Best Podcast Episodes About Zuckerberg
Everything podcasters are saying about Zuckerberg — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Apr 02, 2026 – 37 episodes
Listen to the Playlist
Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Zuckerberg.
Top Podcast Clips About Zuckerberg
“… many millions of people. I think the platforms never got their heads around that either. Did you feel the same way there that once you put Mark Zuckerberg in front of a jury, there was just no way that the social media platforms would win a case? It was really hard to know, like, why were these jurors selected? Were they selected because they're the sort of people who don't use social media a lot or know about a lot of good experiences with social media? So I think that was the wild card in watching them was how are they really taking in this evidence? At the same time, it can be hard to hear …”
“… kick in Like everybody has these negative experiences with these social media platforms and the companies themselves always tell us that statistically these problems are small, but their user numbers are so vast that even a small percentage is many, many millions of people. I think the platforms never got their heads around that either. Did you feel the same way there that once you put Mark Zuckerberg in front of a jury, there was just no way that the social media platforms would win a case? It was really hard to know, like, why were these jurors selected? Were they selected because they're the sort of people who don't use social media a lot or know about a lot of good experiences with social media? So I think that was the wild card in watching them was how are they really taking in this evidence? At the same time, it can be hard to hear some of this evidence. And anyone who knows someone who's been through a mental health issue or has struggled with just using their phone too much or being on social media too much, I think a lot of us know people like that. If we're not those people ourselves, that's definitely going to affect them in some way on a human level. I mean, when I was …”
View more
Ridealong summary
A jury found Meta and Google liable for social media addiction, likening it to cars without seatbelts. This resonates with many Americans who struggle with platforms like Instagram, often reinstalling the app despite negative effects. The trial's outcome suggests a shift in how society views social media's impact on mental health, comparable to past public health crises.
“… research that proved it. And so that for me was the highlight is seeing the internal documents that said just that, and then also hearing Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Masseri, head of Instagram try to talk their way around that and try to explain away decisions that they knew were going to harm children and move forward anyways. And so they couldn't argue against what we could actually see with our own eyes. One of the moments that stands out to me was Mark Zuckerberg getting asked about this internal study that Meta did, where they asked 18 independent experts about the impact of beauty filters on …”
“… of 12 people on the jury didn buy those arguments I don think that they could argue that they didn build their platforms to be addictive because the documents were very clear that that's what they were doing, and then hiding it from us and discontinuing research that proved it. And so that for me was the highlight is seeing the internal documents that said just that, and then also hearing Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Masseri, head of Instagram try to talk their way around that and try to explain away decisions that they knew were going to harm children and move forward anyways. And so they couldn't argue against what we could actually see with our own eyes. One of the moments that stands out to me was Mark Zuckerberg getting asked about this internal study that Meta did, where they asked 18 independent experts about the impact of beauty filters on young people. And all of those experts said, this has the potential to cause serious harm. And yet Meta allows those filters on Instagram anyways. And Zuckerberg tried to say, well, it's a free speech issue. And we think that people shouldn't be restricted from accessing these things. But just so interesting the way that they've had internal …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta and YouTube knowingly built addictive platforms and ignored internal research showing harm to children, prioritizing growth over safety.
Meta and YouTube knowingly built addictive platforms and ignored internal research showing harm to children, prioritizing growth over safety.
“… to feel is if you can see the incentive and you have that clarity, you can confidently say, I don't want the future that that creates. In 2013, Mark Zuckerberg could have said, oh my God, I see we're about to create an arms race to hack human psychology. I'm going to convene all the leading social media companies and the government. I'm Mark Zuckerberg. I've got billions of dollars. I'm going to throw money at this. I'm going to get the government people involved, not because the government's trustworthy or because we like them, because I see that we need some kind of rules. And I'm going to try to …”
“… way, and I'm not some kind of like, it's not like I especially see the future, but in 2013, it was so obvious to me, if you take these incentives really far in a decade, I can tell you where you're going to live in. And the thing that I want people to feel is if you can see the incentive and you have that clarity, you can confidently say, I don't want the future that that creates. In 2013, Mark Zuckerberg could have said, oh my God, I see we're about to create an arms race to hack human psychology. I'm going to convene all the leading social media companies and the government. I'm Mark Zuckerberg. I've got billions of dollars. I'm going to throw money at this. I'm going to get the government people involved, not because the government's trustworthy or because we like them, because I see that we need some kind of rules. And I'm going to try to create some rules that say no autoplaying videos, no infinite scroll, no one can create unnecessary FOMO. You can't dole out like a few likes here and then a few likes there, like a slot machine. You have to do them all at the end of the day or something like that. Like you can create rules and norms so that we didn't get the mass addiction …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Tristan Harris warns that social media's AI is maximizing engagement at the cost of societal stability, driving division and confirmation bias globally. He argues that in 2013, leaders like Mark Zuckerberg could have implemented rules to prevent addiction and distraction, but failed to act. This oversight has led to a transformation of society where attention is prioritized over well-being.
“… and Baidu but in the end he all he really wanted was to go to Google. For Demis he was being courted as well by others including a dinner at Mark Zuckerberg's house in the I guess weeks or months after this first meeting with Larry Page at Elon Musk's birthday party. and he submitted Mark Zuckerberg to a test at this dinner right yeah that's right so the test was was a bit subtle predictably they sit down to dinner and Mark Zuckerberg who's longing to buy DeepMind to get one over Google and this was not recently this was 10 years ago it's 2013 so so Mark Zuckerberg says um well I I think AI is the …”
“… on the other hand. And these two fields of artificial intelligence have their different moments in the sun as the story progresses. Hinton talked he came on Tech Stuff and talked about how he ran an auction to sell ImageNet with Google, Microsoft and Baidu but in the end he all he really wanted was to go to Google. For Demis he was being courted as well by others including a dinner at Mark Zuckerberg's house in the I guess weeks or months after this first meeting with Larry Page at Elon Musk's birthday party. and he submitted Mark Zuckerberg to a test at this dinner right yeah that's right so the test was was a bit subtle predictably they sit down to dinner and Mark Zuckerberg who's longing to buy DeepMind to get one over Google and this was not recently this was 10 years ago it's 2013 so so Mark Zuckerberg says um well I I think AI is the most important technology in human history it's extraordinary and you know i really hope you agree to join me at facebook uh because you know we could just do great things together blah blah blah blah and then you know the conversation moves on time goes by and then demis slightly says you know 3d printing is extraordinary and zuckerberg goes yeah …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Demis Hassabis turned down a lucrative offer from Mark Zuckerberg to join Facebook, believing Zuckerberg's passion for AI was insincere. Instead, he opted for Google, where he could focus on his true passion: advancing artificial intelligence. This pivotal decision shaped the future of AI development and solidified Hassabis's role at Google DeepMind.
“… so unless there's collective bans, unless there's, I mean, for God's sakes, these counties will claim that it's hard. And my favorite is when Mark Zuckerberg claimed to give a flying fuck about a 14-year-old's First Amendment rights. Yeah, I bet he wakes up at night thinking 14-year-olds need free speech. he literally used that as an excuse that they were worried about their first amendment rights a ninth grader but unless i don't see why we have i mean a simple one age gating i think that's coming i i don't think there's i don't think there's any reason anyone at the age of 18 should ever be on a …”
“… the addiction of these products. And he said that the really sad thing is if you don have a collective ban if you take your kid if you tell your kid you can be on Snap and you can be on Instagram they more depressed because they isolated socially And so unless there's collective bans, unless there's, I mean, for God's sakes, these counties will claim that it's hard. And my favorite is when Mark Zuckerberg claimed to give a flying fuck about a 14-year-old's First Amendment rights. Yeah, I bet he wakes up at night thinking 14-year-olds need free speech. he literally used that as an excuse that they were worried about their first amendment rights a ninth grader but unless i don't see why we have i mean a simple one age gating i think that's coming i i don't think there's i don't think there's any reason anyone at the age of 18 should ever be on a social media platform and i get it maybe they can learn from youtube maybe they can learn how to do algebra it's not worth it or you have the cleanest g-rated version and what jonathan height says is just go to china and see what they're serving up on their social media platforms It's like kids running around and doing dances in front of the flag …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Big tech companies are facing growing backlash as parents express outrage over their children's addiction and self-harm linked to social media. This frustration is leading to harsher consequences for these companies, as juries begin to hold them accountable for their actions. The need for collective bans and stricter regulations is becoming increasingly urgent to protect the mental health of young users.
“… they're not liable if they can't look. And I suspected that a lot of that had to do with trying to avoid liability. We heard the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that Facebook will become a privacy-focused social network. Does that make sense to you? How do you interpret that? Well, the issue is that they're trying to avoid liability. I'm sure there's many things that there are good reasons for doing what they're doing. But when they move all this, you know, the Russian hacking, the pedophilia stuff, all this stuff that's going on in these different groups, when suddenly they're inside of private …”
“… encrypted. And they said, is this a good thing or a bad thing? And I said, well, one of the reasons that I think Facebook is doing this is because if they encrypt messages, then they don't actually know what's being sent between people. And they're not liable if they can't look. And I suspected that a lot of that had to do with trying to avoid liability. We heard the Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that Facebook will become a privacy-focused social network. Does that make sense to you? How do you interpret that? Well, the issue is that they're trying to avoid liability. I'm sure there's many things that there are good reasons for doing what they're doing. But when they move all this, you know, the Russian hacking, the pedophilia stuff, all this stuff that's going on in these different groups, when suddenly they're inside of private groups, it's not their responsibility. Wow, I never thought of it like that. So once it's encrypted, they don't have to be responsible for telling the FBI or whatever, we knew this was happening, because they can't know. And then this actually did come out in some of the documents as part of this discovery process. Can you talk about this, Aza? …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta's internal documents reveal a shocking strategy to avoid liability for child safety issues by encrypting messages, effectively shielding the company from responsibility. Testimonies in the New Mexico trial expose how executives acknowledged the dangers but chose to prioritize profit over children's safety. This trial could mark a pivotal moment in holding social media accountable for their actions.
“… drew more scrutiny than he predicted before he joined the plaintiff's team last fall and was brought face-to-face with Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Suddenly, Lanier was at the epicenter. And I believe that Zuck is actually mewing in this picture, if we can pull up this image. It does appear to be something along those lines. Suddenly, Lanier was at the epicenter. You agree, Tyler, right? You can tell his cortisol is not spiking here. That's true. That definitely seems, he seems calm, collected. But this is not his first time putting on a suit. This is not the first time he's been in court.”
“… cancer. So, I mean, over his career, it seems like he's done some very, very good work and has won some massive, massive settlements against big companies with broadly damaging products. So a lot to admire about his career here. The social media trial drew more scrutiny than he predicted before he joined the plaintiff's team last fall and was brought face-to-face with Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Suddenly, Lanier was at the epicenter. And I believe that Zuck is actually mewing in this picture, if we can pull up this image. It does appear to be something along those lines. Suddenly, Lanier was at the epicenter. You agree, Tyler, right? You can tell his cortisol is not spiking here. That's true. That definitely seems, he seems calm, collected. But this is not his first time putting on a suit. This is not the first time he's been in court.”
View more
Ridealong summary
Mark Lanier, a renowned attorney, shocked the legal world by taking on tech giants like Meta and Google, drawing unprecedented scrutiny in his latest social media trial. Known for winning landmark cases against major corporations, including a $4.69 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson, Lanier now finds himself face-to-face with Mark Zuckerberg, showcasing his fearless approach in the courtroom. This segment dives into Lanier's remarkable career and his bold strategies in high-stakes litigation.
“… founder meeting you've ever had? Not the best founder or anything like that, just the most memorable first founder meeting. First meeting with Mark Zuckerberg. It was amazing. Mark's like 19 or whatever. And it was Mark and Sean Parker. And I knew Sean a little bit, but not well. And I'd never met Mark before. And Sean talked the entire time. Sean literally talked the entire time. It was just talking to my whole minute, every idea. It was just absolutely amazing. And Mark like didn't talk. And so Sean and I basically talked the whole time. and Mark sat and listened. And I walked away and I was just …”
“… help or support or help get through hard times or teach different things to who've been on, you know, gone on to be very successful. And I think it's time's passing. is more of that second category. Penultimate one, what was the most memorable first founder meeting you've ever had? Not the best founder or anything like that, just the most memorable first founder meeting. First meeting with Mark Zuckerberg. It was amazing. Mark's like 19 or whatever. And it was Mark and Sean Parker. And I knew Sean a little bit, but not well. And I'd never met Mark before. And Sean talked the entire time. Sean literally talked the entire time. It was just talking to my whole minute, every idea. It was just absolutely amazing. And Mark like didn't talk. And so Sean and I basically talked the whole time. and Mark sat and listened. And I walked away and I was just like, wow, that was really weird. I was like, one of two things that's happened here, like either he's completely unsuited for the job because like he literally doesn't talk or he's like listening and absorbing everything that people are saying around. And he's going to be on a vertical learning curve like crazy because he doesn't have the ego need …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Despite the WeWork controversy, Marc Andreessen believes Adam Neumann is a generational talent in real estate. A conversation with a legendary real estate figure reinforced this view, highlighting Neumann's unique ability to build compelling brands that resonate with people. This perspective shifted Andreessen's understanding of Neumann's impact on the industry.
“… company so far? Has it been beneficial from the talent war standpoint? I'm sure some of the other lab leads have taken a trip out to the UK. Mark Zuckerberg's hosting nightly dinners for AI leads at his house, which is just a couple blocks from all the other labs. Can't do that if the researchers are in the UK. Right, yeah. I mean, there is movement across the Atlantic. But I think the deal is, if you're in London, it's a little harder to recruit people. But once you've got them, they're probably stickier than they would be if you're in Mountain View or somewhere. I think Demis has stayed in London …”
“… of getting up to speed. And I didn't worry that it might be wrong because I was gonna speak to the human and cross check it But that was helpful Do you think Demis having a home base in the UK in what ways do you think it would have helped or hurt the company so far? Has it been beneficial from the talent war standpoint? I'm sure some of the other lab leads have taken a trip out to the UK. Mark Zuckerberg's hosting nightly dinners for AI leads at his house, which is just a couple blocks from all the other labs. Can't do that if the researchers are in the UK. Right, yeah. I mean, there is movement across the Atlantic. But I think the deal is, if you're in London, it's a little harder to recruit people. But once you've got them, they're probably stickier than they would be if you're in Mountain View or somewhere. I think Demis has stayed in London because actually he is weirdly patriotic. You know, he comes from this mixed up sort of, you know, a Greek heritage father, a Singaporean Chinese mother. In a way, that makes him a typical Londoner because London is really a melting pot. But, you know, he stays there because he feels he wants, he believes in sort of British social democratic …”
View more
Ridealong summary
AI is transforming the way we learn and write, offering unprecedented efficiency in research and understanding complex topics. For instance, using AI models can streamline the process of connecting ideas from various research papers, enhancing the preparation for interviews. This shift raises questions about the implications of AI's role in developing consciousness and the unique cultural perspective of leaders like Demis Hassabis at DeepMind in London.
Ridealong summary
Mark Zuckerberg, once viewed skeptically, is starting to change his perspective on ethical tech use. After a personal meeting, one critic found him more relatable and open to new ideas. This shift raises questions about the future of AI and its societal implications.
“Yeah, I don't know. I'm so interested to know what Mark Zuckerberg is prompting. Hope's Revenge says ZStack. Yeah, it is ZStack. Honestly, ZStack is like, it's like God mode. I mean, it does make sense in his position to have a model that's fine-tuned on the internal KPIs, the internal org chart, all this information that's private. And he probably doesn't want to hand that off to another lab that's just going to maybe look at the data and be like, oh, okay. So Mark Zuckerberg just asked, how do I poach from …”
“Yeah, I don't know. I'm so interested to know what Mark Zuckerberg is prompting. Hope's Revenge says ZStack. Yeah, it is ZStack. Honestly, ZStack is like, it's like God mode. I mean, it does make sense in his position to have a model that's fine-tuned on the internal KPIs, the internal org chart, all this information that's private. And he probably doesn't want to hand that off to another lab that's just going to maybe look at the data and be like, oh, okay. So Mark Zuckerberg just asked, how do I poach from all the other labs? But there's got to be so many other questions that he's asking all the time. When you're walking into a meeting with executives, you want to know, well, how is this division performing? How much money am I spending on meta-ray-band displays? What's the turn rate? Who are our biggest partners? There's a million questions. Yeah, …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Mark Zuckerberg is developing a powerful AI agent, ZStack, designed to streamline how he accesses critical company information. This initiative reflects a broader goal at Meta to enhance efficiency and compete with smaller, agile AI startups. By eliminating bureaucratic layers, Zuckerberg aims to redefine employee roles and accelerate decision-making within the 78,000-person organization.
“… bad and poisonous, you know, there should be, you should be somewhat accountable. It feels like, I know there's just now a court case. or wasn't Zuckerberg just in court? Yeah. Yeah. In LA. Here we go. Mark Zuckerberg grilled about underage Instagram users, social media addiction during landmark trial in his first time testifying about child safety in front of a jury. Zuckerberg said the company does not seek to make Instagram addictive to younger users, pushing back against claims that the social media app is designed to be harmful to children. I'm focused on building a community that is …”
“… curious about one video, but then it serves you seven others. And now you have a strong take about a group or about a person or anything. So it's like, shouldn't the creator of the algorithm, like if I make something and I give it to you and I know it's bad and poisonous, you know, there should be, you should be somewhat accountable. It feels like, I know there's just now a court case. or wasn't Zuckerberg just in court? Yeah. Yeah. In LA. Here we go. Mark Zuckerberg grilled about underage Instagram users, social media addiction during landmark trial in his first time testifying about child safety in front of a jury. Zuckerberg said the company does not seek to make Instagram addictive to younger users, pushing back against claims that the social media app is designed to be harmful to children. I'm focused on building a community that is sustainable. If you do something that's not good for people, maybe they'll spend more time short term, but if they're not happy with it, they're not going to use it over time. I'm not trying to maximize the amount of time people spend every month. Why I was saying, I wanted to reframe, because when people talk about social media, typically the blame is on …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Social media platforms like Meta and YouTube are likened to pollutants, with algorithms that harm society by causing depression and anxiety, and should be held accountable like companies producing harmful substances.
Social media platforms are likened to pollutants, causing societal harm and requiring accountability similar to companies that produce harmful substances like cigarettes or lead.
“… pulling the plug on the metaverse. The company announced that Horizon Worlds will be going dark on June 15th on the Quest VR headsets. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is finally admitting defeat. I mean, they went all in. They literally changed the name of the company from Facebook to Meta five years ago. You know, at the time, Zuck was calling the Metaverse the next frontier. He said that it would reach a billion people, and he then proceeded to spend an absurd amount of money trying to build it. Meta's Reality Labs division has lost over $80 billion since 2020. Well, the reality is, no pun intended, nobody …”
“Let's wrap the show with a fun fact. Meta is officially pulling the plug on the metaverse. The company announced that Horizon Worlds will be going dark on June 15th on the Quest VR headsets. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is finally admitting defeat. I mean, they went all in. They literally changed the name of the company from Facebook to Meta five years ago. You know, at the time, Zuck was calling the Metaverse the next frontier. He said that it would reach a billion people, and he then proceeded to spend an absurd amount of money trying to build it. Meta's Reality Labs division has lost over $80 billion since 2020. Well, the reality is, no pun intended, nobody cared about the metaverse. Horizon Worlds never really caught on. The platform never had more than a couple hundred thousand monthly users. So now the company is pivoting completely. They've cut over a thousand jobs from the Reality Labs division. They're shutting down VR gaming studios and pivoting everything to AI and their smart glasses, which …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta is shutting down its metaverse platform, Horizon Worlds, admitting defeat after losing over $80 billion since 2020. CEO Mark Zuckerberg's vision for a billion users never materialized, leading to layoffs and a pivot towards AI and smart glasses. This shift highlights the strength of Meta's core social media ad business, which has helped the company thrive despite the massive financial loss.
“… tech, pro Facebook. I think that if Facebook wanted to make safer products, they would shut down. They would stop existing. I am no friend to Mark Zuckerberg. However, I am very cautious about some of the precedent that I think this is setting. Facebook hurts people. They hurt kids. They profit from harming people. That is not in dispute. That is a fact. And I think that anybody who has been harmed by them should get paid for it because that harm is real and should have a monetary cost because Facebook certainly made a monetary profit from that harm and trafficking in that harm However I believe …”
“… and protecting themselves and their ability to design products however they want more and more uh it's a little bit of a digression, but I just wanted to get that in there too. Yes. So I don't think anybody listening thinks that I am pro big tech, pro Facebook. I think that if Facebook wanted to make safer products, they would shut down. They would stop existing. I am no friend to Mark Zuckerberg. However, I am very cautious about some of the precedent that I think this is setting. Facebook hurts people. They hurt kids. They profit from harming people. That is not in dispute. That is a fact. And I think that anybody who has been harmed by them should get paid for it because that harm is real and should have a monetary cost because Facebook certainly made a monetary profit from that harm and trafficking in that harm However I believe that a lot of these cases are so easily turned into more fodder for the way that elected officials are really chomping at the bit to age gate and restrict an open free internet. I do not think that Facebook and big tech companies should be allowed to get away with harm without any kind of accountability. Absolutely not.”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta and Google intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive, similar to tactics used by casinos, and hid evidence of harm from the public.
Social media companies like Meta intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive, similar to tactics used by casinos, and hid the resulting harm from the public.
“Zuckerberg said that many Meta employees disagree with the company's decisions, which is something the company encourages. And while he understood Stewart's perspective, there was ultimately not enough causal evidence to support the assertions of harms by the outside experts. When Lanier asked if Zuckerberg had a college degree that would indicate expertise and causation, the Meta chief said, I don't have a college degree in anything. I agree, I do not …”
“Zuckerberg said that many Meta employees disagree with the company's decisions, which is something the company encourages. And while he understood Stewart's perspective, there was ultimately not enough causal evidence to support the assertions of harms by the outside experts. When Lanier asked if Zuckerberg had a college degree that would indicate expertise and causation, the Meta chief said, I don't have a college degree in anything. I agree, I do not know the legal understanding of causation, but I think I have a pretty good idea of how statistics work, Zuckerberg said. The trial, which began in late January, centers on a young woman who alleged that she became addicted to social media and video streaming apps like Instagram and YouTube. The Facebook founder pushed back against the notion that …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta's decision to lift the ban on beauty filters, despite expert warnings, reflects a prioritization of free expression over potential mental health risks for young users.
“… is. So Elon, they recognize that these are powerful tools. So we're going to walk back a little bit just to get to kind of the genesis of this. Mark Zuckerberg does his Zuckerbucks, spends $400 million ostensibly to beef up resources. This is during COVID. So maybe they're putting up plexiglass on things. They're getting people more access. But he has the misfortune of spending $400 million on an election Donald Trump lost. Right. Right. So that also becomes part of the narrative. So I'm just trying to walk through so that the culture is maybe you consider it liberal. Zuckerberg spends all this money. …”
“… from seeing that if they were part of a protected group. But also in part of in the culture when much more people were on the ramparts about the usage of certain words or various things. I'm just trying to get at like the psychology of where this is. So Elon, they recognize that these are powerful tools. So we're going to walk back a little bit just to get to kind of the genesis of this. Mark Zuckerberg does his Zuckerbucks, spends $400 million ostensibly to beef up resources. This is during COVID. So maybe they're putting up plexiglass on things. They're getting people more access. But he has the misfortune of spending $400 million on an election Donald Trump lost. Right. Right. So that also becomes part of the narrative. So I'm just trying to walk through so that the culture is maybe you consider it liberal. Zuckerberg spends all this money. He doesn't do it ideologically.”
View more
Ridealong summary
In this segment, the hosts hilariously dissect Mark Zuckerberg's $400 million investment during the election that Trump lost, highlighting the irony of spending so much on a losing cause. The discussion takes a comedic turn as they explore the liberal slant of social media culture and the absurdity of trying to 'beef up' an election that was already decided.
“… model to at least May over performance concerns and also discussed temporarily licensing Gemini to power its products in the meantime. Quote, Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, said in July that his company's new artificial intelligence models would push the frontier in the next year or so. Now Mr. Zuckerberg, who has invested billions in the AI race, appears increasingly unlikely to hit that deadline, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Meta's new foundational AI model, which the company has been working on for months, has fallen short of the performance of leading AI models …”
“Sources tell The Times that Meta has delayed the launch of its big Avocado AI model to at least May over performance concerns and also discussed temporarily licensing Gemini to power its products in the meantime. Quote, Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, said in July that his company's new artificial intelligence models would push the frontier in the next year or so. Now Mr. Zuckerberg, who has invested billions in the AI race, appears increasingly unlikely to hit that deadline, three people with knowledge of the matter said. Meta's new foundational AI model, which the company has been working on for months, has fallen short of the performance of leading AI models from rivals like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic on internal tests for reasoning, coding, and writing, said the people who were not authorized to speak publicly about confidential matters. The model, codenamed Avocado, outperformed Meta's previous AI model and did better than Google's Gemini 2.5 model from March, two of the people said, but it has …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta's AI ambitions are faltering as their new Avocado model underperforms, forcing them to consider licensing rivals' technology.
“… in late 2022 to hitting all-time highs of $790 by August of 2025. That's a 8x return in less than three years, which is pretty remarkable. And Mark Zuckerberg himself kind of went through a personal makeover at the time. He started doing MMA and got a cool haircut and started rocking change and oversized t-shirts. I mean, it was a total 180 from the awkward robot CEO reputation that he had. And that brings us to today. Meta is finally admitting defeat on the Metaverse. Meta recently announced that they are shutting down Horizon Worlds and they're cutting back on Reality Lab spending, including laying …”
“… the company on profitability. Meta launched the year of efficiency in 2023, cutting over 21,000 jobs. And they also started gaining traction with Instagram Reels. And look, those moves worked, at least for the stock. Meta went from under $100 a share in late 2022 to hitting all-time highs of $790 by August of 2025. That's a 8x return in less than three years, which is pretty remarkable. And Mark Zuckerberg himself kind of went through a personal makeover at the time. He started doing MMA and got a cool haircut and started rocking change and oversized t-shirts. I mean, it was a total 180 from the awkward robot CEO reputation that he had. And that brings us to today. Meta is finally admitting defeat on the Metaverse. Meta recently announced that they are shutting down Horizon Worlds and they're cutting back on Reality Lab spending, including laying off staff to free up cash to spend on AI. This is a pretty staggering stat, but Reality Labs has lost over $80 billion since 2020. That's a lot of money to spend on devices and virtual worlds that barely anybody used. But AI seems to be a different story. Meta seems to be convinced that people will actually use AI. In fact, Meta already claims …”
View more
Ridealong summary
Meta's shift from the metaverse to AI has resulted in a staggering stock increase, but recent concerns are causing a downturn. After cutting jobs and investing heavily in AI infrastructure, Meta's stock soared from under $100 to $790 in just three years, showcasing the impact of their new strategy. However, with recent stock declines and ongoing legal challenges, the future remains uncertain.
“… is a streaming platform, not a social media company. The trial running five weeks featuring testimony from top executives including Metta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Yesterday verdict potentially paving the way for more trials and settlements down the line with thousands of other suits already filed A spokeswoman for Meta issuing a statement quote we respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options. Google, which owns YouTube, planning to appeal. Eight more cases in this series are still set to go to trial.”
“… which led to massive payouts and forced sweeping changes to how cigarettes were marketed, especially to minors. Throughout the trial, Metta's legal team arguing KGM's mental health issues stemmed from her troubled home life. YouTube maintaining it is a streaming platform, not a social media company. The trial running five weeks featuring testimony from top executives including Metta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Yesterday verdict potentially paving the way for more trials and settlements down the line with thousands of other suits already filed A spokeswoman for Meta issuing a statement quote we respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options. Google, which owns YouTube, planning to appeal. Eight more cases in this series are still set to go to trial.”
View more
Ridealong summary
The verdict against Meta and YouTube marks a pivotal moment, likened to the big tobacco cases, potentially leading to sweeping changes in social media regulation and accountability.
Social media companies like Meta and Google are facing a legal reckoning similar to the big tobacco cases, with potential for massive payouts and forced changes in how they operate.
The ruling against social media giants like Meta and YouTube is a significant step towards holding these companies accountable for the mental health impacts of their addictive features.
“… like I mentioned Meta has lobbied for, is lobbying for, has released blog posts about, produced an ad for and released a white paper on. And Zuckerberg has said that he wants it basically because it makes him seem cooperative, like he's agreeing to tech regulation, while it ultimately just allows him to literally destroy any of his smaller competitors ability to survive. And what's also so offensive to me and like why I'm getting like increasingly heated during this video is that like Joseph Gordon-Levitt doesn't seem to know about the work of any activists in this space at all. Like he has …”
“… table. Meta and Google are two of the biggest lobbyists in Washington. All they do all day is meet with lawmakers and try to negotiate tech policy that's favorable to them, which, speaking of, would conveniently be repealing Section 230, something like I mentioned Meta has lobbied for, is lobbying for, has released blog posts about, produced an ad for and released a white paper on. And Zuckerberg has said that he wants it basically because it makes him seem cooperative, like he's agreeing to tech regulation, while it ultimately just allows him to literally destroy any of his smaller competitors ability to survive. And what's also so offensive to me and like why I'm getting like increasingly heated during this video is that like Joseph Gordon-Levitt doesn't seem to know about the work of any activists in this space at all. Like he has not engaged with any privacy activists, any civil liberties activists, any like workers, trans people, abortion activists, literally no one like he doesn't seem to know anything about any of this because the actual reason that Section 230 reform bills have failed is not because of big tech. Literally, what are you talking about? There's an entire …”
View more
Ridealong summary
The battle over Section 230 reform isn't just about big tech; it's a fight against a multi-billion dollar far-right movement aiming to control online discourse. Activists from marginalized communities are the real defenders of this law, pushing back against efforts that threaten free expression and civil liberties. This struggle highlights the disconnect between popular narratives and the grassroots activism that truly shapes policy.
Top Podcasts About Zuckerberg
TBPN
4 episodes
Tech Brew Ride Home
3 episodes
The Rundown
2 episodes
There Are No Girls on the Internet
2 episodes
Taylor Lorenz’s Power User
2 episodes
Decoder with Nilay Patel
1 episode
Terms of Service with Clare Duffy
1 episode
Modern Wisdom
1 episode
Stories Mentioning Zuckerberg
Top Podcasts on AI Models & Strategic Shifts
Several major AI companies have introduced new AI models and announced strategic shifts in their operations. This development highlights the ongoing evolution and competitive dynamics within the AI industry, as companies strive to enhance their technological capabilities and market positions.
Top Podcasts on Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Social media giants Meta and YouTube have faced significant legal setbacks, with juries finding them liable in two landmark court cases related to social media addiction. Podcasts are dissecting these verdicts, which focus not just on content but on the platforms' design and structure, and discussing the potential for a $400 million fine against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg, as well as the broader implications for Big Tech.
Google
AWS
Meta
YouTube