Bard Fork, and How to Talk So Chatbots Will Listen




Hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton

Produced by Davis Land

Edited by Jen Poyant

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Sophia Lanman and Rowan Niemisto

“It’s different because it’s Google.” Bard, Google’s answer to ChatGPT, could prove to be more consequential than any large language model to date — but it isn’t there yet.

Then, we hear from listeners on how they are using A.I. to negotiate their rent, understand medical results and affirm their gender identity.

Plus: Why Spotify’s A.I. D.J. may be a tipping point for artificial intelligence taking control of our lives.

You can sign up for On Tech: A.I. at nytimes.com/newsletters.

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Additional reading:

  • Google released a new chatbot, Bard. Here’s what it does well — and not so well.

  • After a conversation with Google’s executives, Casey Newton answers six questions about the large language model.

  • Interior AI is a design tool that makes interior design mock-ups using artificial intelligence.

  • Spotify unveiled a new A.I.-powered D.J.

  • In his book “Futureproof,” Kevin Roose outlines the concept of “machine drift” — the concept that people will gradually turn over more of their life to the decisions of algorithms.


“Hard Fork” is hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton and produced by Davis Land. The show is edited by Jen Poyant. Engineering by Alyssa Moxley and original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Sophia Lanman and Rowan Niemisto. Fact-checking by Caitlin Love.

Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Pui-Wing Tam, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresti and Jeffrey Miranda.