OpenAI’s new model, called o1, appears to think and ponder as you use it. But is it thinking? Or pondering? And what does it mean if it is? Would that make it worth the risks, which appear to be both greater and more plausible than ever? How do you balance the risks of destroying humanity with the possibility of improving it? This is the thing about talking about artificial intelligence: it has this nasty penchant of getting all existential on you.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we get all existential about AI. The Verge’s Kylie Robison joins the show to discuss why OpenAI built o1, why it’s launching the way it is, what to make of the folks who are worried about what they’re seeing from the model, and how we should think about this moment in AI as companies pivot toward trying to build “agents” that can do more and more on our behalf. (We recorded this just before Sam Altman published his recent blog post on The Intelligence Age, but it all feels pretty timely.)

After that, The Verge’s Gaby Del Valle and Adi Robertson come on to catch up on some legal and political stuff. We talk about the latest on the don’t-call-it-a-ban TikTok ban, which is now being tested in court — but maybe not in exactly the way you think. We talk about President Trump’s crypto announcement... if you can even call it an announcement. And we check in on the Google adtech trial, which could be another shock to the entire tech ecosystem.

Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about an issue everybody has: what do you do with all the stuff that accumulates on your devices?

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with OpenAI:

• OpenAI releases new o1 reasoning model
• OpenAI’s new model is better at reasoning and, occasionally, deceiving
• OpenAI is launching an ‘independent’ safety board that can stop its model releases
• OpenAI rates its new model “medium” risk.
• From Sam Altman: The Intelligence Age

And on TikTok / Google / Trump:

• TikTok ban: all the news on attempts to ban the video platform
• TikTok oral arguments will weigh security risks against free speech
• TikTok faces a skeptical panel of judges in its existential fight against the US government 
• Donald Trump is hawking tokens for a crypto project he still hasn’t explained
• US v. Google redux: all the news from the ad tech trial
• How Google got away with charging publishers more than anyone else

And a few tools for cleaning up your devices:

• Swipewipe
• Disk Inventory X
• WinDirStat