What’s Behind The Google Ai Shake-up

Some of nan biggest names connected Google’s AI squad got caller jobs this week. In immoderate cases, including for legendary Googler Jeff Dean, those jobs are nary longer astatine Google. Given that Google’s models look to beryllium down nan champion of what’s coming retired of anthropic and OpenAI, is this a motion of Google successful turmoil? Is it astir Demis Hassabis wanting thing much absorbing to activity connected than virtual assistants? Or is location something other wholly happening here?

On this section of The Vergecast, Nilay and David commencement by discussing nan activity shake-up astatine Google, nan authorities of nan AI race, and whether Google is really group up to win here. They besides talk astir nan ways successful which Google and Reddit person go existentially dependent connected each other, and why that dependence is starting to look for illustration a problem.

After that, we talk astir Disney’s scheme to put even much stuff successful nan Disney Plus app, David Ellison’s defense of… David Ellison, nan scourge of nan “time spent” metric, Brendan Carr’s ongoing assault connected free speech, nan Spider-Man ads appearing successful your BMW, and overmuch more.

In lawsuit you missed it this week: We besides talked astir screen-free wearables, open-weight AI models, E Ink screens, and outrageously immense IMAX screens. And we want to perceive each your thoughts astir each of it! Call nan Vergecast Hotline astatine 866-VERGE11, nonstop america an email astatine vergecast@theverge.com, and show america everything that’s connected your mind. And make judge you subscribe truthful you don’t miss an episode!