Why is Everyone Freaking Out About AI Right Now? | Pivot

Kara and Scott unpack the recent AI panic, as Dario Amodei calls for a slowdown, Donald Trump dismisses concerns, and Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public this year. Then, they discuss Mark Carney’s push for closer ties with the EU, and why Canada and the U.S. may not be getting back together anytime soon. Plus, California’s new online child-safety laws, and Mitch McConnell’s surprise return to the Senate. Subscribe to Pivot! https://www.youtube.com/@pivot?sub_confirmation=1 00:00 Intro 00:19 The AI Panic 17:53 OpenAI Rules Out 2026 IPO 22:51 California Social Media Safety Laws 27:05 Mark Carney Courts Europe 35:21 Mitch McConnell Returns 43:54 Wins and Fails #pivot #pivotpodcast #podcast #karaswisher #scottgalloway #ai #anthropic #darioamodei #samaltman #openai #elonmusk #grok #markcarney #canada #tradewar #trump #california #airegulations #airegulation #regulation #mitchmcconnell #ussenate #senator Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Todd Wiseman Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or email pivot@voxmedia.com About Pivot With great power, comes great scrutiny. Every Tuesday and Friday, journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. They make bold predictions, pick winners and losers, and bicker and banter like no one else. Episodes blend breaking news analysis with bold predictions, sharp debate, and the occasional argument between the two hosts. From New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Kara SwisherhostScott Gallowayhost

Sep 15, 202653mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: September 15, 2026
Duration: 53m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Kara and Scott unpack the recent AI panic, as Dario Amodei calls for a slowdown, Donald Trump dismisses concerns, and Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public this year. Then, they discuss Mark Carney’s push for closer ties with the EU, and why Canada and the U.S. may not be getting back together anytime soon. Plus, California’s new online child-safety laws, and Mitch McConnell’s surprise return to the Senate. Subscribe to Pivot! https://www.youtube.com/@pivot?sub_confirmation=1 00:00 Intro 00:19 The AI Panic 17:53 OpenAI Rules Out 2026 IPO 22:51 California Social Media Safety Laws 27:05 Mark Carney Courts Europe 35:21 Mitch McConnell Returns 43:54 Wins and Fails #pivot #pivotpodcast #podcast #karaswisher #scottgalloway #ai #anthropic #darioamodei #samaltman #openai #elonmusk #grok #markcarney #canada #tradewar #trump #california #airegulations #airegulation #regulation #mitchmcconnell #ussenate #senator Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Todd Wiseman Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or email pivot@voxmedia.com About Pivot With great power, comes great scrutiny. Every Tuesday and Friday, journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. They make bold predictions, pick winners and losers, and bicker and banter like no one else. Episodes blend breaking news analysis with bold predictions, sharp debate, and the occasional argument between the two hosts. From New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

SPEAKERS

Kara Swisher
host
Journalist and co-host of Pivot (New York Magazine/Vox Media Podcast Network).
Scott Galloway
host
NYU Stern marketing professor, entrepreneur, and co-host of Pivot.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Why is Everyone Freaking Out About AI Right Now? | Pivot explores pivot argues AI panic reflects governance failure, not unstoppable machines Swisher and Galloway argue the AI panic is driven less by “runaway AI” and more by human incentives, weak governance, and a largely unregulated frontier-model industry.

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