Podcasts

Roblox's popularity has exploded among kids since the pandemic. Today Roblox has more than 150 million daily active users, and functions as one of the primary online gathering places for preteens. But precisely because Roblox is so popular with children, it has also attracted the attention of adult predators. This week we’re joined by Roblox chief executive David Baszucki for a conversation about how the company is responding to allegations that it has become unsafe for children, and the new measures the gaming platform says it’s now implementing to protect them. Guests: David Baszucki, chief executive of Roblox Additional Reading: Roblox Sued for Wrongful Death After Teenager’s Suicide Generation Alpha’s FarmVille Is Growing Like Crazy in Roblox We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www

Ryo Lu spent years watching his designs die in meetings. Then he discovered the tool that lets designers ship code at the speed of thought: Cursor, the company where Ryo is now Head of Design. In this episode, we discuss why "taste" is the wrong framework for understanding the future, why purposeful apps are "selfish," how System 7 holds secrets about AI interfaces, and the radical bet that one codebase can serve everyone if you design the concepts right instead of the buttons. Follow Ryo Lu on X: https://x.com/ryolu_ Check Out Ryo’s Website: https://os.ryo.lu/ Follow Jennifer Li on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed

In this episode, we talk with Barun Kar, CEO and co-founder of Upscale AI, a company rethinking the hidden backbone of artificial intelligence: the network. Barun explains why today’s AI systems are hitting a wall, and how open-standard infrastructure could unlock faster, cheaper, and more democratic AI for everyone. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Google’s much anticipated new large language model Gemini 3 begins rolling out today. We’ll tell you what we learned from an early product briefing and bring you our conversation with Google executives Demis Hassabis and Josh Woodward, just ahead of the launch. Guests: Demis Hassabis, chief executive and co-founder of Google DeepMind Josh Woodward, vice president of Google Labs and Google Gemini Additional Reading: The Man Who ‘A.G.I.-Pilled’ Google We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Stanford PhD who built DSPy thought he was just creating better prompts—until he realized he'd accidentally invented a new paradigm that makes LLMs actually programmable. While everyone obsesses over whether LLMs will get us to AGI, Omar Khattab is solving a more urgent problem: the gap between what you want AI to do and your ability to tell it, the absence of a real programming language for intent. He argues the entire field has been approaching this backwards, treating natural language prompts as the interface when we actually need something between imperative code and pure English, and the implications could determine whether AI systems remain unpredictable black boxes or become the reliable infrastructure layer everyone's betting on. Follow Omar Khattab on X: https://x.com/lateinteraction Follow Martin Casado on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts. Please note that t

David Kirtley is a nuclear fusion engineer and CEO of Helion Energy, a company working on building the world’s first commercial fusion power plant by 2028. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep485-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/david-kirtley-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://x.com/dekirtley https://bit.ly/4qX0KXp https://www.helionenergy.com/ https://youtube.com/HelionEnergy SPONSORS: UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex Shopif

This week, we talk about Google’s new plan to build data centers in space. Then, we’re joined by Dean Ball, a former adviser at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Ball worked on the Trump administration’s A.I. Action Plan, and he shares his inside view on how those policies came together. Finally, Professor Mark Humphries joins us to talk about a strange Gemini model that offered mind-blowing results on a challenging research problem. Guests: Dean Ball, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and former White House senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence and emerging technology Mark Humphries, professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University Additional Reading: Towards a Future Space-Based, Highly Scalable A.I. Infrastructure System Design What It's Like to Work at the White House Has Google Quietly Solved Two of AI’s Oldest Problems? We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Sub

If you can’t robustly protect your secrets, you can’t have reliable AI agents. In this episode, Truffle Security cofounder and CEO Dylan Ayrey joins a16z partner Joel de la Garza to discuss the emergent security stack for AI agents, why leaks are actually getting worse, and how Truffle evolved from an open-source side project to a major VC-backed startup. Follow Dylan here: https://x.com/InsecureNature Follow Joel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/3448827723723234/ Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecas

This week, we’re joined by Bernt Bornich, chief executive of 1X. We talked with him about NEO, his company’s new humanoid robot, which has the internet buzzing. Then we meet NEO itself, and compare notes on the experience. Finally, we close the week with a roundup of tech news headlines: It’s time for some HatGPT. Guests: Bernt Bornich, chief executive of 1X Additional Reading: I Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human. Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots There Are More Robots Working in China Than the Rest of the World Combined Trump Pardons Founder of the Crypto Exchange Binance For Podcasters, a Voice Clone Is a Double-Edged Sword We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated

In this episode, a16z General Partner Martin Casado sits down with Ovais Tariq, Cofounder and CEO of Tigris Data, to discuss why independent storage is so hard, what operating your own datacenters is like, and what’s in store for the future of cloud. Resources Follow Ovais on X: https://x.com/ovaistariq Follow Tigris Data on X: https://x.com/tigrisdata Follow Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ou

In this episode, we talk to Kyle Baranko, Head of Product at Paces, about how the explosive growth of AI is reshaping the clean energy landscape. From off-grid solar microgrids to the future of small modular reactors, Kyle shares how data centers are driving unprecedented demand for electricity. He also shares his thoughts on how smart technology, faster project development, and new thinking about infrastructure could turn that challenge into a renewable energy revolution. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Dan Houser is co-founder of Rockstar Games and is a legendary creative mind behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption series of video games. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep484-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/dan-houser-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://absurdventures.com https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FCYSK8VD https://absurdventures.com/americancaper SPONSORS: Box: Intelligent content management platform. https://box.com/ai UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews. https://coderabbit.ai/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ Lindy: No-code AI agent builder. https://go.lindy.ai/lex Shopify:

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In this episode, we talk with the Vice President of Ecosense, Dallas Jones, who shares how smart sensors and years of science are turning the tide on an invisible threat: radon gas. From tech breakthroughs to policy changes, this is everything you need to know to stay safe, stay informed, and breathe easier. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Julia Shaw is a criminal psychologist and author who in her books explores human nature, including psychopathy, violent crime, the psychology of evil, police interrogation, false memory manipulation, deception detection, and human sexuality. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep483-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/julia-shaw-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://instagram.com/drjuliashaw https://www.drjuliashaw.com/ https://linktr.ee/drjuliashaw https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjuliashaw/ https://amzn.to/4mQBnTV https://amzn.to/4nLfSVE https://amzn.to/47lBAdc SPONSORS: Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.

In today's episode, we’re diving into the future of driver safety with Jessie Lee from VUEROID, South Korea’s leader in advanced dash cam technology. From AI-powered license plate restoration to ultra-reliable low-power recording, their latest S1 4K Infinite dash cam is redefining what it means to be prepared on the road. Whether you're a tech lover, an engineer, or just someone who drives every day, this is one episode you don’t want to miss. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep482-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/pavel-durov-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://t.me/durov https://x.com/durov https://telegram.org/ https://contest.com/ SPONSORS: Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. https://miro.com/ UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics. https://upliftdesk.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.

In this episode of Lexicon, we’re joined by Fernando Dominguez from SandboxAQ to explore how artificial intelligence and quantum tech are merging to tackle some of the world’s most challenging problems. From simulating millions of drug compounds in days to protecting our data from future quantum threats, we explore how LQMs will change everything. So, if you think AI is just about chatbots, think again. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Norman Ohler is a historian and author of “Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich,” a book that investigates the role of psychoactive drugs, particularly stimulants such as methamphetamine, in the military history of World War II. It is a book that two legendary historians Ian Kershaw and Antony Beevor give very high praise for its depth of research. Norman also wrote “Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age”, and he is working on a new book “Stoned Sapiens” looking at the history of human civilization through the lens of drugs. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep481-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/norman-ohler-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://substack.com/@stonedsapiens https://x.com/normanohle

In this episode, we’re joined by Al Eliasen, CEO of Spatial Business Systems, to discuss how automation, AI, and digital design tools are revolutionizing utility infrastructure, from power grids to broadband. If you’ve ever wondered how we’ll meet the rising demands of electrification, renewable energy, and smart networks, this one’s for you. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

Dave Hone is a paleontologist, expert on dinosaurs, co-host of the Terrible Lizards podcast, and author of numerous scientific papers and books on the behavior and ecology of dinosaurs. He lectures at Queen Mary University of London on topics of Ecology, Zoology, Biology, and Evolution. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep480-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/dave-hone-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://www.davehone.co.uk/ https://amzn.to/4pbk828 https://terriblelizards.libsyn.com/ https://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/ https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/staff/davidhone.html SPONSORS: Lindy: No-code AI agent builder. https://go.lindy.ai/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff