OpenAI buys TBPN tech podcast after shutting down side quest Sora app

Last month, OpenAI announced it was shutting down its Sora app after reports that leadership wanted to eliminate side quests. Now the company behind ChatGPT is buying a tech and business podcast.

TBPN hosted its first Apple executive yesterday when Eddy Cue appeared for a 20-minute interview on Apple’s 50th anniversary.

A day later, after April Fools’ Day was already behind us, TBPN announced that it was being bought by OpenAI.

OpenAI has since confirmed the news in a memo by Fidji Simo that explains its reasoning:

We’re driving a really big technological shift. And with the mission of bringing AGI to the world comes a responsibility to help create a space for a real, constructive conversation about the changes AI creates—with builders and people using the technology at the center.

Simo’s memo touches on TBPN’s editorial independence going forward, while also saying the hosts are part of OpenAI’s marketing and comms team.

That’s exactly what TBPN has built. So rather than trying to recreate that ourselves, it made a lot of sense to bring them in, support what they’re doing, and help them scale—while keeping what makes them special. A core part of this is editorial independence. TBPN will continue to run their programming, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions. That’s foundational to their credibility, and it’s something we’re explicitly protecting as part of this agreement.

I’m also excited to bring their amazing comms and marketing instincts to the team. They’ve helped many brands market online and because they have a strong pulse on where the industry is going, their comms and marketing ideas have really impressed me. I can’t wait to leverage their talent outside of the show to innovate on how we bring AI to the world in a way that helps people understand the full impact of this technology on their daily lives.

AI video is out, and podcast video is in. This is certainly new territory for an AI company that raises many questions! Thoughts?

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