What’s really at stake in the Jensen Huang saga

One part of the saga surrounding Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ended on Thursday, when Huang resigned from his position at the top of AI’s most important company. But in the coming weeks and months, a much bigger story may be about to unfold. A story about Nvidia’s dealings in China, about the US government’s willingness to turn a lot of blind eyes to protect a powerful ally, and about the very stability of the AI industry as a whole. It’s a lot.

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay start by trying to unpack the many parts of the story. We’re all going to learn a lot more about Megaspeed than we ever planned or wanted, and we’re going to hear a lot of people — particularly newly elected Democrats — asking questions about who knew what and when. In the meantime, who will replace Huang as the AI industry’s front man? And will everyone survive the scrutiny that’s coming?

After that, the hosts tackle a week filled with small-ish news from streaming services that adds up to Hollywood’s plan to properly take on TikTok. We’re about to find out whether microdramas, free tiers, and a deep obsession with vertical video will save the Netflixes and Paramounts of the world. Will it work? Probably not. Is it the only rational thing to try? You bet. Finally, in the lightning round, it’s time for Brendan Carr Is a Dummy, Mark Zuckerberg’s AI experiments, the Cybertruck era, and more.

In case you missed it this week: We also talked about private torrent trackers, reviewed the Apple HomeView, took your questions on the Vergecast Hotline, and discussed the Huang saga… a lot. And we want to hear all your thoughts about all of it! Call the Hotline at 866-VERGE11, send us an email at vergecast@theverge.com, and tell us everything that’s on your mind. And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!