The Vergecast

Google underwent a big AI shakeup this week, leaving a lot of people wondering whether there are big problems on team Gemini. David and Nilay start the show by discussing what's next for Jeff Dean and Demis Hassabis, before diving into the ways in which Google and Reddit have become existentially, problematically dependent on one another. After that, we talk through Disney's plan to turn Disney Plus into an everything app, and all the reasons we think that's a terrible idea and a sign of big problems in the streaming biz. Finally, in the lightning round, Brendan Carr is still a dummy, Snapchat wants AI out of your feed, and BMW has a Spider-Man to sell you.

Further reading:

The messy politics behind Google’s big AI shakeup | The Verge

Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership

Google Assistant will disappear from your phone next month

Can Reddit fend off a new wave of AI SEO spam?

Reddit is introducing a new moderator: AI

Reddit says it plans to “make changes” to old Reddit

Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider wants to grow the platform and the protocol

Disney says it’s ‘exploring’ adding a free tier to Disney Plus

Disney gives TikTok creators official access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters

Despite Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s success, the MCU is on shaky ground

Disney Plus is about to go beyond streaming

Paramount and WBD’s antitrust trial is set for March 2027

David Ellison promises he’s not going to ruin CNN.

Almost half of HBO Max subscribers watch with ads. | The Verge

Federal Communications Commission scraps limit on broadcast TV ownership

SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X

SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon

BMW’s in-car Spider-Man ad is villain behavior

X product chief Nikita Bier is leaving after one year | The Verge

Snapchat will no longer recommend ‘wholly AI-generated videos’ in its vertical video feed

Snap reports 971 million monthly active users ahead of its Specs launch event on September 16th

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0:00 Cold Open01:05 Google AI Shakeup Explained03:24 Gemini Product Mess05:29 Demis Hassabis and the AGI Split14:06 Is Google Actually Behind?15:29 AI Overviews Fail Parade18:12 Gemini Users and Distribution20:55 Google Plus Warning Signs24:14 Reddit as Search Lifeline27:35 AI Slop and Dead Internet29:32 Google Buys Reddit Theory33:51 Reddit Earnings Reality Check35:40 Smoking Community Vibes38:20 Disney Everything App44:25 Time Spent Arms Race47:39 Free Tier and Ads52:08 Paramount Warner Deal Drama01:00:23 Brendan Carr is a Dummy01:11:51 Nikita Bier Leaves X01:13:53 SpaceX Telecom Dreams01:20:15 Snapchat Versus AI Slop01:25:26 BMW In Car Ads01:31:19 Wrap And Subscribe
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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely with IMAX 70mm film cameras, which is apparently a very big deal, and why it's been harder than usual to get a ticket to see Matt Damon. And now that Spider-Man is moving onto IMAX screens, it may be even harder to get a ticket. Why is this 60-year-old technology suddenly the hottest thing in movies? The Verge's film and TV reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore joins senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to compare the standard and IMAX versions of The Odyssey and talk us through the difference between IMAX, LieMAX, and Infinity Vision.

Further reading:

Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey will be the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film

Don’t screw this up, Marvel

The Odyssey turned me into an IMAX believer

Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership

Nintendo beats earnings thanks to US tariff refunds it won’t share with gamers

Bose’s upgraded QuietComfort headphones add head-tracking immersive audio

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We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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You have questions. We have (some) answers! For this week's hotline episode, Travis Larchuk asks David your questions about E Ink screens, federated messaging, minimalist phones, AI wearables, and what we got wrong about wide foldables. And don't forget, you can always call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com to get your questions in about anything and everything. Bonus points if it involves popping your two collars.

Further reading:

The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove

‘Max Ink Mode’ is back on TCL’s NXTPaper 70 Pro

Daylight DC-1 tablet hands-on: an Android tablet with a new kind of screen

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future

Disney says it’s ‘exploring’ adding a free tier to Disney Plus

Disney Plus is about to go beyond streaming.

Disney gives TikTok creators official access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters

SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon | The Verge

Google Assistant will disappear from your phone next month

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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Everyone in AI is talking about open-weight models right now. Some see them as the ticket to faster, more efficient development; others see them as an economic threat; they're either a security risk or the only security solution, depending who you ask. The Verge's Robert Hart explains how open-weight models work, why they're suddenly at the center of discussions about AI safety, and whether the only way to stop a bad guy with AI is a good guy with AI.

Further reading:

The next Xbox could play every Xbox game ever made

Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games to PC

Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations

These trackable batteries could help you locate a missing camera

OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face

We’re running out of reasons to ignore AI safety

Anthropic says Claude accidentally hacked real companies too

China’s Alibaba takes another swipe at America’s AI supremacy

OpenAI’s biggest threat may just be open AI

Nvidia, Microsoft launch open AI security alliance — without OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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For the last few years, the trend in wearables has been all about screens. As many of them as possible. But now, companies like Whoop, Fitbit, and Garmin are creating new products that ditch the display entirely. The Verge's Victoria Song explains why no-screen is the new flex, why even the most quantified athletes might not want a display on their wrist, and whether Whoop and the Whoop Dupes are a sign of a broader trend

Further reading:

Spider-Man and The Odyssey are splitting up IMAX screens after a record-breaking weekend)

Truth Social’s priority access subscription goes live and raises corruption concerns. | The Verge

Google’s Pixel 11 specs and price leak showing the impact of RAMageddon | The Verge

Lenovo Googlebook leaks reveal a laptop and 2-in-1 tablet | The Verge

The Fitbit Air takes a smarter approach to the AI health dumpster fire

Garmin’s new screen-free fitness tracker doesn’t require a subscription

Whoop wants everyone to give a whoop about the new Whoop 5.0

Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.

We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11.
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