Gemini layoffs and crypto industry shifts

Anthropic's clash with the Pentagon pits tech ethics against government demands, raising explosive questions about AI's role in surveillance and weaponry. If you care about who controls the future of artificial intelligence, this episode is a must-listen.

• Sam Altman says OpenAI shares Anthropic's red lines in Pentagon fight
• The whole thing was a scam
• OpenAI allows NSA to use GPT for surveilling Americans
• Anthropic's Claude hits No. 1 on Apple's top free apps list after Pentagon rejection
• Layoffs at Block
• Crypto exchange Gemini plans to lay off up to 200 staff, exit Europe, and Australia
• Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for Paramount Takeover
• An update on our model deprecation commitments for Claude Opus 3 \ Anthropic
• Keep Android Open
• Colorado moves age checks from websites to operating systems | Biometric Update
• Open source calculator firmware DB48X forbids CA/CO use due to age verification
• New Apple product launch starts Monday, Tim Cook confirms
• Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked: The Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy Buds 4 and more
• Here's how the new Samsung Galaxy S26 compares with last year's S25
• Hacked Prayer App Sends 'Surrender' Messages to Iranians Amid Israeli and US Strikes
• The Big One: The cyberattack scenarios that keep officials up at night
• CISA replaces acting director after a bumbling year on the job
• New AirSnitch attack bypasses Wi-Fi encryption in homes, offices, and enterprises
• Victory! Tenth Circuit Finds Fourth Amendment Doesn't Support Broad Search of Protesters' Devices and Digital Data
• Enthusiasts used their home computers to search for ET—scientists are homing in on 100 signals they found
• Americans now listen to podcasts more often than talk radio, study shows | TechCrunch
• Burger King Will Use AI To Check If Employees Say 'Please' and 'Thank You'
• Uber Previews Its Dubai Air Taxi Service - Slashdot
• Rob Grant, creator of Red Dwarf, has died
• Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion, Song of Kali, dead at 77

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Molly White, Owen Thomas, and Harry McCracken

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• Melissa.com/twit
• expressvpn.com/twit
• canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT
• ZipRecruiter.com/twit
• helixsleep.com/twit