Decoder with Nilay Patel

Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.

Business
Technology
26
Ronan Farrow on Sam Altman's "unconstrained" re...
The head of OpenAI has a reputation for deception. The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow explains why that matters.
57 min
27
Can Puck’s CEO reinvent the news business for t...
Sarah Personette’s big bet on the place where influencers and reporters might meet
70 min
28
The AI industry's existential race for profits
It’s a make-or-break year for Anthropic and OpenAI, which are facing more pressure than ever to make more cash than they burn.
35 min
29
Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins wants data centers in s...
Chuck Robbins on energy, infrastructure, and why AI is writing Cisco code.
53 min
30
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now?
Why nuclear options like age limits and repealing Section 230 won’t make social media safer.
46 min
31
Okta's CEO is betting big on AI agent identity
Why Todd McKinnon thinks it’s “naive” not to prepare for the SaaSpocalypse.
62 min
32
Everyone hates Ticketmaster. Why'd Trump go eas...
The Trump DOJ settled with Live Nation. But dozens of states are keeping the Ticketmaster antitrust fight alive.
33 min
33
Confronting the CEO of the AI company that impe...
Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra on the difference between attribution and impersonation, and what AI companies should owe creators.
71 min
34
Paramount's $110 billion Warner Bros. gamble
To take on Netflix and YouTube, Paramount has to break the Warner Bros. curse.
45 min
35
Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone on reviving the web's hom...
How Yahoo escaped its Verizon death spiral and became profitable again
73 min
36
Anthropic doesn't trust the Pentagon, and neith...
Techdirt’s Mike Masnick on the NSA, surveillance, and why we can’t take the government at its word.
44 min
37
Hasbro's CEO lets AI Peppa Pig help design toys
Chris Cocks on AI, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and why Harry Potter still matters
67 min
38
Prediction markets want to be the news
Why controversial gambling platforms Polymarket and Kalshi are cosplaying as the news.
41 min
39
Zillow's CEO on growth during a housing crisis
Zillow’s Jeremy Wacksman on affordability, AI listings, and the future of the real estate.
61 min
40
Inside Xbox's executive shakeup
Xbox boss Phil Spencer is retiring, and the future of one of the video game industry’s major pillars looks more uncertain than ever.
38 min
41
Hank Green lets loose on YouTube, billionaires,...
The former Complexly owner lets loose on YouTube, AI, and why he turned his educational company into a non-profit.
66 min
42
Money no longer matters to AI's top talent
The AI industry is rife with defections, FOMO, and radical mission statements. It’s about to get supercharged.
37 min
43
Let's talk about Ring, lost dogs, and the surve...
How the camera maker’s Search Party feature, advertised during the Super Bowl, turned it into a symbol for AI surveillance.
22 min
44
The surprising case for AI judges
A new AI arbitration system promises to solve disputes faster and keep things fair. Could it work for court?
68 min
45
Siemens CEO's mission to automate everything
Roland Busch on AI-powered factories, tariffs in the Trump era, trade and the future of NATO.
58 min
46
Reality is losing the deepfake war
Why AI labeling efforts are falling flat in the face of slop, disinformation, and messy metadata standards.
44 min
47
Docusign's CEO on the dangers of trusting AI to...
Docusign’s Allan Thygesen says “not providing an AI service isn't really an option.”
61 min
48
Netflix is eating Hollywood — because it has to
What the bidding war over Warner Bros. Discovery says about the future of Hollywood.
51 min
49
Experian's tech chief defends credit scores: 'W...
Alex Lintner, tech head of the global credit reporting company, on AI, privacy, and what data brokerages really do.
65 min
50
Why nobody's stopping Grok
How Elon Musk and xAi are putting a nail in the coffin of content moderation.
61 min