The Fight Tearing Apart Silicon Valley
31 July - 26 minsFor years, a debate has been simmering in Silicon Valley over the right way to build artificial intelligence. Should it be open and free for anyone to use, or should we tightly control how it’s made and who can access it?
Mike Isaac, who covers technology for The New York Times, explains why the release of two Chinese models pushed that debate to a boiling point this week, and how it could end up reshaping the future of A.I.
Guest: Mike Isaac, a New York Times reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering tech companies and Silicon Valley.
Background reading:
Silicon Valley splits over closing the borders to Chinese A.I.
What is open-weights A.I.?
Photo: Hector Retamal/Agen...
Series Episodes
Europe Is Burning
Hundreds of thousands of people in France and Spain have been forced to evacuate from blazes fueled by soaring temperatures and dry conditions.
29 mins
30 July Finished
Israel, AIPAC and Difficult Questions for Democrats
Once the guardian of the bipartisan pro-Israel consensus, the lobbying group AIPAC is now a polarizing force in the Democratic Party.
39 mins
29 July Finished
The Iranians Who Want More War
Fractures in Tehran are pitting a faction favoring negotiation with Washington against hard-liners who oppose making a deal with the United States.
29 mins
28 July Finished
What A.I. Is Actually Doing to the Economy
Some data suggest that artificial intelligence is causing job losses. Other sources show the opposite. Why is it so hard to figure out what’s going on?
34 mins
27 July Finished
Why Do Some Memories Survive Dementia?
When Times reporter Ellen Barry’s father developed dementia after a fall, her family spent years trying to manage his erratic behavior and confusion. They struggled to convince him that he was home, he was safe, and he shouldn’t try to leave. The experience was exasperating and impossible to understand. Today, Ellen tells the story of those years, and of how she discovered scientific research that helped explain everything her family had lived through — research that could potentially help to save precious memories from being lost forever.
29 mins
26 July Finished
