Tech Brew Ride Home – “I’m Calling It: The Metaverse Is Over”

Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Brian McCullough

Episode Overview

This episode dives into several of the week’s most significant tech stories, led by Brian McCullough’s assertive declaration: "The Metaverse is over, at least at Meta." Major segments cover the ongoing turbulence at AI lab Thinking Machines, Meta effectively winding down its “Metaverse for work” ambitions following layoffs and product shutdowns, notable YouTube policy changes, and pivotal moves in AI, coding, and content monetization. A rapid-fire yet insightful roundup ensures listeners are up-to-date on the state of Silicon Valley and the broader tech world.

Key Discussion Points

1. Ongoing Turmoil in the AI Sector (00:34–04:56)

• Thinking Machines Fallout:

  • Continues drama with multiple staffers departing, some headed to OpenAI.
  • Echoes of 2023’s “The Blip” at OpenAI—Sam Altman’s brief ouster—highlight the instability at leading AI labs.
  • Industry faces “constant drama” and staff fatigue.
  • Thinking Machines reportedly lacks a clear product or business strategy; struggles to raise funds despite a massive prior seed round.
  • Leadership churn: Several founding and key staff have left; Selmeth Chintala named CEO.
  • Despite AI’s growing industry importance and national economic impact, “companies working on the frontier are still nothing without their people.”

  Notable Quote:

  "Some researchers also say they are exhausted by the industry's constant drama, which tell me about it." — Brian McCullough (01:52)
  “This week’s saga feels eerily similar to when Sam Altman was briefly ousted from OpenAI in 2023 and nearly the whole company threatened to quit en masse if he wasn’t reinstated.” — Brian McCullough (04:32)

2. Meta’s Retreat from the Metaverse (04:57–07:11)

• Meta Discontinues Workrooms and B2B VR:

  • Meta will shut down “Workrooms,” its flagship VR-space-for-work, on February 16th, 2026.
  • Quest headsets and Horizon services will no longer be sold to businesses after February 20th, 2026.
  • Follows significant layoffs in Reality Labs (over 1,000 jobs axed).
  • VR game studios shuttered and fitness app “Supernatural” abandoned.
  • Shift in Meta’s vision: Pivot to mobile and smart glasses, deprioritizing VR for work/business.
  • Data associated with Workrooms to be deleted; Meta recommends alternatives (Arthur, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Workplace).

  Notable Quote:

  “The dream of the Metaverse continues to die a slow death. Over at the company renamed for it, Meta will discontinue Workrooms…” — Brian McCullough (04:57)
  “It stings for true believers in Oculus VR… But it seems the primary audience for Meta's VR headsets are young teens and kids now, and so perhaps business to business VR isn't where the resources should go.” — Brian McCullough (06:48)

3. YouTube Monetization and Moderation Policy Changes (07:12–08:45)

• Flipping the Script on Sensitive Content:

  • YouTube to allow full monetization of non-graphic videos on sensitive issues (abortion, self-harm, suicide, domestic/sexual abuse).
  • Past “ad-pocalypse” context: Overly restrictive demonetization prompted complaints of censorship.
  • Recent policy relaxes for more nuanced human moderation and allows greater advertiser freedom.
  • Parents handed more control over youth accounts.

  Notable Quote:

  “YouTube still has clear guidelines for what it considers to be ad friendly, but it also wants parents to be the moderators within their families.” — Brian McCullough (08:38)

4. Cloudflare Acquires AI Data Marketplace Human Native (10:41–11:53)

• Defending Creator Rights in the AI Era:

  • The acquisition aims to ensure creators are compensated for content used to train AI.
  • Tools forthcoming for AI developers to find and fairly purchase high-quality data.
  • Cloudflare’s Matt Prince frames this as “building the tools needed to protect the longevity of the open Internet.”
  • Build on prior launch of AI Crawl Control (restricts and monetizes AI bots crawling sites).

  Notable Quote:

  “Content creators deserve full control over their work, whether they want to write for humans or optimize for AI.” — Matthew Prince, Cloudflare CEO (10:53, quoted by Brian McCullough)

5. The Rise of Vibe Coding - Replit and Beyond (11:54–13:26)

• AI in App Development:

  • Replit launches app creation for iOS via natural language prompts—“vibe coding.”
  • Stripe integration allows immediate monetization for creators and small businesses.
  • Vibe coding goes viral (notably via Anthropic’s Claude Code; $1B annualized revenue in six months).
  • The trend threatens traditional enterprise software, reflected in sector ETF drop.
  • Other players: Cursor Crater Any Sphere ($29.3B valuation), Lovable ($6.6B valuation).

  Notable Quote:

  “Vibe coding is one of the most pervasive trends to emerge from the generative AI boom, and the momentum has continued to pick up to start 2026.” — Brian McCullough (12:45)

6. Weekend Long Read Suggestions (13:27–16:06)

• Apple–TSMC’s Deepening Relationship:

  • Apple’s spend with TSMC soared from $2B (2014) to $24B (2025); relationship now codependent.
  • Apple and TSMC both locked in by mutual timing and economics of semiconductor production.

  Notable Quote:

  “Apple’s product cadence is synchronized to TSMC’s node roadmap. Moving to Intel or Samsung would mean two to three years of inferior products while yield learning catches up…” — Brian McCullough quoting semianalysis (13:55)

• AI as a Research Partner:

  • NYT story: AI aids chronic disease research, but always with a skilled human in the loop.

  Notable Quote:

  “When Dr. Unatmaz uses AI for his research… he often feels like he is talking with an experienced colleague, but he acknowledges the machine cannot do its work without a human collaborator.” — Brian McCullough quoting NYT (15:08)

• Review: Sony Bravia 8.2 TV:

  • Verge awards a rare 9/10 score: “the best TV on the market for most people.”
  • Review praises its engaging picture and viewing experience.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Industry Exhaustion:
  “Some researchers also say they are exhausted by the industry's constant drama, which tell me about it.” (01:52)

• Metaverse Has Ended (at Meta):
  “The dream of the Metaverse continues to die a slow death. Over at the company renamed for it, Meta will discontinue Workrooms…” (04:57)

• Cloudflare-Era Monetization:
  “Content creators deserve full control over their work, whether they want to write for humans or optimize for AI.” — Matthew Prince (10:53)

• Vibe Coding Trend:
  “Vibe coding is one of the most pervasive trends to emerge from the generative AI boom, and the momentum has continued to pick up to start 2026.” (12:45)

• Human + AI Partnership:
  “He often feels like he is talking with an experienced colleague, but he acknowledges the machine cannot do its work without a human collaborator.” (15:08)

• TV Recommendation:
  “If I were to buy a TV for myself today, the Sony Bravia 8.2 is the one I would get. No question.” — John Higgins, The Verge (15:57)

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• (00:34–04:56) — AI Sector Turmoil: Thinking Machines saga, OpenAI, industry drama
• (04:57–07:11) — Meta gives up on the Metaverse for work; VR layoffs and shutdowns
• (07:12–08:45) — YouTube policy shifts for sensitive content and monetization
• (10:41–11:53) — Cloudflare acquires Human Native to protect creators in AI
• (11:54–13:26) — AI “vibe coding,” Replit’s new app builder, and landscape implications
• (13:27–16:06) — Weekend reads: Apple-TSMC, human/AI research collaboration, TV review

Summary

Brian McCullough declares a definitive end to the Meta-led vision of the Metaverse, with Meta’s shutdown of Workrooms and pivot away from business VR providing the most potent symbol yet of changing tides. The episode weaves together fast-moving events in AI (from leadership musical chairs to data monetization battles), highlights the normalization of previously “ad-unfriendly” YouTube content, and spotlights how AI-driven coding is eroding the moat of incumbent enterprise software. A packed set of recommended long reads deepens listeners’ understanding of central tech industry trends—everything you need to stay current, in just fifteen minutes.