Kevin Roose, Casey Newton Launch Machine Gods Media With NPR Podcast After 4 Years of Hard Fork
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Oct 6
Kevin Roose, Casey Newton Launch Machine Gods Media With NPR Podcast After 4 Years of Hard Fork
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Oct 6
Summary
Machine Gods Media is the new company launched by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, alongside an NPR distribution deal for their new AI-focused podcast, Machine Gods.
NPR won the partnership even though Roose said other bidders offered more money, because the pair wanted broad radio reach, creative control, and distance from a full acquisition.
Roose said the show aims for “AI realism” between hype and dismissal, targeting listeners beyond the usual tech audience, including policymakers and local government officials.
After 9 years at The New York Times, Roose framed the move as part of a broader media shift toward audience loyalty to individual journalists over institutions.
Roose tied the launch to a wider AI moment: his new book, based on more than 150 interviews, argues a small circle of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google leaders shaped the technology’s trajectory.