FTC Investigates AI Price Adjustments & TNT vs. Prime for NBA Rights
Digest
This podcast covers a range of topics related to AI, technology, and business. It begins with an advertisement for Meta AI, highlighting its capabilities in answering questions, summarizing notes, and providing personalized assistance. The hosts then discuss a T-shirt selling contest and Amazon's significant losses on Echo devices, attributing the losses to a flawed metric called Downstream Impact. The podcast delves into the FTC's investigation of surveillance pricing, a practice where companies use AI to personalize prices based on customer data, raising concerns about potential consumer harm. Tesla's earnings report reveals a focus on AI and autonomous vehicles, with Elon Musk emphasizing the importance of autonomy over traditional car sales. Alphabet, Google's parent company, reports strong earnings driven by advertising and Google Cloud, but faces challenges in acquiring companies due to antitrust scrutiny and recent cybersecurity concerns. The podcast also covers Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to exercise its matching rights to keep NBA games on TNT, competing with Amazon's bid for streaming rights. This highlights the importance of live sports for legacy media companies. The US Olympic Committee sues Prime Hydration for trademark infringement, accusing the brand of using Olympic-related phrases and profiting from the Olympics without authorization. Finally, the podcast discusses Apple's plans for a foldable iPhone, potentially launching in 2026, marking a significant hardware update and a late entry into the foldable phone market.
Outlines
![](https://s3.castbox.fm/webstatic/images/book.5d108c35.png)
AI, Tech, and Business News
This podcast covers a range of topics related to AI, technology, and business, including Meta AI, surveillance pricing, Amazon's Echo device losses, Tesla's shift to AI, Alphabet's acquisition challenges, and the NBA's broadcast rights.
![](https://s3.castbox.fm/webstatic/images/book.5d108c35.png)
T-Shirt Contest, Amazon's Losses, and B Hive Sponsor
The hosts announce a T-shirt selling contest with discount codes, discuss Amazon's significant losses on Echo devices, and introduce a sponsor, B Hive.
![](https://s3.castbox.fm/webstatic/images/book.5d108c35.png)
FTC Investigates Surveillance Pricing
The FTC is investigating surveillance pricing, a practice where companies use AI to personalize prices based on customer data, raising concerns about potential consumer harm.
![](https://s3.castbox.fm/webstatic/images/book.5d108c35.png)
Tesla's Earnings Report and Shift to AI
Tesla's earnings report reveals a focus on AI and autonomous vehicles, with Elon Musk emphasizing the importance of autonomy over traditional car sales.
Keywords
Meta AI
Meta AI is an advanced artificial intelligence system developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) that provides personalized assistance across various platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. It can answer questions, summarize notes, and perform other tasks.
Surveillance Pricing
Surveillance pricing is a practice where companies use AI to personalize prices based on customer data, such as browsing history, location, and credit history. This raises concerns about potential price discrimination and consumer harm.
Downstream Impact (DSI)
Downstream Impact (DSI) is a metric used by Amazon to assign a financial value to products based on how customers spend within Amazon's ecosystem after purchasing them. It was used to justify the losses on Echo devices, but it proved to be inaccurate.
Foldable iPhone
A foldable iPhone is a smartphone with a flexible screen that can be folded in half, offering a larger display when unfolded and a more compact form factor when folded. Apple is reportedly developing a foldable iPhone, potentially launching in 2026.
Prime Hydration
Prime Hydration is a sports drink brand co-owned by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI. It has faced controversies over its high caffeine content and trademark infringement allegations.
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. Its broadcast rights are currently held by Warner Bros. Discovery, but Amazon is bidding for streaming rights, leading to a bidding war.
Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo is a line of smart home devices equipped with Alexa, a voice assistant. Amazon has lost billions of dollars on Echo devices due to a flawed metric used to measure their value.
Tesla
Tesla is an electric vehicle and clean energy company founded by Elon Musk. Its recent earnings report revealed a shift towards AI and autonomous vehicles, with a focus on developing a humanoid robot and autonomous robot taxis.
Alphabet
Alphabet is the parent company of Google. It reported strong earnings driven by advertising and Google Cloud, but faces challenges in acquiring companies due to antitrust scrutiny and recent cybersecurity concerns.
Q&A
What is Meta AI and what are its capabilities?
Meta AI is an advanced artificial intelligence system developed by Meta that provides personalized assistance across various platforms. It can answer questions, summarize notes, and perform other tasks.
What is surveillance pricing and why is the FTC investigating it?
Surveillance pricing is a practice where companies use AI to personalize prices based on customer data. The FTC is investigating it because it raises concerns about potential price discrimination and consumer harm.
Why has Amazon lost so much money on Echo devices?
Amazon's Echo devices have been a financial drain due to a flawed metric called Downstream Impact, which failed to accurately measure the devices' contribution to Amazon's ecosystem.
What are Apple's plans for a foldable iPhone?
Apple is reportedly developing a foldable iPhone, potentially launching in 2026. This would be a significant hardware update and a late entry into the foldable phone market.
What is the US Olympic Committee's lawsuit against Prime Hydration about?
The US Olympic Committee is suing Prime Hydration for trademark infringement, accusing the brand of using Olympic-related phrases and profiting from the Olympics without authorization.
What is the current situation with the NBA's broadcast rights?
Warner Bros. Discovery is currently holding NBA broadcast rights, but Amazon is bidding for streaming rights. Warner Bros. Discovery has exercised its matching rights to keep games on TNT, leading to a bidding war.
What is Tesla's current focus and how is it reflected in its earnings report?
Tesla is shifting its focus towards AI and autonomous vehicles, with Elon Musk emphasizing the importance of autonomy over traditional car sales. This is reflected in its earnings report, which highlights investments in AI and autonomous vehicle development.
What are Alphabet's recent challenges in acquiring companies?
Alphabet is facing challenges in acquiring companies due to antitrust scrutiny and recent cybersecurity concerns. This is evident in its failed attempts to acquire HubSpot and Wiz, a cybersecurity provider.
Why is Warner Bros. Discovery so determined to keep NBA rights?
Warner Bros. Discovery is determined to keep NBA rights because live sports are crucial for legacy media companies. Losing the NBA would result in significant revenue loss and potentially damage the company's brand.
Show Notes
Episode 372: Neal and Toby recap the FTC’s probe into how companies may use AI to use personalized pricing for its customers. Then, a roundup of the biggest news in the day’s tech earnings from Tesla and Alphabet. Also, the coveted NBA TV rights deal adds some spice when Warner Bros. threw its hat in the ring by matching Amazon’s offer. Next, Logan Paul’s drink brand PRIME is sued by the US Olympic Committee for using trademarked terms to sell products without consent. Meanwhile, Amazon’s dream of placing Echos into millions of households has resulted in a nightmarish reality where it's losing billions of dollars because of it. Lastly, it seems like Apple is moving forward with a foldable iPhone.
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00:00 - Intro
03:00 - AI Surveillance Pricing
08:30 - Tesla and Alphabet Earnings
14:00 - NBA Rights Fight
18:55 - Olympics Suing Prime
22:00 - Amazon Alex Losing Money
25:00 - Foldable iPhone
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