business · Casey Newton and Kevin Roose partner with NPR to launch ‘Machine Gods’ - NPR
What NPR's Machine Gods announcement actually confirms
Casey Newton and Kevin Roose are bringing a twice-weekly, video-first AI show to NPR, with an October launch planned across several platforms.
In this article
Updated: Sources: 1
Key points
- NPR announced a partnership with technology journalists Casey Newton and Kevin Roose.
- Machine Gods is planned as a twice-weekly, video-first show about AI.
- The show is scheduled for an October 2026 debut, with radio availability planned for early 2027.
The announcement
NPR announced on September 16 that Casey Newton and Kevin Roose are bringing Machine Gods to the network. The announcement describes it as a video-first show built around conversations about artificial intelligence. The partnership is a distribution and programming announcement. It confirms who will host the show and where NPR plans to make it available, but it does not yet provide a catalog of published episodes.
Where it will appear
NPR says Machine Gods will debut in October on the NPR app, YouTube and the podcast platforms listeners already use. The announcement also plans a radio version for NPR member stations in early 2027. Those dates are forward-looking. Listeners should treat October and early 2027 as the announced schedule and check NPR’s current listings if the launch timing or platform mix changes.
What the show covers
The announcement says the program will examine consumer, enterprise and policy conversations in the AI era. It is scheduled to run twice each week across audio and video formats. That description sets a broad editorial territory rather than promising a particular conclusion about AI. NPR’s notice frames the show as reporting and debate intended to help a general audience follow a fast-changing subject.
Who is involved
Roose previously worked at The New York Times, while Newton founded Platformer. NPR presents Machine Gods as their new independent venture and identifies San Francisco as its production base. Both hosts describe public access as part of the reason for the NPR partnership. Those statements explain their stated intention; they should not be read as an independent measurement of the show’s eventual reach or quality.
What to verify next
The source for these details is NPR’s announcement as carried by Nevada Public Radio: https://knpr.org/npr/2026-09-16/casey-newton-and-kevin-roose-partner-with-npr-to-launch-machine-gods. It records the hosts, planned cadence, platforms and timing. The next useful check is the actual program page or first episode when NPR publishes it. That will settle the precise release date, feed links, episode format and whether the announced radio schedule remains unchanged.