# Tech Firms Pivot to AI, Ephemeral Content, and Video Podcasts

**Podcast:** TechCrunch Daily Crunch
**Published:** 2026-05-15

## Transcript

This is TechCrunch.
Aldi.
Gutes für alle.
wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify is set to adopt Apple's new video podcast tech.
I'm Imran Shaikh and your Friday Daily Crunch starts right now.
Technology giant Cisco is cutting nearly 4,000 jobs or around 5% of its workforce.
And that's despite reporting better than expected profit and revenue in its fiscal third quarter.
Now, the networking equipment maker said it's reducing its headcount in order to change its...
cost structure and invest in cybersecurity and, yeah, you guessed it, AI.
Cisco's decision follows a recent trend of tech companies increasingly citing a priority on AI spending as a reason to let employees, flesh and blood employees, go.
Cloudflare and General Motors have both laid off staff in recent days, despite reporting strong financial results.
Cisco said it plans to invest more in cybersecurity as the company continues to contend with a slew of security vulnerabilities in its routers and firewalls that have allowed hackers to break into the networks of its corporate customers, including the U.S.
government.
Cisco last year also experienced a data breach in which customers' personal information was affected.
In a blog post published on Wednesday, Cisco's chief executive, Chuck Robbins, touted the company's record revenue and double-digit growth while acknowledging that Cisco was making strategic investments, quote, in our employees, unquote, use of AI across the company.
Now, this is the latest round of job cuts at Cisco in recent years.
The company laid off thousands of employees during two separate layoffs in 2024 and cut over 150 jobs in 2025.
On Wednesday, Instagram announced that it's globally launching Instance, a new feature for sharing authentic, disappearing photos after testing it with select users.
Now, the features let users share disappearing photos with their close friends or mutual followers that can be viewed only once and remain available for 24 hours.
The app, shall we say, borrows ideas from social platforms like Snapchat, Lockit, and BeReal as it focuses on authentic and ephemeral content.
You see, unlike Instagram, which is about curated and polished content, Instance is designed for quick, real-life snapshots.
With Instance, you capture a photo with Instagram's in-app camera and are not allowed to edit the image.
The format doesn't allow uploads from your camera either, and although you can add text to your Instance, you can't modify them any further.
Meta said in a blog post that the idea behind this format is to share authentic moments as they're happening.
It's worth noting that Meta is also testing the instance format as a standalone app in select regions, including Spain and Italy.
You can capture an instant by tapping the mini photo stack in the bottom right corner of your Instagram inbox.
After you share your instant, recipients can react with emojis, reply, and send an instant back.
Meta notes that recipients can't screenshot or record instance that you've shared.
Now, although Instagram began as a way for friends to share moments with each other, the platform has gradually become overrun with influencer content and ads.
With Instance, the company looks to be leaning back into more casual, private interactions centered around photo sharing among circles of friends.
On Thursday, Spotify announced that it plans to embrace Apple's HLS HTTP live streaming video technology, which Apple recently introduced on Apple Podcasts to enhance the video experience.
The adoption means that Spotify-hosted shows will soon be able to distribute and monetize their video podcasts on Apple Podcasts, expanding creator reach without requiring any changes to their existing setups.
Now, with the adoption of HLS, Spotify listeners should be able to enjoy...
a consistently high-quality video experience no matter their internet connection.
As Apple explains, HLS technology automatically adjusts video quality in real-time based on network speed, whether users are on fast Wi-Fi at home or relying on cellular data.
This means video podcasts will play smoothly with minimal interruptions, so there will be less buffering and fewer sudden drops in video quality.
Spotify plans to roll out these HLS upgrades later this year and has also announced even more ways for creators to earn, including direct sales and new partner integrations.
Also, Spotify is making it easier for podcast creators to distribute and monetize video content across platforms.
The company announced that creators using hosting providers such as Libsyn, Podigy, Audioboom, AudioMeans, and Podspace can now publish video podcasts directly on Spotify and earn revenue through the Spotify Partner Program.
This is currently live following its announcement earlier this year.
As video continues to drive the growth of podcasting, Spotify's ongoing improvements help creators reach and engage viewers who prefer visual content, further strengthening its position in the evolving podcast landscape.
And folks, that's your Daily Crunch.
Today's stories were reported by Lauren Forrestal, Aisha Malik, Zach Whitaker and more awesome TechCrunch journalists.
We'll see you here tomorrow.
Same Tech Time, same Crunch channel.
And until then, find us at TechCrunch.com.
Now that new StepZone test on stepzone.