We last updated you on the OpenAI drama a couple of weeks ago, right in the middle of it. Back when it looked like Sam Altman was gone, and the future of AI was up in the air. Ah well! Now that the dust has settled, we're reflecting on what we know about what went down, internet arguments about accelerationism vs decelerationism, and what the near future might hold for OpenAI and AI generally. Links Microsoft to Become Non-Voting Observer in Latest Shake-up of OpenAI Board – The Information Who Is @BasedBeffJezos, The Leader Of The Tech Elite’s ‘E/Acc’ Movement? – Forbes Our episode on AI Doom Become a premium member of Down Round See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome...to the silly season. We answer a bunch of your questions which allows us to prognosticate about the future with less constraints than the few there are usually. Topics covered include: Will AI stagnate? Biden's AI regulation framework Can I have $20? How many beers do we typically drink before a podcast? Will VC stop funding boneheads, or is it built into the system? Sorry if we didn't get to your question, join the discord and ask in there!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The day James left for honeymoon, the unthinkable happened; Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, got boned by his board of directors like a dog. How can a man who took a product from 0 to 100 million users in less than a year, who is on top of the world be so unceremoniously dumped by a board of AI doomers and safety dorks? Well, we dragged James away from the margaritas and discussed all the crazy happenings in the first official Down Round emergency pod.  (Also our first remote recording on non-studio mics, soz)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a preview of a premium post. To become a member and get access to more episodes plus our lovely Discord server, go here. Since the last time we did an episode about Airbnb, the company has both done well and faced deeper problems. Earnings look pretty good. But it has also faced political problems – like being functionally banned in NYC – plus a general perception that it has gotten shittier.  So, CEO Brian Chesky says he's going to fix it. That means two things: AI, and putting the boot into hosts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again we’re brought back to the world of AI. Sorry, there’s simply no escape. A few things have happened over the past week: Elon Musk announced Grok, the first model for his new company xAI OpenAI released a new model as well as a host of new consumer features for ChatGPT - many of which put them in direct competition with the developers who are their API customers. We discuss whether the future of OpenAI is as an API, or a consumer tech play. Humane finally announced its ‘AI Pin’. Does this make the Down Round Hot Gadget Guide? Lots to go over. So we did.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the very first things people realised they could do online was sell their crap. Since that realisation, e-commerce has gotten a little more advanced. But online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Gumtree still kick along, promising you the opportunity to find great deals as long as you're willing to drive 40 minutes to some guys house. We go through a whirlwind tour of the online marketplace, how it got to where it is, and the forces making them less essential.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's official: Sam Bankman-Fried is GUILTY of committing fraud while running his doomed crypto empire at FTX. The crazy-haired freak took down the credibility of the whole sector while doing it.  The trial -- particularly the testimony of Sam's fellow execs at FTX and Alameda -- turned up all sorts of juicy little details. In this ep, we go through them and reminisce on the crypto exchange that was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a preview of a premium episode. To become a member and get access, go here.   It's been a minute since we've checked in on Twitter/X, which has become a playground for whatever Elon Musk thinks is cool at any given moment and yet still has many millions of users. But it certainly hasn't collapsed as some predicted. That said, the situation doesn't look great. The ads haven't come back, users seem to be slipping away, investors are writing down their stake – all while the Israel/Palestine conflict really kicks the tyres of Twitter as an information platform. We dig in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Snitch Tech. One of the weirdest trends in tech over the last decade has been the spread of surveillance tech for consumers. Everything from Ring doorbells from Amazon to facial recognition AI and family location tracking software has made it a breeze to film, track and trace your fellow citizens. But it goes deeper. Social networks for ratting out your neighbour. Weird Nextdoor threads. Number plate recognition software for landlords. We're coining it SNITCH TECH, and we're talking about it today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a preview of a premium episode. To become a member of Down Round Premium, head here. Nintendo has made some of the most popular consumer products of all time, and also invented Mario. Pretty great run! But it's also an interesting business, with a relatively unique approach within the gaming industry and beyond. As the rumoured announcement of the Switch 2 draws ever nearer, we chat about the House of Mario and what makes it tick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.