Pivot · Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Kevin Roose clarified that the "Hard Fork" podcast, despite its name, was not a bet on the future of crypto. He stated that they have conclusively determined that their initial premise was wrong. The new venture will focus on AI, which he and Casey Newton believe is a critical and under-reported story.
“We do not get to take Hard Fork with us, but that's okay because Hard Fork was a big bet made in 2021 that the future of podcasting was going to be about crypto. That's why the show is called Hard Fork. Now that we have conclusively determined that we were wrong, we think it's time for a fresh brand.”
“So Casey and I are united in the belief that what is happening in AI right now is absolutely crazy. And the most important story in the world.”
“And we also think the media has by large, uh, not done a great job of covering this. We, there's a lot of room for, uh, a new independent outlet that treats AI seriously.”