Web browsers have looked and worked basically the same way for more than a decade, to the point where they all have roughly the same features, in the same places, and are often even built around the same engine. But just about every company in tech suddenly wants to change them, all spurred by AI and the possibility of controlling one of the most important surfaces on any device. And that means not just controlling them through ownership and being able to choose the default settings — but, in this case, quite literally controlling your cursor and browsing the web for you.
This week on The Vergecast, we’re talking about ChatGPT Atlas, the onslaught of new AI browsers over the past few months, and what it means for where AI goes next. After that, we turn to Samsung’s Galaxy XR and whether anyone wants to put AI devices on their face. And then, it’s time to talk about Warner Bros. Discovery putting itself up for sale — and the long, embarrassing history of companies acquiring Warner Bros. just to realize what a mess they’ve created and selling it again a few years later. We’re taking bets on who’ll be next.
Finally, everyone’s favorite podcast within a podcast, Brendan Carr is a Dummy, makes its triumphant return. And then we close things out with a packed Lightning Round. We’re talking the Friend protest, GM removing CarPlay, the AWS outage, OpenAI’s controversial legal strategy, Pitchfork’s pivot to comments, and the future of the Xbox.
If you want to read more about the stories we discussed, check out the links below.
