Kara Swisher on What Silicon Valley Is Getting Right—and Wrong—in AI

Kara Swisher on What Silicon Valley Is Getting Right—and Wrong—in AI

Author: Atlantic Re:think August 26, 2026 Duration: 49:16
Kara Swisher has done a bit of everything. She’s covered the rise of Silicon Valley’s tech giants, founded and sold her own startup publication, and dabbled in Hollywood, with appearances in films such as The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Tron: Ares.  She’s now the host of multiple podcasts about tech and politics, as well as Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever, a CNN series about the longevity industry. After decades of chronicling the Valley’s foibles, Swisher has many thoughts on AI—where the technology currently is and where it’s going. In conversation with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, Swisher goes deep on whether the Big Tech companies are capable of managing AI responsibly; if the technology will deliver on the hype they’ve generated; and how media companies and creators can best leverage it.  Recorded in Bar Harbor, Maine. Produced independently of The Atlantic’s editorial staff. Supporting sponsor: PwC. (00:00) Introduction (02:25) What Kara’s most excited about with AI (08:50) What the political backlash against data centers shows (11:15) Are we repeating the dot-com bubble with massive AI spending? (13:45) OpenAI's self-inflicted wounds (16:40) What the US should do about open-source AI (19:15) Will AI-driven social algorithms push politics toward the center? (21:25) Why young people are turning on Big Tech (25:10) How AI is reshaping the relationship between creators and media institutions (28:35) Will AI make trusted media brands more valuable? (37:30) How media business models should adapt in the age of AI (45:35) What Kara would do if she had an unlimited budget to invest in AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicholas Thompson sits down with some of the sharpest minds working at the edges of artificial intelligence in The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.. This isn't a dry technical briefing or a series of speculative futures; instead, each conversation digs into the tangible, often surprising ways this technology is already altering the fabric of our daily lives and institutions. You'll hear from leading thinkers who cut through the hype to discuss the real ethical dilemmas, economic shifts, and social transformations unfolding right now. Produced by Atlantic Re:think and PwC, the podcast provides a grounded space to explore questions about creativity, power, work, and truth in an age of intelligent machines. The discussions are built on the premise that understanding AI's impact requires looking beyond code and algorithms to consider human values and consequences. Tune in for thoughtful, accessible dialogues that reframe how we think about one of the most significant forces of our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 41

The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Podcast Episodes
The Case Against the AI Bubble - Azeem Azhar with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
Among the many eye-popping numbers of the AI industry—from trillions in investments to billions in spending—one stands out: $0 in profit among leading AI companies. According to Bloomberg, “never before has so much money…
The Race to Superintelligence - Richard Socher with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:45
As AI’s capabilities improve, reports of “rogue” agents and misaligned systems are becoming more frequent. In response, some activists, academics, and politicians have called for a pause in development, warning of the da…
How to Get Hired in the AI Era - Clara Shih with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:43
For years, tech CEOs have promised that AI will take on the menial, repetitive tasks that have long been a part of office life. Typically, those tasks are assigned to younger, less experienced workers—and poll after poll…
Meta's Plan to Win in AI - Andrew Bosworth with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:58
However you feel about Meta, Andrew Bosworth has likely played a part in it. The long-serving right hand to Mark Zuckerberg and current Chief Technology Officer, “Boz” has helped shape almost every stage of the company’s…