Podcasts · The Vergecast

Dots get up in Muse's business

· 1 h 29 min

Episode Dots get up in Muse's business

0:00 1:28:30

Is the key to turning around public opinion on AI just to make it cuter? Nilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes and David Imel talk about the latest adorable agents that want access to all your data, then discuss whether this week's White House AI accord is worth the paper it's written on.

Plus: Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets! We speculate on Apple's rumored October 13 announcement, drool over Huawei's camera for your cameraphone, and herald the return of physical buttons in the new Kindle cases.

We wrap things up with the usual Brendan Carr is a Dummy and a lightning round full of Cybercabs, data centers, 'Old Reddit' and government chatbots.

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Further reading:

• OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor

• OpenAI plans to bring Dots to consumers, too.

• Meta’s Muse AI sent a YouTuber’s address to a stranger

• Maybe don’t let Muse run your Facebook Marketplace account.

• Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

• Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now

• AI researchers put out videos saying superintelligence is ‘exactly as dangerous as it sounds’

• Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal

• Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan

• Trump: “You’re going to see — data centers are going to be very popular.”

• Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’

• Huawei made a whole camera to attach to its latest phone • Amazon is launching colorful new Kindles — and a case with physical page-turn buttons

• Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th

• NBC News: FCC head says government-funded Trump ads are ‘normal’ and ‘don’t raise any red flags’

• The People of Utah vs. Kevin O’Leary

• Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi rollout: the biggest news and announcements

• The White House launched an AI chatbot for government-related questions.

• Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots

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0:00 Welcome

00:52 Awards and Listener Voting

01:36 Week Ahead Preview

01:52 OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse

06:09 Living as Tasks

19:47 Business Models and Privacy

23:41 Bot Traffic and Web Friction

27:48 Trump Superintelligence Accord

37:46 Gadget Segment Kickoff

38:26 Huawei Screw On Lens Camera

41:33 Why Phone Camera Hybrids Fail

44:09 Pricey Phone Lens Debate

45:31 Kindle Lineup Upgrades

48:49 Apple Smart Home Display Rumors

01:02:58 Brendan Carr is a Dummy

01:08:27 America Gov Chatbot

01:14:54 Old Reddit Bot Crackdown

01:19:30 Utah Data Center Blowup

01:25:17 Cybercab Ride Report

01:27:31 Wrap Up And Plugs

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