Down Round Down Round

Apple and Google are both on the precipice of announcing deeper integration of generative AI into their respective operating systems. Google's IO conference is this week, and reporting abounds that Apple has inked a deal with OpenAI to integrate GPT with iOS. There's a big question as to whether they're doing this because users actually want it, or because investors and the market thinks they should.

In this episode, we talk about Google and Apple, what their AI implementations might look like, and just where this is all going. Also, a sad mea culpa for the Rabbit R1.

Links

Links


Apple Nears Deal With OpenAI to Put ChatGPT on iPhone – Bloomberg
Google I/O 2024 will be all about AI again – The Verge
Sign up for Down Round Premium
Down Round on X
Down Round on Instagram
Down Round on TikTo
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here.


Quantum computing has been a research and academic pursuit for decades, but it has been picking up buzz over the last few years as both big tech companies and smaller startups get into the space. The Australian government recently announced a $1 billion investment into quantum startup PsiQuantum, which gives us an excuse to talk about it.

What is quantum computing? Is it actually useful? Can I buy one? All will be answered, and more. WARNING: The words 'qubit' and 'entanglement' will be used.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone who lives in Australia would be aware of Foxtel's new streaming box Hubbl, thanks to an absolutely overwhelming ad campaign pitching it. We talk about the Hubbl, and use it as an excuse to dive into streaming more generally, and what's been going on since the last time we talked about it.

Links


Foxtel faces its streaming apocalypse – AFR
Down Round on X
Down Round on Instagram
Down Round on TikTok
Sign up for Down Round Premium
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, it happened: the US passed legislation to force ByteDance to divest TikTok in the country. Now, the company technically has 12 months to make it happen. But is that the end of the story? In this episode, we discuss how we arrived at this point, what avenues TikTok has left, and who or what might acquire TikTok if it comes down to that.

Links


TikTok could soon be sold. Here's how much it's worth and who could buy it. – CBS
Byte-Dance was told to sell TikTok or face a ban. There are legal complications – NPR
Down Round on X
Down Round on Instagram
Down Round on TikTok
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything is chatbots now. Every company must become a purveyor of bespoke chatbots.The latest cab off the rank is Meta, which just unveiled Llama 3, the latest version of its open source LLM. But this time they have integrated it deeply into Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, whacking a big nasty chatbox over the searchbar in all these apps.

In this episode, we talk about Meta's strategy in AI, and what Zuck might be cooking.

Links


The Dwarkesh pod with Zuckerberg
Down Round on X
Down Round on Instagram
Down Round on TikTok
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here.


As Downies will know well, one of the themes we're keeping an eye on is the number of products and product categories that are trying to replace the smartphone, which has been lagging in sales and hype of late. Two devices which pitched a bold new path forward are the Humane AI Pin and the Apple Vision Pro.

Based on reviews, neither of them are looking very good at all. We discuss.

Links


Humane AI Pin review: not even close – The Verge
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.