Can ChatGPT dethrone Gemini? Is Tim Prepare dinner able to main Apple into the subsequent wave of AI? As 2025 winds down, journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher cuts by the noise and decodes what’s actually taking place throughout OpenAI, Meta, Google, and extra. Then, Swisher sizes up the state of Disney, Netflix, and the escalating bidding conflict for Warner Bros. Discovery.
That is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by former Quick Firm editor-in-chief Robert Safian. From the staff behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Speedy Response options candid conversations with right this moment’s high enterprise leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Speedy Response wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you by no means miss an episode.
One of many twists within the AI wars has been Google kind of bouncing again, this surge by Gemini versus OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Sam Altman calling this code purple. You’ve stated earlier than that it’s arduous to know who a winner can be.
Apparently, on Pivot, we thought Google was going to do that as a result of they’d all of the items. In the event that they didn’t, what a bunch of idiots, that form of factor.
They had been forward. They simply didn’t take the wager as a result of they had been afraid of it.
Yeah, after all. Effectively, Sundar [Pichai] is a way more threat—he’s extra risk-averse. I feel Sergey Brin has re-arrived there. I feel you’ll be able to really feel his affect. He’s one of many founders. So I feel that they’d all the weather in place to do it and simply needed to make the . . . it’s very arduous to leap from one factor to the subsequent and do it.
The one firm that does do it’s Netflix. It’s like, “Now we’re this. We’re not doing promoting. Now we’re. We’re mailing DVDs. Now we’re not.” I really like these guys. Each time they’re, like, “Eh, right this moment we’re not shopping for something,” which was a head pretend. “Oh, we’re going to purchase the studio.” I find it irresistible. It’s like, nice.
So Google simply took benefit of its apparent property, and the truth that it wasn’t forward was the story. Not that it ought to be by each . . . they’ve obtained the know-how, they’ve obtained the individuals, they’ve obtained the information, they’ve obtained the proper companies. They’re essentially the most arrange for this period. Now, look, ChatGPT has gotten actually far.
OpenAI has gotten very far, however in the end, what I saved asking myself, is it “Netscape” or is it “Google”? Is OpenAI “Netscape” or “Google”? It’s feeling a bit of Netscapey lately. Despite the fact that they’re manner forward, numerous instances in know-how the plains are lined with the our bodies of pioneers. There’s every kind of that. You already know that from being round. There are such a lot of firms that had been there after which weren’t, however had been necessary.
Jony Ive, the long-lasting Apple designer working with Altman and OpenAI on some new system or interface or type issue or no matter. Huge deal, differentiator.
I don’t care. I feel these gadgets are silly. I feel the best way I see it pulling out, it’s simply going to be round you. It makes such a giant deal about these gadgets you put on. I feel in all probability what I might see extra fascinating—that is kind of a possibility for Apple—is your AirPods, which you put on now comfortably. Despite the fact that on the time, should you keep in mind when it rolled out, everybody stated how ugly they had been.
I feel should you put a digital camera in these and so they might see as you undergo the world—the glasses format might be the best way it’s going to go. However does it must be glasses in your face? As a result of not everyone needs to put on these. But when there was one thing in your ear that would see as you progress by the world—who’s the corporate who’s most in a position to do this? There are two of them: Google and Apple, proper? As a result of persons are very comfy within the Apple setting. So to me, they’ve numerous alternative on this space.
Apple is having numerous bother getting its AI motion collectively. Though does it not must since you carry it by . . .
I don’t know. I don’t know in the event that they want it. I feel they must combine it into its merchandise, that’s for certain. In order that they don’t essentially must personal the AI. They didn’t must personal Maps, did they? No. They tried, and so they kind of half failed. After which they used Google, or they didn’t must make numerous stuff. They didn’t must make all these apps. All people else did, and so they took benefit of it.
To me, they’re a system. They’ll write up on issues. I feel the combination is what’s troublesome right here. And so how do you combine AI into the issues that exist already? To me, I hold obsessing on the AirPods. I’m, like, “What in the event that they had been just a bit extra purposeful?” I do know it sounds loopy, however I nonetheless have my pair of Google glasses—which I’m going to maintain so I can promote them sometime to ship one in all my youngsters to school.
It was directionally the proper concept; it simply didn’t have sufficient performance. Similar factor with the Meta glasses. What do they do? They take an image. That’s just about it. How a lot performance is that? Not a lot. And so, the place are you able to get extra performance out of the stuff you would possibly do every single day? Which is data you want. It sounds dumb, however instructions, ordering meals, getting locations, appointment making, issues like that. To me, that’s the place they need to focus on, actually . . . the software program reasonably than the {hardware}.
At Apple, do you’re feeling like Tim Cook is doing a great job?
He did. He ought to depart now. That’s what I might do if I had been him.
What about Disney? Bob Iger is one other one who kind of declared victory after which needed to come again, and now his contract is ending.
I feel, personally, they should merge with somebody or promote. In the end, I feel he’s performed an incredible job with that model, for certain. Once more, one other individual, that in all probability shouldn’t have come again. I feel he was bored. I feel he retired a bit of too early, as a result of he’s so vibrant and clever and he appears to be like nice.
At one level he was sending me numerous texts from some boat in French Polynesia he was crusing or one thing. And I’m, like, “Oh, you’re coming again.” And I joke with him onstage about it. I’m, like, “You’re bored. You may have extra to offer, primarily.” I feel he in all probability ought to discover the proper individual to take over.
They’ve obtained loads of individuals. I’ve all the time maintained it’s the most important of the small issues. It’s too small in right this moment’s setting. And they also actually must hook up with a tech. I might suppose Apple could be an excellent merger with them, or Comcast, or they’re simply going to must, given the dimensions issues. I feel they’re quantity two in streaming, but when this one passes, that’ll be an issue for them.
I’m simply getting a be aware right here that Paramount is doubtlessly again within the motion with the money bid.
It’s a hostile cash bid. What a bunch of losers, actually.
You don’t see it taking place, huh?
Possibly. Possibly. I don’t know. I simply suppose their solely argument was “we’re buddies with Donald Trump.” That appears noneconomic to me. I’m sorry, however Huge Daddy and nepo child actually must have a greater argument than we’re buddies with Donald. I imply, how ridiculous a method to conduct enterprise is that? And so look, by the best way, from an existential perspective, they’re f*cked in the event that they don’t get this.
They’re going to must merge with another person. I don’t care how wealthy they’re. There’s solely a lot cash you’re throwing on the yacht. However one of many issues that drove me loopy is they’d a factor proper once they did the deal, and so they’re, like, “We’re going to take know-how and make it higher.” And I used to be, like, “Particularly what?” They usually’re, like, “Expertise and make it higher.” And I used to be, like, “Yeah, I’d like a selected.” They usually had been, like, “Expertise.”
It in the end comes again to they’re wealthy. They’ll spend it. They’ll purchase, I don’t know, all of France and provides everybody a glass of wine. That’s probably not economics.
They simply wish to personal it.
It’s only a toy. Then it’s only a toy. After which, “Okay, all proper, that’s what you’re doing.”
How a lot are you prepared to pay on your toy is the query.
Precisely. However they want it. Let me simply let you know from a enterprise perspective, this stuff must merge. I do know everyone’s all upset in Hollywood . . . getting again to that . . . however there isn’t a different course, largely as a result of Hollywood didn’t innovate for therefore lengthy.
