Priya: Seven minutes of AI-generated footage from 'The Odyssey' is out… and the kindest review just called it 'okay'.
Theo: I'm Theo.
Priya: And I'm Priya. It's Monday, October 26th, 2026.
Theo: And this is Money Daily, where today we're talking about the real price of progress.
Priya: The long-awaited debut of Grok's AI movie has landed... with a thud.
Theo: And a new report says that for most companies, AI has delivered exactly zero financial return.
Priya: Plus, we visit the AI graveyard—a growing list of expensive projects that have already tanked.
Theo: So let's talk movies. Or what Grok thinks is a movie. They just dropped the first seven minutes of their AI-generated epic, 'The Odyssey'.
Priya: And the reaction has been… muted. TechCrunch said it 'looks okay'—which for a project that cost hundreds of millions, is not exactly a rave review.
Theo: Come on, it's a first attempt! The tech is incredible. It's generating video from a text prompt based on a classic poem. That is straight out of science fiction.
Priya: It looks like a video game cutscene from 2018. It's technically competent, but there's no artistry, no soul. It's just moving images. Homer is rolling in his grave.
Theo: Okay, but think of the potential! Imagine what this looks like in five years. You could tell it to remake the ending, or shoot it from Penelope's point of view.
Priya: Great. Infinite, mediocre content. The article notes it has no 'human interest'. So for you creatives out there, your job is safe for now. AI can mimic, but it can't create meaning.
Theo: I still think it's cool.
Priya: I'm sure you do. And it's not just AI movies that are underperforming. According to Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, AI is delivering 'zero financial payoff' for most of corporate America.
Theo: Hold on. 'Zero'? That's a strong word. We hear about efficiency gains and new AI products every single day.
Priya: It is, and he stands by it. His full quote is 'zero financial payoff… outside of tech.' So the companies building the AI are making a fortune. The companies buying it?
Theo: They're... not?
Priya: Not so much. They're spending a fortune, but it's not showing up in productivity or profits. His argument is that it's all hype.
Theo: But isn't this just a lag? It takes time to integrate new technology. You had to build the interstate highway system before trucking could revolutionize logistics.
Priya: That's the optimistic take. My take? Companies are spending billions on a solution without knowing what problem they're trying to solve. They just know they're 'supposed to be doing AI'.
Theo: So what's the bottom line for people listening?
Priya: If you're looking at your company's stock or your 401(k), don't just assume 'using AI' makes it a good investment. Ask to see the receipts. The payoff isn't automatic.
Theo: Show me the money.
Priya: Exactly. Which brings us to The AI Graveyard.
Theo: That sounds grim. But I'm intrigued. TechCrunch is keeping a running list of AI projects that have been shut down or just completely missed expectations.
Priya: It's a who's who of big promises. Remember Apple's huge Siri overhaul with generative AI? Still not here. Repeatedly delayed.
Theo: Ouch. The article also mentions OpenAI's messy 'super app' launch. The hype was huge, but the actual product was buggy and didn't take off.
Priya: It’s a pattern. Massive hype, massive investment, and then… a quiet shutdown or a pivot to something less ambitious. All that money, just gone.
Theo: But isn't this just the nature of innovation? You have to take big swings. Some will miss. That's how we learn.
Priya: Sure, but the swings in AI are costing billions and affecting millions of people. This isn't some dorm room startup. The AI graveyard is full of very expensive headstones.
Theo: So what's the lesson here?
Priya: Don't get too attached. If you're building your workflow or your small business on some hot new AI tool, have a backup plan. The AI gold rush has casualties, and you don't want to be one.
Theo: Wow. So it's a pretty downbeat day in the world of AI.
Priya: You think? An AI movie lands with a thud, a top economist says there’s zero financial payoff for most companies, and the failures are piling up so fast they have their own graveyard. Yeah, Theo, I'd call that a bit downbeat.
Theo: Right. Well, before we go, let's talk about something AI can't do: make a perfect cup of coffee.
Priya: Is this your pivot to becoming a barista? Where is this going?
Theo: No, it's just… after all this talk of soulless AI, I'm appreciating the simple, analog, human things. The stuff that's more art than science.
Priya: And costs a lot less than a few hundred million dollars. I'll drink to that. That's Money Daily for Monday, October 26th.
Theo: We'll be back tomorrow. Until then, maybe go watch a movie made by actual humans.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.