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PODCAST

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson

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

All Episodes

00:13:59

(Preview) The End of OpenAI and Microsoft, Risks and...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2025/01/23

On their 200th episode of the show(!), Ben and Andrew discuss the Stargate Project and what clarifies about the dynamics between OpenAI and Microsoft. Then: the risks inherent to Stargate investments, the rationale for the corporate structure announced this week, PhD-level agents in 2-3 years, and various lessons from the success of DeepSeek and its latest models.

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00:10:52

(Preview) A Long Weekend for TikTok, Preparing for...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2025/01/20

Reactions to 48 hours of TikTok twists and turns, and what the weekend’s news might tell us about the next several years (or decades) in Washington and beyond. At the end: Facebook tries to market to TikTokers, a question about tech companies as governments unto themselves, and reviewing a tweet about LeBron James as an iPhone.

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01:09:35

AI’s Uneven Arrival, TikTok’s Potential Departure,...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2025/01/16

Looking to digital advertising history for clues about AI’s impact on the economy, proposed frameworks for AGI and ASI, and why AI benefits are likely to be unevenly distributed in the near term. Then: The logic and continued uncertainty surrounding a TikTok ban in the United States, the delights of Xiaohongshu mania, and a word about TikTok and conflicting principles.

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00:14:41

(Preview) Meta’s Moderation Changes, Tech’s Evolving...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2025/01/14

Meta’s new approach to moderation questions, the context for an apparent shift to the right among tech leadership, and lessons from the last several years of moderation challenges and mistakes. At the end: Mark Zuckerberg offers his assessment of Apple in the modern era.

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00:13:40

(Preview) What AI Could Mean for Aggregation Theory,...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2025/01/06

Ben and Andrew return from the holidays to check in on the AI landscape. Topics include: Aggregation Theory and the return of marginal costs for hyperscalers, the architecture of OpenAI’s o3 model, the murky future for software engineers and SaaS companies, and whether Scarlett Johansson fumbled the bag. At the end: In praise of learning to ski as a middle-aged beginner.

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01:40:09

Holiday Mailbag: The Next Intel, Google’s AI Revival,...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/19

Ending the year with a slew of great emails from listeners, including questions about the next U.S. flagship to fail, Google's advantages in AI, an iOS 18 autopsy, the classes that Ben and Andrew would teach as professors, AI for chip production, TSMC mugs, recommendations for X usage, and the return of the TikTot segment to discuss tutoring and children. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the whole Sharp Tech family!

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00:22:12

(Preview) Google’s Willow Chip, Drones as a Platform...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/16

A high level read on Google's quantum computing announcement and Google's R&D efforts generally, a listener's question about drones as a platform, follow-up on last week's conversation about Anduril and the future of the U.S. defense industry, and questions on the near term concerns surrounding an AI Manhattan project, Clayton Christensen’s theory of integration and modularity as applied to Silicon Valley, and housing prices in the Bay Area.

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00:10:50

(Preview) Anduril and the Lattice Partner Program, A...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/12

Unpacking a quietly significant announcement from Anduril this week, the future of hardware and software in the U.S. defense industry, and checking in with OpenAI as the company announces a new subscription tier for ChatGPT.

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00:14:27

(Preview) Mailbag: Building Toward Self-Driving...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/09

First, a follow-up to Ben's article on Gen AI and the future of user interfaces, and then emails on architecture and structural incentives, Bob Noyce and American lithography, Blue Origin and Amazon, the role of capitalism in the declining birth rate around the world, and thoughts on 'X' and its Reels-ification in 2024.

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01:04:24

Gelsinger Out at Intel, 20 Years of Structural...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/05

A closer look at Intel's fall from grace in the wake of CEO Pat Gelsinger's sudden retirement and with the company facing a fresh round of questions about its future. Topics include: Ben's overview of a 20-year run of paradigm shifts and strategic missteps, Gelsinger's strengths and weaknesses, CHIPS Act funds and a looming inflection point, and the murky path forward for American made chips.

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00:13:40

(Preview) Mailbag: AppLovin on a Tear, The Business...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/12/02

Returning from the holiday week with a look at the explosive growth of AppLovin, various takeaways from the towering success of OnlyFans, Bloomberg history, and questions on the future for Elon Musk and OpenAI.

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00:18:21

(Preview) LLM Utilities, Google Disruption, Remote...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/26

Celebrating the holiday week with emails from subscribers. Topics include: integrating LLMs into the modern workflow, human reactions to AI content, Google and its disruption risks, a follow-up to last week’s trade discussion, advice for a young engineer working remotely, creating new reality shows, an unpaid shoe testimonial, family tech support, and more. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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01:08:40

America and the Trade Status Quo, Tariffs and What...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/22

Talking through the evolution of the modern trade landscape, the implications of tariffs under a new U.S. administration, and Ben’s article on Monday, A Chance to Build. Topics include: the realities that are prompting change, China’s growth in hardware and software, TSMC and Trump, the future for Waymo, and more.

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00:13:15

(Preview) Monday Mailbag: Netflix and Its Mike Tyson...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/18

The Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight and what might have gone wrong for Netflix on Friday night, a resolution of the NBA's months-long contract dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery, and Ben explains what Passport can do for creators and shares a few takeaways from his experience building the product over the past few years.

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00:12:21

(Preview) Today’s Internet and Tomorrow’s AI...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/14

An emailer wonders whether 30 years of Internet investments and data were the bootloader for an AI transformation in the real world. Ben offers his take on recent reports that OpenAI and Google are seeing diminishing returns from their latest LLMs, and the arrival of Ultrawide capabilities leads to refined takes on the Vision Pro and advice for Apple moving forward.

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00:15:38

(Preview) What Trump 2.0 Could Mean for Tech,...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/07

Looking to President Trump's first term for clues about what tech policy might look like for the next four years. Topics include: Apple's balancing act with the U.S. and China, why Meta and Google might have fared better under Kamala Harris, the implications for "Little Tech," an open question on M&A policies, unresolved tensions with EU regulators, TikTok, crypto policy, the case for growth, and thoughts on Elon Musk and the role that X played in the election.

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00:18:24

(Preview) Monday Mailbag: The James Harden of Tech;...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/11/04

An email comparing James Harden to a tech company spawns several other tech and basketball crossovers. Then: A brief history of the bandwidth buildout that made it possible for video to take over the internet, an email about generative AI and digital advertising, a listener cries for help over political donation solicitations, and Ben aborts an experiment with the Google Pixel.

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01:10:10

Meta and an Abundance of AI Opportunities, When AI...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/10/31

Talking through Ben's piece on Meta and Abundance, including the past, present and future of Meta's value proposition to e-commerce advertisers, plans to incorporate AI-generated content into news feeds, and questions about augmented reality and the next phase of user interfaces. At the end: An emailer highlights potential downsides of the vision Meta is selling.

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00:12:51

(Preview) Monday Mailbag: AI Abundance and Enterprise...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/10/28

The open questions about competition in AI and enterprise software, emails regarding text-to-voice podcasts and replacing Andrew with an AI agent, and a question about Amazon and the proposed tariffs on consumer goods from China. Plus: Apple Intelligence, OpenAI's naming strategy, and the daily media intake for both hosts.

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01:04:05

Understanding Stablecoins and Their Utility, Why...

Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson ·

2024/10/24

A closer look at the emergence of stablecoins, their utility in crypto and cross-border payments, progress in the crypto space that could lead to more widespread adoption, and the strategic logic of Stripe's plan to buy Bridge, a stablecoin platform, for a reported $1.1 billion. At the end: Updates on the Apple Vision Pro, and the secret behind the success of Jayden Daniels in Washington, D.C.

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199 results