The creepy AI era is here | The Vergecast

Would you like Siri more if it had a face? This week, we’re talking about AI assistants getting smarter… and uncomfortably personal. The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to talk about her early tests of Alexa Plus, which is finally AI-powered and a lot more capable. Jake shares his uncomfortable first interaction with Grok’s anime girlfriend. And Waveform cohost David Imel is here to talk about Sony’s RX1R III and other premium “compact” cameras. Finally, the THUNDER ROUND is back. New, improved, and still loud. #Vergecast #Podcast

0:00 Intro
00:40 AI Assistants: Alexa Plus and Beyond
02:56 The Future of Smart Homes with AI
25:32 Grok: The AI Girlfriend and Beyond
38:03 Sony's New Camera: A Decade in the Making
43:39 Introduction to the Camera Discussion
43:52 Camera Pricing and Market Comparison
45:04 Technical Specifications and Features
45:49 User Experience and Practicality
48:55 Target Audience and Market Positioning
52:08 Camera Trade-offs and Market Alternatives
57:00 Future of Camera Technology
01:02:48 Thunder Round Introduction
01:07:08 Chrome OS and Android Integration
01:15:21 IKEA's New Smart Home Products
01:17:44 IKEA's Smart Home Evolution
01:18:07 Matter and Thread Integration
01:19:16 Personal Experiences with IKEA Smart Devices
01:22:45 Beeper's New Features and Subscription Models
01:29:17 Google's Nest Aware Price Hike
01:35:59 New Emoji Releases
01:45:06 Conclusion

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Post from The Verge on July 18, 2025

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