Down Round
Technology
About
The number one podcast about tech business and culture, from James "JR" Hennessy and Raph Dixon.
Episodes
- Kick Streaming: Degenerate Playground
This episode of Down Round discusses Kick, a streaming platform known for its permissive content policies, contrasting it with Twitch. The hosts also briefly cover GameStop's offer to acquire eBay.
- Manus and Meta: Forbidden Lovers
This episode of Down Round covers Meta's attempted acquisition of Manus AI, a company with Chinese origins that relocated to Singapore, and the subsequent blocking of the deal by the Chinese government. The hosts also discuss the new Deep…
- Tim Cook Is Out
Tim Cook is stepping down from his CEO position at Apple and will become chairman. John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, has been announced as his replacement. The episode explores Cook's legacy and the change…
- Zuckerbot Agrees With Us
James and Raph discuss Meta's new AI model, its implications for the company, and the creation of an AI clone of Mark Zuckerberg for internal use.
- Scam Altman
This episode of Down Round discusses OpenAI's acquisition of a podcast. The hosts question Sam Altman's character and the decision behind the acquisition with a critical viewpoint.
- Claude Down Under
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visited Australia, opening an office in Sydney and meeting with officials. The episode examines Australia's relationship with AI and data centers, discusses executives' motivations, and leaks concerning Claude's…
- Sora? I Hardly Know 'Er!
This episode of Down Round discusses OpenAI's recent announcement about its video generation app, Sora, and its apparent shift towards an enterprise focus. The hosts also touch on topics such as AI Fruit Love Island and revisit private equ…
- State of Play Pt.1
This episode of Down Round, titled "State of Play Pt.1," provides a general temperature check on the AI world. Topics include identifying leaders, those encountering difficulties, and various applications of AI, such as using ChatGPT for u…
- 🚨 Down Round Official Breaking News Announcement Alert PSA
This episode is an urgent breaking news announcement for all Down Round subscribers.
- Anthropic Goes To War
This episode of Down Round discusses the controversy surrounding Anthropic and Trump's Department of War regarding the use of Anthropic's AI model, Claude. It explores questions about AI's role in wartime decision-making and its impact on…
- The Far-Flung Future of 2028
This episode of Down Round discusses a speculative fiction piece that explores potential outcomes of technological advancements by 2028. The hosts examine different possibilities for society's future.
- Down Round Q&A Pt.1
This episode of Down Round answers listener questions in a Q&A session. Additional content is available through a premium subscription.
- OpenAI vs Anthropic
This episode of Down Round discusses the rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic. It covers their Super Bowl ad spots and the increasing animosity between the two companies.
- The SpaceX + xAI Merger
This episode of Down Round discusses the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX. The hosts examine the implications of SpaceX owning both xAI and X.
- Airwallex + Payments
This episode of Down Round examines the growth of the fintech company Airwallex, including recent regulatory and financial controversies. It also explores the broader landscape of payments companies expanding into traditional banking and m…
- Is SaaS Dead?
In this episode, the hosts discuss the potential impact of AI on SaaS products and briefly touch upon the Siri and Gemini announcement.
- Grok Freaks Rejoice
This episode discusses the prevalence of AI-generated content produced by Grok on the X platform. The hosts also examine the current state of X as a social media platform.
- Xmas Spectacular 2025: Has He Got The Juice? (ft. Mark Di Stefano)
Mark Di Stefano joins Down Round for a discussion on journalism, the tech industry, and AI in politics. This episode serves as the final installment of the podcast's Christmas recording sessions.
- Xmas Spectacular 2025: Shart Tank, Pt 1
Rowan Dix and Becky Lucas join the podcast for an annual community Shark Tank episode. Listeners pitch their startup ideas while the hosts evaluate potential investments.
- Xmas Spectacular 2025: The Year That Was
In this holiday special, the hosts review their 2025 predictions and discuss their forecasts for the upcoming year. The episode also highlights the availability of premium content through their website.
- Feelin' Fine
This episode of Down Round examines the growth and trends of mental health and meditation platforms, including Calm and BetterHelp, in the context of the ZIRP era and the pandemic. It also explores comparisons to other engagement platforms…
- Netflix Eats Everything
This episode examines potential acquisition bids by Netflix and Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros. Discovery. The hosts discuss industry trends, the history of film disruption, a 2025 movie list, and follow up on previous discussions rega…
- Everything is Sportsbet Now
This episode explores the growth of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. It examines their combination of futures trading, sports gambling, and economic theory in the context of modern tech and gambling culture.
- The Slop Farms of X
This episode covers the end of the Frank student finance startup fraud case, Nvidia's latest quarterly revenue growth, and the discovery of an industry farming X's ad-share program.
- It's Just Autocomplete
This episode explores the disagreement within the AI industry regarding the limitations of large language models, focusing on Yann LeCun's critique and his advocacy for "world models." It also touches on recent reports regarding his positi…
- Apple’s Passive Income Era
This episode of Down Round examines Apple's approach to the current AI landscape, the company's financial performance, and recent product developments including the Vision Pro and MacBook Air rumors. The hosts also discuss Siri and the leg…
- Data Centres 101
This episode provides an overview of data centres, covering their history and recent expansion driven by the growth of artificial intelligence. The hosts also share job application details for a new producer position.
- Spotify for Sickos
This episode discusses the growth of AI-generated content, focusing on Suno’s $150 million ARR report and the presence of OpenAI's Sora on social media platforms.
- Atlas Shrugged
This episode reviews the new ChatGPT Atlas browser from OpenAI and examines its potential impact on Google's search market. The hosts also provide an update on the TikTok ban situation.
- Getting Steamy
This episode of Down Round discusses OpenAI's announcement regarding mental health safeguards and the generation of erotica on its platform. The hosts explore parasocial relationships with AI and how various AI labs are addressing these dy…
- Investigating The Mumgorithm (feat. Humyara Mahbub)
On this episode of Down Round, Humyara Mahbub from the Baby Shoes podcast joins to discuss the intersection of parenting and technology, including the algorithms that target new parents with advertising.
- Vibes Off
This episode explores Meta's new AI video product and discusses its potential implications. The hosts examine whether this project is a strategic use of resources for top AI talent.
- Meta Glasses, Again
This episode discusses Meta's latest announcement regarding Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses and the company's long-term strategy for AI hardware. The hosts examine how these developments align with Meta's goal to eventually replace smartphones…
- Consulting the Oracle
This episode of Down Round analyzes the recent 40% surge in Oracle's stock price following a major $300 billion compute deal with OpenAI. The hosts explore the reasons behind this significant market movement for the established technology…
- iPhone, But Orange
The hosts discuss Apple's latest iPhone announcements, noting a perceived sense of desperation and the lack of discussion regarding Apple Intelligence. The episode also highlights the new orange color option for one of the models.
- K-Pop Demon Hunters
In this episode of Down Round, the hosts discuss the Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters. They explore the pandemic-era distribution deal between Sony and Netflix and analyze the film's cultural impact within the context of the streaming lan…
- Copy Fight (UNLOCKED)
This episode of Down Round examines the debate surrounding potential Australian copyright law reforms to support AI and data centre development. It explores the opposing perspectives of the Productivity Commission and Tech Council against…
- GPT-5: Here We Go Again
This episode of Down Round discusses the release of OpenAI's GPT-5, covering the mixed public reaction to the launch and the emotional responses from users who were attached to GPT-4o.
- What Are They Planning? (ft. Cam Wilson)
James is joined by Cam Wilson to discuss his new book, 'Conspiracy Nation,' which explores the Australian conspiracy community. The conversation covers online conspiracy culture, platform engagement, the impact of AI, and Australia's teen…
- Knock On (ft. Tim Stewart)
Listener Tim Stewart joins Down Round to discuss the release and reception of a rugby league video game for PlayStation 5. The conversation explores the landscape of Australian sports video games and the efficacy of contacting CEOs on soci…
- That's Tea
This episode discusses the Tea app, its recent viral surge in popularity, and the security breach that occurred shortly after. The hosts explore its role as a social surveillance tool for women sharing information about dating experiences.
- Microsoft's Xbox Conundrum
This episode discusses Microsoft's recent job cuts and studio closures within the Xbox division following the Activision Blizzard acquisition. It also covers the release of Grok 4 by xAI and explores the implications of AI companions.
- Grok: Elon's $28 Billion Slur Machine
This episode examines Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, and concerns regarding its output of offensive content. The hosts discuss the purpose of the platform and the implications of its content generation compared to traditional moderation eff…
- Meta's Highway Robbery
This episode discusses Meta's recruitment of AI talent from rival companies to form its new Superintelligence team. It also covers reports that Apple may partner with OpenAI or Anthropic to incorporate their technology into Siri.
- Reading Out Confidential Emails Live On The Air
This episode discusses the cancelled OpenAI and Jony Ive partnership following allegations of intellectual property theft. The hosts also examine recent corporate developments at the accounting software company Xero.
- They Do Ads On Computers Now
The podcast discusses Canva's acquisition of MagicBrief, its role in their broader business strategy, and shifts in the advertising market. The episode also includes a discussion regarding Spotify and Apple Music.
- WWDC 2025: Extreme Liquidity
This episode covers the announcements from Apple's 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), including the new design language and the company's developments in AI.
- Grammarly's Second Wind
This episode of Down Round discusses Grammarly's $1 billion nondilutive investment from General Catalyst and its transition to an AI platform. The hosts also touch upon the emergence of "zombie AI platforms" and provide commentary on Perpl…
- It's Q&A Time Pt. 1
In this Q&A episode of Down Round, the hosts discuss Jony Ive's work with OpenAI, the future of Apple after Tim Cook, Australian unicorns Atlassian and Immutable, and rank the Magnificent 7 tech stocks by their aura.
- Google's Little Victory Lap
This episode discusses Google's recent AI advancements announced at their I/O conference. The hosts analyze Google's product deployment, search strategies, and AI monetization efforts.