GPT-5 Arrives, and  We Try the New Alexa+
Hard Fork8 Aug 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.

Avsnitt(183)

Bluesky’s Big Bet + Are Deals Dead in Silicon Valley?

Bluesky’s Big Bet + Are Deals Dead in Silicon Valley?

Bluesky, the Twitter spin-off, is now open for public sign-ups. Can its dreams of decentralization fix social media? We talk with CEO Jay Graber. Then, New York Times reporter Erin Griffith on how Ado...

9 Feb 20241h 8min

We Tried the Apple Vision Pro + Can Congress Protect Kids Online? + Cruise’s Crash

We Tried the Apple Vision Pro + Can Congress Protect Kids Online? + Cruise’s Crash

Apple’s Vision Pro headset is now for sale in stores. Will it live up to the hype? Kevin Roose and Casey Newton tried it out to see. Then, in a high-profile congressional hearing on child safety and s...

2 Feb 20241h 13min

Mediapocalypse Now +  a16z’s Chris Dixon Defends Crypto + HatGPT

Mediapocalypse Now + a16z’s Chris Dixon Defends Crypto + HatGPT

Layoffs are hitting newsrooms and publishers again, as tech platforms, ad markets and artificial intelligence reshape the internet. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton have ideas for solutions. Then, one of ...

26 Jan 20241h 15min

The AI Election + Bitcoin’s Wall Street Debut + TikTok’s Doodad Era

The AI Election + Bitcoin’s Wall Street Debut + TikTok’s Doodad Era

OpenAI has released its plan to fight disinformation in elections in 2024, but will its policies be consequential compared to those of other generative A.I. companies? Then, a watershed moment had cry...

19 Jan 20241h 15min

Why Casey Left Substack + Elon’s Drug Use + A.I. Antibiotic Discovery

Why Casey Left Substack + Elon’s Drug Use + A.I. Antibiotic Discovery

Casey is taking his newsletter Platformer off Substack, as criticism over the company’s handling of pro-Nazi content grows. Then, The Wall Street Journal spoke with witnesses who said that Elon Musk h...

12 Jan 20241h 27min

The Times Sues OpenAI + A Debate Over iMessage + Our New Year’s Tech Resolutions

The Times Sues OpenAI + A Debate Over iMessage + Our New Year’s Tech Resolutions

The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft last week for copyright infringement. Kevin Roose and Casey Newton walk through the lawsuit and discuss the stakes for news publishers. Then, they talk abo...

5 Jan 20241h 8min

Our 2024 Predictions + Jenny Slate Answers Your Hard Questions!

Our 2024 Predictions + Jenny Slate Answers Your Hard Questions!

Last year, we predicted what 2023 in tech would look like. This week, we take a look back at those predictions, see what we got right and wrong, and make new ones for 2024. Then, the actor, comedian a...

22 Dec 20231h 37min

Google’s Epic Loss + Silicon Valley’s Curious New Subculture + How 2023 Changed the Internet

Google’s Epic Loss + Silicon Valley’s Curious New Subculture + How 2023 Changed the Internet

A jury decided the Google Play store unfairly stifles competition and maintains a monopoly. Kevin and Casey discuss how the ruling could reshape the digital economy. Then, a growing movement of develo...

15 Dec 20231h 13min

Populärt inom Teknik

uppgang-och-fall
natets-morka-sida
elbilsveckan
market-makers
rss-elektrikerpodden
rss-laddstationen-med-elbilen-i-sverige
rss-technokratin
skogsforum-podcast
har-vi-akt-till-mars-an
developers-mer-an-bara-kod
bli-saker-podden
rss-fabriken-2
rss-veckans-ai
rss-snacka-om-ai
hej-bruksbil
rss-it-sakerhetspodden
musikprodd-podden
rss-uppgang-och-fall
rss-digitala-influencer-podden
gubbar-som-tjotar-om-bilar