GPT-5 Arrives, and  We Try the New Alexa+
Hard Fork8 Elo 2025

GPT-5 Arrives, and We Try the New Alexa+

This week, OpenAI released its much-anticipated flagship model, GPT-5. We break down what we know about the upgrade, drawing from our initial testing and a special news briefing with Sam Altman. Then, we explain why we were underwhelmed by Amazon’s new Alexa+, which is powered by generative A.I., and take our feedback to Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, who helps us understand why powering Alexa with L.L.M. capabilities is a major computer science challenge.

Guests:

  • Daniel Rausch, Amazon vice president of Echo and Alexa


Additional reading:


We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Also, you can still get a special-edition “Hard Fork” hat! For a limited time, you’ll receive one when you purchase an annual New York Times Audio subscription for the first time (U.S. only). Go to nytimes.com/hardforkhat.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(181)

Billionaire Game Theory + We Are Not Ready for A.G.I. + Election Betting Markets Get Weird

Billionaire Game Theory + We Are Not Ready for A.G.I. + Election Betting Markets Get Weird

Last week, Jeff Bezos canceled the Washington Post editorial board’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris. Are tech billionaires hedging their bets in case Donald Trump wins? Then, Miles Brundage, a former O...

1 Marras 20241h 11min

The Elon-ction + Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?

The Elon-ction + Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?

Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide. This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year’s election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the jour...

25 Loka 20241h 10min

Powerful A.I. By 2026? + Uber's C.E.O. on the Robotaxi Future + Casey's TikTok Test

Powerful A.I. By 2026? + Uber's C.E.O. on the Robotaxi Future + Casey's TikTok Test

This week, the A.I. company Anthropic has Silicon Valley rethinking the timeline for artificial general intelligence. In addition to releasing a new safety policy, the company’s chief executive, Dario...

18 Loka 20241h 55min

A Flood of A.I. Slop + Searching for Satoshi + the Hot Mess Express Returns

A Flood of A.I. Slop + Searching for Satoshi + the Hot Mess Express Returns

This week, in the wake of recent natural disasters, we dig into the rise of A.I.-generated slop that’s polluting the internet and disrupting rescue efforts. Then we talk with the investigative filmmak...

11 Loka 20241h 9min

Can California Regulate A.I.? + Silicon Valley’s Super Babies + System Update!

Can California Regulate A.I.? + Silicon Valley’s Super Babies + System Update!

On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vetoed Senate Bill 1047, an A.I. safety bill that would have curtailed the growth of the technology. What received a lot less attention were the 18 other imp...

4 Loka 20241h 9min

Meta’s Race for Your Face + Google’s Hit A.I. Notebook + HatGPT

Meta’s Race for Your Face + Google’s Hit A.I. Notebook + HatGPT

This week, Casey reports back from a wild day at Meta Connect, discussing what’s new with Meta’s efforts in artificial intelligence, virtual reality headsets and the Holy Grail — augmented reality gla...

27 Syys 20241h 12min

OpenAI's Reasoning Machine + Instagram Teen Changes + Amazon RTO Drama

OpenAI's Reasoning Machine + Instagram Teen Changes + Amazon RTO Drama

Last week, OpenAI released a preview of its hotly anticipated new model, o1. We discuss what it has excelled at and how it could accelerate the timeline for building superintelligence. Then, we explai...

20 Syys 20241h 6min

Do You Need a New iPhone? + Yuval Noah Harari’s A.I. Fears + Hard Fork Crimes Division

Do You Need a New iPhone? + Yuval Noah Harari’s A.I. Fears + Hard Fork Crimes Division

Apple unveiled its latest gadgets at its big September event on Monday. We discuss the most interesting new features — including AirPods that can function as hearing aids and Apple Watch software that...

13 Syys 20241h 12min