An Interview with Ben Thompson at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet, and Communications Conference

An interview of me by Craig Moffett, Michael Nathanson, and Michael Morton about what an AI re-alignment in tech might look like, Meta’s spending, the realities of scale and the challenges in regulating Aggregators, the current state of the bundle, and a few other additional questions from the audience.

Google I/O, Google’s Strengths and Weaknesses, AI Search

Google’s I/O had impressive parts and less impressive ones, depending on how much innovation was required. The most important news, though, was the intense focus on transforming search.

OpenAI’s Spring Event, GPT-4o, OpenAI and Apple

OpenAI launched GPT-4o, and the killer feature is speed. Then, news of an OpenAI partnership with Apple raise questions about the strategic priorities of both companies, as well as Google.

The Great Flattening

Apple’s iPad ad might not have been good for Apple, but it was a profound encapsulation of what has happened on the Internet; the question is what it leads to next.

Apple Earnings, Wearables and Vision Pro, AI Leverage

Apple’s earnings highlighted the company’s product maturity; will AI drive an upgrade cycle? Plus, why Wearables are slumping, and why Vision Pro isn’t moving the needle.

Google Earnings, Google’s Re-Org, Google’s True Moonshot

Google’s earnings made a strong case for the positive impact of AI on the company. Meanwhile, it’s recent re-org raises the possibility that Google might actually make devices a real business.

Meta and Open

Meta is making lots of noise about being open, in everything from AI to the metaverse. This isn’t desperation: it’s smart strategy that understands Meta’s true differentiation.