Some of the biggest names on Google’s AI team got new jobs this week. In some cases, including for legendary Googler Jeff Dean, those jobs are no longer at Google. Given that Google’s models seem to be behind the best of what’s coming out of Anthropic and OpenAI, is this a sign of Google in turmoil? Is it about Demis Hassabis wanting something more interesting to work on than virtual assistants? Or is there something else entirely happening here?
On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David start by discussing the leadership shake-up at Google, the state of the AI race, and whether Google is actually set up to succeed. They also talk about the ways in which Google and Reddit have become existentially dependent on each other, and why that dependence is starting to look like a problem.
After that, the hosts discuss Disney’s plan to put even more content in the Disney Plus app, David Ellison’s defense of himself, the scourge of the “time spent” metric, Brendan Carr’s ongoing assault on free speech, the Spider-Man ads appearing in BMW infotainment systems, and much more.
Earlier episodes this week covered screen-free wearables, open-weight AI models, E Ink screens, and outrageously huge IMAX screens. To share your thoughts, call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11 or send an email to vergecast@theverge.com.
