Technology, News
On with Kara Swisher
Vox Media
It's on. Twice a week, award-winning journalist Kara Swisher gets to the heart of the story through no-holds-barred interviews with power players across business, tech, media, politics and beyond. So why do her guests show up? “Smart people,” says Kara, “like difficult questions.” Mondays and Thursdays from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
6.4
55 min
0.05%
10 episodes
1
Ken Burns & Sarah Botstein on Finding Hope in America’s Brutal Beginnings
60 min
311/18/2025In “The American Revolution,” a new six-part docuseries airing on PBS this week, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein take a deep look at the American Revolutionary War and the years before and after. They debunk many of the idealized myths we tell ourselves about the country’s founding and the complex motivations of the men who championed independence. At once critical and patriotic, it examines America’s history in ways the Trump administration would rather paper over. Kara, Ken and Sarah talk about the ways George Washington was both a deeply flawed man and integral to American victory in the war, how enslaved African Americans looked to the British for hope of freedom, and why it’s unfair to paint all Loyalists to the British Crown as traitors. They also talk about why there’s still a lot of reasons to find hope in America’s origin story today. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2
“Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton Rings the Warning Bells
58 min
311/18/2025Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, known as one of the “godfathers of AI” for his pioneering work in deep learning and neural networks, joins Kara to discuss the technology he helped create — and how to mitigate the existential risks it poses. Hinton explains both the short- and long-term dangers he sees in the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, from its potential to undermine democracy to the existential threat of machines surpassing human intelligence. He offers a thoughtful, complex perspective on how to craft national and international policies to keep AI in check and weighs in on whether the AI bubble is about to burst. Plus: why your mom might be the best model for creating a safe AI. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3
What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Future of AI with Nick Foster
54 min
311/18/2025Futures designer Nick Foster spent decades of his career helping tech companies create products many of us didn’t even know we wanted. As the head of design at Google X — a.k.a. Alphabet’s “Moonshot Factory,” which is now known simply as “X” — he led teams working on brain-controlled computer interfaces, intelligent robotics, even neighborhood-level nuclear fusion. He also designed products for Apple, Sony, Nokia and Dyson. But in his debut book, “Could, Should, Might, Don’t: How We Think About the Future,” Foster argues for a more measured approach to thinking about big disruptive technology, like A.I. In a live conversation recorded at Smartsheet’s Engage Conference in Seattle, Kara and Nick talk about the pitfalls of the current A.I. hype cycle, why executives need to think more critically about how everyday people are using AI, and how companies can more thoughtfully adopt the technology. They also talk about Foster’s argument that all of us need to take a more “mundane” approach to thinking about AI and the future. This episode was recorded live at the Smartsheet ENGAGE 2025. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4
How Trump Dismantled the Department of Justice with Carol Leonnig
56 min
311/18/2025Under President Trump, the Department of Justice’s long-standing mission to uphold the law “without fear or favor” has been turned on its head. Attorney General Pam Bondi has followed Trump’s directives to target his political enemies and help his allies. But in their new book, Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department, investigative journalists Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis show that the erosion of the DOJ’s independence began long before Trump’s second term. Kara speaks to Leonnig, MSNBC senior investigative reporter, bestselling author and five-time Pulitzer Prize winner, about how internal pressure campaigns in Trump 1.0 prevailed, despite the noble intentions of prosecutors; the many red flags that were missed by the FBI ahead of the January 6th Capitol attack; the stubborn bravery of unsung heroes in the National Archives Department during the Biden administration; and how the DOJ’s loss of political independence will impact the country. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5
Why Scott Galloway Wants Us To Celebrate Masculinity, Not Diminish It
58 min
311/18/2025Scott Galloway has spent the last few years ringing the alarm about how boys and young men are falling behind. Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University, best-selling author, and Kara’s ‘Pivot’ co-host, says his concern stems from the fact that he can relate to their problems. As a young boy raised by a single mom, Scott struggled in school, didn’t have many friends, and barely got into college. But he went on to found several successful marketing firms, make millions, and raise two sons of his own. He shares his story — and his own advice on how to be a good man — in his new book, “Notes on Being a Man.” Kara and Scott talk about how the Trump campaign was able to win over young men with its regressive version of masculinity, why he thinks we need to re-embrace young men’s horniness, and why more men need to step up as mentors. They also talk about Scott’s difficult relationship with his late father, and the ways he’s trying to be a better father to his sons. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6
Lessons on Capitalism from Patagonia’s Reluctant Billionaire
57 min
311/18/2025When Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard first got into business, all he wanted to do was make better equipment for himself and his fellow “dirtbags.” Over 50 years, he built Patagonia into a global outdoor retailer with a sustainable mission and ensured that the company’s profits will go toward protecting the environment for years to come. In his latest book, “Dirtbag Billionaire. How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made A Fortune, and Gave it All Away,” New York Times reporter David Gelles chronicles how Chouinard set new industry standards for sustainable production and charitable giving. Kara talks with Gelles about how Chouinard’s version of conscious capitalism compares with that of tech billionaires, what to make of shifting US corporate environmental and social responsibility, and how artificial intelligence could affect the climate in the future. Want to see Kara and Scott Galloway live on the Pivot Tour November 8th-14th? Limited tickets are still available at PivotTour.com. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7
Judd Apatow on Meme Politics, Being Funny in 2025 & the Comedy Biz
54 min
311/18/2025From an early age, writer, director, and producer Judd Apatow has been obsessed with comedy. What started as a quest to interview comedians for his high school radio station ultimately evolved into one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood today, with hits like “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” and “Anchorman.” Now, Apatow is looking backwards. His new book, “Comedy Nerd,” is a visual memoir of his decades in the business, working with a who's who of the biggest names in comedy. Kara and Judd talk about how he reimagined the genre of raunchy, R-rated comedies about stunted adolescence; what he got right about American masculinity in the mid-and-late 2000s; and his recent pivot to making documentaries about some of the greatest comedians of the modern era. They also discuss whether AI can be funny and the ways politics is shaping comedy right now. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8
Inside Trump’s DOJ Power Play & the Future of Special Counsels
61 min
311/18/2025When the Department of Justice has to investigate politically sensitive matters, those investigations are typically handled by outside prosecutors known as Special Counsels: independent investigators given the freedom to unearth the dirtiest dirt against executive branch officials, including the president. Kara speaks with CNN senior legal analyst, former prosecutor, and best-selling author Elie Honig about his latest book, When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump. They discuss the history of the DOJ’s independent investigations, the Trump administration’s current (and mostly successful) attempts to weaponize the DOJ, the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, and recommendations for fixing the system. Want to see Kara and Scott Galloway live during the Pivot Tour November 8th-14th? There are still limited tickets available. Go to PivotTour.com for details. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9
Bernie Sanders on Beating Authoritarianism, Billionaires & AOC
60 min
311/18/2025In the wake of President Trump’s return to the White House, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spent months crisscrossing the nation rallying huge crowds in red and blue states during his Fighting Oligarchy tour. His new book, “Fight Oligarchy,” is an extension of those rallies and also serves as a blueprint for how everyday Americans can push back against the deep-pocketed forces shaping politics today. But at 84 years old, the two-time presidential candidate is also looking to the future of the progressive movement he helped build. Kara and Sen. Sanders talk about his headline speech at this weekend’s No King’s rally in Washington, D.C.; the corrosive effects he thinks billionaire donors have on the Democratic Party; and the ongoing government shutdown. They also chat about how he’s getting involved early in next year’s midterm elections to help boost progressive candidates — both Democrats and independents like him — in races across the country. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10
Are You Replaceable? How AI Will Impact the Future of Work
55 min
311/18/2025Will artificial intelligence be a job creator or a job destroyer? Who will be most affected — and how long will the AI revolution in employment take? Futurist Martin Ford and economist Betsey Stevenson join Kara to unpack the realities behind the AI hype. They explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work, from the fate of blue-collar jobs amid advancing robotics to the government’s role in helping workers navigate this new era. They also dive into ideas like universal basic income and a digital dividend, and examine how AI could redefine our economy, society, and the role work plays in a meaningful life. Martin Ford is the founder of a software development firm and the author of four books, including the New York Times bestselling Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. Betsey Stevenson was the chief economist of the US Department of Labor from 2010 to 2011, and then served on the Council of Economic Advisors from 2013 to 2015. She's a professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan and serves on the executive committee of the American Economic Association. Register for Smartsheet Engage here! Want to see Kara and Scott Galloway live during the Pivot Tour November 8th-14th? Get tickets and details at PivotTour.com. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices