Episode Details

The reports that Apple may pay nearly $1 billion to license Google's Gemini AI for Siri are examined, debating privacy, accuracy, and long-term AI strategy. Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, and Mark Fuccio then rave about the new Apple TV sci-fi series Pluribus and other standout shows, before turning to disturbing revelations that a significant share of Meta's ad revenue appears tied to scam advertising and questionable enforcement practices.

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[0:28] Reported $1B Apple–Google Gemini deal for Siri [0:53] Why Apple might license AI instead of building everything in-house [2:10] Comparing Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT performance [2:46] Longstanding Apple–Google relationship and spreading AI bets [4:09] Privacy questions and limits of deep integration on iPhone [5:36] Multiple-model future and Apple running Gemini on its own servers [6:22] Accuracy concerns and Gemini's track record [7:42] Privacy as a differentiator and stopgap strategy analogy to Maps [8:10] Using Gemini to learn while Apple builds its own model [10:36] Energy efficiency, Apple silicon, and AI infrastructure [11:59] Training vs. inference costs and NVIDIA dependence [14:12] Viewing AI models as commodities and Apple's end-to-end experience [16:09] Could "to Gemini" become the next "to Google"? [18:06] Shifting to Pluribus on Apple TV and its 100% rating [19:39] First reactions to Pluribus and spoiler-free praise [21:17] Binge-watching, the official companion podcast, and water-cooler TV [22:25] Broader strength of Apple TV's original series [23:35] Comparing Apple TV's consistency to HBO's classic era [25:17] More standout titles: documentaries and prestige series [28:15] Coverage of shows vs. recognition of Apple TV as a network [29:08] Turning to Meta and revelations about scam-driven ad revenue [30:12] Meta's incentives to keep "borderline" scam ads running [31:35] Ethical outrage, user harm, and lack of protection [32:05] Meta's history of questionable experiments and weak moral compass [33:22] Legal angles, potential class actions, and enforcement gaps [37:17] "Violating the spirit, not the letter" of policy at scale [38:04] Higher ad rates for scammers and disturbing normalization [38:55] Closing remarks and wrap-up

Chapters:

Links:

Apple will pay almost $1 billion a year for a custom Gemini model to power Siri https://appleworld.today/2025/11/apple-will-pay-almost-1-billion-for-a-custom-gemini-model-to-power-siri/

Why 'Pluribus' Has a Perfect Score on Rotten Tomatoes https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/pluribus-rotten-tomatoes-perfect-score-100-apple-tv-critics-watch-rcna243055

Bombshell report exposes how Meta relied on scam ad profits to fund AI https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/bombshell-report-exposes-how-meta-relied-on-scam-ad-profits-to-fund-ai/

Guests:

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on