Tech Brew Ride Home – "NOT Alright, Alright, Alright"

Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Brian McCullough

Episode Overview

This fast-paced edition of Tech Brew Ride Home delves into the latest shocks and shifts in tech policy, AI, and industry business models. Brian McCullough summarizes everything from Nvidia’s ongoing China conundrums to Tesla’s new FSD strategy, Meta’s pivot away from VR gaming, shifts in AI licensing and supply chains, and a novel legal front in AI impersonation—courtesy of Matthew McConaughey. The episode closes with how elite consultancies like McKinsey are embedding AI not just in client work but even into recruitment.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Nvidia’s H200 AI Chips: US-China Tug-of-War

[01:35 – 05:40]

• US Approval & China Pushback:

  • The US government has approved sales of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, with the caveat that China can't receive more than 50% of the US customer chip volume.
  • Simultaneously, Chinese authorities reportedly instruct customs agents and tech firms to avoid purchasing the H200 chips, effectively imposing a ban except for narrowly defined R&D collaborations.
    • "The wording from the officials is so severe that it is basically a ban. For now, though, this might change in the future should things evolve." ([02:24], quoting unnamed sources)

• Analyst Perspective:

  • This apparent ban could be a tactical move by Beijing to strengthen negotiations ahead of President Trump’s upcoming visit, or a protectionist step to bolster domestic chipmakers.
  • Chinese companies had already placed orders for 2 million chips—far beyond the reported Nvidia supply of 700,000.

• Economic Stakes:

  • Reopening sales brings windfall profits for Nvidia (chips at ~$27,000 each) and the US (which collects a 25% fee on sales).
  • McCullough points out ambiguity on whether bans apply to backlog and what leverage both sides seek.

2. Meta Cuts VR Gaming Studios and Scales Back Supernatural

[05:40 – 07:25]

• Studios Shuttered:

  • Meta is closing three VR gaming studios (Twisted Pixel Games, Sanzaru Games, Armature Studio) and halting new content for fitness app Supernatural.
  • These closures follow Meta’s larger strategy: moving investment from the Metaverse toward wearables.

• Official Statement:

  • "We said last month that we are shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward wearables. This is part of that effort and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year." ([07:10], Statement from Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton)

3. Tesla to Stop Selling FSD Outright; Moves to Subscription-Only Model

[07:25 – 09:30]

• Change in Approach:

  • After February 14, FSD (Full Self-Driving) will only be available via subscription ($99/month, previously also a one-time $8,000 option).
  • No official rationale given, but aligns with Musk’s performance targets—hitting 10 million active subscriptions is key for his incentive plan.

• Elon Musk’s Take:

  • "The honest answer is that we're going to have to... that's going to be painful and difficult, but we'll get it done. Now I'm kind of glad that not that many people bought the FSD package." ([08:55], Musk on retrofitting vehicles and slow FSD adoption)

• Context:

  • Move comes as Tesla trails BYD in global EV sales, pushing focus toward FSD and AI-driven ventures.

4. Matthew McConaughey Moves to Legally Guard His AI Likeness

[09:30 – 13:50]

• Trademark Offensive:

  • Actor secures eight USPTO trademarks to prevent unauthorized AI impersonations, covering clips of his likeness and his iconic "alright, alright, alright" phrase.
  • Motivated by the surge in AI-generated deepfakes using celebrity voices and images.

• McConaughey’s Statement:

  • "My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it's because I approved and signed off on it. We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consistent and attribution the norm in an AI world." ([12:01], email statement)

• Legal Perspective:

  • Trademarks offer an evolving defense, but the ultimate legal strength in federal court or on platforms like YouTube remains untested.
  • "I don't know what a court will say in the end, but we have to at least test this." ([13:17], McConaughey attorney Kevin Yorn)

• Business Angle:

  • McConaughey is also partnering with ElevenLabs (AI voice tech) for multilingual content; both he and his lawyer have stakes in the company.

• Expert View:

  • Professor Mark McKenna (UCLA): Existing law offers decent protection, but in AI content monetized online, "the law is murkier." ([13:37])

5. Microsoft’s Deepening Ties with Anthropic AI

[15:57 – 18:12]

• Big Customer, Strategic Seller:

  • Microsoft is spending up to $500 million annually on Anthropic’s models for its products.
  • Changes sales incentives: Azure reps’ quota can now be filled by selling Anthropic models (on par with Microsoft’s own and OpenAI’s), marking an unusual step in cloud sales.

• Bets on Multiple AI Horses:

  • Microsoft’s “multi-partner” AI approach hedges against dependence on any single provider.
  • Follows a $5B investment in Anthropic and a deal to offer their models to business users—a further move into enterprise AI arms race.

6. Apple’s Unusual Measures Amid AI-Driven Material Shortage

[18:12 – 20:00]

• Glass Cloth Squeeze:

  • Critical chip material is in short supply due to surging AI hardware demand from giants like Nvidia, Google, Amazon, AMD, Qualcomm, and Apple.
  • Key supplier: Netobo (Netoboski), controls most of the high-end market.

• Apple’s Response:

  • Stationed staff at Japanese suppliers and even lobbied government officials to secure supply—underscoring how AI is now causing "weird" new supply chain crises.

7. McKinsey’s Radical AI Integration—Recruitment and Operations

[20:00 – 25:00]

• Recruitment Revamp:

  • McKinsey is piloting a process where applicants use their AI tool 'Lilly' to analyze case studies in interviews.
  • Tests candidates' ability to prompt AI, critically evaluate output, and contextualize recommendations.

• Industry-Wide Shift:

  • Other firms like BCG and Bain expected to follow suit.
  • Consulting industry is moving away from broad strategy work toward hands-on tech adoption and AI projects.

• Firm Restructuring:

  • Downsizing ongoing—10% of workforce cut in 2023–24; plans to trim another 10% of non-client roles in two years.
  • Schism from traditional “pyramid” structure as junior-level work is increasingly automated.

• AI Agent Usage:

  • McKinsey CEO Bob Sternfels:
    • “We had a workforce of 20,000 agents on top of our 40,000 staff. That figure would grow... to get one agent per human.” ([24:41], Sternfels on HBR’s IdeaCast)
    • “The stuff that I did when I joined as an associate 32 years ago, we wouldn't consider even doing right now. Why? Because clients do that stuff themselves.” ([24:54], Sternfels)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On China’s Potential Ban:
  “The wording from the officials is so severe that it is basically a ban. For now, though, this might change in the future should things evolve.” ([02:24], Reuters source)

• Meta’s Wearables Pivot:
  “We plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year.” ([07:10], Meta spokesperson)

• Musk on FSD Retrofit:
  “That’s going to be painful and difficult, but we'll get it done. Now I'm kind of glad that not that many people bought the FSD package.” ([08:55], Elon Musk)

• McConaughey on AI Control:
  “My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it…” ([12:01])

• McConaughey Attorney on Legal Uncertainty:
  “I don’t know what a court will say in the end, but we have to at least test this.” ([13:17], Kevin Yorn)

• On AI Changing Consulting Work:
  “The stuff that I did when I joined as an associate 32 years ago, we wouldn’t consider even doing right now… The imperative will then be to move to the even more complicated questions.” ([24:54], Bob Sternfels)

Segment Timestamps

| Topic | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|--------------| | Nvidia and China chip chess | 01:35–05:40 | | Meta closes VR studios, pivots to wearables | 05:40–07:25 | | Tesla FSD: No more outright sales | 07:25–09:30 | | McConaughey fights AI misuse | 09:30–13:50 | | Microsoft bets on Anthropic AI | 15:57–18:12 | | Apple’s supply chain moves | 18:12–20:00 | | McKinsey’s AI-restructured consulting | 20:00–25:00 |

Takeaways

• Tech geopolitics is as much about negotiation as technology.
• AI advances are causing ripple effects—from legal frameworks to business models, supply chains, and even recruiting.
• Major companies are doubling down on AI, which is changing not just how they operate, but what career trajectories and legal rights look like for individuals in the industry.