The A.I. Trade Secrets War + Economists Say ‘We Must Act Now’ + HatGPT
Hard Fork
Jul 17
The A.I. Trade Secrets War + Economists Say ‘We Must Act Now’ + HatGPT
The A.I. Trade Secrets War + Economists Say ‘We Must Act Now’ + HatGPT

Hard Fork
Jul 17
Shownote
Shownote
This week, feuding between some of the biggest tech companies spilled into
public view. We discuss Apple’s accusation that OpenAI tried to steal secrets
about Apple’s hardware business, as well as share our reactions about OpenAI’s
new model, Sol, and Anthropic’s decision to extend access to its model Fable.
Then, we unpack the loudest warning yet about A.I. and jobs. We talk with Erik
Brynjolfsson, a Stanford economist, about a statement he helped organize that
implores economists and A.I. researchers to “act now” to steer A.I. in a
direction that complements humans.
And finally, we play a round of HatGPT.
Guest:
* Erik Brynjolfsson [https://www.brynjolfsson.com/], senior fellow at the
Stanford Institute for Human-Centered A.I., and director of the Stanford
Digital Economy Lab.
Additional Reading:
* Apple Sues OpenAI, Accusing It of Stealing Company Secrets
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/technology/apple-openai-lawsuit.html]
* OpenAI’s First Device Will Be Movable, Screenless Speaker Built as A.I.
Companion
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/openai-s-first-device-will-be-moveable-screenless-speaker-built-as-ai-companion]
* Nearly 200 Economists and Tech Leaders Warn of A.I. Threats
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/business/economists-ai-threat-jobs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xVA.8iwD.8XPZrSpF01m9&smid=bs-share]
* The loudest warning about A.I. and jobs yet
[https://www.platformer.news/ai-jobs-warning-brynjolfsson-acemoglu/?ref=platformer-newsletter]
* OpenAI Is Showing Kalshi’s World Cup Odds in ChatGPT
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/technology/kalshi-openai-chatgpt-world-cup-odds.html]
* New York Enacts Nation’s First Statewide Moratorium on Data Centers
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/nyregion/new-york-data-center-moratorium-hochul.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share]
* Brown Professor Suspects Majority of His Class Used A.I. to Cheat
[https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/learning-assessment/2026/07/08/brown-professor-suspects-most-his-class-used-ai-cheat]
* MiniMax CEO Vows to Forgo Salary Until Achieving A.G.I
[https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/minimax-ceo-vows-forgo-salary-achieving-agi?rc=8aq5ai].
* Lorde Speaks Out — With Expletives — Against A.I. Glasses
[https://stereogum.com/2504954/lorde-speaks-out-against-fucked-up-ai-glasses/news]
* Nearly 6 in 10 Young Women Get Health and Wellness Information from
Influencers
[https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/07/13/nearly-6-in-10-young-women-get-health-and-wellness-information-from-influencers/]
* Meta Removes A.I. Feature on Instagram After Days of Backlash
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/technology/meta-muse-images-instagram-removal.html]
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Highlights
Highlights
This episode dives into a week of high-profile tech feuds, new AI models, and a stark warning about the future of work. The hosts break down a major lawsuit between Apple and OpenAI, explore the escalating rivalry between AI labs, and discuss a significant statement from economists about job displacement.
Chapters
Chapters
Apple vs. OpenAI: A Lawsuit Over Stolen Secrets and a Screenless Speaker
00:00The AI Arms Race Heats Up: OpenAI's Sol vs. Anthropic's Fable
14:19The Loudest Warning Yet: Nearly 200 Economists on AI and Job Displacement
24:56From Gambling Bots to Data Center Bans: The Week in AI Policy
50:16AI Cheating, CEO Salary Vows, and the Backlash Against Smart Glasses
59:24Transcript
Transcript
Kevin Roose: Introducing the Problem Solvers, a new series from Anthropic about the startup founders who are going further with Claude. Like Max Unistrand, co-founder and CEO at Lagora, a collaborative AI workspace for lawyers. Our system gets better with ...