Pivot Podcast Summary

Episode: AI Faceoffs at the Super Bowl, Bob Iger's Heir Apparent, and WaPo's Brutal Cuts

Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway

Episode Overview

This episode dives into some of the week's most buzzworthy topics: the AI showdown in Super Bowl ads, Disney’s long-awaited CEO succession plan, and the painful mass layoffs at The Washington Post. True to form, Kara and Scott blend hard-hitting analysis with trademark banter and barbs, exploring how big decisions in tech, media, and business ripple through society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dynamic Between Swisher and Galloway: Business, Control & Podcasting

• Scott discusses building enterprise value—a candid look at behind-the-scenes finances and motivations in media partnerships, emphasizing his desire for control over his Prof. G podcast network vs. Pivot, which is partially owned by Vox.
• Both agree working with a partner has been rewarding, but Scott jokes about planning his "exit" to create and ultimately cash in on solo ventures.
• Quote: "Control is an addictive substance… I like making decisions." — Scott (03:29)

2. Resistant Unsubscribe & Organizing Campaigns

• Scott reflects on his "resistant unsubscribe" movement, aiming to inspire collective action against platforms like Spotify for social and political reasons (08:37).
• Notes his challenge in sustaining momentum and struggles with collaborating with activist types—preferring action over building consensus.
• Research cited from Kellogg points out that public shaming via media, not economic damage, most effectively pressures companies (09:10).
• Quote: “The hole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Scott (08:58)
• Both agree that genuine, collective organizing is hard, but sometimes necessary to keep meaningful campaigns alive.

3. Anthropic's Super Bowl Ads vs. OpenAI: The AI Advertising Wars

(Timestamps: 12:28–18:35)

• Anthropic's Claude chatbot ran a series of Super Bowl ads poking fun at ChatGPT’s rumored integration of ads, striking a nerve with OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

• The ads creatively depicted generic, robotic AI advice abruptly interrupted by awkward ad placements, highlighting consumer fears about trust and privacy in AI.

• Sam Altman responded defensively, but Scott and Kara believe the campaign was a masterstroke of branding.

  • Scott’s branding analysis:

    • Differentiate, ensure it’s relevant, and make it sustainable—Anthropic did all three.
    • Suggests this could be the "pivotal moment" where Anthropic overtakes OpenAI.
    • Quote: “This will be the moment when Sam Altman… shit the bed and Dario became the new face of AI.” — Scott (15:15)

  • Kara notes: The ads perfectly capture “what people don’t like about AI”—a lack of emotion, empathy, and an uncanny robotic edge (16:09).

4. Therapy, Trust, and Inserting Ads into AI

• Scott and Kara riff on the (creepy) prospect of AI inserting ads into therapy sessions and medical advice. Scott likens it to "doctors shilling for pharma," with even more potential for abuse (18:35–20:24).
• Quote: “Imagine sitting down and talking to a therapist… and they say, 'oh, you should absolutely go on Lexapro—and by the way, I’m sponsored by Eli Lilly.'” — Scott (19:16)

5. Rapid Fire: Epstein Files, Trump, and Public Trust in Institutions

• Trump’s dismissive attitude toward Epstein’s victims, echoed and worsened by JD Vance and Megyn Kelly in media interviews. Kara and Scott discuss misogyny and the shifting of blame, calling out Kelly’s defenses and the lack of accountability.

• Scott laments the absence of a trusted institution (like DOJ or FBI) to distinguish real criminality from trivial associations in the Epstein saga (23:13–24:10).

• Both agree media and public attention are failing to focus on the worst crimes and are distracted by diluted coverage.

  • Quote: “We’re overpunishing shit that's trivial… and underpunishing child rape.” — Scott (23:39)

6. Disney's CEO Succession – Josh D’Amaro Tapped as Heir Apparent

(Timestamps: 39:38–46:32)

• Bob Iger finally names Josh D’Amaro (former head of Disney Experiences) as successor. Discussion of Disney’s structure—parks, streaming, and legacy TV.

  • The experiences (parks & cruises) division now generates 3x the income of Disney’s entertainment unit.

• Scott advocates splitting Disney into “good bank, bad bank”—streaming and parks as growth, spin-off the declining linear TV properties (ESPN, ABC, etc.).

• Kara notes Disney’s content has missed some viral trends; recommends more innovation and diversity in their IP.

• Both feel Disney is either “a great buy” or “an activist target” given it's flat performance versus the broader S&P.

7. Alphabet’s (Google) Blowout Earnings & the Future of OpenAI

(Timestamps: 37:28–39:38)

• Google’s business is resurgent—search revenue, YouTube, and cloud are all up substantially.
• Scott speculates this spells trouble for OpenAI, which faces competition from all sides (Anthropic, Google, open-source LLMs).
• Quote: “Since the quarter that ChatGPT was released… Google search revenues are up 48%.” — Scott (38:21)

8. Washington Post’s Brutal Layoffs & the Future of Journalism

(Timestamps: 47:44–62:56)

• Kara details the gutting—over 300 staffers laid off; Bezos and the CEO have been notably absent and silent.
• Scott’s advice: Don’t buy or attempt to save WaPo unless you’re a billionaire willing to lose $100–200 million/year; quality news is a “public good,” not a rational capitalist endeavor in today’s media environment.
  • “Long-form… investigative journalism is a shitty business” due to social media's dominance and lack of willingness to pay for quality content (53:10).
• Compares to NYT—profitable but small, and only staying afloat through early innovation.
• Both hope a philanthropist or consortium will step up, but Kara muses about a “sustainable, useful, profitable enough” news model, even if it won’t scale into big money.

9. Social Media Bans, Regulation, and the Rise of Reciprocal Tariffs

(Timestamps: 64:54–68:15)

• Scott forecasts the wave of social media bans for youth (across Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Australia, etc.) is not just about protecting kids—it’s the start of economic pushback against American tech.
• European nations are using child safety as the pretext to ban monopoly social platforms, but will increasingly flex these bans or tariffs as a way to retaliate against U.S. economic policy and tech dominance.
• Quote: “Other nations are sick of… punitive economic warfare… and their tariffs are the following: They're going to start banning our social media platforms.” — Scott (65:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kara (re: AI advertising): “It really put a finger on what people don’t like about AI… it didn’t say what they were, but said what they weren’t—that was effective.” (17:48)
• Scott (on Disney): “If you don’t take your kids to Disney and spend $1400 a night in a shitty hotel, they call child services on you.” (44:18)
• Kara (on WaPo layoffs): “Bezos has twice the muscle and he’s half the man from when I met him.” (49:08)
• Scott (on WaPo rescue): “Don’t touch this thing with a fucking ten foot pole.” (51:10)
• Kara (on layoffs): “Please give to their guild, they got laid off…these are people who’ve done an amazing public service.” (59:42)
• Scott (on news business): “OnlyFans will do more revenue than NYT this year.” (55:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:27 — Scott on control & podcast enterprise value
• 08:37–11:26 — Resistant Unsubscribe, organizing activism, and media influence
• 12:28–18:35 — Anthropic vs. OpenAI; Super Bowl ad dissection
• 18:35–20:24 — AI, therapy, and ads: privacy & trust issues
• 20:32–26:22 — Epstein coverage, gendered attacks, and media failures
• 37:28–39:38 — Alphabet earnings and OpenAI outlook
• 39:38–46:32 — Disney’s CEO succession and business strategy
• 47:44–62:56 — Washington Post layoffs, future of journalism, Kara’s aspirations
• 64:54–68:15 — Social media bans and rise of platform protectionism

Tone & Style

As always, the episode is fast, candid, and irreverent; Kara and Scott swap zingers, mix deep business insight, branding expertise, and biting media critique with a confessional, sometimes profane, conversational style. They pull no punches—whether addressing ego-driven CEOs, clueless billionaires, or the future of democracy itself.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode delivers a crash course in the intersecting crises and inflection points at the heart of tech, media, and business in 2026. It puts the AI marketing wars into cultural and business context, exposes the brutal economics behind journalism today, and frames C-suite chess moves at Disney and Alphabet as harbingers of bigger trends. Kara and Scott’s banter (and occasional spats) add humor and personality to otherwise sobering topics, making this a must-listen for anyone tracking how power, money, and influence shape the news you read and the tools you use.