Best Podcast Episodes About Ben Thompson
Everything podcasters are saying about Ben Thompson — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Mar 26, 2026 – 29 episodes
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Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Ben Thompson.
Top Podcast Clips About Ben Thompson
“… could be right. What if they are right? And what if you view the government nationalizing them as a profound act of tyranny. What do you do? So Ben Thompson, who's the author of the Stratechery newsletter, in this fairly influential piece he wrote, he said that, quote, it simply isn't tolerable for the U.S. to allow for the development of an independent power structure, which is exactly what AI has the potential to undergird, that is expressly seeking to assert independence from U.S. control. What do you think about? Every company on earth and every private actor on earth is independent of US …”
“… say something to the effect of, well, you talk about how it's like nuclear weapons. And so, you know, what else did you expect? You kind of had it coming is almost the tenor of the criticism. But that does not take seriously the idea that Anthropic could be right. What if they are right? And what if you view the government nationalizing them as a profound act of tyranny. What do you do? So Ben Thompson, who's the author of the Stratechery newsletter, in this fairly influential piece he wrote, he said that, quote, it simply isn't tolerable for the U.S. to allow for the development of an independent power structure, which is exactly what AI has the potential to undergird, that is expressly seeking to assert independence from U.S. control. What do you think about? Every company on earth and every private actor on earth is independent of US control, right? I'm not unilaterally controlled by the US government. And if anyone tried to tell me that I am or that my property is, I would be quite concerned and I would fight back, which by the way, here we are, right? I don't think that's a coherent view of how independent power and how private property works in America. I think the, again, the …”
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The debate surrounding the nationalization of AI labs raises crucial ethical questions about power and control. Critics argue that allowing independent AI development could lead to a dangerous power structure, while supporters warn that government control could be tyrannical. This segment explores the implications of both perspectives and the necessity for democratic oversight in the face of rapidly evolving technology.
“… Christian did. Christian Leroy Duncan. I'm at the gym, and they show, there's like a best of UFC at the gym all the time. And I just saw Stephen Thompson, Wonder Boy, versus Kevin Holland. God damn, that was a good fight. You remember that fight? Because some people that throw wheel kicks, they'll throw one, maybe two in a fight. Dude, Stephen Thompson threw fucking 38 wheel kicks. He kept throwing them over and over and over. like, that's some Barbosa, might give you one in a fight, maybe two. Dude, do you remember that fight? Kevin Holland? Very well. Did Wonder Boy retire? Damn. Did he …”
“… be watching the chicks. And the chicks were getting mad. Can you turn that shit off? Nobody's even looking at my pussy. Girls would get mad. And the manager was like, shut the fuck up. Go give a lap dance. We're watching the fights. All right. Who won? Christian did. Christian Leroy Duncan. I'm at the gym, and they show, there's like a best of UFC at the gym all the time. And I just saw Stephen Thompson, Wonder Boy, versus Kevin Holland. God damn, that was a good fight. You remember that fight? Because some people that throw wheel kicks, they'll throw one, maybe two in a fight. Dude, Stephen Thompson threw fucking 38 wheel kicks. He kept throwing them over and over and over. like, that's some Barbosa, might give you one in a fight, maybe two. Dude, do you remember that fight? Kevin Holland? Very well. Did Wonder Boy retire? Damn. Did he retire? You might have one left. I don't know. But Kevin Holland is an amazing fucking warrior, dude. He took a lot of... He was throwing a lot of shit. Yeah, it was a weird fight. And he took a lot of shit. It was a weird fight because Kevin made an agreement not to go to the ground. Which is so stupid. It's crazy. Oh, really? I did not know that. Oh, …”
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In a hilarious discussion, the hosts reminisce about the wild days of early UFC fights and how slap fighting has become a bizarre phenomenon. One host quips about how no one can name a slap fight athlete, leading to a comedic debate about the absurdity of the sport's popularity compared to classic MMA legends.
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Ben Roethlisberger's high school football journey took an unexpected turn when he transitioned from wide receiver to quarterback in his senior year, leading to a record-breaking season with 4,000 yards and 54 touchdowns. Initially playing as a receiver, Ben's talent shone through when the coach decided to switch positions, resulting in a winning streak for the team. This story highlights how adaptability and seizing opportunities can lead to remarkable success.
“… designated Anthropic a supply chain risk after the company refused to remove safeguards against mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons. Ben Thompson's response wasn't to defend either side. It was to point out what almost no one was saying. If AI is as powerful as its builders claim, the people with guns are going to want to say. Whether that means the U.S. government compelling access or China deciding to act because America is getting too powerful, these are no longer theoretical questions.”
“… just morally compelled to support the U.S. military or not? A private company built something powerful enough that the government threatened to destroy it for not cooperating. That's not hypothetical. It happened last week when the Department of War designated Anthropic a supply chain risk after the company refused to remove safeguards against mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons. Ben Thompson's response wasn't to defend either side. It was to point out what almost no one was saying. If AI is as powerful as its builders claim, the people with guns are going to want to say. Whether that means the U.S. government compelling access or China deciding to act because America is getting too powerful, these are no longer theoretical questions.”
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When a private company develops powerful AI, the government may compel access, raising serious ethical questions. Recently, the U.S. Department of War labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk for refusing to cooperate on military-related projects. This situation illustrates the urgent need to address the intersection of AI technology and military power.
“… this is what we want to do moving forward. And, you know, like obviously this game came down against the Heat, the 83 gamers. This came down to Amin Thompson with a spectacular putback. By the way, 24 points and 18 rebounds for a man. Thompson, that was his 18th rebound of the game. But Reed Shepard, 23 points on 8 to 12 shooting, 14 assists. There you go. Shouldn't this have happened sooner? You could make that argument. Well, but the defense, he's going to get attacked on defense. So, but look, here's the reality. Okay. The reality of the situation the Rockets are in is the Rockets are not good …”
“… game. But it's definitely been impressive in these two games. and Eme has said that the Rockets are going to give this. He didn't commit to the rest of the regular season, but he said we're going to give it a good run here, basically, to see if this is what we want to do moving forward. And, you know, like obviously this game came down against the Heat, the 83 gamers. This came down to Amin Thompson with a spectacular putback. By the way, 24 points and 18 rebounds for a man. Thompson, that was his 18th rebound of the game. But Reed Shepard, 23 points on 8 to 12 shooting, 14 assists. There you go. Shouldn't this have happened sooner? You could make that argument. Well, but the defense, he's going to get attacked on defense. So, but look, here's the reality. Okay. The reality of the situation the Rockets are in is the Rockets are not good enough this year. Right. Probably like they're just not. They're really good. They're not good enough. They're a really good team. They have a bright future, but they're not good enough. So to me, the most important thing from this season is to figure out between the combination of Reed Shepard, a man Thompson and a parent Shangoon. How do those guys …”
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The Houston Rockets' recent lineup change has ignited optimism as Reed Shepard steps into the starting role, leading to impressive performances. With a focus on developing young talent like Shepard and Amen Thompson, the Rockets aim to discover their team's ceiling despite ongoing defensive struggles. This strategic shift could redefine their future as they navigate a challenging season.
“… market caps. So NVIDIA added $3.2 trillion in market cap from when Daniel wrote this piece. And I remember listening to him on Stratechery talk to Ben Thompson alongside Nat Friedman and say, yeah, based on ChatGPT, NVIDIA seems sort of undervalued. And I was like, oh, well, if they're saying it on Ben Thompson's Stratechery podcast, it's obviously priced in. Everyone knows this. And I was wildly wrong. Never doubt yourself. What's interesting is that the rest of the platforms did not see 3x gains. They did not add $3 trillion in value. Microsoft, from January 2024 to today, is only up 4%. Amazon's up …”
“And so the foundation labs are losing money. NVIDIA's profit margin went from like 30% to 60% gross margins. It's borne out in market caps. So NVIDIA added $3.2 trillion in market cap from when Daniel wrote this piece. And I remember listening to him on Stratechery talk to Ben Thompson alongside Nat Friedman and say, yeah, based on ChatGPT, NVIDIA seems sort of undervalued. And I was like, oh, well, if they're saying it on Ben Thompson's Stratechery podcast, it's obviously priced in. Everyone knows this. And I was wildly wrong. Never doubt yourself. What's interesting is that the rest of the platforms did not see 3x gains. They did not add $3 trillion in value. Microsoft, from January 2024 to today, is only up 4%. Amazon's up 30%. And then you do have OpenAI, Anthropic, XAI in the private markets. The gains there, they've been huge and staggering. And it's like the fastest growing companies in private markets history, shaking the venture capital world. You're either in or you're out. It's a huge deal. But you add them all up, it's only 1.4 trillion. So crazy when you …”
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AI investment is concentrated in a few major players like NVIDIA and OpenAI, but the returns are uneven, with NVIDIA thriving while Microsoft's AI investments have yet to pay off.
The massive investments in AI startups are reshaping the venture capital landscape, but the returns for major players like Microsoft are not as impressive as expected, contrasting with NVIDIA's explosive growth.
NVIDIA's massive market gains highlight its dominance in AI hardware, while Microsoft's heavy AI investments have yet to yield significant stock returns.
Nvidia's dominance in the AI sector is unmatched, with massive revenue growth and market cap gains, making it the clear winner in the tech industry's 'picks and shovels' trade.
“… in market cap. So NVIDIA added $3.2 trillion in market cap from when Daniel wrote this piece. And I remember listening to him on Stratechery talk to Ben Thompson alongside Nat Friedman and say, yeah, based on Chachibiti, NVIDIA seems sort of undervalued. And I was like, oh, well, if they're saying it on Ben Thompson's Stratechery podcast, it's obviously priced in. Everyone knows this. And I was wildly wrong. Never doubt yourself. But what's interesting is that the rest of the platforms did not see 3x gains. They did not add $3 trillion in value. Microsoft, from January of 2024 to today, is only up 4%. …”
“… more than 100 of the profits from the AI boom because so many of the other companies in the AI space were losing money And so the foundation labs are losing money. NVIDIA's profit margin went from like 30% to 60% gross margins. And it's borne out in market cap. So NVIDIA added $3.2 trillion in market cap from when Daniel wrote this piece. And I remember listening to him on Stratechery talk to Ben Thompson alongside Nat Friedman and say, yeah, based on Chachibiti, NVIDIA seems sort of undervalued. And I was like, oh, well, if they're saying it on Ben Thompson's Stratechery podcast, it's obviously priced in. Everyone knows this. And I was wildly wrong. Never doubt yourself. But what's interesting is that the rest of the platforms did not see 3x gains. They did not add $3 trillion in value. Microsoft, from January of 2024 to today, is only up 4%. Amazon's up 30%. And then you do have OpenAI, Anthropic, XAI in the private markets. The gains there, they've been huge and staggering. And it's like the fastest growing companies in private markets history, shaking the venture capital world. You're either in or you're out. It's a huge deal. But you add them all up, it's only $1.4 trillion. So crazy …”
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AI investment is heavily skewed towards infrastructure giants like NVIDIA, overshadowing the massive funding rounds of companies like OpenAI.
Nvidia's dominance in the AI infrastructure layer has led to unprecedented market cap growth, showcasing its strategic advantage over other tech giants like Microsoft.
The AI boom has disproportionately benefited infrastructure companies like NVIDIA, while other tech giants like Microsoft see minimal stock gains despite massive AI investments.
“… anti-safety, but instead takes advanced AI seriously as a concept versus does not take advanced AI seriously as a concept. It feels like you and Ben Thompson both are taking AI seriously as a concept. Does that map with your reading on his arguments, your arguments? It feels like there's just a different downstream understanding of how this plays out in a world where advanced AI is a serious concept to grapple with. different than making pencils. Yeah, right. I think the other way to put this would be like, do you think that Dario Amadei and Anthropic are directionally, and the other Frontier Labs …”
“… do that kind of thing. Sure. Is this broadly under the umbrella of like lawfare? Yeah. Okay. Walk me through this idea of the fissure in AI politics right now is not liberal or conservative, Republican versus Democrat, EAC versus EA, safety versus anti-safety, but instead takes advanced AI seriously as a concept versus does not take advanced AI seriously as a concept. It feels like you and Ben Thompson both are taking AI seriously as a concept. Does that map with your reading on his arguments, your arguments? It feels like there's just a different downstream understanding of how this plays out in a world where advanced AI is a serious concept to grapple with. different than making pencils. Yeah, right. I think the other way to put this would be like, do you think that Dario Amadei and Anthropic are directionally, and the other Frontier Labs is worth noting, are directionally right about where this is going? Or do you think that, you think they're not? And also not just do you think they are, but do you really take that seriously? Do you own the consequences of believing that these guys could really be And I think a consistent theme of my writing over the last year especially has been …”
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Advanced AI may soon rival nuclear weapons in terms of risk and regulatory challenges. The conversation explores how the U.S. government might respond to this emerging technology, drawing parallels to past political actions against companies like Elon Musk's. The discussion raises critical questions about the seriousness of AI's implications and the need for effective government interaction.
“… in a democracy that, you know, they should be made by elected officials, not non-elected executives of private companies. You know, to a degree, Ben Thompson, his trajectory unpacks that and essentially is saying much the same thing. But here's my question about that is, and you all tell me if you understand this the same way, I don't feel that Dario and Anthropic is necessarily saying this is wrong and nobody should do it. They're saying we are not comfortable with it. As Jeff, you said it like we know this technology. We know the reliability of it. We know that the challenges of it and we are not …”
“… lines, if we go back to that for a quick second, because there's been a lot of, and you mentioned the stratechery piece. There's also Altman who tweeted out and he said, I don't feel like the executives of private companies should be making decisions in a democracy that, you know, they should be made by elected officials, not non-elected executives of private companies. You know, to a degree, Ben Thompson, his trajectory unpacks that and essentially is saying much the same thing. But here's my question about that is, and you all tell me if you understand this the same way, I don't feel that Dario and Anthropic is necessarily saying this is wrong and nobody should do it. They're saying we are not comfortable with it. As Jeff, you said it like we know this technology. We know the reliability of it. We know that the challenges of it and we are not comfortable with this technology being ready to be given the, you know, weapon where it can choose which humans should be, you know, taken out. that there should always be a human in the loop on that. That seems like a pretty reasonable ask. And then the other, mass surveillance, which is illegal. Yes. What the government has said, and the very …”
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Anthropic's leaders are pushing back against the use of AI in autonomous weapons, arguing that human oversight is essential to prevent disastrous consequences. While other tech giants are eager to profit from military contracts, employees are increasingly concerned about the ethical implications and are considering their career choices based on these values. This tension highlights the critical debate over the role of ethics in AI development and its impact on talent retention in the industry.
“… talk to a new semiconductor company. Like we had Maddox on the show yesterday and he's like, yeah, I'm getting line time at TSMC. And then you read Ben Thompson and it's like, well, they're not really investing in CapEx. And it feels like, is TSMC a bottleneck for this CPU shortage as well? We got NVIDIA earnings. What happened? They got a revenue beat. Okay. We will jump back to TSMC, but they beat revenue. Let's review and read through this. 67.4 billion against an estimate of 66.2 billion. We have some breaking news. NVIDIA has announced earnings. Wow. You guys are faster than me. I'm a blooper. …”
“… in like the last five years YouTube has ever gone down. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That is crazy. Take us through the effects of the CPU shortage in the TSMC context, because TSMC seems to be like a crazy battleground. Apple, NVIDIA, and then you'll talk to a new semiconductor company. Like we had Maddox on the show yesterday and he's like, yeah, I'm getting line time at TSMC. And then you read Ben Thompson and it's like, well, they're not really investing in CapEx. And it feels like, is TSMC a bottleneck for this CPU shortage as well? We got NVIDIA earnings. What happened? They got a revenue beat. Okay. We will jump back to TSMC, but they beat revenue. Let's review and read through this. 67.4 billion against an estimate of 66.2 billion. We have some breaking news. NVIDIA has announced earnings. Wow. You guys are faster than me. I'm a blooper. Nothing liver than live.”
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The current CPU shortage is driven by a perfect storm of factors, including a surge in AI demand and an aging infrastructure from the pandemic era. As companies rush to scale their operations, they find themselves unable to meet the rising demand, leading to significant instability in public cloud services like GitHub. This situation reveals a deeper issue in the semiconductor supply chain, particularly at TSMC, where competition among tech giants complicates the landscape even further.
“… fix this thing. So that's one thing. And I feel like that is maybe a part of the selloff. But the bigger reason for the selloff is maybe what Derek Thompson is talking about, which is that like the world is getting weirder. A lot of people are feeling the acceleration. And if you just don't know what the world looks like or what work looks like, you want to take some risk off. You're not willing to pay the same revenue multiple that you were three years ago. Yeah. I do. I do want to dig into that point that you mentioned earlier a little bit more, which is like the Tyler philosophy of like, of like …”
“… Yeah. I think that's like very obvious. There's two narratives, right? Okay, everyone will just vibe code everything in any department. You can just have an employee just make the software, tell the agent not to make mistakes or tell the agent, hey, fix this thing. So that's one thing. And I feel like that is maybe a part of the selloff. But the bigger reason for the selloff is maybe what Derek Thompson is talking about, which is that like the world is getting weirder. A lot of people are feeling the acceleration. And if you just don't know what the world looks like or what work looks like, you want to take some risk off. You're not willing to pay the same revenue multiple that you were three years ago. Yeah. I do. I do want to dig into that point that you mentioned earlier a little bit more, which is like the Tyler philosophy of like, of like you could vibe code everything and the agents will be able to go around and maintain and everyone will have personalized software individuals where the where the value accrues to the person using the software, but then also the lab providing the software, the inference. And then there's like the private markets boom right now in AI enabled …”
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AI agents equipped with vast real estate data are challenging the traditional role of human agents by eliminating information asymmetry. Despite this technological advancement, humans remain resourceful, finding ways to create value in their roles. This paradox raises questions about the future of jobs in a rapidly changing landscape.
“… and don't touch anything. I know I would slip and fall and I would be cast aside. This came up on, um, John Gruber was talking about it on, uh, with Ben Thompson on the dithering podcast that they do about like how they couldn't believe how curlers step around all those rocks. And I'll just tell you after you do it for about two months, it's a, the self-preservation instinct kicks in and your brain makes a map of where all the rocks are. So you don't step on them. Uh, and then you're fine. But it is one of those things where you're like, you, you, you, you're walking down the ice and suddenly you kick a …”
“… world curling was like, why don't you poop the rock once? It's fine. It's just to get people talking, just to get people talking. Yeah. I, uh, I'd watch it and I think I'm amazed at how you guys scramble around the rocks and you're pointing at stuff and don't touch anything. I know I would slip and fall and I would be cast aside. This came up on, um, John Gruber was talking about it on, uh, with Ben Thompson on the dithering podcast that they do about like how they couldn't believe how curlers step around all those rocks. And I'll just tell you after you do it for about two months, it's a, the self-preservation instinct kicks in and your brain makes a map of where all the rocks are. So you don't step on them. Uh, and then you're fine. But it is one of those things where you're like, you, you, you, you're walking down the ice and suddenly you kick a rock and you're like, Ooh, no, I better never do that again. And then you learn and you figure it out. But yeah. Sorry, Christina, you probably didn't expect early talk. No, I actually, no, that's fantastic. I, I didn't know that you, you curled Jason. And I think that's so fascinating. Um, I want to hear it. Well, I, I watched it on the, uh, the …”
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A minor rules violation in curling, humorously dubbed 'Boopgate,' unexpectedly sparked a surge of interest in the sport. While it was a trivial incident that didn't affect outcomes, it got people talking and even drew attention beyond the Olympics. This showcases how a little controversy can create buzz and engage new fans in niche sports like curling.
“… to do this because anthropic refused to allow the Department of Defense to use Claude however they saw fit. There was an interesting article from Ben Thompson and then there was some pushback on that saying yeah all kinds of things but I just want to say the latest news is that Anthropic is still trying to make a last ditch effort to be the AI provider for the Department of Defense. They're it seems like meeting today Thursday and try to hash this out. OpenAI was quick to jump in and be like hey Anthropic security risk we will do the things for the Department of Defense but it would take a very long …”
“… which is that after last week's episode, it came out that the Trump administration was going to designate anthropic as a supply chain risk, which we talked about in the last episode as it might happen. And the administration was like, we are going to do this because anthropic refused to allow the Department of Defense to use Claude however they saw fit. There was an interesting article from Ben Thompson and then there was some pushback on that saying yeah all kinds of things but I just want to say the latest news is that Anthropic is still trying to make a last ditch effort to be the AI provider for the Department of Defense. They're it seems like meeting today Thursday and try to hash this out. OpenAI was quick to jump in and be like hey Anthropic security risk we will do the things for the Department of Defense but it would take a very long process for Claude and Anthropic to be removed from all these government agencies and processes and put OpenAI in. So I think the government's probably incentivized to try and make it work with Anthropic, but we'll see. Also, if Anthropic was designated a supply chain risk, that would affect other companies besides the US. And speaking of our …”
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Anthropic is now labeled a supply chain risk by the Trump administration due to its refusal to allow the Department of Defense complete access to its AI, Claude. This designation could have far-reaching implications, affecting not only government contracts but also major tech companies like Apple that rely on Claude internally. As Anthropic scrambles to negotiate its position, the stakes are high for both the company and the broader tech landscape.
“… what he does versus democracy, America, government. There are other reactions and other breakdowns. We can actually kick off with this breakdown of Ben Thompson's piece. Ben Thompson, as always, lays out the reality more clearly than I could have despite my attempts. By Dario's own words, he's building something akin to nukes. He's simultaneously challenging the US government's authority to decide how to wield said power. As much as I like Claude, and as much as I dislike Hegseth's extra-legal might-makes-right maneuvering, I will ask you again, what did you expect? Vibes? Essays? This is the reality …”
“… court gave notice that going forward this should not be used and that the laws need to change. The whole debate right now is, is Dario like the god king corporate emperor of this private company that he has control over and like you don't get to vote what he does versus democracy, America, government. There are other reactions and other breakdowns. We can actually kick off with this breakdown of Ben Thompson's piece. Ben Thompson, as always, lays out the reality more clearly than I could have despite my attempts. By Dario's own words, he's building something akin to nukes. He's simultaneously challenging the US government's authority to decide how to wield said power. As much as I like Claude, and as much as I dislike Hegseth's extra-legal might-makes-right maneuvering, I will ask you again, what did you expect? Vibes? Essays? This is the reality of all too many of my EA followers that they've been proclaiming for years now. They're seemingly upset that this reality has come to bear. One of Dario's favorite books is The Making of the Atom Bomb. The Making of the Atomic Bomb. And it tells the story of the scientist that built the atom bomb, and then eventually that technology was …”
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Dario, a leader in AI development, draws a parallel between artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons, challenging the government's authority in regulating this powerful technology. He believes that just as the atom bomb was eventually nationalized, AI's potential for harm necessitates careful governance. This discussion raises critical questions about surveillance, democracy, and the ethical implications of AI in warfare.
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You don't need millions of followers to succeed as an entrepreneur; just 1,000 true fans can propel your business forward. Harley Finkelstein, Shopify's President, emphasizes that building a loyal customer base is more valuable than chasing influencer fame. He shares how his venture, Firebelly Tea, thrived by focusing on customer relationships rather than follower counts.
“… run it on an H-100 fleet really efficiently. And so that's still economically valuable, and so you're able to continue that. Should we... go over Ben Thompson's post from this morning. Yeah, we should. Now would be a good time. Yeah, first, let me tell you about LabelBox, RL environments, voice, robotics, evals, and expert human data. LabelBox is the data factory behind the world's leading AI teams. And let me tell you about Vibe.co, where DTC brands, B2B startups, and AI companies advertise on streaming TV. Pick channels, target audiences, measure sales, just like on Meta. Ben Thompson published …”
“… going through and spell checking names and cross-referencing data sources and pulling from email and dumping some notes, summarizing. And you can do that on a GPT-4 class model instead of using 5.4. You can probably distill that model, boil it down, run it on an H-100 fleet really efficiently. And so that's still economically valuable, and so you're able to continue that. Should we... go over Ben Thompson's post from this morning. Yeah, we should. Now would be a good time. Yeah, first, let me tell you about LabelBox, RL environments, voice, robotics, evals, and expert human data. LabelBox is the data factory behind the world's leading AI teams. And let me tell you about Vibe.co, where DTC brands, B2B startups, and AI companies advertise on streaming TV. Pick channels, target audiences, measure sales, just like on Meta. Ben Thompson published this this morning. To me, the second I saw that, I started reading it. It felt like taking a double scoop of C4. Is that a pre-workout? Yeah, you never. I know the can. I didn't know it was a. You never dabbled? What was the one that we. I'm more of the gorilla mind one. That's the one that I do. Many people have said you have the mind of a gorilla. …”
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Ben Thompson argues that despite fears of a bubble in AI spending, he believes we're not in one. This insight comes amid a paradox where experts must balance doomsday scenarios against the potential for inflated hype. As AI technology evolves, understanding this dynamic becomes crucial for the industry’s future.
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Ben Rice, a player for the Yankees, has teamed up with Uncle Ben's rice brand to support children facing food insecurity. This partnership will provide access to 2,200 meals, inspired by Rice's jersey number, showcasing how sports endorsements can make a real difference in the community. It's a win-win situation that highlights the power of athletes in philanthropy.
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Apple's entry-level iPad is set for a major update with improved performance, including a shift from the A16 chip to the A18 chip, expected between now and May 2026. Meanwhile, Apple is enhancing the iPhone 18 Pro's camera with pro features, following a strategic hire from the app Howlide, despite a lawsuit involving the co-founder. This indicates a significant evolution in Apple's camera technology this fall.
“… While some kind of regulation might be inevitable I think it would be a terrible idea for the government to just wholesale take over this technology Ben Thompson had a post last Monday where he argued look people like Dario have made the analogy of AI to nuclear weapons in the context of arguing it a catastrophic risk, in the context of arguing for extra controls. But then think about what that analogy implies. And Ben Thompson writes, quote, if nuclear weapons were developed by a private company, the U.S. would absolutely be incentivized to destroy that company. And honestly, Safety aligned people have …”
“… a regulatory apparatus, which isn't just going to be this huge tempting opportunity for the government to control our future civilization, which remember will be built on AI, or to requisition blindly obedient soldiers and sensors and apparatchiks. While some kind of regulation might be inevitable I think it would be a terrible idea for the government to just wholesale take over this technology Ben Thompson had a post last Monday where he argued look people like Dario have made the analogy of AI to nuclear weapons in the context of arguing it a catastrophic risk, in the context of arguing for extra controls. But then think about what that analogy implies. And Ben Thompson writes, quote, if nuclear weapons were developed by a private company, the U.S. would absolutely be incentivized to destroy that company. And honestly, Safety aligned people have made a similar point. Leopold Lachenbrenner, who is a former guest and full disclosure, a good friend, wrote in his 2014 memo, Situational Awareness, quote, I find it an insane proposition that the US government will let a random SF startup develop superintelligence. Imagine if we had developed atomic bombs by letting Uber just improvise. And my …”
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Regulating AI could empower governments to control our future civilization, risking authoritarianism. The vague terms used in AI governance could be manipulated by power-hungry leaders, leading to mass surveillance and censorship. Instead of giving the government authority over AI, we should focus on specific regulations to prevent misuse while maintaining a free society.
Ridealong summary
Mistakes in journalism are inevitable, but they highlight the importance of corrections and accountability. A powerful story about Ben Bradley's courage during the Watergate scandal illustrates the necessity of vigorous public debate in the face of threats to journalistic integrity. In today's climate, where truth is often contested, we need more open discourse, not less.
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Jeff Bezos
Best Podcasts on Nvidia's GB300 & DLSS 5
At the GTC 2026 conference, Nvidia unveiled its new GB300 chip and DLSS 5 technology, projecting a trillion-dollar revenue forecast. This highlights Nvidia's continued innovation and dominance in the AI and graphics sectors, impacting the broader tech industry.
DLSS 5
Nvidia