The Vergecast examines the growing prospect of “Google Zero”: a web in which Google no longer sends large volumes of search traffic to publishers. It matters because websites have long relied on that traffic in return for allowing Google to index their content, and publishers are now considering whether to block Google’s crawlers as AI-driven search changes the arrangement.

The episode discusses Reddit potentially leaving an AI-training agreement, as well as pressure on Google’s own Search business from AI. It also covers OpenAI’s apparent accidental compromise involving Hugging Face, unreliable AI-detection tools, Ford’s Apple Maps deal, Apple payment-plan news and a minimalist phone.