Technology

America’s Most Dystopian Halftime Show

How college football turns student debt into a game show

The Hybrid-Car Dilemma

Americans are falling in love with hybrids. Why don’t car companies want to make them?

Generative AI’s iPhone Moment

Google’s long-awaited Gemini model shows that the technology is losing its magic.

The Simple, Ancient Idea That Can Replace Concrete Walls

The energy intensity of concrete is an intractable climate problem. What about using stone instead?

Admit It, the Cybertruck Is Awesome

The world needs weirder EVs.

One Year In, ChatGPT’s Legacy Is Clear

The technology is less important than the ideas it represents.

Spotify Doesn’t Know Who You Are

It’s okay if you’ve listened to Steely Dan 42,031 times this year. Really.

Why Won’t OpenAI Say What the Q* Algorithm Is?

Supposed AI breakthroughs are frequently veiled in secrecy, hindering scientific consensus.

Watching a Line Cook Flip Eggs for Six Hours

TikTok has become a home to people broadcasting themselves live at work. Viewers are captivated.

The Money Always Wins

Sam Altman has retaken the throne at OpenAI.

OpenAI’s Chief Scientist Made a Tragic Miscalculation

What was Ilya Sutskever thinking when he tried to overthrow Sam Altman?

It’s Too Easy to Buy Stuff You Don’t Want

Online shopping is too fast for good decisions.

There Is No Good Way to Travel Anywhere in America

An Amtrak ride can go so, so wrong.

Christopher Nolan on the Promise and Peril of Technology

A conversation with the director

Inside the Chaos at OpenAI

Sam Altman’s weekend of shock and drama began a year ago, with the release of ChatGPT.

The Sudden Fall of Sam Altman

What it means that the world’s most powerful AI executive is out of a job

Sphere and Loathing in Las Vegas

My night in front of the world’s largest LED screen

My New iPhone Is Making Me Look Uglier

The selfie camera has gotten too good.

Welcome to CAPTCHA Hell

Those little online puzzles are about to get so much more annoying.

‘We Do Not Want to Deal With Customers Like You!’

A family-owned restaurant has had enough of one-star reviews.