According to Jon Stewart, Apple requested that he exclude FTC Chair Lina Khan from the podcast edition of “The Problem With Jon Stewart.” Former host Jon Stewart has dropped hints about his rocky relationship with Apple here and there in the months following the show’s termination from Apple TV Plus. He spilled the beans during a recent interview with FTC Chair Lina Khan on The Daily Show, where they discussed tech firms’ antitrust actions. He told Khan, “I wanted to have you on a podcast,” but Apple “literally said, ‘Please don’t talk to her.’”
You should definitely watch the entire show whenever you have the chance. During the first part of the episode, Stewart made fun of the exaggerated claims that tech companies make about AI. This was combined with footage of tech executives talking about how AI could replace humans in the workforce or explain layoffs caused by AI. In the midst of his interview with Khan, he finally relaxed, but his ex-employer showed up.
Stewart told her, “I didn’t think they cared about you.” he raised his point: “They wouldn’t let us do even that dumb thing we just did in the first act on AI. What is that sensitivity?” Why aren’t they willing to bring these discussions out into the open?
Khan responded that In her opinion, it merely highlights the danger that can arise from the concentration of immense authority and decision-making within a handful of companies.
Known for her hard stances on antitrust conduct, especially from internet giants, Khan was approved as chairman of the FTC in 2021. Khan quickly made it clear that the FTC will be targeting “business models that centralize control and profits” upon assuming the position. The government is now looking into the investments made by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google in OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as antitrust complaints that were filed against these businesses not long ago.
On the other hand, the US Department of Justice has accused Apple of engaging in anticompetitive conduct in its dealings involving the App Store, the Apple Watch, and iMessage, among other things. It has just filed a case against the tech giant. In addition, the business has been rethinking how it handles its software ecosystem within the European Union, where it is considered a gatekeeper according to the Digital Markets Act.
According to initial reports, Stewart and Apple parted ways after only two seasons of the show, citing “creative differences.” During an interview with CBS Mornings in February, Stewart stated that his intentions to discuss AI and China were a contributing factor in Apple’s decision to cancel the show.
Considering China is one of Apple’s largest production and consumer install bases, the company naturally has strong links to the country. It has a history of caving in to local demands, such as restricting access to US-based apps in the Chinese App Store or reducing the functionality of AirDrop in response to the service’s usage in protest messaging in the nation. It is widely anticipated that the corporation will unveil its AI intentions during the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
