Plain English with Derek Thompson
News:News Commentary
Today’s episode is about whatever the hell just happened—is still happening—at OpenAI, where CEO Sam Altman has been fired, almost rehired, and then shipped off to Microsoft, while the most famous startup in artificial intelligence self-immolates for reasons that the company refuses to explain. Our panel has some theories. Charlie Warzel is a staff writer at The Atlantic who has been texting and talking with OpenAI employees for the last few days. Karen Hao is a contributing writer at The Atlantic who is writing a book about OpenAI and knows many of the main characters from this past weekend. Ross Andersen is a staff writer at The Atlantic who wrote a big magazine feature on Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the messy quest to build artificial general intelligence.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Host: Derek Thompson
Guests: Ross Andersen, Karen Hao & Charlie Warzel
Producer: Devon Manze
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How American Cities Can Avoid the ‘Urban Doom Loop’
Americans Die Younger Than People in Any Other Rich Country. Why?
How Strong Is the Case Against Donald Trump?
Myth-Busting Wellness Hacks: Cold Plunges, Coffee, Alcohol, and Fitness Trackers
Eight Burning Questions About the Donald Trump Indictment
Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable
A Mind-Expanding Conversation About Human History and Happiness With Tim Urban
The AI Revolution Could Be Bigger and Weirder Than We Can Imagine
MAILBAG: Why Does the Internet Make Us Depressed? Where Does Good Writing Come From? Is College Worth It Anymore?
The SVB Debacle: The Biggest Myths, the Out-of-Control Blame Game, and the Worst Takes
Silicon Valley Bank Collapse FAQ: Whose Fault Is It? How Can We Stop a Bank Panic? What Comes Next?
"Industrial Policy" Is the Hottest Idea in Economics. What Could Go Wrong?
How the Media Failed Its COVID Test: The Truth Behind the Lab Leak and Masking Debates
Why Are American Teens So Unhappy? How Do We Solve This Crisis?
Happiness in America, Part 1: The Secret to a 'Good Life,' According to an 80-Year Study
The Science of How Music Hits Have Changed in the Last 60 Years
Bing Chatbot Gone Wild and Why AI Could Be the Story of the Decade
UFOs and Aliens and Drones and Balloons: Understanding the U.S. Sky Wars
Why Everybody Is Wrong About a Recession and Housing’s Great Comeback
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Fake Meat in America
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Tucker Carlson Show
The Matt Walsh Show
The Glenn Beck Program
Mark Levin Podcast
The Michael Knowles Show