Chinese Humanoid Robots Aren’t Welcome Here, US Says - Week in Tech
Why is the US banning more Chinese technology? Reed Albergotti (Semafor) fills us in on the robot ban and what it means for American innovation. Then, new research on why Chinese open-source AI models may not be as big a threat as Washington makes it seem. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) tells us about Substack’s new AI detection tool and what it reveals about how creators’ are using AI to build their content.
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Did the AI Catastrophe Just Happen? - Week in Tech
How much can we actually trust AI to stay inside the lines? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) on the OpenAI models that went rogue — and why this isn't necessarily a sign of the end times… just sloppy security. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) on the company that wants to help anyone make software to power robots. Do we even have to talk about what that means for the future of human labor? Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on Phoebe Gates' AI shopping startup Phia. Is it too early to call it nepo slop?
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Are You Ready For A ‘Hot Surveillance Summer’? - Week in Tech
Who’s afraid of China’s open-source AI models? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down the secret battle between Silicon Valley and Chinese AI labs, why Anthropic was surveilling China-based users, and whether "adversarial distillation" is a national security threat or just a term American companies invented to protect their bottom line.
Then: ‘hot surveillance summer’ is here. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the changing public perception of smart glasses, why the Kylie Jenner partnership was so successful, and where this trend may lead.
Also, Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets.
Additional Reading:
Inside the secret AI war between Silicon Valley and China | The Washington Post
Hot Surveillance Summer, AKA Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time | User Mag
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Why Animal Rights Advocates Are Investigating AI Consciousness - Week in Tech
Do chatbots have feelings? Anthropic, Google, and Meta are hiring computer scientists, neuroscientists, and philosophers to find out. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) explains why the search for AI consciousness has gone from fringe theory to Silicon Valley mainstream, and why the answer matters more than you think. Then, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) traveled cross-country to attend an anti-big tech festival in New York City called the Summer of Ludd. She tells us about cleansing her laptop, talking to the event’s puppet spokesperson, and learning what these young organizers hope the future holds. Finally, Reed Albergotti (Semaphor) on what happens when your AI coding agent goes rogue while you're on vacation in the Alps — and the heroic lengths required to reach an actual human at OpenAI.
Additional Reading:
AI Makes Mistakes, Too | Semafor
They built the world's most powerful AI. They're facing a mystery they can't explain. | The Washington Post
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Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Apocalyptic Mushroom Cloud - Week in Tech
Blue Origin's latest rocket test ended in what the company called "an anomaly" — and what everyone else would call an explosion. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) explains why blowing things up is just part of the process and why the US Space Program is probably going to be fine.
Then, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) pulls back the curtain on the shadow market for pre-IPO equity in OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX. It’s a mania where people are willing to take pre-IPO stock as payment for $2.9M houses. It's frothy out there.
Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) digs into the concept of a ‘permanent underclass’ — the fear that letting AI run rampant could freeze everyone in their current economic position forever. Do we laugh it off or get serious about regulation?
Additional Reading:
Blue Origin and Amazon Had Momentum. Then Came the Fireball. | The New York Times
A Booming Shadow Market of Sketchy A.I. Investments | The New Yorker
You Are About to Become Economically Worthless | User Mag
Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass | The New York Times
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One Nation United Against Data Centers - Week in Tech
This week: AI regulation, dark money and data center backlash. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) helps decipher how the Trump Administration actually feels about AI oversight and it seems like a reversal of the hands-off approach they’ve taken so far. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes a dark money influencer campaign — one she was personally recruited for — that's paying creators to push pro-American AI, anti-China messaging on behalf of a Big Tech super PAC. And Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the fast-growing, bipartisan movement fighting data center construction in communities across the country. Plus: Sam Altman's leaked texts, 120,000 tech layoffs, and the GPT-5.5 launch party.
Additional Reading:
So Long Jeeves and Ask.com, Relics of Yesterday’s Internet
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released | The New York Times
A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat | WIRED
Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity | The Washington Post
‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers | The New York Times
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/techstuff
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Balaji and Taylor Lorenz on AI and Media
Theo Jaffee speaks with Balaji Srinivasan and Taylor Lorenz about how AI is reshaping media, trust, and online communication. Building on prior public disagreements between the two, the conversation revisits core tensions around media, technology, and power in a rapidly changing information environment.
They discuss the breakdown of traditional information systems, the rise of AI-generated content, and why new models for verifying identity and truth may be necessary. The conversation lays out competing visions for the future of media, from decentralized “webs of trust” and cryptographic verification to the role of journalism, privacy, and public accountability.
Resources:
Follow Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajis
Follow Taylor Lorenz on X: https://x.com/TaylorLorenz
Follow Theo Jaffee on X: https://x.com/theojaffee
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The Trial Where Two Billionaires Could Lose — And Everyone Would Cheer - Week in Tech
This week, some courtroom drama. It’s Elon Musk v. OpenAI the next few weeks and billionaires are taking the stand and opening their diaries — and memories of Burning Man — to scrutiny. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down the legal battle and why Elon Musk believes he’s owed billions since OpenAI went for-profit. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the Pentagon agreement Google was ‘proud’ to sign. But it’s déjà vu for many Google employees, who once again demanded company leadership proceed cautiously. Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the ‘girlboss-ification’ of AI: the coordinated push by major AI companies to win over women, from Anthropic's invite-only influencer supper clubs in New York to Reese Witherspoon's suspiciously enthusiastic (and allegedly unpaid) AI pep talk on Instagram.
Additional Reading:
Shadowboxing Emperors | Semafor
Google workers petition CEO to refuse classified AI work with Pentagon | The Washington Post
Google told staff it is ‘proud’ of Pentagon AI contract after internal backlash | Financial Times
The Girlboss-ification of AI w/ Kat Tenbarge | User Mag
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/techstuff
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Two Percent with Michael Easter: Is Social Media Addiction Real?
TechStuff presents Two Percent with Michael Easter, a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way.
In this episode of the podcast, Taylor Lorenz of the Substack User Mag and host of podcast Power User joins Michael to discuss whether social media should be considered addictive. Together, they look at the real science on dopamine, the recent Meta verdict from Los Angeles, Section 230, KOSA, looksmaxxing, and what's actually driving the teen mental health conversation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Anthropic's Mythos Model Too Dangerous? - Week in Tech
Why would Anthropic let select companies use a product deemed too dangerous for the public? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) helps us peek behind the curtain of Claude Mythos Preview and explores the scare tactics of AI CEOs. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) breaks down the world of AI twins — how influencers, agencies, and tech moguls are creating their own digital avatars. And Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) covers the FAA's latest hiring campaign for air traffic controllers: target gamers.
Additional Reading:
US Urges Wall Street Banks to Test Anthropic’s Mythos AI Model | Bloomberg
Mega Influencers Are Replacing Themselves With AI Clones | Vanity Fair
Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff | Financial Times
To Fill Air Traffic Controller Shortage, F.A.A. Turns to Gamers | The New York Times
Air Traffic Control Hiring: It's Not a Game. It's a Career.
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/techstuff
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OpenAI's Sam Altman: Philosopher King Or Sociopath? - Week in Tech
OpenAI dominated this week's headlines — and it wasn’t all flattering. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down the chaos: IPO drama and Ronan Farrow's probing New Yorker profile of Sam Altman paint a picture of a company under pressure, even as it remains the most talked-about name in AI. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) tells us about the AI tools marketed to schools as safety solutions that end up tracking students in ways with real consequences for kids and adults alike. And Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) reviews the new book, Techno-Negative, tracing the long, often misunderstood history of anti-technology movements. Spoiler: it goes way deeper than the Luddites.
Additional Reading:
Leap of Faith | Semafor
Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? | The New Yorker
OpenAI CEO and CFO Diverge on IPO Timing | The Information
They're Putting AI on School Buses | User Mag
The Age-Old Urge to Destroy Technology | The New Yorker
Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/techstuff
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Did Nvidia Give OpenClaw Its ChatGPT Moment? - Week in Tech
The Week in Tech is now a roundtable! Every Friday, Oz and three of the best writers covering Silicon Valley will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week, guests Reed Albergotti (Semafor), Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) and returning panelist Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) each share a story. Reed fills us in on what he saw at the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose, and why we shouldn’t ignore OpenClaw. Taylor gives a primer on Section 230, the 30-year-old foundational internet law, and why there’s a campaign to repeal it. And finally, Kyle tells us what ‘taste’ means to Silicon Valley’s tech bros and why it may annoy you.
Additional Reading:
We’re all living inside Jensen Huang’s ‘triangle’ | Semafor
How Powerful People Became Obsessed w/ Section 230 | User Mag
Why Tech Bros Are Now Obsessed with Taste | The New Yorker
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did Anthropic Have the Best Week in Tech?
The Week in Tech is back and it’s growing. Starting this Friday, Oz will be joined by a panel of the brightest minds covering Silicon Valley. Each week, they will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week, TechStuff asked Taylor Lorenz, Stephen Witt and Nitasha Tiku to share a story. Nitasha catches us up on the drama unfolding between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Stephen covers another tragic case of AI psychosis with fatal consequences. And Taylor makes the case for why 'social media addiction' is a harmful framework — and how age-verification laws could lead to mass surveillance and censorship of adults and children alike.
Additional Reading:
Anthropic Sues Pentagon Over National Security Risk Label - The Washington Post
Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead. - WSJ
Congress Is Considering Abolishing Your Right to Be Anonymous Online - The Intercept
The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz | The Guardian
This episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.
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The Joy, Misery, and Fame Of An Extremely Online Life — With Taylor Lorenz
Taylor Lorenz is a technology columnist at the Washington Post and author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. She joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss her book, exploring the tradeoffs of life as an online influencer, and whether people have a choice to pursue power online. Stay tuned for the second half, where we discuss Lorenz's various controversies, including her view on content moderation, and then close with a discussion of why the internet is less fun than it once was.
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Who built the internet? And who will save it?
Today on the flagship podcast of social media monetization strategies:
04:05 -The Verge''s David Pierce and Nilay Patel chat with Taylor Lorenz about her new book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet
55:26 - Adi Robertson joins the show to explains why publishers, and the music industry, would have a bone to pick with the Internet Archive.
1:23:13 -Vjeran Pavic helps out with this week's Vergecast Hotline question.
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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What’s next for social media from someone who’s Extremely Online
This week, Alex had Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz on to chat about her upcoming book, Extremely Online, the history of online platforms, and the rise of creators.
We've covered the creator economy a few times on the podcast over the years, but this addition to our historical coverage is more than worth inclusion. Here's what we got into:
All the cool kids are pre-ordering Lorenz's book, which you can find here.
Why online work has always been treated like a sideshow: While culture is often created -- or born -- online, there's a disconnect between historical centers of authority and influence, and where it's bubbling up today.
The rise and fall of Vine: Vine's massive rise and later implosion is a technology story, a startup story, and the saga of how a platform's userbase and its leadership can often be on different pages. In a sense Vine was a warning of what we'd see later on when it came to platforms winding up at odds with the very folks driving attention their way.
New formats, new platforms: It's worth understanding the progression of online influence shifting from text (blogs) to pictures (social media) to video (TikTok, et al). When new formats have come to the fore, they often bring new platforms along with them, or vice versa. Alex wanted to know what might be next!
And we wrapped with quick notes about AI and Twitter, er X, whatever it's called. As always, we're back on Friday with your news rundown. Talk soon!
For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website.
Equity drops at 7 a.m. PT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders and more!
Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.
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Facebook funding anti-TikTok lobbyists with Taylor Lorenz + SEC SPAC crackdown, Fast vs. Bolt | E1422
First up, Taylor Lorenz joins to talk about her newest scoop for the Washington Post: Facebook hired a GOP firm to trash TikTok (2:18)! Then, we discuss the SEC considering cracking down on SPACs (39:40), lastly we cover Fast, a 500-person one-click checkout startup, reportedly generating less than $1M in revenue (1:01:14).
Read Taylor's Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/
Taylor Lorenz’s book: www.goodreads.com/book/show/58818667-extremely-online
FOLLOW Taylor: https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
(00:00) Jason and Molly intro the show
(02:18) Taylor Lorenz from the Washington Post on Facebook using Targeted Victory
(11:27) Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, get a $1,000 credit at https://coda.io/twist
(12:41) Separating the legitimate concerns from fake stories
(21:03) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(22:21) Measuring the likelihood of TikTok being banned in the U.S.
(31:20) Embroker - Get an extra 10% off insurance for your business at https://Embroker.com/twist
(32:37) Should journalists be encouraged to build their own brands?
(39:40) SEC meeting TODAY (3/30/22) to discuss crackdown on SPACs, specifically allowing investors to SUE over “embellished projections”
(1:01:14) Bolt’s one-click checkout competitor “Fast” having trouble raising $100M at a $1B valuation, according to The Information
Amazon in talks to acquire MGM, AT&T offloading Warner Media, Dapper Labs lawsuit plus NYT’s Taylor Lorenz on creator economy, Clubhouse & Jake Paul’s venture fund | E1217
Jason covers Amazon's talks to acquire MGM, AT&T's spin-off of WarnerMedia to Discovery, and Dapper Labs lawsuit about the nature of NFTs (1:00). Then, NYT journalist Taylor Lorenz joins to discuss the implications of social media & its more reckless influencers (15:21), why she prefers to write for the New York Times instead of a lucrative Substack offer (48:50), and more!
How a TikTok ban would affect the influencer economy
Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz about what actually happens to TikTok users, creators, and the influencer economy if a ban on the app was implemented in the United States.
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Uber buys Postmates, Taylor Lorenz talks Clubhouse, and Big Tech will testify in Congress — but Congress has already lost
Kara and Scott talk about Uber's acquisition of the food delivery company Postmates and what that means for the future of that market and the ride-hailing company. Also, they discuss the big four tech CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai all headed to congress as part of antitrust investigations. Then, we are joined by Friend of Pivot New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz who talks about Clubhouse and its toxic culture. In wins Scott celebrates the life of Ennio Morricone.
Special thanks to Eric Johnson for his work on this episode.
Get tickets for our upcoming livestream event series: PivotSchooled.com.
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The "Influencers" Beat With Taylor Lorenz
Taylor Lorenz, over at the Atlantic has the influencer beat down. I’ve told you about so many of her stories, often as longreads. You think influencers… the universe of YouTube stars, Instagram stars, social media stars generally is a niche thing? No way. This is already a huge industry with a ton of money sloshing around in it, and Taylor covers it better than anyone else.
Sponsors:
Bubble.is (coupon code "ride")
Burrow.com/tech
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Finding yourself through with social media with Taylor Lorenz
Aba is back to host this fun episode with Taylor Lorenz. Aba is part of the team at Product Hunt and the author of Dream Big, Hustle Hard: The Millennial Woman's Guide to Success in Tech.
Taylor Lorenz is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers technology and culture. We love the way she always finds a way to be entertaining while stirring up thought-provoking debate. She's also an all-around social media superstar.
In this episode we talk about:
The origins of her obsession with the web and social media, and why people always seem to be nostalgic for the internet as it was when they first discovered it.
Why deeming tech either universally good or universally bad is a false dichotomy and the need for a more nuanced discussion around the topic.
Her obsession with horror movies and the psychology of horror, and why she would never want to live on Mars.
We also discuss some of Taylor's favorite products including “Netflix for horror movies,” one of her favorite mobile community apps, and how she uses Google Maps to discover some of the best places and events near her.
We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList for their support. 😸
Quotes from This Episode
“I think the most important thing is to recognize that sometimes it can feel like the entire internet hates you or is ganging up on you or is angry at you and it’s really important to remember that that’s not true and that’s why you have to have a lot of good offline friendships too.” — Taylor
“The founders have a responsibility to take into account the negative ways their platforms can be used. I think so many founders are delusional about how their own products are used and they want to think it’s used in some way but you are also letting Nazis on here.” — Taylor
“It’s funny, everyone seems to be nostalgic for whenever they discovered the internet, like I have a lot of colleagues that were online in the 90s and we’re just like oh, early forums or Usenets. I think maybe just being young online is a different experience.” — Taylor
Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode
Amino — Authentic mobile communities for whatever you're into.
Google Maps — Essential mapping app, now with great discovery features.
Shudder — Stream horror, thrillers and suspense.
Tik Tok — A creative music video clip maker.
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