers from its ban, too.

Taylor Swift deepfakes are pushing scams on TikTok

Here’s what Netflix’s new vertical video feed is like

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:00 Elon vs OpenAI Overview

00:07:00 Jury Selection Drama

00:12:00 Elon's Testimony Begins

00:23:00 Trial Implications

00:26:00 Microsoft and OpenAI Split

00:30:00 The AWS Deal

00:32:00 Consumer AI Backlash

00:41:00 AI Powered Ad Targeting

00:44:00 Enterprise AI Success Story

00:45:00 Widow's Bay Recommendation

00:46:00 Apple TV Quality Content

00:48:00 Coyote vs Acme

00:55:00 Steam Controller Review

00:57:00 Universal Remote Theory

01:01:00 Smart Glasses Problem

01:05:00 Wide Foldable Phones

01:09:00 Motorola Razr Ultra

01:12:00 ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo

01:17:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:18:00 Jimmy Kimmel Controversy

01:25:00 FCC Open Meeting Response

01:26:00 News Distortion Rule Lawsuit

01:29:00 Router Ban Update

01:33:00 Taylor Swift Trademark Strategy

01:37:00 YouTube Likeness Protection

01:41:00 Netflix Clips Feature

01:44:00 The Clip Economy Shift

01:46:00 Streaming Services vs TikTok

01:49:00 Show Wrap Up

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Musk and Altman go to court Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Elon Musk's case against OpenAI is heading to trial. Musk is almost certainly going to lose, but he might still get everything he wants from the fight. The Verge's Liz Lopatto explains how this spat made it this far, and where it's going next. After that, The Verge's Sean Hollister tells us about the latest products from Framework, including the company's coolest laptop yet — and a keyboard for couch potatoes. Finally, Sean helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about the Surface Go and other small PCs, which might be due for a comeback.

Further reading:

Musk vs. Altman is here, and it’s going to get messy

Mark Zuckerberg lies about content moderation to Joe Rogan’s face

A look at the evidence of Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Open AI

Framework announces Laptop 13 Pro, ‘the MacBook Pro for Linux users’

Framework is building a better couch keyboard because everyone hates the Logitech one

Framework’s first OCuLink eGPUs hack its laptop into a desktop PC

Microsoft Surface Go review: a little goes a long way

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Rabbit R1 Returns

00:05:00 Musk vs OpenAI

00:07:00 What the Lawsuit Claims

00:11:00 Musk Motives and Remedies

00:16:00 Discovery Dirt and Strays

00:22:00 Altman Reputation Stakes

00:28:00 Risks for Musk and IPO

00:37:00 Framework Laptop Pro

00:41:00 Battery Life and Specs

00:43:00 Display Specs Upgrade

00:44:00 Battery And Memory Gains

00:45:00 Modular Upgrades Promise

00:50:00 Transparency And Community

00:53:00 Who This Laptop Is For

00:54:00 Linux First Developer Pitch

00:56:00 Pricing And Value

01:01:00 Couch Keyboard Upgrade

01:13:00 Vergecast Hotline Tiny Laptops

01:16:00 Arm Chip Revolution Explained

01:22:00 Wrap Up

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AirPods, Touch Bars, and the rest of Tim Cook's legacy Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Now that we've had a few days to digest the Apple CEO succession news, Nilay and David get some help from Daring Fireball's John Gruber to discuss Tim Cook's legacy, the potential for change under John Ternus, and whether the Touch Bar actually could have been great. Then, Nilay and David react to some breaking news: Microsoft is going back to the Xbox. And everything is an Xbox now. Finally, in the lightning round, we have a round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, a very 2026 new microphone, a BMW we can't figure out, and Meta's new AI training tool: its employees.

We’re also on video! Check us out on YouTube.

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

Further reading:

--EPISODE RUNDOWN--

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:01:00 Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO

00:50:00 Xbox rebrand

01:06:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:08:00 FCC targets "transgender and gender nonbinary" kids' TV

01:13:00 Mythos

01:21:00 BMW 7-Series' confusing interior

01:27:00 Insta360 mic with screen

01:30:00 Meta tracks employees

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The Vergecast Vergecast, 2026 edition Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

We get a lot of questions about how we make The Vergecast. And why we make The Vergecast. And how we make money, and journalism, and everything. So every once in a while, we try to answer those questions! In this episode, David and Nilay are joined by The Verge's publisher, Helen Havlak, to talk about video podcasts, ads, subscriptions, Nilay's jackets, and much more.

Curious about those video podcasts we discussed? Check us out on YouTube.

Jealous of those Verge subscriptions we discussed? Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.

Have more questions for us? We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

--EPISODE RUNDOWN--

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 David's late night stroll

00:02:00 Today's Vergecast is about The Vergecast

00:03:00 New verge.com website just dropped

00:09:00 Following feature insights

00:13:00 Open Social Web plans

00:25:00 Verge audience demographics

00:31:00 Monetization

00:48:00 Audio vs. video podcasts

00:54:00 Supporting The Verge

01:00:00 Old Verge video style

01:07:00 Verge alumni

01:12:00 Why is it called Brendan Carr is a Dummy?

01:14:00 Nilay's jackets

01:21:00 How has gadget blogging changed?

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Apple’s got a new CEO: The Vergecast Livestream Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

For the first time in 15 years, Apple is getting a new CEO. Tim Cook is stepping down, and John Ternus is taking the biggest job at one of the biggest companies in the world. News this big can only mean one thing: emergency Vergecast! Nilay and David broke down the news, their immediate reactions, and what they think might be in store for Apple going forward.

To watch our livestreams as they stream live, check us out on YouTube.
Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters and our ad-free podcast feed.
We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 'AI is inevitable' trap Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

The AI vibes continue to find all-time lows. David and Nilay open the show by talking through the absurd Allbirds pivot to AI, the attacks on Sam Altman, and the increasing divide between what AI companies say is inevitable and what people actually want. Then, the Hype Desk crew talks Coachella and RAMageddon, before David and Nilay catch up on the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly suit and the increasing price of everything. In the lightning round, it's time for Brendan Carr is a dummy, satellite internet, brain-computer interfaces, and the Trump Phone.

Further reading:

Allbirds announced a switch from shoes to AI and its stock jumped 600 percent

The Allbirds pivot to… meme stock?

The attacks on Sam Altman are a warning for the AI world

Sam Altman reportedly targeted in second attack

Altman attack suspect proposed “Luigi’ing some tech CEOs.”

Stanford’s AI study

NYT: Half of Gen Z Uses AI, but Their Feelings Are Souring, Study Shows

Reese Witherspoon on Threads on AI

Ticketmaster is an illegal monopoly, jury finds

A jury is about to decide the fate of Ticketmaster

Microsoft counters the MacBook Neo with freebies for students

YouTube Premium is getting pricier

RAMageddon has come for Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptop

Meta blames RAM shortage for $100 Quest 3 price hike

FCC’s Brendan Carr again blasts deals between NFL and streaming services

The FCC just saved Netgear from its router ban for no obvious reason

Netgear and the FCC have not responded to our emails.

Did Neuralink make the wrong bet?

Apple and Amazon are teaming up to challenge Starlink’s smartphone ambitions

Point, Musk.

Amazon’s Starlink competitor now has an airplane antenna.

Amazon’s Starlink competitor Leo gets a new date

The new Trump Phone design is here

--EPISODE RUNDOWN--

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Allbirds Goes AI

00:06:00 From Shoes to Tech Hype

00:09:00 Altman Attacks and Backlash

00:13:00 Why AI Feels Threatening

00:18:00 Gen Z Polls and Trust Gap

00:29:00 Reese Witherspoon AI Pushback

00:35:00 Hype Desk Returns

00:36:00 RAM Apocalypse and Wikifeet

00:39:00 Coachella Livestream Era

00:43:00 Ticketmaster Monopoly Verdict

00:47:00 MacBook Neo Spurs Microsoft

00:49:00 OpenAI Clouds and Copilot Backlash

00:51:00 Windows vs Mac Value Shift

00:54:00 The Pricing Apocalypse Hits

00:55:00 Why YouTube Premium Costs More

01:02:00 Lightning Round

01:03:00 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:07:00 NFL Antitrust Exemption Fight

01:15:00 Amazon Buys Globalstar

01:22:00 FCC Router Ban Chaos

01:27:00 Trump Phone Gets Realer

01:31:00 Neuralink Bet

01:32:00 Wrap Up

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Ben McKenzie vs. crypto Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

During the height of the cryptocurrency craze a few years ago, the actor Ben McKenzie found himself wondering why no one else was seeing what he was seeing. He joins the show to explain his yearslong attempt to understand Bitcoin and the crypto world, all of which is in his new documentary Everyone Is Lying to You For Money. (You can probably guess how he feels.) After that, The Verge's Victoria Song tells us about her testing of continuous glucose monitors, which have gone from medical device to influencer trend in some worrying ways. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about why all our gadgets seem the same these days.

Vote for The Vergecast in the Webby Awards! A vote for The Vergecast is a vote that Brendan Carr is a dummy, that buttons are good, and that party speakers rule the world. Voting is open until April 16. https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/technology

Further reading:

Everyone is Lying to You for Money

Low interest rates and loneliness: the origins of the pandemic crypto boom

Continuous glucose monitoring made me continuously crazy

(Timestamps are approximate.)

00:00:00 Sprinkler Duty Intro

00:03:00 Ben McKenzie Crypto Journey

00:04:00 Is Crypto Really Money

00:09:00 El Salvador Reality Check

00:11:00 Could Crypto Ever Work

00:14:00 Crypto Culture

00:19:00 Casino Capitalism And Crime

00:23:00 Why Bitcoin Keeps Rising

00:30:00 CGMs Explained

00:32:00 FDA OTC And Wellness Boom

00:33:00 Government Push For Wearables

00:39:00 Longevity Wearables Boom

00:41:00 Why Try CGMs

00:44:00 Scary Readings Doctor Visit

00:47:00 Living in the Data

00:48:00 Apps Scores Calibration

00:51:00 Disordered Eating Spiral

00:54:00 No Consensus for Non Diabetics

00:57:00 Medication Tradeoffs

01:00:00 Wellness vs Medical Regulation

01:04:00 Using CGMs Thoughtfully

01:10:00 Vergecast hotline

01:11:00 Why Gadgets Got Bland

01:22:00 Final Thoughts

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Fear and loathing at OpenAI Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

In a week filled with important news about important people, David and Nilay start the show with the biggest news of all: their silly tech projects. After some updates on iMac repurposing and vibe-coded productivity tools, the hosts turn to the state of OpenAI, and the big story from The New Yorker about whether we should trust CEO Sam Altman with the future of AI. After that, it's time for the lightning round, with the latest Brendan Carr is a Dummy shenanigans, and the New York Times' latest attempt to identify Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. Is it, in fact, Adam Back? And does it even matter?

Vote for The Vergecast in the Webby Awards! A vote for The Vergecast is a vote that Brendan Carr is a dummy, that buttons are good, and that party speakers rule the world. Voting is open until April 16. ⁠https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/technology⁠

Further reading:

⁠First photos of solar eclipse from Artemis II crew look almost too good to be real ⁠

⁠Artemis II astronauts break a record, name a crater ⁠

⁠Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? | The New Yorker⁠

⁠The vibes are off at OpenAI ⁠

⁠Sam Altman is “unconstrained by truth.” ⁠

⁠OpenAI’s AGI boss is taking a leave of absence ⁠

⁠OpenAI made economic proposals — here’s what DC thinks of them⁠

⁠CNN Defends Authenticity Of Iranian “Victory” Statement After Donald Trump Posts Irate Claim It Was A “Fraud”⁠

From The New York Times: ⁠Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto? My Quest to Unmask Bitcoin’s Creator⁠

⁠The latest Satoshi Nakamoto unmasking. ⁠

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The case for banning cookie banners Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Cookie banners — those pop-ups that appear on practically every webpage demanding you accept their tracking systems — are one of the most consistent low-grade annoyances of life online. But Kate Klonick, a professor and writer, argues they're actually much worse than that, and the only plausible solution is to get rid of them entirely. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson tells us about her AI-enhanced Google Maps experience, and why the new Ask Maps feature has the potential to be both incredibly cool and incredibly creepy. Then, she helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about whether E Ink phones might solve all our problems.

Vote for The Vergecast in the Webby Awards! A vote for The Vergecast is a vote that Brendan Carr is a dummy, that buttons are good, and that party speakers rule the world. Voting is open until April 16. ⁠https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/technology⁠

Further reading: