This Hard Fork podcast episode is a co-hosted discussion centered on the implications of DeepSeek, a new Chinese AI startup, and its impact on the global AI landscape. The hosts begin by summarizing DeepSeek's rapid rise and subsequent bans in the US and Italy, followed by an interview with Jordan Schneider, an expert on US-China tech policy, to analyze DeepSeek's motivations and the geopolitical implications of its success. Schneider explains that DeepSeek's unexpected success stems from its unique structure and the surprising open-source release of its models, despite potential conflicts with the Chinese government. The discussion then shifts to OpenAI's new AI agent software, "Operator," with the hosts sharing their experiences testing its capabilities and limitations, highlighting its potential for both productivity gains and safety concerns. The episode concludes with a segment reviewing recent tech news, rating the "messiness" of several events on a "Hot Mess Express" scale. For example, the hosts discuss a book app that generated racist AI responses, leading to the removal of its AI features.
