

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson
Andrew Sharp and Ben Thompson
A podcast about understanding how tech works and the way it is changing the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp with Ben Thompson.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 14, 2024 • 8min
(Preview) Reddit Goes Public, Reddit and Evolution on the Internet, The Company that Should Buy TikTok
Exploring Reddit's business, its roots in message boards, opposition to TikTok legislation, and speculation on the company that should buy TikTok. Insights on financial analysis, challenges in public markets, AI revenue streams, and evolution of Reddit's business model.

Mar 11, 2024 • 12min
(Preview) Congress and TikTok, Listening to China to Understand the TikTok Concerns, Empty First Amendment Arguments
Exploring the TikTok ban legislation, data privacy concerns, and Chinese influence on content. Delving into the algorithm manipulation and government control in Chinese companies like ByteDance. Analyzing TikTok's information value as an information weapon and the data privacy implications it poses.

Mar 7, 2024 • 16min
(Preview) Elon Musk Sues OpenAI, Apple’s Bizarre Epic Misstep, What Microsoft Could Teach Google
Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, Apple's App Store battle, amateur psychology, and a Google observation leading to a Microsoft history lesson are discussed. Insights into OpenAI's controversial decisions, Microsoft's access to AGI technology, and the evolution of OpenAI from a non-profit to a corporation are explored.

28 snips
Mar 5, 2024 • 1h 3min
The Road to Personalized LLM Answers, The AI Risk for Aggregators, Anthropic Releases a ‘Near-Human’ Claude 3
Exploring AI risks for aggregators like Meta and Google, the potential of personalized LLM answers, Anthropic's 'near-human' Claude 3 release, and the pace of AI progress. Touching on the challenges of chatbots, accuracy vs. user preference in AI assistants, and the impact of LLM outputs on user beliefs. Venturing into the emergence of Claude III as an AI competitor, the rise of open-source models like Perplexity, and discussions on partnerships and product prioritization in monopolies.

Feb 29, 2024 • 11min
(Preview) Pichai's Gemini Letter, Nvidia and TSMC and Market Structure, The End of the Apple Car
Sundar Pichai's letter on Gemini, TSMC and Nvidia partnership, Apple's abandoned car project vs. Google's Waymo investment. Plus, Vision Pro question and Formula One season kickoff.

Feb 26, 2024 • 13min
(Preview) AI and the Big Five, Google and the Ongoing Gemini Catastrophe, The Stakes (or Lack Thereof) for Chatbot Output
The podcast delves into AI efforts of big tech, Google's Gemini rollout, limitations of chatbots, and the evolving virtual world. Discussions include Meta's AI potential, Google's challenges, and disruptions in tech companies' monetization strategies.

Feb 21, 2024 • 13min
(Preview) The History of Consoles, The Murky Present for Microsoft and Xbox, The Gaming Future for Sony and Meta
Exploring the gaming market shift from PlayStation to Microsoft Game Pass, Microsoft's strategy tensions, and the future of Sony and Meta in gaming. Insights into rising game development costs, console dynamics, Microsoft's Game Pass impact, and Sony's challenges and generative AI in game production.

15 snips
Feb 15, 2024 • 1h 6min
A Sports Super Bundle, The Next Challenge for Digital Advertising, Zuckerberg Reviews the Apple Vision Pro
Mark Zuckerberg discusses the challenges of targeting video ads on the internet and gives his take on the Apple Vision Pro. The podcast also explores a new sports streaming bundle and debates the limitations of a non-cable market. They discuss the value of Super Bowl ads and the transition of brand advertising. Plus, they analyze Mark Zuckerberg's review of the Apple Vision Pro and its implications in the competition between Apple and Meta. The hosts also touch on the influence of tweets and a potential Xbox announcement.

Feb 8, 2024 • 15min
(Preview) The Vision Pro and the Newton, The Case Against AVP as an Entertainment Device, The Most Valuable Tech Product of All
The hosts discuss the potential of the Apple Vision Pro as a new computing platform and its impressive entertainment capabilities. They compare it to the iPhone and Newton, highlighting potential shortcomings. The difference in invention between the Newton and the iPhone is explored. The importance of the Vision Pro as a productivity device and the success of PCs in the workplace are also discussed.

Feb 6, 2024 • 1h 10min
First Impressions of the Vision Pro: What It Is, What It Might Have Been, and a Note About Guest Mode
Casey Neistat, YouTube personality and content creator, joins Ben and Andrew to discuss their first impressions of the Apple Vision Pro headset, including its design, comfort, and demo experience. They explore their visions of an ideal multi-screen workspace experience and discuss Apple's control over the platform. They also touch on wired headphones, Casey Neistat's video, and the compelling AR experience provided by the device.