Kevin Roose and Casey Newton partner with NPR for new AI show
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Casey Newton and Kevin Roose. Photo: Jessica Chou for Machine Gods
Kevin Roose and Casey Newton are partnering with NPR for distribution and ad sales of their new show, "Machine Gods."
Why it matters: The deal underscores NPR's push to reach new audiences while enticing creators with one of its most powerful assets, radio's massive reach.
Zoom in: "Machine Gods" will launch in October as a twice-weekly, video-first show about the consumer, enterprise and policy implications of AI.
- The show will be built for YouTube but also distributed as a podcast, with one episode focusing on interviews and another on news and analysis, Newton says. NPR plans to bring the show to radio in early 2027.
- Roose says the show will take an "AI realism" approach that avoids framing the technology as either a path to utopia or catastrophe.
- "We are not doomers," Roose says. "We are not accelerationists. We are journalists, and we're trying to help people contextualize and make sense of what is happening."
Between the lines: NPR approached Roose and Newton shortly after chief content officer Nadine Zylstra joined this summer. They also spoke with other potential partners.
- Radio distribution was one reason they chose NPR, Newton says, noting its reach among "people who are plugged into the Washington D.C. policy and lawmaking apparatus" at a "critical time for AI policy and regulation."
- Zylstra, who previously worked at Pinterest, YouTube and Sesame Workshop, says part of her mandate is growing NPR's existing franchises while adding new ones.
- When she learned Roose and Newton were starting their own company, she jumped at the opportunity because of their ability to make complex AI topics accessible.
Zoom out: The show is the first business from Machine Gods Media, the company Roose and Newton formed after leaving "Hard Fork," the popular tech podcast they hosted together at the New York Times.
- Roose and Newton own the company 50-50. Newton's Platformer, the tech publication he founded in 2020, remains a separate business.
- The launch comes as Roose prepares to release his fourth book, "The AGI Chronicles: The Inside Story of the Race to Create an Artificial Superintelligence," on Oct. 6.
- They have hired an executive producer and a senior producer, Rachel Cohn, who previously produced "Hard Fork," and are planning more hires.
The big picture: A growing group of journalists and creators are building independent media businesses while partnering with traditional organizations for resources like sales teams.
- Alex Cooper struck a deal with SiriusXM for ad sales and distribution rights for "Call Her Daddy" and her Unwell Network. Megyn Kelly expanded her SiriusXM partnership last year with a dedicated channel.
- NPR wants to strike more deals with outside talent and is open to arrangements that allow creators to retain their intellectual property, Zylstra says.
- "We're a buyer in the marketplace," Zylstra says. "If folks have new ideas that they think would be interesting to the NPR audience, please bring that."
What to watch: Roose and Newton are exploring how to expand Machine Gods Media, including live events. They're also interested in experimenting with a call-in show.
