Meta's AI Agent Plan, Grok's Perversion, Prison Of Financial Mediocrity

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. This week, we do our 2026 predictions in an abbreviated holiday-time episode. Here's what we cover: 1) Meta buys Manus 2) Is the Manus deal an enterprise play? 3) What Meta could do with consumer AI agents 4) Why consumer AI agents are a good advertising strategy for Meta 5) Instagram head Adam Mosseri addresses AI slop 6) Meta Ray-Bans don't work in the cold 7) NVIDIA pretty much buys Groq 8) Elon Musk's Grok goes full pervert 9) Who's responsible? 10) What explains the rise of sports betting and prediction markets -- is it a lack of a stable financial future that would otherwise be worth investing in? --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Demis Hassabis is the CEO of Google DeepMind. He joined Big Technology Podcast in early 2025 discuss the cutting edge of AI and where the research is heading. In this conversation, we cover the path to artificial general intelligence, how long it will take to get there, how to build world models, whether AIs can be creative, and how AIs are trying to deceive researchers. Stay tuned for the second half where we discuss Google's plan for smart glasses and Hassabis's vision for a virtual cell. Hit play for a fascinating discussion with an AI pioneer that will both break news and leave you deeply informed about the state of AI and its promising future. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] --- Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 3.90% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.25% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 12/19/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. This week, we do our 2026 predictions in an abbreviated holiday-time episode. Here's what we cover: 1) AI agents start to work 2) ChatGPT hitting 1 billion users 3) AI shopping takes off 4) Ranjan gets a folding phone 5) Apple's best year ever 5) AI love boom arrives 6) AI infrastructure washout 7) 2026 Market and Performance 8) OpenAI's position 9) Does Alexandr Wang stay at Meta? --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 3.90% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.25% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 12/19/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reed Albergotti is the technology editor at Semafor. Albergotti joins Big Technology Podcast to break down which companies are best positioned in the coming year. We cover Meta’s superintelligence gamble, Google’s Gemini push, OpenAI’s model race, and the rise of AI companions. We also discuss Tesla’s self-driving moment of truth, Nvidia’s upside and risks, Microsoft’s Copilot dilemma, big media and streaming shake-ups, Anthropic’s IPO prospects, SPACs and private equity, quantum, and the strange new love stories people are forming with their bots. Hit play for a fast, prediction-packed tour through the year in tech—and a sharp, entertaining look at where the AI economy and Big Tech are headed next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Recap of my Sam Altman interview 2) OpenAI's memory play 3) Deepening relationships between people and chatbots 4) Could an all-knowing AI assistant work? 5) Model vs. product revisited 6) OpenAI's enterprise play 7) The infrastructure bet 8) OpenAI's forthcoming AI device 9) AGI's meaning? 10) Google's fast Gemini flash models 11) Microsoft Copilot falling out of favor --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b From Big Technology on Substack: Seven Big Thoughts on OpenAI's Strategy & Future Following My Sam Altman Conversationhttps://www.bigtechnology.com/p/seven-big-thoughts-on-openais-strategy Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] --- Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 3.90% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.25% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 12/19/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI. Altman joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss OpenAI's plan to win in a tightening AI race. Altman dissects his company's strategy, where he sees OpenAI having an advantage, and where he expects his product lineup to go in 2026 and beyond. We discuss AI memory and personalization, the distribution vs. product debate, how OpenAI will pay for its infrastructure buildout, AI devices, AI clouds, whether we've hit AGI yet, and plenty more. Tune in for an exclusive, 1-on-1 discussion with the AI industry's top catalyst. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] --- Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 3.90% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.25% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 12/19/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Cramer is the host of CNBC's Mad Money and author of How To Make Money In Any Market. Cramer joins Big Technology Podcast to talk through hot takes the top tech names: Apple, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla, Coreweave, and more. We discuss whether NVIDIA can hit $10 trillion, whether Tesla needs self driving to work, whether OpenAI can make it, and much more. We talk why Cramer encourages looking at individual stocks vs. index funds and what money is for. Check out Jim's book here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Money-Any-Market-ebook/dp/B0F4RGS9TF/ --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] --- Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 3.90% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.25% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 12/19/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) OpenAI to prioritize enterprise in 2026 2) Is the AGI dream over? 3) Could OpenAI's enterprise push help it fund infrastructure? 4) Alex is on team product? 5) Can OpenAI design for consumer and enterprise at the same time? 6) Erotic ChatGPT is coming in Q1 7) Disney and OpenAI ink a groundbreaking deal 8) Why Disney wins from giving up some control 9) The AI infrastructure trade is wobbling 10) Discord at Meta... or not? --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b From Big Technology on Substack: Enterprise Will Be a Top OpenAI Priority In 2026, Sam Altman Tells Editors at NYC Lunch https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/enterprise-will-be-a-top-openai-priority Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] -- Wealthfront.com/bigtech⁠. If eligible for the overall boosted 4.15% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.50% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melia Russell is a senior correspondent at Business Insider. She joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss how AI services are already making inroads in the legal profession, helping lawyers dig through countless documents via natural language search and compression weeks long research processes into minutes. We discuss what's happening, how it's impacting legal jobs already, and why it's likely an early indication of what's to come for professional services more broadly. Hit play for a fascinating deep dive into one of the more advanced applications of AI today. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] --- Wealthfront.com/bigtech. If eligible for the overall boosted 4.15% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.50% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) AI Device Wars are here 2) Apple loses its head of user interface design 3) Meta's chances in the AI device wars 4) Apple's Ai device will only be as good as the assistant 5) OpenAI's AI device could work? 6) Amazon's Alexa+ is underrated 7) Google Glass returns? 8) Is the Metaverse dead? 9) Code red at OpenAI 10) Anthropic gains in enterprise AI adoption 11) Netflix to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery 12) Kalshi and CNN team up --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b From Big Technology on Substack: The AI Device Wars Just Kicked Off In A Big Way https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/the-ai-device-wars-just-kicked-off Questions? Feedback? Write to: [email protected] -- Wealthfront.com/bigtech⁠. If eligible for the overall boosted 4.15% rate offered with this promo, your boosted rate is subject to change if the 3.50% base rate decreases during the 3-month promo period. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable base APY. Instant withdrawals are subject to certain conditions and processing times may vary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices