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AccessThe tech industry's inside conversation. Author: Vox Media
ACCESS is a show about the tech industrys inside conversation. Hosted by Alex Heath, the most connected tech reporter out there, and Ellis Hamburger, the founder whisperer for todays hottest AI startups, ACCESS features revealing conversations with Silicon Valleys most influential leaders, from the tech titans of today to tomorrows most interesting entrepreneurs. Its a show made by insiders for everyone who wants a glimpse into the future and the people building it. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Language: en Genres: News, Tech News, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Meet Starboy, the alien toy that hates being called AI
Friday, 13 March, 2026
Alex and Ellis talk about Alex’s visit to Anthropic’s headquarters as Claude downloads surge and the company faces growing scrutiny over its stance on government AI use. They discuss AI culture inside the labs, image generation experiments with Claude, and why some companies are betting that coding—not multimodal—is the fastest path to AGI. Then they’re joined by Daniel Kuntz, the creator of Starboy, a tiny AI-powered creature designed to hang off your bag like a charm. They talk about why he chose to build a toy instead of another productivity tool, the idea of “hardware as art,” and why he thinks Silicon Valley has forgotten how to make fun products. They also discuss designing Starboy with former Disney animators, why it doesn’t connect to your phone, the influence of fashion and collectibles, and his belief that AI companions and productivity gadgets are heading in the wrong direction. Follow ACCESS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accesspodcast/ Follow Alex: https://sources.news/ https://x.com/alexeheath/ Follow Ellis: https://meaning.company/ https://x.com/hamburger ACCESS is produced in partnership with the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
