MS NOW Podcast Downloads Jump 34% As Network Expands Slate.

The left-leaning cable network MS NOW says its investment in podcasts continues to pay off as it had more than 9.8 million audio downloads of its shows in April. That is a 34% increase over the prior year. “Deadline: White House” was MS NOW’s most-downloaded podcast for the month, recording significant growth in April, with downloads up 54% year-over-year.

Those gains are also leading the network to continue to expand its roster. MS NOW anchor Chris Hayes — host of the “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast” — will debut an all-new podcast series. Titled “The AI End Game: Power, Profit, and Progress,” the series seeks to tackle the most important AI questions that often go unasked. The company says the launch of Hayes’ new series is part of new owner Versant’s investment in the network’s original programming, content, and non-linear offerings.

Each week, Hayes sits down with preeminent experts on AI and its effects to answer a wide-range of those unanswered questions to help listeners make sense of the technology in a time when its momentum feels unstoppable — all while taking into consideration what AI is, and what it isn’t.

“The AI End Game: Power, Profit, and Progress” will feature in-depth conversations with experts, including: The Atlantic journalist Derek Thompson; author and Wharton professor Ethan Mollick; UC Berkeley professor of psychology and member of the Berkeley AI Research Group Alison Gopnik; former co-lead of the Ethical Artificial Intelligence Team at Google and co-founder of Black in AI Timnit Gebru; philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers; author and “Better Offline” podcast host Ed Zitron; and journalist and author Michael Pollan, among others.

“The AI End Game: Power, Profit, and Progress” will debut Tuesday, May 5. New episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays. The new series will also be available as a video series on YouTube. As part of MS NOW Premium, listeners can get ad-free listening plus bonus content. A subscriber exclusive episode will also come out on June 18.