Uncanny Valley | WIRED

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at longevity, but at beating death altogether. This week, we talk about the Silicon Valley moguls obsessed with living forever and the radical measures they're taking to do so. Write to us at <a href="mailto:uncannyvalley@wired.com">uncannyvalley@wired.com</a>. You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at <a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on Threads and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads <a href="https://www.threads.net/@reporterzoe?hl=en">@reporterzoe</a>.

While many politicians are still getting their bearings around AI, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has taken a leading stance. He’s proposed a sovereign wealth fund, to allow Americans to share in half of the financial profits made by big AI companies. He’s also calling for a moratorium on data center construction, until we’re able to answer some key questions – including how AI can improve our lives. Senator Bernie Sanders talks to Katie about the transformational power of AI, and why we need to keep talking about safely regulating it.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses Amazon’s controversial decision to drop Luca Guadagnino’s film about OpenAI’s Sam Altman — which reportedly did not paint him in a favorable light. Alongside Google DeepMind’s $75 million brand new partnership with indie film studio A24, how much of a dent is AI actually having in the films we see? They also discuss the recent upheaval of workers — from electricians to software engineers — against data centers. Plus: Meta’s program to track employees’ data gets paused after a massive leak, and Anthropic is now getting along with the government thanks to CEO Dario Amodei no longer being in the room.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/data-center-buildout-electricians-selling-out/#intcid=_wired-right-rail_19ebcf39-40bc-46fc-bb98-343364902a61_popular4-2">Some Electricians Think Building Data Centers Is for Sellouts | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-pauses-employee-tracking-program-following-internal-security-breach/">Meta Pauses Employee-Tracking Program Following Internal Data Leak | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-trump-white-house-is-over-anthropics-dario-amodei/">The Trump White House Is Over Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

President Trump probably can’t get rid of her yet, but FCC commissioner Anna Gomez still checks her email every day to see if he has. Until then, she wants to stand up for the First Amendment. Anna Gomez, the only Democratic commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote a shocking letter to Disney last month, warning that the company is the target of “a sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control.” Commissioner Gomez sits down with Katie to talk about protecting the First Amendment, where the FCC is stepping out of bounds, and why media companies need to fight back.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The satirical news publication The Onion is trying to take over Infowars, formerly owned by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and planning to put comedian Tim Heidecker in charge. Their vision is to turn Infowars into ‘Adult Swim’ for the internet. Tim joins Katie to talk about political comedy, why late-night has run its course, and what he hopes the future of Infowars will look like.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration placed export controls on Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 — their most advanced AI models — citing national security concerns. This effectively leading the company to shut them down for all users worldwide. In this special episode, Brian and Zoë bring you the very latest in this breaking news and explain what led to this unprecedented moment; what cybersecurity experts think about the administration’s move; and what this impasse means for the AI industry and users at large.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-says-us-government-ordered-it-to-shut-down-mythos-models/">Anthropic Says It’s Taking Claude Fable 5 Offline to Comply With US Government Order | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-releases-claude-fable-5-mythos-5/">Anthropic Offers Mythos Upgrade for Cyber Partners and a ‘Safe’ Version for the Rest of You | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses Apple’s Siri AI brand new release, SpaceX officially going public — and who will benefit the most from it. They also get into how Meta removed a facial recognition feature after a WIRED report exposed it, and later in the show — an investigation into how the Knicks’ owner James Dolan created an extensive surveillance system inside all of his Madison Square Garden properties.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-apple-announced-at-wwdc-2026/">Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2026 | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-removes-face-recognition-code-meta-ai-app-smart-glasses/">Meta Deletes Face-Recognition System From Its Smart Glasses App After WIRED Report</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/madison-square-garden-jim-dolan-surveillance-machine/">The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

When Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment trial, announced he was running for one of Florida’s senate seats, he was considered a longshot. But a recent poll by Change Research now shows him slightly leading his competitor, Senator Ashley Moody. But can he prevail in a state Trump won by more than 13 percentage points in 2024? Vindman joins Katie to talk about his campaign, including his views on national security, the military, and artificial intelligence. Here on The Big Interview, Katie will be having a series of conversations with candidates who are shaking things up in races across the country, ahead of the midterm elections. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses why the race among the top AI companies to go public has just gotten started but it is already creating bizarre repercussions — including numerous San Francisco real estate listings preferring Anthropic’s stock instead of cash. They also get into why Trump’s new executive order on AI safety is underwhelming, and how hackers were able to use Instagram’s AI chatbot to access high profile accounts, like President Obama’s. Plus, Leah reports on how a DOGE whistleblower is suing Elon Musk for defamation after the billionaire publicly called him a liar, and the next thing he knew — his life was in danger.   Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/whats-worth-more-than-san-francisco-real-estate-anthropic-stock/">What’s Worth More Than Cash in San Francisco Real Estate? Anthropic Stock | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-how-trump-finally-signed-the-ai-executive-order/">This Is How Trump Finally Signed the AI Executive Order | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/he-blew-the-whistle-on-doge-then-his-brakes-were-cut/">He Blew the Whistle on DOGE. Then His Brakes Were Cut | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Formula 1 racing is a global phenomenon. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins Katie to break down the historic turnaround of one of motorsport’s most iconic legacy teams. After turning around a decades-long drought to win back-to-back F1 Constructors' Championships in 2024 and 2025, McLaren is officially back at the front of the grid. Zak turns Katie into an F1 convert as they discuss the team’s cultural resurgence, the massive commercial explosion driving Formula 1’s growth and the high tech nature of the sport and their team strategy.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Last year, a mysterious source reached out to WIRED’s senior writer Andy Greenberg — someone who claimed to be an engineer trapped in a scam compound in Laos. According to the whistleblower, the compound’s illicit tactics specialized in pig butchering scams: sophisticated online tactics to build a romantic, trustworthy relationship with a victim before scamming them. Brian sat down with Andy earlier this year to break down how the whistleblower revealed — and fled — the inner operations of the compound.  Originally published on February 5th.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/he-leaked-the-secrets-southeast-asian-scam-compound-then-had-to-get-out-alive/">He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

It has been nearly three months since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Journalist Jason Rezaian, a former detainee of the Iranian regime, talks about its brutality - and his hopes for the future of the people of Iran. He also tells Katie how technology could make all the difference for the Iranian people. This interview was taped prior to President Trump’s announcement that he’s negotiating a deal with Iran. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses Meta’s recent layoffs and what they’ve been hearing from employees about the increasingly grim vibes at the company. They also talk about Musk losing his lawsuit against OpenAI, and Brian shares the key releases from Google’s annual conference — including an ambitious AI vision to browse the web as we know it. Finally, what do recent college graduates and women whose spouses work in AI have in common? They’re all sick of hearing about it.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-layoffs-bad-vibes-mark-zuckerberg-ai/">Meta’s New Reality: Record High Profits. Record Low Morale | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-google-announced-at-google-io-2026/">Everything Announced at Google I/O 2026: Gemini, Search, Smart Glasses | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-search-goes-agentic-and-doesnt-need-you-anymore/">Google Search Goes Agentic—and Doesn’t Need You Anymore | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-sad-wives-of-ai/">Meet the Sad Wives of AI | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

California’s gubernatorial race is drawing national attention, with several Democrats and two Republicans vying for incumbent Gavin Newsom’s seat. Among them is hedge fund billionaire turned gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. He joins Katie to explain why he wants to tax billionaires, regulate AI and the role he wants California to play in the national conversation about artificial intelligence. Here on Big Interview, Katie will be having a series of conversations with candidates who are shaking things up in this election cycle. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The team dives into Trump’s selected entourage for his high-stakes visit to China — from Silicon Valley’s tech billionaires to Melania director Brett Ratner. Plus, we break down the latest developments in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman, alleging that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission for profit-driven goals — but is either side actually gaining an edge in the trial? And Leah shares with us some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories that have been swirling around the hantavirus outbreak. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fancy-butt-pillows-musk-v-altman-trial/">Everyone at the Musk v. Altman Trial Is Using Fancy Butt Cushions | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/sam-altman-testifies-musk-v-altman-trial/">Elon Musk Had ‘Hair-Raising’ Idea of Passing OpenAI On to His Kids, Sam Altman Says | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/hantavirus-conspiracy-theories-are-already-spreading-online/">Hantavirus Conspiracy Theories Are Already Spreading Online | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/race-to-develop-andes-hantavirus-test/">Inside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes Hantavirus | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

The hit HBO Max comedy series Hacks follows the tumultuous relationship between a young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and legacy comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). The show has also had a lot to say about the business of show business. Creators Paul W.  Downs and Lucia Aniello join Katie to talk about writing the series, corporate censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.” Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses the surprising reports of the Trump administration seemingly reversing its stance when it comes to AI safety and regulation. They also look into what exactly is going on with the Hantavirus outbreak, and whether we should be worried. Also — we get into the story of how a former federal employee who was ousted by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now running for office. Plus, a Spirit Airlines laid off employee shares with us how they experienced the company’s shutdown news last weekend and what they’ll miss most about the job.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/a-federal-worker-was-fired-for-filming-doge-now-shes-running-for-congress/">A Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Now She’s Running for Congress | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/what-the-spirit-airlines-implosion-means-for-your-vacation/">What the Spirit Airlines Implosion Means for Your Vacation | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Amelia Dimoldenberg, host of the megapopular Chicken Shop Date, joins Katie to talk about control. Who has it, who doesn’t and why it matters so much for success in our influence-focused internet economy. They also talk red carpets and the surprising joy of editing. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses the stakes behind the trial of Elon Musk against OpenAI’s leadership (and how Microsoft is trying to stay away from the drama.) They also look into what recent layoffs announced at Meta and the industry at large say about the ways in which AI is — and isn’t — replacing jobs. Also, we dive into a WIRED investigation on how the Department of Justice has effectively hollowed out its voting rights work, and how this move could impact future elections.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/musk-v-altman-trial-openai-xai/">Musk v. Altman Is a Battle for OpenAI’s Soul | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/some-musk-v-altman-jurors-dont-like-elon-musk/">Some Musk v. Altman Jurors Don't Like Elon Musk | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-covalen-ai-workers-layoffs/">‘It’s Undignified’: Hundreds of Workers Training Meta’s AI Could Be Laid Off | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-justice-department-has-destroyed-its-voting-rights-section/">‘The Damage Is Massive’: How the Justice Department Dismantled Its Voting Rights Section | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Actor Ben McKenzie (The O.C.) is out with a new documentary, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, which follows his journey into becoming an anti-cryptocurrency advocate. He says we should all stop trying to unmask the presumed original developer(s) of bitcoin known as Satoshi Nakamoto because it benefits only the mysterious inventor. The actor-director talks with Katie about why he thinks crypto is a scam, and why he says people are falling for it.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses what’s next for Apple as Tim Cook steps down from his role as CEO. They also go into the reasoning behind SpaceX and Cursor’s surprising deal, and why Palantir’s self-published manifesto drew so much heat online. Also — we discuss why some conspiracy theorists are leaving Trump’s side, and how a scammer created an AI-generated woman to attract and grift MAGA men. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-tim-cook-subscription-business/">Tim Cook’s Legacy Is Turning Apple Into a Subscription | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/maga-is-starting-to-look-beyond-trump/">MAGA Is Starting to Look Beyond Trump | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-generated-maga-girls/">This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift ‘Super Dumb’ Men | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Devin Stone, the lawyer better known as LegalEagle on YouTube, has been breaking down legal cases - and assessing the accuracy of legal procedurals in film and television -- for years. He talks to Katie about the challenges of keeping up with scandals arising from the Trump Administration. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, WIRED's Brian Barrett checked in with Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover to know how he feels now that he's back home — and how he and the rest of the crew experienced some of the mission's key moments. Additional Reading:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-iis-breathtaking-view-of-the-far-side-of-the-moon/">Artemis II’s Breathtaking View of the Far Side of the Moon | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-future-of-the-artemis-program-is-riding-on-reentry/">The Future of the Artemis Program Is Riding on Reentry | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest tech ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, we’re bringing you an exclusive conversation between WIRED’s Katie Drummond and tech journalist Kara Swisher. Kara is no stranger to fads in the tech space but the longevity industry  — the one which promises to optimize health and delay death at all costs — is one that she has seen continuously grow. But what actually works? Is the industry only fueled by billionaire tech bros or is there something more to it? Katie sits down with Kara to find out. 

New York Assemblyman Alex Bores is running in a crowded race to replace longtime Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler. Pro-AI PACs have targeted Bores, a former Palantir employee who spearheaded an AI safety law in New York and who wants to put more guardrails on artificial intelligence. Alex joins Katie to talk about his campaign, and his response to those PACs. The midterm elections may seem far off, but races across the country are already heating up. Here on Big Interview, Katie will be having a series of conversations with candidates who are shaking things up in this election cycle and we are starting in New York.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, we discuss why OpenAI and Elon Musk’s legal feud is heating up once again — and happening alongside SpaceX’s IPO filing. We also dive into how a Department of Justice lawyer misled a judge about how they’re handling voter data, and why the Artemis II’s launch captured all of our imaginations.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doj-misled-judge-voter-roll-data/">The DOJ Misled a Judge About How It’s Using Voter Roll Data | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-iis-breathtaking-view-of-the-far-side-of-the-moon/">Artemis II’s Breathtaking View of the Far Side of the Moon | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Last year, Issam Hijazi launched UpScrolled after users decried censorship and shadow-banning on other platforms. When TikTok transferred ownership of its US operations to American investors, UpScrolled's user base soared. Issam joins Kate to talk about his hopes for the new social media platform - and respond to controversy. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The team is back this week to discuss how top U.S tech companies are increasingly finding themselves as targets in the ongoing war with Iran. We also get an inside view into how Polymarket’s pop-up bar in D.C went sideways. Plus, we go through the steps that the Trump administration is taking to control the upcoming midterm elections.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/iran-threatens-to-start-attacking-major-us-tech-firms-on-april-1/">Iran Threatens to Start Attacking Major US Tech Firms on April 1 | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/polymarket-wanted-a-coming-out-party-in-washington-it-was-a-disaster/">Polymarket’s Coming-Out Party in Washington Was a Disaster | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-how-trump-is-already-threatening-the-midterms/">This Is How Trump Is Already Threatening the Midterms | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Luis von Ahn, Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO, joins Katie to discuss why we should still learn languages in the age of AI translation. He also talks about how Duolingo is dealing with falling share prices, and what’s next for the company. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

For the first episode of our second season, Katie sits down with fellow journalist Chris Hayes, host of MS NOW’S All In, to talk about covering the news and capturing attention during an all-consuming news cycle. And the Trump administration's performance of imperialism as content. Hayes also talks about his book, The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, Brian and Zoë discuss the highlights from Nvidia’s annual developer conference, and why Tesla recently got in trouble with some of its most loyal fans online. Plus, Meta’s decision of shutting down Horizon Worlds VR officially marks the end of the metaverse dream. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nvidia-planning-ai-agent-platform-launch-open-source/">Nvidia Is Planning to Launch an Open-Source AI Agent Platform | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-tesla-influencers-leaving-the-cult/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_3d66d3ac-76d5-436e-a0d3-2316b7ece364_popular4-2_fallback_cral-top2-2">The Tesla Influencers Leaving the ‘Cult’ | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-is-shutting-down-horizon-worlds-on-meta-quest/">Meta Is Shutting Down Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses what’s at stake for Anthropic after the company sued the Department of Defense. They also take a look at the strategy behind the Trump administration sharing action-filled war memes on social media, and share a scoop about how a controversial company is making millions by organizing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Plus — could AI come for the jobs of venture capitalists?  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-claims-business-is-in-peril-due-to-supply-chain-risk-designation/">Anthropic Claims Pentagon Feud Could Cost It Billions | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/they-helped-plan-the-january-6-rally-now-their-events-company-is-raking-in-millions-in-government-contracts/">A Trumpworld Events Company Is Raking In Millions in Federal Contracts | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-deepmind-employees-file-amicus-brief-anthropic-dod-lawsuit/">OpenAI and Google Workers File Amicus Brief in Support of Anthropic Against the US Government | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-kill-venture-capital/">Can AI Kill the Venture Capitalist? | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team dives into why disinformation and the AI industry battles have quickly positioned themselves at the center of the ongoing conflict between the U.S and Iran. They also discuss how prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi are increasingly facing insider trading accusations and ethical questions. Also, how did Paramount beat Netflix in its bid for Warner Bros? Plus — Zoë, Brian, and Leah share their predictions for the future. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/x-is-drowning-in-disinformation-following-us-and-israels-attack-on-iran/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_9113bb81-c57e-4731-8049-e9a31d36e629_popular4-2">X Is Drowning in Disinformation Following US and Israeli Attack on Iran </a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-journalists-are-reporting-from-iran-with-no-internet/">How Journalists Are Reporting From Iran With No Internet</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-supply-chain-risk-shockwaves-silicon-valley/">Anthropic Hits Back After US Military Labels It a ‘Supply Chain Risk’ </a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/former-top-trump-official-launches-coalition-to-protect-americans-from-prediction-markets/">A Former Top Trump Official Is Going After Prediction Markets </a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-the-ellison-family-will-control-if-paramount-acquires-warner-brothers-discovery/">Everything Larry and David Ellison Will Control If Paramount Buys Warner Bros.</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. When Katie read <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/opinion/openai-chatgpt-safety.html">his recent op-ed </a>asking OpenAI to prove that they have and continue to address safety issues, she knew she wanted to talk to him. This week she sits down with Steven to talk about what AI users should know about their bots. Follow the UnCanny Valley feed for WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

This week, the team dives into the feud that has been brewing between Anthropic and the Pentagon — and what it says about how the government interacts with tech companies. Later, Zoë tells us why figuring out whether you are agentic or mimetic has become the new litmus test in Silicon Valley. Plus, we discuss the key takeaways from the State of the Union address and give a farewell to the TAT-8 undersea cables — the ones that made our modern internet possible. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/silicon-valley-agentic-individuals-future-of-work/">Are You ‘Agentic’ Enough for the AI Era? | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/say-goodbye-to-the-undersea-cable-that-made-the-global-internet-possible/">Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview podcast, the philanthropist sits down with Katie to offer her insights on billionaire donors, kids on phones, and the importance of women’s healthcare. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, Zoë dives into why some researchers at top AI companies have been resigning and publicly voicing their concerns around AI safety. Then, Brian tells us about Rent-A-Human — a website where AI agents hire humans to perform real life tasks — and why it has gathered attention and controversy. Finally, Leah shares her experience attending a party for the conservative magazine Evie, and how the culture around it could shape the upcoming election cycle. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-economic-research-team-ai-jobs/">OpenAI Staffer Quits, Alleging Company’s Economic Research Is Drifting Into AI Advocacy | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agent-rentahuman-bots-hire-humans/">The Rise of RentAHuman, the Marketplace Where Bots Put People to Work | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/i-tried-rentahuman-ai-agents-hired-me-to-hype-their-ai-startups/">I Tried RentAHuman, Where AI Agents Hired Me to Hype Their AI Startups | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/burnt-hair-and-soft-power-a-night-out-with-evie-magazine/">Burnt Hair and Soft Power: A Night Out With Evie Magazine | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, Brian, Leah, and Zoë discuss WIRED’s big scoop on ICE’s startling plans to expand to nearly every state in the US. Then, they unpack Alex Karp’s nearly-hour-long non-response to Palantir employees with ethical concerns about collaborating with ICE. Plus, a WIRED writer lets the viral AI assistant OpenClaw run his life for a week to give listeners a peek into what AI agents can and can’t actually do.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-shoes-and-brooms-transforming-curling-at-the-2026-winter-olympics/">The Shoes and Brooms Transforming Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/malevolent-ai-agent-openclaw-clawdbot/">I Loved My OpenClaw AI Agent—Until It Turned on Me</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-employee-questions-on-ice/">Palantir CEO Alex Karp Recorded a Video About ICE for His Employees</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-across-us-at-heres-where-its-going-next/">ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-expansion-wont-happen-in-the-dark/">The ICE Expansion Won’t Happen in the Dark</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/james-holzhauer-jeopardy-greatness-charts/">James Holzhauer's Jeopardy! Greatness, in Charts</a>

This week, Brian and Leah dive into the key tech industry figures who show up in the final batch of the Epstein Files. Then, they discuss SpaceX and xAI’s blockbuster merger, and what it says about the future of Elon Musk’s companies. Plus, we share the story of how a whistleblower revealed — and fled — the inner operations of a crypto scam compound in Laos.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/epstein-files-tech-elites-gates-thiel-musk/">The Tech Elites in the Epstein Files </a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-acquires-xai-elon-musk/">Elon Musk Is Rolling xAI Into SpaceX—Creating the World’s Most Valuable Private Company</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/inside-the-ice-forum-where-agents-complain-about-their-jobs/">Inside the ICE Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/he-leaked-the-secrets-southeast-asian-scam-compound-then-had-to-get-out-alive/">He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Katie sits down with the Westworld showrunner, Jonah Nolan for a wide ranging conversation about what keeps him coming back to sci-fi storytelling about technology and human nature. After decades of writing about Ai, Nolan explains why Ai may be good for burgeoning filmmakers, but won’t replace Hollywood as we know it. Nolan’s past work includes Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Westworld.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In the wake of the shooting of<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-instant-smear-campaign-against-border-patrol-shooting-victim-alex-pretti/"> ICU nurse Alex Pretti</a> in the streets of Minneapolis, several prominent tech executives attended a private White House screening of Melania, a documentary being released by Amazon MGM Studios. The timing was not lost on the group of Silicon Valley workers who recently launched <a href="https://iceout.tech/">ICEout.tech</a>, essentially an open letter to their bosses. The letter, posted following <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-campaign-to-destroy-renee-good/">Renee Nicole Good’s killing</a> earlier this month, has now been signed by more than 1,000 tech employees. Those workers, who come from across the spectrum of Big Tech companies and startups, are asking that executives use their clout to demand Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents leave American cities, that they cancel company contracts with the agency, and that they speak publicly about ICE’s violent and deadly tactics. Katie talks to two of the signatories in this week's episode.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Brian and Zoë are joined by WIRED’s Tim Marchman to discuss the news of the week — including how far-right influencers spread misinformation in Minneapolis, and why TikTok’s US version is off to a rocky start. Plus, we dive into why some people are currently obsessed with the AI assistant Moltbot.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-is-using-palantirs-ai-tools-to-sort-through-tips/">ICE Is Using Palantir’s AI Tools to Sort Through Tips | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-deepmind-staffers-ice-office-questions-safety/">Google DeepMind Staffers Ask Leaders to Keep Them ‘Physically Safe’ From ICE | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-new-privacy-policy/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_f6c754ae-162f-4a0f-b6cb-45eaac8a413b_popular4-2">TikTok Is Now Collecting Even More Data About Its Users. Here Are the 3 Biggest Changes | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/clawdbot-moltbot-viral-ai-assistant/">Moltbot Is Taking Over Silicon Valley | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley! This week, WIRED’s Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new co-hosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been on the drama going down in the quaint little town of Davos. Zoë tells us how at the World Economic Forum’s event, major AI players like Anthropic have been the protagonists — sharing the spotlight with President Trump, who insists on invading Greenland. Brian has been looking at how ICE activity is developing across the U.S, and Leah is forcing us to think about this year’s midterms because tech giants are already pouring millions into it. Plus, we dive into why OpenAI's decision to roll out ads in ChatGPT was a long time coming. Articles mentioned in this episode:  ​​<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-super-pacs-trying-to-influence-midterms/">Pro-AI Super PACs Are Already All In on the Midterms | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-ice-uprooted-normal-life-in-minneapolis/">‘I’m Witnessing a Lot of Emptiness’: How ICE Uprooted Normal Life in Minneapolis | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-testing-ads-us/">Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here’s How They’ll Work | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

Katie sits down with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about what it means to build something used by billions of people that’s not optimized for growth at all costs. Jimmy reflected on Wikipedia’s messy, human origins, the ways it’s been targeted by governments from Russia to Saudi Arabia, and the challenges of holding the line on neutrality in an online ecosystem hostile to the notion that facts even exist. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target, Reid Hoffman has a simple message for his peers: “Just speak up about the things that you think are true.” Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood talks about Elon Musk, political resistance, and why she still has hope for America’s future. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone is an anomaly. Instead of coding, she spent her twenties getting a PhD in economics. She quietly rose through the ranks in Silicon Valley and is now responsible for leading Netflix’s technology push towards live programming. In this candid conversation, Stone discusses the value of failure, the power behind genuine curiosity, and why she can’t pick her favorite Love is Blind couple. - Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

For better or for worse, this year had it all — from the AI industry shaping the global economy and our lives, to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taking over U.S federal agencies under Elon Musk’s leadership. In today’s episode, Zoë and WIRED’s executive editor Brian Barrett get together to reflect on some of this year’s key moments — and how they give us important clues as to what we can expect this upcoming year.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/data-center-ai-boom-us-economy-jobs/">The AI Data Center Boom Is Warping the US Economy | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/us-needs-open-source-ai-model-intervention-china/">The US Needs an Open Source AI Intervention to Beat China | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-is-the-deep-state/">DOGE Is the Deep State | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-social-media-surveillance-24-7-contract/">ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-fbis-jeffrey-epstein-prison-video-had-nearly-3-minutes-cut-out/">The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

As the year draws to an end, Mike and Lauren have some news to share with listeners. But first, they head over to the pool to unwind and reflect on what they’ll be watching for in the tech space this upcoming year, and what they think should stay behind.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/jony-ive-open-ai-hardware-io/">OpenAI's Big Bet That Jony Ive Can Make AI Hardware Work | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tech-ceos-donald-trump-white-house/">Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/ipos/">IPOs | Latest News, Photos &amp; Videos | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The head of Amazon Web Services has big plans to offer AI tools to businesses, but says that replacing coders with AI is “a non-starter for anyone who's trying to build a long-term company.” Katie sits down to discuss German's vision, and why Amazon could be a dark horse in the AI race.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

You don’t have to be a fan of musicals to know about the Wicked film franchise — it’s been everywhere since the first film launched last year, and that’s exactly how director Jon. M Chu wanted it.  At WIRED’s Big Interview event last week, senior culture editor Manisha Krishnan sat down with Chu to discuss what it takes to make a blockbuster during a moment of deep changes in the film industry. In today’s episode, we are taking a break from the week’s headlines and bringing you their conversation.   

Last week, some of the most forward-thinking minds in tech, culture, and politics came together for WIRED’s Big Interview event — a series of live, in-depth conversations with industry leaders. To kick off the event, Lauren sat down with AMD’s CEO Lisa Su. In today’s episode, Mike and Lauren sit down to discuss the key ideas that came up during the interview, as well as the other conversations that caught everyone’s attention during the event.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-event-lisa-su-amd/">AMD CEO Lisa Su Says Concerns About an AI Bubble Are Overblown | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-event-eric-topol-super-agers/">Can AI Look at Your Retina and Diagnose Alzheimer’s? Eric Topol Hopes So | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-big-interview-podcast-san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie/">San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie: ‘We Are a City on the Rise’ | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-big-interview-2025-recap/">Watch the Highlights From WIRED’s 2025 Big Interview Event Right Here | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Since taking office, San Francisco’s mayor has been on a quest to revitalize the city and increase public safety. He’s also kept the National Guard out—with a little help from some very powerful friends. Katie sat down with Mayor Lurie (who took off his shoes) on stage at <a href="https://events.wired.com/big-interview-2025">WIRED’s Big Interview Event </a>in San Francisco.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to discuss five stories you need to know about this week — from how Amazon is trying to catch up in the AI race, to why Facebook Dating is more popular than ever. Then, they dive into how despite recent reports claiming that DOGE is over, its operatives are still working across federal agencies.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-nova-forge-ai-models/">Amazon Has New Frontier AI Models—and a Way for Customers to Build Their Own | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/poems-can-trick-ai-into-helping-you-make-a-nuclear-weapon/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_a5228d26-ae9e-40b8-b379-6890ea190b22_popular4-2">Poems Can Trick AI Into Helping You Make a Nuclear Weapon | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/who-the-hell-is-actually-using-facebook-dating/">Who the Hell Is Actually Using Facebook Dating? | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/sex-workers-built-an-anti-onlyfans-to-take-control-of-their-profits/">Sex Workers Built an ‘Anti-OnlyFans’ to Take Control of Their Profits | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-doge-doing-now/">DOGE Isn’t Dead. Here’s What Its Operatives Are Doing Now | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This year, AI agents have been at the forefront of tech companies' ambitions. OpenAI’s Sam Altman has often talked about a possible billion-dollar company being spun up with just one human and an army of AI agents. And so last summer, journalist Evan Ratliff decided to try to become that unicorn himself — by creating HarumoAI, a small startup that’s made up of AI employees and executives. Mike and Lauren sit down with Evan to discuss how it’s going, and the current promises and realities of AI agents.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/all-my-employees-are-ai-agents-so-are-my-executives/">All of My Employees Are AI Agents, and So Are My Executives | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agents-are-terrible-freelance-workers/">AI Agents Are Terrible Freelance Workers | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agents-legal-liability-issues/">Who’s to Blame When AI Agents Screw Up? | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview podcast, the philanthropist sits down with Katie to offer her insights on billionaire donors, kids on phones, and the importance of women’s healthcare. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Max Zeff to discuss five stories you need to know about this week — from the political fallout after the release of the Epstein files, to why two young mormon men created an app to help men stop "gooning". Then, we dive into Gemini 3's release and how companies like Google and OpenAI are honing in on AI profitability.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Whether it's teenagers reviving the Benadryl TikTok challenge or people signing up for an out of body experience program previously used by the CIA, some of us are chasing unconventional trips. Bad trips, essentially. But these trends are happening at a time when AI companies are also looking to create a “cleaner” trip for users, and others are using AI chatbots to therapeutically guide their psychedelic trips. Mike sits down with WIRED's Boone Ashworth and Manisha Krishnan to discuss these trends, and the promises and limitations of relying on tech to avoid bad trips. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/young-people-are-tripping-on-benadryl-and-its-always-a-bad-time/">Young People Are Tripping on Benadryl—and It’s Always a Bad Time | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-cia-used-this-psychic-meditation-program-its-never-been-more-popular/">The CIA Used This Psychic Meditation Program. It’s Never Been More Popular | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/a-startup-used-ai-to-make-a-psychedelic-without-the-trip/">A Startup Used AI to Make a Psychedelic Without the Trip | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Right now much of the US economy rests on AI’s future. In fact, Odd Lots cohost Joe Weisenthal says the rest of the economy that isn't tech or AI related is creaking along. He breaks down for Katie why AI’s impact on finance goes beyond billion-dollar investments.  Follow the UnCanny Valley feed for WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Brian Barrett to discuss five stories you need to know about this week — from how AI affairs can now be grounds for divorce, to why Google is suing one of the largest networks of text scammers. Then, we dive into how the Department of Homeland Security illegally gathered the data of hundreds of Chicago residents.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-removes-gay-dating-apps-china-app-store/">Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/heres-where-to-build-data-centers-to-keep-emissions-down/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_b72ab3f0-e1b1-4187-a0a8-87f16bf6832c_popular4-2">If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here’s Where They Should Go | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/lighthouse-google-lawsuit-scam-text-messages/">This Is the Platform Google Claims Is Behind a 'Staggering’ Scam Text Operation | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-relationships-are-on-the-rise-a-divorce-boom-could-be-next/">AI Relationships Are on the Rise. A Divorce Boom Could Be Next | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-kept-chicago-police-records-for-months-in-violation-of-domestic-espionage-rules/">DHS Kept Chicago Police Records for Months in Violation of Domestic Espionage Rules | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Recently, WIRED’s editor at large Steven Levy sat down for an interview with Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp. Karp defended his company’s contracts with clients like ICE and the Israeli government, which have increasingly gathered criticism.  In today’s episode, we dive into the most revealing parts of the interview and break down how Karp’s technostate ideology has rippled across Silicon Valley. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/alex-karp-goes-to-war-palantir-big-interview/">Alex Karp Goes to War | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-what-the-company-does/#:~:text=Palantir%20is%20often%20called%20a,giant%20database%20of%20personal%20information">What Does Palantir Actually Do? | WIRED</a> Follow the UnCanny Valley feed for WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. When Katie read <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/opinion/openai-chatgpt-safety.html">his recent op-ed </a>asking OpenAI to prove that they have and continue to address safety issues, she knew she wanted to talk to him. This week she sits down with Steven to talk about what AI users should know about their bots. Follow the UnCanny Valley feed for WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to discuss the top stories you need to know about this week — from Zuckerberg’s illegal school to the repercussions behind the recent pardoning of Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s ex-CEO. Then, Zoë and Leah discuss how fandom on the internet played a key tole in this week’s election results.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-school-palo-alto-shut-down/">Mark Zuckerberg Opened an Illegal School at His Palo Alto Compound. His Neighbors Revolted | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nepal-discord-gen-z-protests-vote-prime-minister-election/">The Inside Story of How Gen Z Toppled Nepal’s Leader and Chose a New One on Discord | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-cz-pardon-has-the-crypto-world-bracing-for-impact/">Trump’s CZ Pardon Has the Crypto World Bracing for Impact | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/zohran-mamdani-campaign-fandom/">Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Figured Out How to Channel Fandom | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Chatter about an AI bubble has been everywhere lately, and top tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft have doubled down on their AI investments for 2026. But how have analysts in the past accurately identified forming tech bubbles? Mike and Lauren sit down with WIRED contributor and author of the newsletter Blood in the Machine Brian Merchant to break down the four criteria some researchers have used in the past to understand and brace for the worst.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (Ai) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests.

Katie catches up with fellow journalist and podcast host, Kara Swisher to talk about interviewing arrogant pricks, the power of negging and who would play her in a movie.  And she tells Katie if she had to she would rather work for Sam Altman over Mark Zuckerberg.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

In today’s episode, WIRED’s Brian Barrett is joined by Leah Feiger to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from the release of Grokipedia to real estate entering its AI slop era. Then, Brian and Leah dive into why the promise of a tech-forward school in Texas with software instead of teachers fell apart. Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (Ai) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests.

Last week, the US Justice Department published an indictment involving NBA stars and members of the mob for allegedly running a network of rigged gambling games. One of their rigging tactics was a manipulation of a Deckmate 2 automatic shuffling machine — almost identical to the one WIRED’s Andy Greenberg and his hacking crew executed using the same machine.  Mike and Lauren sit down with Andy Greenberg to break down how they hacked into the machine, and what the vulnerabilities behind it say about our tech devices at large.  Articles mentioned in the episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-hacked-card-shufflers-allegedly-enabled-a-mob-fueled-poker-scam-that-rocked-the-nba/">How Hacked Card Shufflers Allegedly Enabled a Mob-Fueled Poker Scam That Rocked the NBA | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/card-shuffler-hack/">Hackers Rig Casino Card-Shuffling Machines for ‘Full Control’ Cheating | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

The Atlantic CEO’s new book, The Running Ground, examines his complicated relationship with the sport. Nicholas Thompson, former WIRED editor, talks to Katie about the ways tech is helping him become a better runner.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from how SEO is changing in the era of AI, to how frogs became a protest symbol. Then, why some people have been filing complaints to the FTC about ChatGPT, arguing it has led them to AI psychosis and pleading the agency to step in.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (Ai) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests.

Tech giants have been investing hundreds of billions of dollars into AI data centers just this year alone. But as the deals pile up, so have the concerns around their viability and sustainability. Mike and Lauren sit down with WIRED’s Molly Taft to discuss how these energy hungry facilities actually work; the different industry interests at stake; and whether it’ll all come crumbling down.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-ai-industrys-scaling-obsession-is-headed-for-a-cliff/">The AI Industry’s Scaling Obsession Is Headed for a Cliff | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-amd-deal-data-center-chips/">OpenAI's Blockbuster AMD Deal Is a Bet on Near-Limitless Demand for AI | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/a-political-battle-is-brewing-over-data-centers/">A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-carbon-emissions-energy-unknown-mystery-research/">How Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren’t Saying | WIRED</a>     Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests.

Mere months ago, New York's mayoral frontrunner was polling at the same level as literally "someone else." Zohran Mamdani talks to Katie about building a social media juggernaut, Big Tech capitulation, and what he learned from outgoing New York Mayor Eric Adams. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from how satellites are leaking sensitive data to what Zoë learned after interviewing cybertruck owners. Then, Zoë and Jake dive into how federal workers ended up in the middle of a political fight that they didn’t sign themselves up for.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/satellites-are-leaking-the-worlds-secrets-calls-texts-military-and-corporate-data/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_104fea39-67bc-48f3-b315-6bfca0a0ddc5_popular4-2">Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/a-plan-to-rebuild-gaza-lists-nearly-30-companies-many-say-theyre-not-involved/">A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They’re Not Involved | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/cdc-terminations-workforce-shutdown-rifs/">A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/owning-a-cybertruck/">Spit On, Sworn At, and Undeterred: What It’s Like to Own a Cybertruck | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/federal-workers-are-being-used-as-pawns-in-the-shutdown/">Federal Workers Are Being Used as Pawns in the Shutdown | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

History professor Mark Bray is no stranger to death threats. As the author of the book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, published in 2017, he has received backlash and harassment from far-right circles for almost a decade. But things recently escalated after the Trump administration designated antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization,” and far-right influencers with a newfound power targeted Bray.  Mike sits down with WIRED’s David Gilbert and Leah Feiger to discuss what went down, how the role of far-right influencers has expanded exponentially during the past year, and what responsibility tech companies carry.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/mark-bray-book-antifa-death-threats/">He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-administration-immigration-influencers/">Trump Wants to Take Over Cities. Influencers Are Giving Him the Fuel to Do It | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/maga-influencers-content-creators/">The Who's Who of MAGA Influencers You Should Know About by Now | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs, talks to Katie about the state of entrepreneurship, American healthcare, and tech under Trump. The investor campaigned for Kamala Harris, but thinks tech execs have a “moral imperative” to play nice with the president. Why? It’s good business. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to run through five stories that you need to know about this week — from the Antifa professor who’s fleeing to Europe for safety, to how some chatbots are manipulating users to avoid saying goodbye. Then, Zoë and Leah break down why a recent announcement from OpenAI rattled the markets and answer the question everyone is wondering — are we in an AI bubble?  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

When news broke last month that H1-B visa holders in the U.S would be subjected to a new hefty fee of $100,000, chaos and confusion ensued for a lot of tech workers and their employers. It’s the latest in a string of restrictive visa measures imposed by the Trump administration, which has been making tech talent wonder if they should look elsewhere.  Lauren sits down with WIRED’s Zeyi Yang and Louise Matsakis to discuss the short-term and long-term effects of these measures, and how China is seizing the moment and offering a new visa program to bring tech talent into the country.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dollar3800-flights-and-aborted-takeoffs-how-trumps-h-1b-announcement-panicked-tech-workers/">$3,800 Flights and Aborted Takeoffs: How Trump’s H-1B Announcement Panicked Tech Workers | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/china-talent-immigration-visa-h1-b-policy/">China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/labubu-pop-mart-journey/">A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Jack Conte, founder of Patreon tells Katie if we can send rockets into space and have self-driving cars we can figure out how to pay creators for their work. In this interview recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco, Jack talks about how to build a lifelong audience beyond clicks, and why keeping Patreon a private company has been a strength.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Manisha Krishnan to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from how federal workers are being told to blame Democrats for the government shutdown, to Peter Thiel’s ongoing obsession with the Antichrist. Then, Zöe and Manisha break down the news of OpenAI launching a new social app for AI-generated videos.    Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-launches-sora-2-tiktok-like-app/">OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/government-employees-out-of-office-email-replies/">Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-real-stakes-real-story-peter-thiels-antichrist-obsession/">The Real Stakes, and Real Story, of Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/story/tesla-urging-drowsy-drivers-to-use-full-self-driving-that-could-go-very-wrong/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_1301c852-9b46-446e-9e17-2079be13d41c_popular4-2">Tesla Is Urging Drowsy Drivers to Use ‘Full Self-Driving.’ That Could Go Very Wrong | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-made-human-eggs-from-skin-cells-and-used-them-to-make-embryos/">Scientists Made Human Eggs From Skin Cells and Used Them to Form Embryos | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Earlier this week, DoorDash unveiled its own new autonomous robot, called Dot. The company says it’s part of its goal to have a “hybrid” model for deliveries going forward—working with humans, but also drones and autonomous vehicles. It’s the latest sign of a renewed interest in the industry of delivery robots after years of challenges. WIRED’s Aarian Marshall joins us to discuss why it matters for all of us, whether we’re ordering in or not.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doordash-dot-delivery-robot/">DoorDash’s New Delivery Robot Rolls Out Into the Big, Cruel World | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/food-delivery-robot-wants-share-bike-lane/">This Food-Delivery Robot Wants to Share the Bike Lane | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Branded Content by McKinsey | WIRED’s Global Editorial Director, Katie Drummond sat down with McKinsey’s Global Institute Director and Senior Partner Lareina Yee for a conversation on the technologies redefining industries—from AI to autonomous vehicles—and how leading organizations turn innovation into long-term strategic advantage. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

 In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from Customs &amp; Border Protection efforts to collect American’s DNA to tech billionaire Larry Ellison’s shadowy influence on the White House. Then, Zöe and Jake discuss the surge in popularity of white nationalist influencer Nick Fuentes, who has leveraged the vacuum left behind by Charlie Kirk's death to break into the mainstream.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nick-fuentes-plan-to-conquer-america/">Nick Fuentes' Plan to Conquer America</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-tylenol-directive-could-actually-increase-autism-rates-researchers-warn/">Larry Ellison Is a ‘Shadow President’ in Donald Trump’s America</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-oracle-softbank-data-center-stargate-us/">OpenAI Teams Up With Oracle and SoftBank to Build 5 New Stargate Data Centers</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-has-been-collecting-us-citizens-dna-for-years">DHS Has Been Collecting US Citizens’ DNA for Years</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/san-francisco-find-my-parking-cops/">For One Glorious Morning, a Website Saved San Francisco From Parking Tickets</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Earlier this month, we took the show to San Francisco for a live recording in front of a great audience at KQED's The Commons. WIRED'S Lauren Goode, Katie Drummond and Jason Kehe asked themselves and answered a perennial question: Is Silicon Valley still the tech capital of the world? Plus, they put themselves to the test with a new game and some questions from the audience.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The Signal Foundation president, Meredith Whittaker recalls where she was when she heard Trump cabinet officials had added a journalist to a highly sensitive group chat. And tells, Katie about why it's important she gets paid less than her engineers.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Manisha Krishnan to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from OpenAI implementing teen safety features to how human design is the new astrology. Then, Zöe and Manisha discuss the reverberating reactions to Kirk’s death and why some creators, from comic book artists to late night show hosts, are getting their work cancelled.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/charlie-kirk-art-censorship/">Cancel Culture Comes for Artists Who Posted About Charlie Kirk’s Death | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-launches-teen-safety-features/">OpenAI's Teen Safety Features Will Walk a Thin Line | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-nvidia-uk-investment-trump/">US Tech Giants Race to Spend Billions in UK AI Push | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/made-in-china-how-chinas-surveillance-industry-actually-works/">How China’s Propaganda and Surveillance Systems Really Operate | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/human-design-is-blowing-up-following-it-might-make-you-leave-your-spouse/">Human Design Is Blowing Up. Following It Might Make You Leave Your Spouse | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, WIRED learned that OpenAI is ramping up its efforts in robotics — specifically, by hiring researchers who work on AI systems for humanoid robots. Humanoids, robots built to resemble us and perform daily tasks, were famous for their clumsiness just a few years ago. WIRED’s Will Knight tells us how in the era of AI, that’s rapidly changing.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-ramps-up-robotics-work-in-race-toward-agi/">OpenAI Ramps Up Robotics Work in Race Toward AGI | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fast-forward-humanoid-robots-are-coming-of-age/">Humanoid Robots Are Coming of Age | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/2025-year-of-the-humanoid-robot-factory-worker/">2025 Is the Year of the Humanoid Robot Factory Worker | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The CEO of Cloudflare – the internet’s bodyguard - sits down with Katie to talk about his efforts to make the AI money machine start benefiting creators. Cloudflare’s new blocker tool required AI platforms to “pay per crawl.”  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death — from the response of right-wing tech leaders, to how Kirk helped shape conservative media influencers and U.S politics as we know it.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/charlie-kirk-obituary/">Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dead at 31 | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/far-right-reactions-charlie-kirk-shooting-civil-war/">‘War Is Here’: The Far-Right Responds to Charlie Kirk Shooting With Calls for Violence | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/maga-influencers-inauguration-victory-lap/">MAGA Influencers Take Their Victory Lap, With Big Tech Picking Up the Tab | WIRED</a>    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Hasan Piker, the Left’s favorite Twitch streamer has the kind of following that could get votes. But he tells Katie Drummond he’d rather use his influence to tell Democrats “you can't podcast your way out of this problem.” Streaming on Twitch seven days a week for 6-8 hours a day, he doesn’t see himself slowing down anytime soon. We also talk about his childhood in Turkey, his decision to live in the spotlight, and whether he’s planning a run for office. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms, the industry seems to be at a low. So this week, we talk about the current state of dating apps and what it means for those looking for love (or something like it). Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Online gambling is on the rise, and AI is entering the field. This week, Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Kate Knibbs to break down how both startups and traditional gambling sites are promoting their own AI agents with the promise of helping users make better bets.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/sports-betting-crypto-artificial-intelligence-agents/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_5afa4e28-6661-41a3-bad3-a1884d0c22b5_popular4-2">Meet the Guys Betting Big on AI Gambling Agents | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/volodymyr-zelensky-suit-polymarket-rebellion/">Volodymyr Zelensky’s Clothing Has Sparked a Polymarket Rebellion | WIRED</a>  

A year after relaunching The Onion in print, CEO Ben Collins sits down with Katie to talk about why “going into something and not ruining it is bravery.” He tells her the first order of business to get the beloved fake newspaper back on its feet: get rid of all the dick pill ads. They discuss blogging at 15, analog journalism, disinformation, and the freedom that comes with being humorous.  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to run through five of the best stories you need to know about — from how AI is eliminating entry level jobs to how a secretive Democrat group is funding high-profile influencers. Then, Zöe and Leah dive into the scoop that AI researchers recently recruited to Meta’s Superintelligence Lab are already leaving — some of them, back to OpenAI.  Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/researchers-leave-meta-superintelligence-labs-openai/">Researchers Are Already Leaving Meta’s New Superintelligence Lab | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/stanford-research-ai-replace-jobs-young-workers/">AI Is Eliminating Jobs for Younger Workers | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musks-xai-sues-apple-and-openai-over-alleged-app-store-rigging/">Elon Musk’s xAI Sues Apple and OpenAI Over App Store Rankings | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dark-money-group-secret-funding-democrat-influencers/">A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/your-next-job-body-farm/">What It’s Like Watching Dozens of Bodies Decompose (for Science)</a> 

As the summer comes to an end, we’re thinking about what unplugging, going offline — the ultimate luxury — looks like in 2025. With a growing slate of apps aiming to reduce our screen time and some tech leaders trying to reinvent the internet as it was, where are we heading? WIRED’s features editor Jason Kehe joins us to discuss how as users we are now best positioned to take the power back.  Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/my-year-with-a-flip-phone/">Going Dumb: My Year With a Flip Phone | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-jay-graber-bluesky/">Bluesky Is Plotting a Total Takeover of the Social Internet | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/uncanny-valley-podcast-big-interview-alexis-ohanian/">Alexis Ohanian’s Next Social Platform Has One Rule: Don’t Act Like an Asshole | WIRED</a> 

The Reddit co-founder sits down for a wide-ranging conversation, from buying his first video game to meeting his future co-founder on the first day of college.  When he’s not investing in the future of women’s sports, he’s relaunching Digg as the future of toxic-free social media. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from OpenAI’s being poised to become the highest valued startup in history, to how government staffing cuts have fueled an ant smuggling boom. Then, Zöe and Louise discuss the controversial deals that the Trump administration appears to be striking with chip manufacturers.  Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-doge-set-up-a-shadow-x-account-for-a-government-agency/">How DOGE Set Up a Shadow X Account for a Government Agency | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-valuation-500-billion-skepticism/">OpenAI Is Poised to Become the Most Valuable Startup Ever. Should It Be? | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tech-executives-new-york-zohran-mamdani/">Silicon Valley Is Panicking About Zohran Mamdani. NYC’s Tech Scene Is Not | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/usda-ant-smuggling-pets-illegal-wildlife/">Government Staffing Cuts Have Fueled an Ant-Smuggling Boom | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nvidia-chips-export-controls-trump-h20-security/">Why Trump Flip-Flopped on Nvidia Selling H20 Chips to China | WIRED</a>      Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Vibe coding is everywhere, and it’s already drastically changing the tech industry — from shaping how software gets made to who gets hired. So back in July, our very own Lauren Goode went on a journey to become a vibe coder at one of San Francisco’s top startups. In this episode, she sits down with Mike to share her experience and they break down whether vibe coding really spells the end of coding as we know it. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/vibe-coding-engineering-apocalypse/">Vibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/cursor-releases-new-ai-tool-for-debugging-code/">Cursor’s New Bugbot Is Designed to Save Vibe Coders From Themselves | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/pricing-ai-agents-increasing-costs/">Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

A conversation series that only WIRED could host, led by WIRED’s Global Editorial Director,<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/katie-drummond.bsky.social"> Katie Drummond</a>. Every week, Katie sits down with influential figures in culture, politics, business, science, and beyond for a discussion captured through the WIRED lens – equal parts geeky, intellectual and goblin mode. This series will feel like the internet and will sit at the intersection of technology, power, and culture. In an age of information overload, this series will provide its listeners “the ultimate luxury:” meaning and context. Or put another way, if you're looking for the soul of our new society in wild metamorphosis, our advice is simple. Listen to this podcast. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from how the Trump administration is creating and sharing memes to make fun of deportations, to NASA’s ambitious goal to put nuclear reactors on the moon. Then, Zöe and Jake dive into why users kind of hated OpenAI’s GPT-5 release.  Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-gpt-5-backlash-sam-altman/#intcid=_wired-right-rail_386aeb5f-b9e6-4759-835b-0a0bc32b2934_popular4-2">OpenAI Scrambles to Update GPT-5 After Users Revolt | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-administration-dhs-white-house-deportations-meme/">The Trump Administration Is Using Memes to Turn Mass Deportation Into One Big Joke | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/president-trump-crypto-treasury-world-liberty-financial/">Trump Family–Backed World Liberty Financial Sets Up $1.5 Billion Crypto Treasury | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/whites-only-community-arkansas/">Inside the ‘Whites Only’ Community in Arkansas | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-the-us-is-racing-to-build-a-nuclear-reactor-on-the-moon/">Why the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Palantir Technologies is arguably one of the most notorious American corporations. Cofounded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the company has worked with ICE, the US Department of Defense, the Israeli military and sparked numerous protests in multiple countries. But what do they actually do?  Palantir is often called a data broker, a data miner, or a giant database of personal information. In reality, it’s none of these—but even former employees struggle to explain it. Luckily, WIRED staff writer <a href="https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/carolinehaskins.bsky.social">Caroline Haskins</a> joins us to decode Palantir for us. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th  <a href="https://www.kqed.org/events/5459/wireds-uncanny-valley-live">Get your tickets HERE </a> Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-what-the-company-does/">What Does Palantir Actually Do?</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-doge-irs-mega-api-data/">Palantir Is Helping DOGE With a Massive IRS Data Project</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-palantir-immigrationos/">ICE Is Paying Palantir $30 Million to Build ‘ImmigrationOS’ Surveillance Platform </a> Lauren’s latest article: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/lisa-su-runs-amd-and-is-out-for-nvidias-blood/">Lisa Su Runs AMD - and Is Out for Nvidia’s Blood  </a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariffs, to how AI was used to find a missing hiker in the Italian Alps. Then, Zoë and Jake discuss the details around OpenAI’s latest partnership with the federal government.  Live show tickets at: <a href="https://www.kqed.org/event/5459">https://www.kqed.org/event/5459</a> Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-is-giving-chatgpt-federal-workers/">OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumpworld-epstein-problem/">Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/charter-planes-and-bidding-wars-how-bitcoin-miners-raced-to-beat-trumps-tariffs/">Charter Planes and Bidding Wars: How Bitcoin Miners Raced to Beat Trump’s Tariffs | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/security-news-this-week-google-will-use-ai-to-guess-peoples-ages-based-on-search-history/">Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/us-coast-guard-report-titan-submersible-implosion-oceangate-ceo-stockton-rush/">US Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/missing-hiker-ai-drone-recovery/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_801a2e80-e321-4860-8e4c-c9c5f9ce39c8_popular4-2">A Hiker Was Missing for Nearly a Year—Until an AI System Recognized His Helmet | WIRED</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

AI chatbot premium subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max currently cost around $200, but it’s not entirely clear why. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Reece Rogers to find out what’s behind these models that AI companies bill as their most powerful, and whether they could become a staple in our future.  Live show tickets at: https://www.kqed.org/event/5459 Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/seriously-why-do-some-ai-chatbot-subscriptions-cost-more-than-200/">Seriously, Why Do Some AI Chatbot Subscriptions Cost More Than $200? | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/pricing-ai-agents-increasing-costs/">Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree, to how much faster our brains have really aged since the pandemic. Afterwards, they dive into the surprising reason behind why ChatGPT reportedly went full demon mode last week.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-devil-worship-llm-training/">The Real Demon Inside ChatGPT | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-ai-recruiting-spree-thinking-machines/">Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-pandemic-accelerated-brain-aging-even-in-people-who-never-got-covid/">The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/vpn-use-spike-age-verification-laws-uk/">Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/smart-basketball-tracks-every-shot-could-be-headed-to-the-nba/">This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. It Could Be Headed to the NBA | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-first-planned-migration-of-an-entire-country-is-underway/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_e89d0528-b9ea-4fde-ab71-442b8e9dfd7c_popular4-2">The First Planned Migration of an Entire Country Is Underway | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at longevity, but at beating death altogether. This week, we talk about the Silicon Valley moguls obsessed with living forever and the radical measures they're taking to do so. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Trump’s newly unveiled AI plan to how supermassive black holes could have originated. Plus, they dive into why the relationship between Silicon Valley and D.C is undergoing some major changes.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-ai-action-plan-crusade-against-bias-regulation/">Trump’s AI Action Plan Is a Crusade Against ‘Bias’—and Regulation | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/newly-discovered-infinity-galaxy-could-prove-how-ancient-supermassive-black-holes-formed/">Newly Discovered ‘Infinity Galaxy’ Could Prove How Ancient Supermassive Black Holes Formed | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-killed-cancer-research/">How Trump Killed Cancer Research | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-great-crypto-re-banking-has-begun/">The Great Crypto Re-Banking Has Begun | WIRED</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/peter-thiel-silicon-valley-billionaires-dc/">The GOP's Message for Tech Billionaires: Be Like Peter Thiel | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Brain computer interfaces might have inspired works of science fiction, but the technology behind them is real and quickly developing. Companies like Synchron and Neuralink are racing to build a model that they can commercialize. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Emily Mullin about why Synchron’s model is standing out, and what the promises and limitations of these interfaces are.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/synchron-neuralink-competitor-brain-computer-interfaces/">There's Neuralink—and There's the Mind-Reading Company That Might Surpass It | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In today’s episode, we look into why Gen Z is having less sex than other generations — and what it says about how we are all relating to each other. WIRED’s Zoë Schiffer is joined by writer and journalist Carter Sherman to talk about her latest book, The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future, which reveals how the internet, politics, and conservative legislation have shaped how Gen Z views sex.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/carter-sherman-the-second-coming-interview/">How Social Media Is Fueling Gen Z’s Sex Recession | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/thinking-machines-lab-mira-murati-funding/">Thinking Machines Lab Raises a Record $2 Billion, Announces Cofounders | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Last week, the DOJ released what they described as raw footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019. WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra went through the metadata and found that it had been, in fact, modified. In today’s episode, we dive into what Dhruv found and what it means. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-fbis-jeffrey-epstein-prison-video-had-nearly-3-minutes-cut-out/">The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out | WIRED</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/metadata-shows-the-dojs-raw-jeffrey-epstein-prison-video-was-likely-modified/">Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified | WIRED</a>   Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

After Elon Musk’s departure from D.C, the future of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency seemed uncertain. But DOGE’s work continues unabated — its influence spreading farther and deeper into federal government agencies. WIRED’s Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott share with Leah Feiger what they found through their reporting.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/next-stage-doge-elon-musk/">This Is DOGE 2.0 | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fired-doge-staffer-who-is-in-charge/">WIRED Talked to a Fired DOGE Staffer About Who Was Really in Charge</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, Lauren dives into the show’s inbox to answer listeners’ questions. With the help of WIRED’s Kate Knibbs and Paresh Dave, we look into a range of queries — from how AI is shaping the film industry to brainstorming how the Jony Ive and Open AI’s collaboration could look like.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/bland-ai-chatbot-human/">This Viral AI Chatbot Will Lie and Say It’s Human | WIRED</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/a-political-battle-is-brewing-over-data-centers/">A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers | WIRED</a>  Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Leah Feiger speaks with WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra about an exclusive WIRED investigation into how serious medical incidents are increasing at some of the country’s largest immigration detention centers. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-detention-center-911-emergencies/">‘They're Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phone-searches-at-the-us-border/">How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-wired-guide-to-protecting-yourself-from-government-surveillance/">The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-meta-offer-top-ai-talent-300-million/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_bb2f788a-a6fc-4aa9-a6e1-b1302ce6b396_popular4-2">Here’s What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Sam Altman is the king of generative artificial intelligence. But is he the person we should trust to guide our explorations into AI? This week, we do a deep dive on Sam Altman. From his Midwest roots, to his early startup days, to his time at Venture Capital, and his rise and fall and rise again at OpenAI.  Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED’s Vittoria Elliott to discuss her conversation with Sahil Lavingia. Lavingia worked at Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, within the Department of Veteran Affairs, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fired-doge-staffer-who-is-in-charge/">until he was fired for speaking out</a> about his experience. Lavingia said his time at the VA was marked by a lack of transparency from DOGE leadership, and chaotic day-to-day operations– the ramifications of which are still being felt today. Just this week, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-veterans-affairs-ai-senator-investigation">Senators called for a federal investigation</a> into the Trump administration’s killing of hundreds of contracts for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Disney and Universal <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/disney-universal-sue-midjourney/">recently filed suit against Midjourney</a>, an AI image generation startup, alleging the company has become a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” and that it freely reproduces the studio's copyrighted content, including their most iconic characters. The lawsuit has the potential to shape how intellectual property is treated in the AI era. So, we'll dive into the details of the case <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-ai-copyright-fair-use-piracy-ruling/">and others</a>, and explain how this conflict gives us a window into the growing tensions between AI companies, publishers, and creators.  Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/midjourney-generates-videos-of-disney-characters-amid-massive-copyright-lawsuit/">‘Wall-E With a Gun’: Midjourney Generates Videos of Disney Characters Amid Massive Copyright Lawsuit</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/disney-universal-sue-midjourney/">Disney and Universal Sue AI Company Midjourney for Copyright Infringement</a> You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Katie Drummond is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mhcf74vqcaa4hz36njfdtn5">@katie-drummond</a>. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Meta just announced a major move in its AI efforts – investing in Scale AI and building a superintelligence AI research lab. While Meta has been trying to keep up with big names in the AI race, such as Open AI, Anthropic and Google, the company's new strategy includes dropping some serious cash to acquire talent and invest in Scale AI. Today on the show, we dive into the deal between Meta and Scale AI, including what Meta aims to get out of investment, and we ask the question we are all wondering: What is superhuman intelligence, anyway?  You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Katie Drummond is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mhcf74vqcaa4hz36njfdtn5">@katie-drummond</a>. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In recent days, Los Angeles residents have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the increasingly frequent ICE raids. WIRED’s Senior Politics Editor Leah Feiger joins Zoë Schiffer, Director of Business &amp; Industry, to discuss the related flood of information on social media, and how AI chatbots like Grok and ChatGPT are delivering incorrect and at times, inflammatory answers. Articles mentioned in today’s episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/grok-chatgpt-ai-los-angeles-protest-disinformation/">AI Chatbots Are Making LA Protest Disinformation Worse</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/i-am-hunting-online-for-free-class-action-money-and-so-can-you/">I Joined Every Class Action Lawsuit I Could Find, and So Can You</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/vibe-coding-engineering-apocalypse/">Vibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a> and Leah Feiger <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:d6aog3ac2hchlikwmii564p2?ref_src=embed">@leahfeiger</a>. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

In the past six months, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others have released web-browsing agents that are designed to complete tasks independently, with only minimal input from humans. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has even called AI agents “the next giant breakthrough.”  On today’s episode, we'll dive into what makes these agents different from other forms of machine intelligence, and whether their capabilities can live up to the hype. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Katie Drummond is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mhcf74vqcaa4hz36njfdtn5">@katie-drummond</a>. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

WIRED's Senior Politics Editor Leah Feiger joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED's Director of Business &amp; Industry to discuss the ongoing fallout between President Trump and Elon Musk, and the future of DOGE. Articles mentioned in the episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/conspiracy-world-qanon-musk-trump-breakup-fake-psyop/">Conspiracy World Thinks the Musk-Trump Breakup Is a 'Psyop'</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-recruiting-spree-elon-musk/">DOGE Is on a Recruiting Spree</a>  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/musk-trump-feud-venture-capitalists-pick-sides/">Silicon Valley Is Starting to Pick Sides in Musk and Trump’s Breakup</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fired-doge-staffer-who-is-in-charge/">WIRED Talked to a Fired DOGE Staffer About Who Was Really in Charge</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumpworld-tired-of-laura-loomer/">Trumpworld Is Getting Tired of Laura Loomer. They Hope the President Is Too</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/rise-fall-dark-web-psychedelics-kingpin-dmt/">The Epic Rise and Fall of a Dark-Web Psychedelics Kingpin</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer and Leah Feiger on Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a> , <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:d6aog3ac2hchlikwmii564p2?ref_src=embed">@leahfeiger</a> Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

Expanded deportations, a virtually shutdown asylum process, increased <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-immigration-visa-secrutiny-tech/">scrutiny of H1-B visa applicants</a>—immigration policy has been overhauled under the latest Trump administration. And, just last week the Trump administration said it would begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students who are currently studying at U.S. schools. On today’s episode, we dive into the impacts that these changes could have on the tech industry from the talent pipeline to future innovations. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-office-remigration-state-department-europe-far-right/">The Trump Administration Wants to Create an ‘Office of Remigration’</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-immigration-visa-secrutiny-tech/">US Tech Visa Applications Are Being Put Through the Wringer</a> You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Katie Drummond is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mhcf74vqcaa4hz36njfdtn5">@katie-drummond</a>. Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

What constitutes cheating at school in today’s world of AI?

WIRED’s Senior Writer, Andy Greenberg, has been reporting on ghost guns for years. He first used a 3D printer to assemble a gun more than a decade ago, and says that today’s process is not only faster, but cheaper. We talk to Andy about how he legally printed the same gun Luigi Mangione allegedly used in the alleged killing of the United Healthcare CEO last year, and whether US law is keeping up with the technology of 3D printed guns. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/luigi-mangione-ghost-gun-built-tested/">We Made Luigi Mangione’s 3D-Printed Gun—and Fired It </a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/big-interview-jay-graber-bluesky/">Bluesky Is Plotting a Total Takeover of the Social Internet</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/delirious-violent-impossible-true-story-zizians/">The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a>

What Has Elon Musk actually done during his time in DOGE?

Pornhub is currently not available in more than a third of US States, due to new age verification laws. And just last week, two Republican senators introduced a bill which could ban pornography across the country. The looming threat on the industry was not lost on some of the biggest names in the adult film industry at this year’s Pornhub Awards. In fact, it was central to the event’s theme. WIRED’s Manisha Krishnan was there, and on this week’s episode tells us all about the event, and how Pornhub’s story is at the center of tech and politics today.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/pornhub-awards/">Your Favorite Porn Stars Are Sick of Being Censored. But They’re Not Going Away</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/biggest-dating-app-faux-pas-for-gen-z-being-cringe/">The Biggest Dating App Faux Pas for Gen Z? Being Cringe</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/north-korea-stole-your-tech-job-ai-interviews/">North Korea Stole Your Job</a>

Is Trump Selling Access To the Administration In Exchange for Cryptocoins?

When former national security advisor Mike Waltz had a picture taken of him last week, he didn’t expect for the whole world to see that he was using TeleMessage, a messaging app similar to Signal. Now the app has been hacked, with portions of data linked to government entities like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and companies like Coinbase. Today on the show, we’re joined by WIRED senior writer Lily Hay Newman to discuss what this incident tells us about the growing vulnerabilities in government communications. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/mike-waltz-has-somehow-gotten-even-worse-at-using-signal/">Mike Waltz Has Somehow Gotten Even Worse at Using Signal</a> <a href="https://www.404media.co/the-signal-clone-the-trump-admin-uses-was-hacked/">The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked</a>   <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tm-signal-telemessage-plaintext-message-archive/">The Signal Clone Mike Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a>, and Lily Hay Newman <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/lhn.bsky.social">@lhn</a>. 

Measles Are On the Rise—And It's Terrifying

President Trump’s tariff standoff with China has caused chaos, confusion and major delays for companies of all shapes and sizes. As everyone waits to see what happens next, some businesses that depend on international trade are already feeling major impacts, saying that they might not meet their production deadlines. And one of those deadlines is pretty important: Christmas. Today on the show, we're joined by WIRED's Senior Business Editor Louise Matsakis to talk through the latest on tariffs. Articles mentioned in this episode  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-adds-shopping-to-chatgpt/">Donald Trump Is Already Ruining Christmas</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-adds-shopping-to-chatgpt/">OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT in a Challenge to Google</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/europe-blackout-spain-portugal-power-outage/">The Agonizing Task of Turning Europe’s Power Back On</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a>. 

How To Prepare for Travel to and from the United States

China has long been a really important market for Tesla and for Elon Musk, but after the rising US tariffs and rising competition in the electric vehicle market – Tesla may be on the outs in China. Today on the show, we’re joined by Zeyi Yang, senior writer at WIRED, to talk about what it all means for Elon Musk’s company. Articles mentioned in this episode  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-collecting-immigrant-data-surveil-track/">DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/beijing-half-marathon-humanoid-robots/">Stumbling and Overheating, Most Humanoid Robots Fail to Finish Half-Marathon in Beijing</a> You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a>. 

What you need to know about surveillance technology and protests

The trial between the US Federal Trade Commission and Meta began this week—and the future of the company is at stake. The FTC wants Meta to sell off two prized assets, Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing that it acquired them illegally to suppress competition. Today on the show, Senior Writer Paresh Dave joins host Zoë Schiffer to talk about what we know right now about the government’s case—and what we learned when Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday.  Articles mentioned in this episode  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-ftc-trial-begins-instagram-whatsapp/?_sp=6260815f-69f1-4756-a69a-50f5e975361f.1744646989945">FTC v Meta Trial: The future of Instagram and Whatsapp is at stake </a>

It’s been total chaos since President Trump announced tariffs last week. Despite the endless reporting on this story, none of it really makes any sense yet. So today, we attempt to make sense of how the tariffs could revamp the entire tech industry and what you can do to deal with this new normal.  You can follow our hosts on Bluesky— Michael Calore is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Katie Drummond is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mhcf74vqcaa4hz36njfdtn5">@katie-drummond</a>.

WIRED’s Louise Matsakis joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED’s Director of Business &amp; Industry, to talk about this week’s market madness and why the US probably won’t have armies of people screwing in little screws to make iPhones anytime soon. Articles mentioned in this episode:  <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-tariffs-antarctic-islands-heard-mcdonald/">Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins</a> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-tariffs-antarctic-islands-heard-mcdonald/">Trump and DOGE Defund Program That Boosted American Manufacturing for Decades</a>

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as libertarian or express libertarian-esque beliefs, does this set of ideologies really define the Valley? And what is libertarianism anyway?   You can follow Michael Calore on Bluesky at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on Bluesky at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/zoeschiffer.bsky.social">@zoeschiffer</a>.

Will Religion Save Silicon Valley?

What You Need to Know About Maye Musk

WIRED’s Vittoria Elliot joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to discuss what real government auditors think of DOGE’s work, and what happened during DOGE’s first six weeks.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/federal-auditors-doge-elon-musk/">‘It’s a Heist’: Real Federal Auditors Are Horrified by DOGE</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-digital-coup-doge-data-ai/">Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup’</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-million-dollar-candlelight-dinner-elon-musk/">Donald Trump Held Another Million-Dollar ‘Candlelight’ Dinner—With Elon Musk in Tow</a>

A Future Where Driverless Cars Are Mainstream

WIRED Senior Editor Leah Feiger joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to discuss some breaking news about why Elon Musk would want a government shutdown. Plus, WIRED’s Emily Mullin joins for an update on misinformation surrounding the latest measles outbreaks in the United States. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-has-wanted-the-government-shut-down/">Elon Musk Has Wanted the Government Shutdown</a>; <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-how-measles-can-kill-texas-new-mexico-outbreak-vaccines-vitamin-a">This Is How Measles Kills</a>; <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/boeing-whistleblower-737-max/">The Worst 7 Years in Boeing’s History—and the Man Who Won’t Stop Fighting for Answers</a>

A Very Silicon Valley Approach to Repopulation

WIRED’s Director of Business &amp; Industry Zoë Schiffer and Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director, talk about credit card freezes and AI technology at DOGE, and how each is a move from the Twitter playbook. Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-government-credit-cards/">DOGE Puts $1 Spending Limit on Government Employee Credit Cards</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-spending-cuts-federal-workers/">Elon Musk’s $1 Spending Limit Is Paralyzing Federal Agencies</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-autorif-mass-firing-government-workers/">DOGE Is Working on Software That Automates the Firing of Government Workers</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-chatbot-ai-first-agenda/">Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Working on a Custom Chatbot Called GSAi</a>

WIRED Stories We Can’t Stop Thinking About This Month

WIRED’s Deputy Editor Brian Barrett joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/faa-doge-elon-musk-space-x/">many conflicts of interests within DOGE</a> which are popping up <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/krause-doge-cloud-software-treasury/">across the federal government</a>, including <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hud-systems-access-ai-proptech-real-estate-mobile-home/">most recently at the Department of Housing</a> and Urban Development. Plus, they unpack <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-federal-workers-chaos-confusion/">the chaos</a> which followed <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-forced-resignation-email-twitter/">an email that Elon Musk sent</a> to federal workers over the weekend.   Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hud-systems-access-ai-proptech-real-estate-mobile-home/">DOGE Staffers at HUD Are From an AI Real Estate Firm and a Mobile Home Operator</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/faa-doge-elon-musk-space-x/">These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already Working Inside the FAA</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/krause-doge-cloud-software-treasury/">DOGE Put Him in the Treasury Department. His Company Has Federal Contracts Worth Millions</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-forced-resignation-email-twitter/">Elon Musk Threatens FBI Agents and Air Traffic Controllers With Forced Resignation if They Don't Respond to an Email</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-federal-workers-chaos-confusion/">DOGE Email Throws Federal Agencies Into Chaos and Confusion</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-doge-social-security-150-year-old-benefits/">No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/delirious-violent-impossible-true-story-zizians/">The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians</a>

Lawsuits, Bidding Wars and Power Plays over Open AI

Andrew Couts, WIRED’s Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about how The 1974 Privacy Act is being leveraged as Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency continues to collect massive amounts of sensitive federal data. Plus, they discuss how you can protect yourself from government surveillance.  Articles mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/">The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-wired-guide-to-protecting-yourself-from-government-surveillance/">The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/null-license-plate-landed-one-hacker-ticket-hell/">How a 'NULL' License Plate Landed One Hacker in Ticket Hell</a>

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms, the industry seems to be at a low. So this week, we talk about the current state of dating apps and what it means for those looking for love (or something like it).

WIRED Politics Senior Editor Leah Feiger joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-palantir-chief-information-officers-government/">latest at DOGE </a>and the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/">inexperienced engineers holding key positions</a> at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. They discuss how WIRED’s been preparing for this moment since the first assassination attempt on Trump last summer, and how, despite the unprecedented chaos of this moment, the courts will catch up.

Following the TikTok Ban Saga

Silicon Valley’s Unofficial Godfather

With the news that Meta is ending its third-party fact-checking program, we dig into the future of content moderation. From Community Notes to automated systems, how do you manage trust and safety for a site with two billion daily active users? Write to us at <a href="mailto:uncannyvalley@wired.com">uncannyvalley@wired.com</a>. You can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/laurengoode.bsky.social">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads <a href="https://www.threads.net/@reporterzoe?hl=en">@reporterzoe</a>.

We take advice from AI chatbots for one week

Demystifying DOGE: The Department of Government Efficiency

A special episode from Critics at Large

We talk about the tech products we most fear and love

We debate which social media apps are worth our time

Sam Altman is the king of generative artificial intelligence. But is he the person we should trust to guide our explorations into AI? This week, we do a deep dive on Sam Altman. From his Midwest roots, to his early startup days, to his time at Venture Capital, and his rise and fall and rise again at OpenAI.  Write to us at <a href="mailto:uncannyvalley@wired.com">uncannyvalley@wired.com</a>. You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at <a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on Threads and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads <a href="https://www.threads.net/@reporterzoe?hl=en">@reporterzoe</a>.

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as libertarian or express libertarian-esque beliefs, does this set of ideologies really define the Valley? And what is libertarianism anyway?  

Much of the tech workforce has become accustomed to remote or hybrid jobs over the last several years. But lately, we’ve seen big tech companies demanding their teams head back into the office. This week, we look at some of these return-to-office mandates and discuss their ripple effects. Plus, we ask the question on all of our minds: does working in person actually make employees more productive?  Write to us at <a href="mailto:uncannyvalley@wired.com">uncannyvalley@wired.com</a>. You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at <a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on Threads and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads <a href="https://www.threads.net/@reporterzoe?hl=en">@reporterzoe</a>.

For years, Mark Zuckerberg’s style could be summed up in a look: the hoodie. But now, he’s entered a new style era. One that involves gold chains and oversized tees of his own creation (with a little help from a high-end designer). In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we look into Zuckerberg’s style evolution, how it aligns with the future of Meta, and why you should care.  Write to us at <a href="mailto:uncannyvalley@wired.com">uncannyvalley@wired.com</a>. You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at <a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">@snackfight</a>, Lauren Goode on Threads and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">@laurengoode</a>, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads <a href="https://www.threads.net/@reporterzoe?hl=en">@reporterzoe</a>.

Welcome to Uncanny Valley—an insider look at the people, power, and influence of Silicon Valley. Join hosts Lauren Goode, Michael Calore, and Zoë Schiffer as they break down new stories or phenomena bubbling up in Silicon Valley. Whether it’s a pivotal decision made inside a tech company, a quirky, new habit of a CEO, or the overwhelming expansion of generative AI, we’ll explain why these matter and how they affect you.

Everybody wants to talk to their pet. Or to try to get them to listen, anyway. So it’s no wonder that some startups think the way to break through the communication barrier between you and your pooch is with a nice big helping of technology. Welcome to a world with AI-enabled dog and cat collars that try to interpret a pet’s needs and then share those wishes with their human. The only problem with these devices is that the pet won’t actually be a part of the conversation, as the collar is just guessing at what the pet is thinking—but still doing all the talking anyway. It’s less like the audio collar worn by the dog from the movie Up, and more like shouting at a chatbot strapped to your dog’s neck. Meanwhile, your dog or cat might just be trying to figure out where that new voice is coming from. Later in the show, we talk about all the weird new ways AI gadgets are bouncing around in our lives, and whether any of them are helping us have better conversations. Also, this week marks the final episode of the Gadget Lab podcast—at least in its current form. We’ll be back soon with a fresh reboot of the show. Lauren and Michael will return as hosts, but we’ll have a third cohost at the table, a new podcast title, and a new angle on our coverage.  Show Notes: Stay tuned to this feed for the updated version of this show, out October 31! Read Boone’s stories about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/shazam-talking-pet-collar-a-chatbot-for-your-cat-or-dog/">talking pet collars</a> and the AI-powered <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/friend-ai-pendant/">Friend necklace</a>. Read Lauren’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/generative-ai-doesnt-make-hardware-less-hard/">challenges of AI hardware</a>. Keep an eye on all the ways <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/">AI is weaving</a> into our lives. For all your gadget needs, follow WIRED’s onslaught of <a href="https://www.wired.com/category/gear/">gear coverage</a>. Recommendations: Boone recommends the rain. Lauren recommends taking walks. Mike recommends KEXP’s YouTube channel, where the Seattle radio station posts videos of musical acts playing in its studio. Boone Ashworth can be found on social media but honestly, since he’s going to remain as a full-time reporter at WIRED, just email him story tips: <a href="mailto:boone@wired.com">boone@wired.com</a>.  Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show was produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music was by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Ring cameras have come a long way. Since the security camera brand launched 11 years ago, its video doorbells and cams have become vigilant, constant surveyors of patios, porches, and vestibules everywhere. Amazon now owns the company, and has ushered it through controversies over privacy concerns, incidents of vigilantism, and the company’s cozy relationship with law enforcement. The drama has not slowed growth; over 10 million Rings have been installed, and the cameras currently blanket our urban and suburban landscape, filming the movements of you, your family, and any strangers who wander near your door. That makes for a lot of video to sift through if you're trying to find something important, like whether or not a delivery was made, or what time your kids left for soccer practice. That abundance of footage is why Ring cameras, along with many other consumer products right now, are getting some AI-powered capabilities. Ring’s software update helps users search for specific moments their cameras may have captured. This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins the show again to talk about the evolution of Ring—how the security cameras have become nearly ubiquitous security tech, and what the future holds now that they’re being infused with AI. Show Notes: Read Paresh’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ring-new-ai-video-search-tool-mixed-results/">Ring’s AI updates</a>. Read WIRED’s guides to the best <a href="https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-security-cameras/">indoor </a>and <a href="https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-outdoor-security-cameras/">outdoor </a>security cameras. Read more about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ring-doorbell-camera-amazon-privacy/">all the data Ring collects</a> from its users and why we recently <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-we-do-not-recommend-ring/">stopped recommending Ring cameras</a> for a couple of years. Recommendations: Paresh recommends getting a <a href="https://www.sling.com/">Sling TV</a> subscription from Dish to watch live sports. Mike recommends searching for decoy security cameras you can install if your landlord requires you to put up a security camera. Lauren recommends the streaming shows <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81591296">Nobody Wants This</a> and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80177090">Killing Eve</a>. Both are on Netflix. Paresh Dave can be found on social media @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@peard33">peard33</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://www.threads.net/@booneashworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Ozempic has been hailed as a miracle drug. It is the most well known of the GLP-1 medications, a class of drugs that can help regulate appetite, digestion, and blood sugar—and help those suffering from obesity or diabetes lose weight. Naturally, these drugs are very much in demand. But now there is a shortage of Ozempic and other GLP-1s, which has led to a swell of clones that purport to offer the same benefits and the same key ingredient, semaglutide, at lower prices. These clone drugs are easy to procure from telehealth providers, even if a buyer needs to lie about themselves a little bit to buy them. In this brave new weight-loss world, we're still coming to grips with how these drugs fit into our society. Part of that journey is the continued study about how GLP-1 drugs work—much of how they affect us is still unknown—and the continued debate about how much we should regulate and control their use. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Emily Mullin about how GLP-1 medications like Ozempic work and what happens when they don’t. We also talk about the current drug shortage and how that may get resolved. This episode originally aired July 11, 2024. <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-650">Read the transcript</a>. Show Notes: Read Kate’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/kate-knibbs/">buying cloned Ozempic</a> online. Read Emily’s story about how Ozempic <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/glp1-no-weight-loss-ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-semaglutide-tirzepatide/">doesn’t work for everyone</a>. Read all the stories in WIRED’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/age-of-ozempic/">The Age of Ozempic</a> series. Recommendations: Emily recommends staying cool this summer however you can. Kate recommends the HBO series <a href="https://www.hbo.com/john-adams">John Adams</a>, starring Paul Giamatti. Mike recommends <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/film-photography-beginners-guide/">buying a used 35-mm film camera</a> and shooting some rolls to flex your creativity. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://x.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Emily Mullin is @<a href="https://x.com/emilylmullin">emilylmullin</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

AI data centers are so hot right now. Each time generative AI services churn through their large language models to make a chatbot answer one of your questions, it takes a great deal of processing power to sift through all that data. Doing so can use massive amounts of energy, which means the proliferation of AI is raising questions about how sustainable this tech actually is and how it affects the ecosystems around it. Some companies think they have a solution: running those data centers underwater, where they can use the surrounding seawater to cool and better control the temperature of the hard working GPUs inside. But it turns out just plopping something into the ocean isn't always a foolproof plan for reducing its environmental impact. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED writers Paresh Dave and Reece Rogers join the show to talk about their reporting on undersea data centers and how the race to power AI systems is taking its toll on the environment. Show Notes: Read Paresh and Reece’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/networkocean-datacenter-san-francisco-bay-environment/">story about the plan</a> to put an underwater data center in the San Francisco Bay. Read Reece’s stories about how this is <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-energy-demands-water-impact-internet-hyper-consumption-era/">AI’s hyper-consumption era</a> and how to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/artificial-intelligence-hype-ai-snake-oil/">wade through all the AI hype</a>. Read Lauren’s story about the social network <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/socialai-app-ai-chatbots-chatgpt/">inhabited only by bots</a>. Read Karen Hao’s story in The Atlantic about how companies like Microsoft are <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/ai-water-climate-microsoft/677602/">taking water from the desert</a> to use for cooling down AI data centers. Here’s the Black Cat substack <a href="https://theblackcat.substack.com/p/harper-from-industry-core">article about the character Harper</a> from Industry. Follow all of WIRED’s AI and climate coverage. Recommendations: Paresh recommends checking out cookbooks from your local library. Reece recommends the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4gOputJQeajmvFi9Lrwwtn">soundtrack of the first Twilight movie</a> for all your Fall feels. Lauren recommends the HBO show <a href="https://www.hbo.com/industry">Industry</a>. Mike recommends Anna Weiner’s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/23/the-art-of-taking-it-slow">profile of bicycle designer Grant Peterson</a> in The New Yorker. Reece Rogers can be found on social media @thiccreese. Paresh Dave is @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

One surefire way to go viral on Threads—the Meta-owned Instagram-spinoff social network with more than <a href="https://www.threads.net/@mosseri/post/C-I-3ynvHmq">200 million users</a>—is to ask a ridiculous question that enrages your followers so much, they just have to chime in to answer you, mock you, or berate you. When it first launched last summer, Threads was seen as a blatant Twitter clone. At the time, that was an appealing attribute, as users fleeing the platform now known as X were looking for a new place to gather. Threads turned out to be a safe haven from the trolling and engagement bait on X, Reddit, and Facebook, but only for a while. Threads, like any for-profit social media site, was not able to keep those jokers and bad actors at bay. In its effort to boost engagement on the platform, Threads began prioritizing posts with the most replies and comments—which also happen to be the posts that stirred up the most drama and pissed everyone off. This week on Gadget Lab, we chat with Business Insider senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos about her personal experiment with rage bait immersion on Threads. We also ask whether social media sites are making the right decision by catering to their most furious users. Show Notes: Read Katie’s story about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/threads-meta-engagement-rage-bait-viral-katie-notopoulos-i-tried-2024-9">ragebait on Threads</a>. Read Lauren’s story about the new app <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/socialai-app-ai-chatbots-chatgpt/">SocialAI</a>, where the only human is you, and everyone else is a bot. Recommendations: Katie recommends the reality show <a href="https://press.hulu.com/shows/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives/">The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives</a> on Hulu. Mike recommends the HBO show <a href="https://www.hbo.com/industry">Industry</a>. Lauren recommends the Apple TV+ show <a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o">Slow Horses</a>. Katie Notopolous can be found on Threads @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@katienotopoulos">katienotopoulos</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

On Monday of this week, Apple held one of its splashy media events. This one was used to show off its next round of iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. These are three of its biggest products, and all of the design tweaks feel very familiar to the current Apple universe. But Apple has also trotted out some new tricks, like sleep apnea detection in the Apple Watch and a new feature that instantly turns a pair of AirPods Pro into hearing aids. And of course, the company is also very keen to get consumers hyped up about the iPhone’s new Apple Intelligence features—even if those flashy AI tricks won’t start becoming available until next month. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED product reviews editors Adrienne So and Julian Chokkattu join us after Apple's "Glowtime" event to go over all the big news from Cupertino. Show Notes: Our roundup of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-apple-announced-iphone-16-apple-watch-series-10-new-airpods/">everything Apple announced</a> this week. Read Julian’s WIRED stories about how the iPhone 16 is <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-iphone-16-price-specs-release-date/">incorporating AI</a> and which <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/which-apple-iphone-16-models-to-buy/">iPhone 16 model is right for you</a>. Dive into Lauren’s story about whether <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/iphone-16-supercycle/">Apple’s AI promises will actually equate</a> to more iPhone sales. Read Chistopher Null’s story about how AirPods Pro could <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-airpods-pro-over-the-counter-hearing-aids/">disrupt the hearing aid industry</a>. Follow all WIRED’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/apple/">Apple</a> coverage. Recommendations: Adrienne recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Status-Culture-Creates-Identity-Constant/dp/0593296702">Status and Culture</a> by W. David Marx. Julian recommends the Dev Patel action movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9214772/">Monkey Man</a>. Lauren recommends that you recommend a good chair to help her back pain. Mike recommends <a href="https://www.mjlenderman.com/">Manning Fireworks</a>, the new album by musician MJ Lenderman. Adrienne So can be found on Threads @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@adso_sheehan">adso_sheehan</a>. Julian Chokkattu is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@julianchokkattu">julianchokkattu</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Encrypted messaging is a godsend for mobile communications, whether you’re just sending standard texts to your friends that you want kept private, or engaging in interactions that are better kept secret for safety reasons. Apps like Signal and Telegram offer users the ability to trade messages that can be read by only the sender and the receiver. Of course, people can also use that privacy as a way to conduct unsavory dealings without having to worry about their communications getting exposed. Encrypted messaging has been in the news for the past couple weeks, largely because of the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who is being accused by the French government of failing to comply with law enforcements’ demands to help catch some people who are using the app for criminal activity. Durov’s arrest also casts a light on the rising profile of Signal, a fully encrypted messaging app that’s always taken a stance against the collection of its users’ data. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED security writer Andy Greenberg joins us to talk about how encrypted messaging works, what can go wrong, and how while Telegram and Signal may seem similar, the ways they operate are different—and might affect what makes them liable for what users share on its platforms. Show Notes: Read Andy’s interview with <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meredith-whittaker-signal/">Signal president Meredith Whittaker</a>. Read Lily Hay Newman and Morgan Meeker’s reporting on the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-faces-a-reckoning-in-europe-other-founders-should-beware/">arrest</a> of Telegram’s founder and its broader <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-pavel-durov-arrest-investigation-allegations/">criminal investigations</a>. Follow all of WIRED’s coverage of <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/signal/">Signal</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/telegram/">Telegram</a>. Recommendations: Andy recommends the memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Glorious-Defeats-Hacktivist-Narcissist/dp/0374217017">My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous</a> by Barrett Brown. Mike recommends taking a ride in a Waymo, just to get an idea of the future of driverless cars that is coming. Lauren recommends The Ringer’s <a href="https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2024/8/13/24216407/oakland-ballers-pro-sports-startup-athletics">story about the new baseball team</a>, the Oakland Ballers. Andy Greenberg can be found on social media @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/agreenberg.bsky.social">agreenberg.bsky.social</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight@heads.social</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

People everywhere are hot for heat pumps. These electric appliances—which perform the same heating and cooling tasks as traditional HVAC systems, just much more efficiently—have been outselling gas furnaces over the past couple of years. Their proliferation seems to be pointing more towards an energy-conscious electric future in people’s homes. And, four months ago, nine states in the US signed a memorandum of understanding that says that <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/heat-pumps/">heat pumps</a> should make up at least 65 percent of residential heating, air conditioning, and water-heating shipments by 2030. But, what exactly is a heat pump? How does it work? How much does it cost to replace your furnace with one, and how much money does making the switch actually save you in the long run? Let’s also consider the same question we’re asking about AI: how much will this change or displace existing jobs for the people who have been trained to install and service traditional HVAC systems? Former WIRED staff writer Matt Simon is our in-house heat pump expert. He joins us this week to tell us everything we need to know about these appliances he calls “climate superheroes.” This episode originally aired on May 23, 2024. Read the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-645/">transcript.</a> Show Notes: Read all of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/heat-pumps/">heat pump</a> coverage. Don’t miss Matt’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/heat-pump-worker-shortage/">heat pump technician shortage</a>. Matt also took a look at the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-next-heat-pump-frontier-nyc-apartment-windows/">in-window heat pumps</a> now hitting the market that look and operate like in-window AC units. WIRED’s Rhett Alain digs into <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-do-heat-pumps-work/">the physics of heat pumps</a>. Recommendations: Matt recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Sipped-Danced-Stumbled-Civilization/dp/0316453382">Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization </a>by Edward Slingerland. Mike recommends the book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/rebel-girl-my-life-as-a-feminist-punk-kathleen-hanna/19647947?ean=9780062825230">Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk</a> by Kathleen Hanna. Lauren recommends taking a staycation. Matt Simon can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/mrmattsimon">mrmattsimon</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Electric Vehicles are having a real moment. People by and large prefer EVs because they're greener, quieter, and often more fun to drive than gas cars. But one sticking point in the EV revolution is charging. There are more charging stations now than there have ever been, but it’s still not enough. And how those stations are distributed can make driving long distances in an EV feel like a bit of a gamble. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall joins the show to talk about the state of EV charging, the feelings of “charging anxiety,” and whether people really need to worry all that much about those EV battery fires in the news. Show Notes: Read Aarian’s story on the current state of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-much-will-it-cost-to-charge-my-electric-car-its-complicated">EV charging prices</a>. Aarian <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/aarian-marshall/">writes for WIRED</a> about all things <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-many-charging-stations-would-we-need-to-totally-replace-gas-stations/">electric vehicle</a> and transportation related. Recommendations: Aarian recommends <a href="https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/how-do-i-use-the-internet-now">three</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pcYNqD0n9R6UgJMbvJw27">different</a> <a href="https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/is-there-a-sane-way-to-follow-this">episodes</a> of PJ Vogt’s <a href="https://pjvogt.substack.com/">Search Engine podcast</a> featuring Ezra Klein as a guest. Mike recommends Agnes Varda’s film <a href="https://www.criterion.com/films/30368-the-gleaners-and-i">The Gleaners and I</a> from the year 2000. Lauren is out this week. Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/AarianMarshall/">AarianMarshall</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

At a splashy media event this week at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, Google announced four new Pixel phones. But the really important stuff unveiled at the Made By Google event wasn’t the hardware itself, but rather all of the generative AI tools packed into the devices.  Most notable are some <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/all-the-new-generative-ai-camera-features-in-google-pixel-9-phones/">AI-powered camera features</a> that allow Pixel owners to easily add themselves to a group shot after they’ve taken the photo, or to alter any scene entirely by changing night to day and adding objects that were never really there. It’s an exploration of our limits—how convincingly technology can bring alternate realities to life, and how much of the computer-generated scenery we can tolerate. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior reviews editor Julian Chokkattu joins the show to talk about Google’s fancy new photo tricks. We also talk about Gemini Live, the latest iteration of the company’s AI-powered voice chatbot. Finally, we ask the unaskable: Is Google Assistant finally dead, or just banished to Google’s attic? Show Notes: Read more about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/made-by-google-pixel-9-phones-pixel-watch-3-pixel-buds-pro-2/">all the new updates</a> from the <a href="https://www.wired.com/live/made-by-google-2024-live-blog/">Made By Google event</a>, including Google’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-pixel-9-real-tone-pixel-camera-interview/">Pixel camera updates</a>. Learn how the company is using AI to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/all-the-new-generative-ai-camera-features-in-google-pixel-9-phones/">reshape reality</a>. There are some potentially life-saving new features on the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-new-pixel-watch-3-can-detect-a-loss-of-pulse/">Pixel Watch 3</a>. Also read Reece Rogers’ WIRED story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-advanced-voice-mode-first-impressions/">ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode</a> and Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker story about <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/what-tweens-get-from-sephora-and-what-they-get-from-us">tweens and Sephora</a>. Recommendations: Julian recommends folding flip phones. Lauren recommends <a href="https://www.colorescience.com/products/sunforgettable-total-protection-face-shield-flex-spf-50">Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50</a> sunscreen lotion. Mike recommends the audiobook version of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Fours-Novel-Miranda-July/dp/0593190262">All Fours</a> by Miranda July. (You can listen to it in <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/09BbIV0YxZTC78cyYL6Yu1">Spotify Premium</a>.) Julian Chokkattu can be found on social media @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@julianchokkattu">JulianChokkattu</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

There has been a no wilder time than the present to build a company around artificial intelligence. The server bills are astronomical, for one. Also the market for talent is red hot, and you’ll end up paying through the nose for good people. Even if you do get funding, staff up, get the product off the ground, and start making headway in a crowded field, there’s the specter of Big Tech looming overhead. The hypercarnivorous raptors of Silicon Valley—Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta—will fix their steely eyes on the plump prey of your best employees and your intellectual property. But they can’t just buy you. Not anymore; outright acquisitions could draw the attention of regulators in the US and Europe, where governments are ramping up their antitrust efforts. Now instead of gobbling you up, a big tech company will license your tech and bring your top talent into their offices to collaborate with their employees. This maneuver—not an acquisition, more like an acquihire with some partnerships included—is something we’ve seen a few times in recent months. And we can expect more. This week, we welcome WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave back onto the show to discuss the current trend of partnerships between small AI companies and the tech giants. We also talk about how regulators are really cracking down on Google in particular. Show Notes: Read about the US court ruling that found <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-search-antitrust-monopoly-ruling/">Google engaged in monopolistic practices</a> to increase its search engine’s dominance. Read more about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-ai-studio-instagram-chatbots/">Character AI</a>, Meta, and customizable chatbots. Read all of WIRED’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/antitrust/">antitrust</a> coverage. Recommendations: Paresh recommends playing games on Netflix, like Triviaverse. Mike recommends the new documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, which is also on Netflix. Lauren recommends “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/evan-gershkovich-prisoner-exchange-ccb39ad3">Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich</a>” from The Wall Street Journal. Paresh Dave can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/peard33">peard33</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

If the idea of going on a date makes you anxious, and all you’d really rather do with your evening is stay home and play video games, well, have we got the app for you. Date Like Goblins, a new dating platform that debuted on Kickstarter this week and will launch later this year, invites you to go on dates that take place entirely inside your favorite video games. You play a few rounds of Fortnite or Final Fantasy with your date, while voice-chatting and getting to know each other. It’s cute! Date Like Goblins is one of many niche, interest-specific dating platforms. There are apps for farmers, Christians, jamband fans, rope bunnies—whatever you’re into. These smaller, more tailored communities can be seen as an antidote to fatigue that’s caused by the over-monetized and alienating experience of the big dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge.  This week, we’re joined by WIRED staff writer Amanda Hoover to talk about Date Like Goblins and the other apps that have learned the cheat code for online romance. Show Notes: Read Amanda’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dating-apps-suck-date-like-goblins/">Date Like Goblins</a>. Read Lauren Goode on “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/date-me-google-docs-and-the-hyper-optimized-quest-for-love/">Date Me” docs</a>. Read Jason Parham on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/boomergasms-are-booming/">Boomers on the apps</a>. Read all of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/dating/">dating coverage</a>. Recommendations: Amanda recommends making <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=butter+coconut+bars">butter coconut bars</a> for your next summer potluck. Lauren recommends the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/podcasts/the-daily/jack-teich-kidnapping.html">recent episode of The Daily</a> from The New York Times with Taffy Brodesser-Akner telling the story about her new book. Michael recommends <a href="https://tricksterpodcast.com/">Trickster: The Many Lives of Carlos Castaneda</a>, a podcast about the wild, shadowy history of the famous author and counterculture figurehead. Amanda Hoover can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/byamandahoover">byamandahoover</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

If you haven’t heard of it before, you’re about to become intimately familiar with the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. This system of currents—which brings water up the Atlantic from the southern tip of South America, through the tropics, and all the way to the coast of Iceland before looping back down south—plays a key role in keeping our planet’s climate stable. It keeps northern European winters relatively mild, it provides nutrients to ocean life, and it brings much-needed rain to agricultural systems in equatorial zones. Researchers who study the AMOC say this system is showing signs of instability, and it could shut down entirely—and soon. If the current slows down or stops, it would potentially kick off an ecological disaster of epic proportions. Deep cold spells, crushed food systems, entire regions in drought.  This week, we bring WIRED features editor Sandra Upson onto the show to talk about the AMOC, the research that’s being done on it, and what life would be like on Earth if the current reaches its tipping point. Buckle up.  Show Notes: Read “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amoc-collapse-atlantic-ocean">How Soon Will the Atlantic Ocean Break? Two Sibling Scientists Tried to Answer That—and Shook the World</a>,” Sandra Upson’s WIRED feature on the researchers who are studying the AMOC and who have estimated the current could collapse in the next 30 years or so. Read our previous coverage of the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-scientists-are-clashing-over-the-atlantics-critical-currents/">AMOC research</a> that kicked off the present debate about when it could reach the tipping point. Recommendations: Sandra recommends watching trashy reality shows in a language you’re trying to learn as an informal and entertaining study aid. Mike recommends embracing Brat Summer—IYKYK. Lauren recommends the book <a href="https://susancasey.com/books-list/the-wave">The Wave</a> by Susan Casey, which is about the science and joy and terror of big waves. Sandra Upson can be found on social media @<a href="https://x.com/sandraupson">sandraupson</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Voice assistants have become a constant presence in our lives. Maybe you talk to Alexa or Gemini or Siri to ask a question or to perform a task. Maybe you have to do a little back and forth with a voice bot whenever you call your pharmacy, or when you book a service appointment at your car dealership. You may even get frustrated and start pleading with the robot on the other end of the line to connect you with a real human. That’s the catch, though: These voice bots are starting to sound a lot more like actual humans, with emotions in their voice, little ticks and giggles in between phrases, and the occasional flirty aside. Today’s voice-powered chatbots are blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s not, which prompts a complicated ethical question: Can you trust a bot that insists it’s actually human? This week, Lauren Goode tells us about her recent news story on a bot that was easily tricked into lying and saying it was a human. And WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave tells us how AI watchdogs and government regulators are trying to prevent natural-sounding chatbots from misrepresenting themselves. Show Notes: Read more about the Bland AI chatbot, which lied and <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/bland-ai-chatbot-human/">said it was human</a>. Read Will Kight’s story about researchers’ warnings of the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/prepare-to-get-manipulated-by-emotionally-expressive-chatbots/">manipulative power</a> of emotionally expressive chatbots. Recommendations: Lauren recommends <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374600303/thebeesting">The Bee Sting</a> by Paul Murray. (Again.) Paresh recommends subscribing to your great local journalism newsletter or Substack to stay informed on important local issues.  Mike recommends <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805095562/winterjournal">Winter Journal</a>, a memoir by Paul Auster. Paresh Dave can be found on social media @<a href="https://x.com/peard33">peard33</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Ozempic has been hailed as a miracle drug. It is the most well known of the GLP-1 medications, a class of drugs that can help regulate appetite, digestion, and blood sugar—and help those suffering from obesity or diabetes lose weight. Naturally, these drugs are very much in demand. But now there is a shortage of Ozempic and other GLP-1s, which has led to a swell of clones that purport to offer the same benefits and the same key ingredient, semaglutide, at lower prices. These clone drugs are easy to procure from telehealth providers, even if a buyer needs to lie about themselves a little bit to buy them. In this brave new weight-loss world, we're still coming to grips with how these drugs fit into our society. Part of that journey is the continued study about how GLP-1 drugs work—much of how they affect us is still unknown—and the continued debate about how much we should regulate and control their use. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Emily Mullin about how GLP-1 medications like Ozempic work and what happens when they don’t. We also talk about the current drug shortage and how that may get resolved. Show Notes: Read Kate’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/kate-knibbs/">buying cloned Ozempic</a> online. Read Emily’s story about how Ozempic <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/glp1-no-weight-loss-ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-semaglutide-tirzepatide/">doesn’t work for everyone</a>. Read all the stories in WIRED’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/age-of-ozempic/">The Age of Ozempic</a> series. Recommendations: Emily recommends staying cool this summer however you can. Kate recommends the HBO series <a href="https://www.hbo.com/john-adams">John Adams</a>, starring Paul Giamatti. Mike recommends <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/film-photography-beginners-guide/">buying a used 35-mm film camera</a> and shooting some rolls to flex your creativity. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://x.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Emily Mullin is @<a href="https://x.com/emilylmullin">emilylmullin</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Back in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a long in the works rule requiring automakers here to dramatically increase the number of battery-powered vehicles they’re putting on the roads. The government has mandated that by 2032, more than half of new cars sold must be electric. There are some caveats, namely that plug-in hybrid cars will fulfill the federal requirements for what a “battery-powered” vehicle is.  This has led to a flood of hybrid cars hitting the market. This week, we talk about what this means for people who are considering buying a new car now, or in the next few years. We explain the differences between plug-in hybrids, full hybrids, and electrics, and we tell you what your options are if you live in an apartment without a convenient place to plug in your car while it’s parked.  We are joined this week by WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall, who breaks down the facts, shatters the myths, and turns us all into hybrid car experts. This episode originally aired on April 2, 2024. <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-642/">Read the transcript</a>. Show Notes: Read Aarian’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/here-comes-the-flood-of-plug-in-hybrids/">new US emissions rules</a>. Also read her story about automakers <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/electric-vehicle-market-growth-sales-slump/">struggling to hit their US sales targets</a> for electric cars. Recommendations: Aarian recommends going to one of those baseball games where you also bring your dog. (They let you run the bases!) Mike recommends <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Trilogy-Contemporary-American/dp/0140131558">The New York Trilogy</a> by novelist Paul Auster, who died this week at 77. Lauren recommends <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374279219/thelights">The Lights</a>, the newest book of poetry and prose by Ben Lerner. Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/AarianMarshall">aarianmarshall</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Even if you’ve never taken a puff from a vape in your life, you know about Juul. At the company’s peak in 2018, its e-cigarette was one of the most recognizable consumer devices on the planet, and Juul Labs was worth $38 billion. Just a few short years later, after being squeezed by government regulators and prohibition-minded anti-tobacco advocates, Juul’s valuation plummeted and its market share vaporized. The story of Juul—and its thousands of imitators—is outlined in Backfired: The Vaping Wars, a new nine-part podcast from Prologue Projects. The show traces the history of e-cigarettes, nicotine vaporizers, and synthetic nicotine by following the paths of Juul and its thousands of competitors as the vape companies gain public acceptance, fight for market share, and butt heads with government agencies. It’s a fascinating ride filled with new reporting, so even if you’ve read and listened to everything about Juul and vaping, you’ll hear some shocking new information in this series. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with Backfired’s hosts, Arielle Pardes and Leon Neyfakh.  Show Notes: Backfired is an Audible original, so go to <a href="http://audible.com/backfired">audible.com/backfired</a> to listen. Also check out Louise Matsakis’ story about the next generation of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-is-being-flooded-by-chinese-vapes/">cheap, illegal vapes</a> coming from China. Recommendations: Arielle recommends Timeshifter’s <a href="https://www.timeshifter.com/">Jet Lag App</a>. Leon recommends the <a href="https://us.yotoplay.com/">Yoto Player</a> for getting kids into podcasts. Lauren recommends <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374600303/thebeesting">The Bee Sting</a>, by Paul Murray. Mike recommends <a href="https://subparpool.com/">Subpar Pool</a>, a game by Holedown creator Martin Jonasson. Arielle Pardes can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/pardesoteric">pardesoteric</a>. Leon Neyfakh is @<a href="https://twitter.com/leoncrawl">leoncrawl</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Web crawling—the act of indexing information across the internet—has been around for decades. It has primarily been used by search engines like Google and nonprofits like Internet Archive and Common Crawl to catalog the contents of the open internet and make it searchable. Until recently, the practice of web crawling has rarely been seen as controversial, as websites depended on the process as a way for people to find their content. But now crawling tech has been subsumed by the great AI-ening of everything, and is being used by companies like Google and Perplexity AI to absorb whole articles that are fed into their summarizing machines. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior writer Kate Knibbs joins the show to talk about web crawling and the controversy over Common Crawl. Then we talk with Forbes’ chief content officer and editor Randall Lane about how Perplexity.AI repurposed a Forbes article and presented it as its own story, without first asking permission or properly citing the source. Show Notes: Read Kate’s story about how <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-fight-against-ai-comes-to-a-foundational-data-set/">publishers are going after Common Crawl</a> over AI training data. Read Randall’s story about how Preplexity.AI <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2024/06/11/why-perplexitys-cynical-theft-represents-everything-that-could-go-wrong-with-ai/">copied the work</a> of two Forbes reporters. Recommendations: Randall recommends his new horse racing league, the <a href="https://ntl.racing/">National Thoroughbred League</a>. Kate recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Victim-Novel-Andrew-Boryga-ebook/dp/B0C7TNWKRM/">Victim</a> by Andrew Boryga. Lauren recommends the show <a href="https://www.max.com/shows/hacks-2021/67e940b7-aab2-46ce-a62b-c7308cde9de7">Hacks</a> on Max. Randall Lane can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/RandallLane">RandallLane</a>. Kate Knibbs is @<a href="https://twitter.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

This week, Apple executives used the keynote address of the company’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/wwdc/">annual developers conference</a> to debut all of the artificial intelligence capabilities that are coming to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The team showed off how generative tools will help users write emails, clean up iPhone photos, illustrate presentations, and make custom emoji characters.  Adding AI to everything is par for the course in 2024, as all of the big tech companies have been loading up their software with similar generative features. But Apple is late to this particular party. The company has been perceived as being “behind” in generative AI, since OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and a whole bunch of startups have already made massive inroads. But is Apple really behind? And what makes Apple’s AI—cheekily named Apple Intelligence—different? This week, we welcome WIRED senior writer Will Knight back onto the show to talk about Apple Intelligence, the new Siri, and how Apple is trying to differentiate itself in the AI race. Show Notes: Read Will’s new story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-intelligence-ios-wwdc/">Apple Intelligence’s launch</a>, and his <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-intelligence-ios-macos-ai-openai/">news analysis piece</a> on how Apple will need to make sure its AI doesn’t disappoint, annoy, or offend iPhone users. Read Boone Ashworth’s roundup of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-apple-announced-wwdc-2024/">everything Apple announced at WWDC</a>. Lauren tells us why Apple’s AI play is also its best shot at getting you to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-is-apples-best-shot-at-getting-you-to-upgrade-your-phone/">upgrade your iPhone</a>. Julian Chokkattu has a comprehensive overview of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-iphone-ios-18-ipados-18-new-features/">all the AI features coming to iOS</a>. Read all of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/wwdc/">WWDC coverage</a>. Recommendations: Will recommends the <a href="https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/">AutoGen</a> multi-agent conversational framework. Mike recommends Klean Kanteen’s <a href="https://www.kleankanteen.com/collections/food-storage-lunch-boxes/products/34-oz-rise-food-box-meal?variant=42623621136579">Rise Food Box</a>. Lauren recommends the <a href="https://lunya.co/products/unisex-washable-silk-sleep-mask-deep-blue">Lunya washable silk sleep mask</a>.  Will Knight can be found on X @<a href="https://twitter.com/willknight">willknight</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Google has spent the past year lustily rolling out AI features across its platforms. But with each launch, it is becoming more clear that some of these so-called enhancements should have simmered a little longer. The latest update to stoke equal parts excitement and ridicule is AI Overviews, the new auto-generated summary boxes that appear at the top of some Google search results. In theory, AI Overviews are meant to answer questions and neatly summarize key information about people's search queries, offering links to the sources the summaries were pulled from and making search more immediately useful. In reality, these AI Overviews have been kinda messy. The information the summary confidently displays can be simply, and sometimes comically, wrong. Even when the AI Overview is correct, it typically only offers a slim account of the topic without the added context—or attribution—contained in the web pages it’s pulling from. The resulting criticisms have forced Google to reportedly dial back the number of search queries that trigger AI Overviews, and they are now being seen less frequently than they were at launch. This week, we talk with WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Reece Rogers about the rollout, how Google has been managing it, and what it's like to watch our journalism get gobbled up by these hungry, hungry infobots. Show Notes: Read Kate’s story about Google <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-cut-back-ai-overviews-before-pizza-glue/">trimming the frequency of its AI Overviews</a>. Read Reece’s story about how Google’s AI Overviews <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-ai-overview-search-results-copied-my-original-work/">copied his original work</a>. Read Lauren’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-io-end-of-google-search/">end of Google Search</a> as we know it. Recommendations: Kate recommends <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Token-Supremacy-Finance-Great-Crypto/dp/0593536754">Token Supremacy</a> by Zachary Small. Reece recommends the game <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/">Balatro</a>. Lauren recommends the poetry book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TECHNELEGY-SASHA-STILES/dp/1913606732/">Technelegy</a> by Sasha Stiles. Mike recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Neu-Klang-Definitive-History-Krautrock/dp/057137767X">Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock</a> by Christoph Dallach. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://x.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a> (X) or @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@extremeknibbs">extremeknibbs</a> (Threads/IG). Reece Rogers is @<a href="https://twitter.com/reece___rogers">reece___rogers</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Domain names have value, even when the websites that were once hosted there are shut down or abandoned. Prospectors will often swoop in and snatch up an unused domain, then erect a new website filled with clickbait articles. If the domain name used to rank highly in search results, the new clickbait articles will also rank highly, guaranteeing the prospector a steady stream of visitors searching the web for common phrases.  These zombie sites are all over the web; you’ve probably landed on them many times yourself. But this shady market is poised to grow exponentially thanks to the proliferation of generative AI tools. Text generators like ChatGPT make it easier for prospectors to crank out clickbait articles at greater speed, feeding an already raging river of pablum. This week, Kate Knibbs tells us about her WIRED story on one of these entrepreneurs in the world of AI-generated clickbait hosted on squatted domains. This episode originally aired February 15, 2024. Read the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-632/">full transcript.</a> Show Notes: Read Kate’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/confessions-of-an-ai-clickbait-kingpin/">story about Nebojša Vujinović Vujo</a> and his clickbait empire. Also read Kate’s original investigation into <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-hairpin-blog-ai-clickbait-farm/">what happened to The Hairpin</a>, a popular blog for womens’ writing that went defunct and was then reborn as a content mill. Recommendations: Kate recommends the novella <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tusks-Extinction-Ray-Nayler/dp/1250855527">Tusks of Extinction</a> by Ray Nayler. Brian recommends the novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bee-Sting-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0374600309">The Bee Sting</a> by Paul Murray. Lauren recommends giving up fancy, creamy coffee drinks for Lent. Mike recommends the social media platform <a href="https://bsky.app/">BlueSky</a>, which is now open to everyone. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Brian Barrett is @<a href="https://twitter.com/brbarrett">brbarrett</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

People everywhere are hot for heat pumps. These electric appliances—which perform the same heating and cooling tasks as traditional HVAC systems, just much more efficiently—have been outselling gas furnaces over the past couple of years. Their proliferation seems to be pointing more towards an energy-conscious electric future in people’s homes. And, four months ago, nine states in the US signed a memorandum of understanding that says that <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/heat-pumps/">heat pumps</a> should make up at least 65 percent of residential heating, air conditioning, and water-heating shipments by 2030. But, what exactly is a heat pump? How does it work? How much does it cost to replace your furnace with one, and how much money does making the switch actually save you in the long run? Let’s also consider the same question we’re asking about AI: how much will this change or displace existing jobs for the people who have been trained to install and service traditional HVAC systems? WIRED staff writer Matt Simon is our in-house heat pump expert. He joins us this week to tell us everything we need to know about these appliances he calls “climate superheroes.” Show Notes: Read all of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/heat-pumps/">heat pump</a> coverage. Don’t miss Matt’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/heat-pump-worker-shortage/">heat pump technician shortage</a>. Matt also took a look at the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-next-heat-pump-frontier-nyc-apartment-windows/">in-window heat pumps</a> now hitting the market that look and operate like in-window AC units. WIRED’s Rhett Alain digs into <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-do-heat-pumps-work/">the physics of heat pumps</a>. Recommendations: Matt recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drunk-Sipped-Danced-Stumbled-Civilization/dp/0316453382">Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization </a>by Edward Slingerland. Mike recommends the book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/rebel-girl-my-life-as-a-feminist-punk-kathleen-hanna/19647947?ean=9780062825230">Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk</a> by Kathleen Hanna. Lauren recommends taking a staycation. Matt Simon can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/mrmattsimon">mrmattsimon</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Google held its annual I/O developer event this week. The company gathered software developers, business partners, and folks from the technology press at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, just down the road from Google corporate headquarters for a two-hour presentation. There were Android announcements, there were chatbot announcements. Somebody even blasted rainbow-colored robes into the crowd using a T-shirt cannon. But most of the talk at I/O centered around artificial intelligence. Nearly everything Google showed off at the event was enhanced in some way by the company’s Gemini AI model. And some of the most shocking announcements came in the realm of AI-powered search, an area where Google is poised to upend everyone’s expectations about how to find things on the internet—for better or for worse. This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins us to unpack everything Google announced at I/O, and to help us understand how search engines will evolve for the AI era.  Show Notes: Read our roundup of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/everything-google-announced-at-io-2024/">everything Google announced at I/O 2024</a>. Lauren wrote about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-io-end-of-google-search/">the end of search as we know it</a>. Will Knight got a demo of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-io-astra-multimodal-answer-chatgpt/">Project Astra</a>, Google’s visual chatbot. Recommendations: Paresh recommends <a href="https://www.thepitch.show/">The Pitch</a> podcast. Lauren recommends Kristin Lueke’s newsletter “<a href="https://www.theanimaleats.com/">The Animal Eats</a>.” Mike recommends the Pedro Almodóvar film, <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/julieta">Julieta</a>, which is based on short stories by Alice Munro, who died this week. Paresh Dave can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/peard33">peard33</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://heads.social/@snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

For all the influence Twitter has had on our culture, no community there has made quite as much impact as Black Twitter. The virtual community grew from a loose online hangout to an influential cultural force that directed conversations about race and culture not only on social media, but in our society at large. A new documentary miniseries from Hulu called Black Twitter: A People's History charts that monumental trajectory.   This week on Gadget Lab, we chat about the rise and solidification of Black Twitter with showrunner Joie Jacoby, director and executive producer Prentice Penny, and WIRED senior writer Jason Parham, who wrote the WIRED cover story the docuseries is based on. <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/black-twitter-a-peoples-history-9d5bbed5-ddfc-4e65-8ed5-78dc23ea4380">Black Twitter: A People's History</a> premieres on May 9th on Hulu. Read Jason’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/black-twitter-oral-history-part-i-coming-together/">three-part series</a> of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/black-twitter-oral-history-part-ii-rising-up/">stories</a> about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/black-twitter-oral-history-part-iii-getting-through/">Black Twitter</a>.   Recommendations: Joie recommends the Met Opera show <a href="https://www.metopera.org/season/2023-24-season/fire-shut-up-in-my-bones/">Fire Shut Up in My Bones</a>. Prentice recommends the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Kq-yEt1iYsbUzNOoIRK0g">Pitch Meetings</a>. Jason recommends <a href="https://ondisneyplus.disney.com/show/x-men-97">X-Men 97</a> on Disney+. Lauren recommends watching <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/black-twitter-a-peoples-history-9d5bbed5-ddfc-4e65-8ed5-78dc23ea4380">Black Twitter: A People’s History</a> and reading <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/black-twitter-oral-history-part-i-coming-together/">Jason Parham’s story</a> that inspired the show. Mike recommends trying the new instant coffees that are popping up. (Instant coffee is good now, he swears.) Jason Parham can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/nonlinearnotes">nonlinearnotes</a>. Joie Jacoby is @<a href="https://twitter.com/joiejacoby">joiejacoby</a>. Prentice Penny is @<a href="https://twitter.com/The_A_Prentice">The_A_Prentice</a> Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Back in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a long in the works rule requiring automakers here to dramatically increase the number of battery-powered vehicles they’re putting on the roads. The government has mandated that by 2032, more than half of new cars sold must be electric. There are some caveats, namely that plug-in hybrid cars will fulfill the federal requirements for what a “battery-powered” vehicle is.  This has led to a flood of hybrid cars hitting the market. This week, we talk about what this means for people who are considering buying a new car now, or in the next few years. We explain the differences between plug-in hybrids, full hybrids, and electrics, and we tell you what your options are if you live in an apartment without a convenient place to plug in your car while it’s parked.  We are joined this week by WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall, who breaks down the facts, shatters the myths, and turns us all into hybrid car experts. Show Notes: Read Aarian’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/here-comes-the-flood-of-plug-in-hybrids/">new US emissions rules</a>. Also read her story about automakers <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/electric-vehicle-market-growth-sales-slump/">struggling to hit their US sales targets</a> for electric cars. Recommendations: Aarian recommends going to one of those baseball games where you also bring your dog. (They let you run the bases!) Mike recommends <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Trilogy-Contemporary-American/dp/0140131558">The New York Trilogy</a> by novelist Paul Auster, who died this week at 77. Lauren recommends <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374279219/thelights">The Lights</a>, the newest book of poetry and prose by Ben Lerner. Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/AarianMarshall">aarianmarshall</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Do you know what TCP/IP means? (Hint: you’re using it right now.) What about CDMA? Or GPT? While the concepts and the execution of these technologies are clear to most of us who have been on the internet nearly our whole lives, the acronyms we use to define them are often inscrutable. On this week’s episode, we welcome WIRED’s AI reporter Will Knight onto the show. Along with our hosts Michael Calore and Lauren Goode, the trio takes turns quizzing each other on what exactly these acronyms stand for. Michael is asked to unpack various terms from the early internet era, Lauren is tested on acronyms from the mobile era, and Will tells us what all the AI-related abbreviations mean. Everyone does a pretty good job even if nobody earns a perfect score. Play along at home; maybe you can best our hosts with your arcane knowledge of internet minutiae. Show Notes Read Steven Levy’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/eight-google-employees-invented-modern-ai-transformers-paper/">Google research paper</a> that kickstarted the transformer-based AI boom. Recommendations: Will recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-EAST-Autocracy-Technology/dp/0300266367">The Rise and Fall of the EAST</a> by Yasheng Huang. (Watch their conversation at <a href="https://youtu.be/XZsy2ScR6v8?si=ppbc71MKL80jNQrA">MIT’s Starr Forum</a>.) Lauren recommends the <a href="https://www.forestapp.cc/">Forest app</a> for the <a href="https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique">Pomodoro</a> work method. Mike recommends <a href="http://catb.org/jargon/html/">The Jargon File</a>. Will Knight can be found on social media @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/willknight.bsky.social">WillKnight</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Silicon Valley tech types love their edgy new social media startups. The latest is Airchat, an audio-first social app that lets its users express their every thought by posting short snippets of audio. All of these snippets are served in a never-ending feed, a la Twitter. There are replies, there are DMs, but there’s no typing; it’s all spoken audio. The platform is exclusively invitation-only for now, so the current user base is made up mostly of Valley insiders, optimistic venture capitalists, and crypto evangelists, which definitely informs the types of conversations you’ll find on the app. If you're thinking this sounds a lot like Clubhouse, the audio-based social space that flared up during the Covid-19 pandemic, well, you're not too far off. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk to WIRED’s Director of Special Projects Alan Henry about making mouth sounds on Airchat and whether the buzzy new social startup will appeal to anyone outside the Silicon Valley technosphere. Show Notes: Read Lauren’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/airchat-app-social-audio/">Airchat</a>. Recommendations: Alan recommends the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Kurzgesagt">Kurzgesagt YouTube channel</a>. Lauren recommends Julian Chokkattu’s review of the <a href="https://www.wired.com/review/humane-ai-pin/">Humane Ai Pin</a> and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81600418">Scoop</a>, a movie about journalism that’s streaming on Netflix. Mike recommends our new sibling podcast, <a href="https://www.wired.com/podcast/wired-politics-lab/">WIRED Politics Lab</a>. Alan can be found on social media @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/halophoenix.bsky.social">halophoenix</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, its become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these groups are doing, and what this means for voters and the election workers already facing threats and harassment. Listen to and follow WIRED Politics Lab <a href="https://listen.wired.com/politicslab_feeddrop">here</a>. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter <a href="https://www.wired.com/newsletter/politics-lab?sourceCode=PodcastPromo">here</a>.

Hey, did you see the ad for that Bluetooth-enabled Shiatsu foot massager? How about the one for the organic mushroom supplement powder? They're probably not even the most interesting things you can buy on TikTok or Instagram. Just as the apps have thrived on a steady stream of feel-good content, they have also inundated their users with cheap, bright, and shiny stuff they can swipe through and buy with just a few taps. It's a trend that's spread out to every social site, and has taken a unique shape on TikTok through the platform’s new experimental TikTok Shop. Now, it's hard to get through a couple videos without being accosted by virility pills, fast fashion, and hangover cures. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED staff writer Amanda Hoover joins us to talk about the weird world of TikTok Shop, how its fee structure is evolving, and why it feels like every single social media service is pivoting to zany products. Show Notes: Read Amanda’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-shop-era-of-super-subsidies-is-ending/">TikTok Shop</a> raising its seller fees. Listen to our recent episode (<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-636/">#636</a>) about the possibility of a TikTok ban. Recommendations: Amanda recommends the <a href="https://hungovraf.com/pages/faqs">HungovrAF cap</a>. Mike recommends the documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27502250/">Anselm</a>, directed by Wim Winders. Lauren recommends <a href="https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/">Leuchtturm 1917</a> notebooks. Amanda Hoover can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/byamandahoover">byamandahoover</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Apple has gotten used to being a favorite target of rivals and government agencies. The company has been repeatedly scrutinized by regulators, and other tech companies have accused the company of anticompetitive practices. Apple’s most recent legal challenge is a doozy: an antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice and more than a dozen state attorneys general. The suit takes aim at the security and privacy features offered only on the iPhone, and accuses Apple of using that exclusivity to lock consumers into its ecosystem. At the center of the suit is the lack of true cross-platform encryption on Apple’s messaging platform—the green bubble-blue bubble divide—which the government alleges harms consumers by leaving them more vulnerable to attacks. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with WIRED senior security editor Andrew Couts about the encryption and privacy issues behind the DOJ's suit against Apple, and how the dreaded green bubbles on iMessage factor in. Show Notes: Read Andrew and Andy Greenberg’s WIRED story about how the DOJ is <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-doj-antitrust-imessage-encryption/">targeting Apple's iMessage encryption</a>. Read Lauren’s story about how the antitrust case is all about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/antitrust-case-against-apple-weaponizes-the-cult-of-cupertino/">green bubbles</a>, really. Recommendations: Andrew recommends <a href="https://www.olio2go.com/products/profumo-del-chianti-pdc-001">profumo del chianti</a> sea salt. Lauren recommends the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-novel-Gabrielle-Zevin/dp/0593321200">Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</a> by Gabrielle Zevin. Mike recommends going to the <a href="https://bigearsfestival.org/">Big Ears music festival</a> next year. Andrew Couts can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewCouts">AndrewCouts</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

3 Body Problem is Netflix’s new big, meaty prestige sci-fi series. Based on the book of the same name by author<a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/09/wired-book-club-three-body-problem-1/"> Liu Cixin</a>, the show about an impending alien invasion is also one about how humans react to technological advancements and social movements that spiral out of control. Aliens aside, it tackles many of the same issues modern society is facing right now—political instability, fanaticism, and maybe an over-dependence on virtual reality. The new show is helmed by the former showrunners of<a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/game-of-thrones/">Game of Thrones</a> and surprise surprise, this high-concept drama is in fact very good. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk all about 3 Body Problem—how the tech and cultural events in the show mirror the real world and how it stacks up against the likes of Game of Thrones and other prestige TV. Show Notes Read Amit Katwala’s interview with the main showrunners of<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/netflix-3-body-problem-benioff-weiss-woo-interview/">3 Body Problem</a>. Here’s Lauren’s story about<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/crying-in-apple-vision-pro/"> crying in VR</a>. Speaking of VR, read WIRED’s review of the<a href="https://www.wired.com/review/apple-vision-pro/"> Apple Vision Pro</a>. Recommendations Kate recommends the show<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice">Silo</a> on Apple TV+. Lauren recommends the movie<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81256740">One Day</a> on Netflix. Mike recommends the<a href="https://aquariumdrunkard.com/category/podcast/">Transmissions</a> podcast by Aquarium Drunkard. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by<a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/"> Solar Keys</a>.

You may only know TikTok as the massively popular social video app for phone-obsessed teens, but lately the app has been caught in the political fray. On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill that, should it become law, would require TikTok’s parent company, the Chinese firm ByteDance, to sell the app or else see it banned on devices in the US. Lawmakers in the US have expressed concerns that data from American TikTok users is being shared with a Chinese company, and that therefore TikTok poses a threat to national security.  This week on Gadget Lab, we’re joined by WIRED’s senior politics writer Makena Kelly to talk about those security concerns, what this bill means for the rest of the tech industry, and what could happen if TikTok is actually banned. Show Notes: Read Makena on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-ban-congress-vote/">the bill</a> that would ban TikTok, and read Vittoria Elliott’s update on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/congress-tiktok-ban/">Wednesday’s vote</a>. We also have instructions to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-download-your-tiktok-videos/">get your videos off TikTok</a>. Read all of <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/tiktok/">WIRED’s TikTok coverage</a>. Recommendations: Makena recommends going to the office. (Really.) Mike recommends <a href="https://www.ener-life.com/products/ener-c-tangerine-multivitamin-br-drink-mix-1-000mg-vitamin-c">Ener-C</a> powdered vitamin drink mix. Lauren reiterates Kate Knibbs’ earlier recommendation of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MbLCpYJPA&amp;ab_channel=MGM">American Fiction</a>, the film that just won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.  Makena Kelly can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/kellymakena">kellymakena</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

The last few months have been rough for <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/google/">Google</a>. Company executives have been in the hot seat because of some embarrassing missteps, the most awkward of which was the bungled launch of Google’s latest image generator. The company launched it as part of its suite of GenAI tools named <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/google-gemini/">Gemini</a>, but then quickly pulled it back after the generator produced some seriously weird results. This week, we welcome WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave back to the show to talk about Gemini’s strange outputs. We also talk about some of the staffing pains Google has been going through recently, including layoffs and accusations of discrimination.   Show Notes: Read more about the “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-gemini-woke-ai-image-generation/">woke AI</a>” controversy. Read <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-01/google-trims-jobs-in-trust-and-safety-while-others-work-around-the-clock">Bloomberg’s story</a> about Google’s layoffs to its trust and safety team. Read <a href="https://www.wired.com/author/paresh-dave/">Paresh’s story</a> about the Googler with a disability who alleges workplace discrimination at the company. Listen to our broader discussion about tech layoffs on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-633/">episode 633</a>. Recommendations: Paresh recommends the food blog <a href="https://thefancynavajo.com/">The Fancy Navajo</a>. Lauren recommends Lauren Mechling’s story in The Guardian about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/mar/02/journalism-us-media-industry-layoffs-co-ops">journalism</a>; the <a href="https://lecarrecast.com/">Le Carré Cast </a>podcast, particularly the episode about the <a href="https://lecarrecast.com/2023/10/21/adam-sisman-on-the-secret-life-of-john-le-carre/">secret life</a> of the famous spy author; and Mike recommends the film collection “<a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/and-the-razzie-goes-to">And the Razzie Goes to …</a>” on the Criterion Channel. Paresh can be found on social media @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/peard33.bsky.social">peard33.bsky.social</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Unless you were really into desktop PC gaming a decade ago, you probably didn't give Nvidia much thought until recently. The company makes graphics cards, among other tech, and has earned great success thanks to the strength of the gaming industry. But it's been nothing compared to the explosive growth Nvidia has enjoyed over the past year. That's because Nvidia's tech is well-suited to power the machines that run large language models, the basis for the generative AI systems that have swept across the tech industry. Now Nvidia is an absolute behemoth, with a skyrocketing stock value and a tight grip on the most impactful—and controversial—tech of this era. This week on Gadget Lab, we welcome WIRED’s Will Knight, who writes about AI, as our guest. Together, we boot up our Nvidia® GeForce RTX™ 4080 SUPER graphics cards to render an ultra high-def conversation about the company powering the AI boom. Show Notes: Read Lauren’s interview with Nvidia cofounder and CEO, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nvidia-hardware-is-eating-the-world-jensen-huang/">Jensen Huang</a>. Read Will’s story about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fast-forward-chatgpt-hunger-energy-gpu-revolution/">the need for more chips</a> in AI computing circles, and his story about the US government’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-just-escalated-its-ai-chip-war-with-china/">export restrictions on chip technology</a>. Read all of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/nvidia/">Nvidia</a> coverage. Recommendations: Will recommends <a href="https://www.takeargmax.com/blog/whisperkit">WhisperKit from Argmax</a> for machine transcription. Mike recommends getting your garden going now; it’s almost spring. Lauren recommends <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119-say-nothing">Say Nothing</a>, a book by Patrick Radden Keefe. Will Knight can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/willknight">willknight</a> Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

tech companies seemed immune to large-scale layoffs, and as their profits skyrocketed, those cushy jobs became highly sought-after. But economic headwinds, and the looming influence of AI, are leading to some tumultuous changes in the tech industry. In just the first seven weeks of this year, Amazon, Google, Discord, Duolingo, Cisco, Instacart, and dozens of others all made deep staffing cuts. It all adds up to tens of thousands of jobs lost across the industry, and the cuts aren't slowing down. It doesn't help that interviewing for tech jobs is getting harder too, with employers asking for more and more work or rigorous testing before making a hire.  This week, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins us to talk about whether the layoffs will cool off, and why right now is a daunting time to be looking for a tech job. Show Notes: Read Paresh’s story about how Google has been <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-spending-acquisitions-cratered-in-2023/">cutting down on its acquisitions</a> lately. Read Amanda Hoover on recent <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tech-layoffs-2024-amazon-google-discord-twitch/">tech industry layoffs</a>, and her story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-stark-realities-of-posting-your-layoff-on-tiktok/">TikTok layoff videos</a> folks have been posting. Read Lauren’s story about how <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tech-job-interviews-out-of-control">tech job interviews</a> are getting even more demanding. And of course, follow all of WIRED’s coverage of how <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/">AI</a> and how it affects people’s livelihoods. Recommendations: Paresh recommends making an effort to connect and collaborate with your disabled colleagues. Lauren recommends the documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24082488/">The Eternal Memory</a>. Mike recommends listening to Ty Segall’s new album <a href="https://tysegall.bandcamp.com/album/three-bells">Three Bells</a> and watching his <a href="https://ty-segall.com/pages/home">live show</a>. Paresh Dave can be found on social media @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/peard33.bsky.social">peard33</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://www.threads.net/@laurengoode?hl=en">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/snackfight.bsky.social">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Domain names have value, even when the websites that were once hosted there are shut down or abandoned. Prospectors will often swoop in and snatch up an unused domain, then erect a new website filled with clickbait articles. If the domain name used to rank highly in search results, the new clickbait articles will also rank highly, guaranteeing the prospector a steady stream of visitors searching the web for common phrases.  These zombie sites are all over the web; you’ve probably landed on them many times yourself. But this shady market is poised to grow exponentially thanks to the proliferation of generative AI tools. Text generators like ChatGPT make it easier for prospectors to crank out clickbait articles at greater speed, feeding an already raging river of pablum. This week, Kate Knibbs tells us about her WIRED story on one of these entrepreneurs in the world of AI-generated clickbait hosted on squatted domains. Show Notes: Read Kate’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/confessions-of-an-ai-clickbait-kingpin/">story about Nebojša Vujinović Vujo</a> and his clickbait empire. Also read Kate’s original investigation into <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-hairpin-blog-ai-clickbait-farm/">what happened to The Hairpin</a>, a popular blog for womens’ writing that went defunct and was then reborn as a content mill. Recommendations: Kate recommends the novella <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tusks-Extinction-Ray-Nayler/dp/1250855527">Tusks of Extinction</a> by Ray Nayler. Brian recommends the novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bee-Sting-Novel-Paul-Murray/dp/0374600309">The Bee Sting</a> by Paul Murray. Lauren recommends giving up fancy, creamy coffee drinks for Lent. Mike recommends the social media platform <a href="https://bsky.app/">BlueSky</a>, which is now open to everyone. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Brian Barrett is @<a href="https://twitter.com/brbarrett">brbarrett</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

At its core, Slack is a chat app. Every day, millions of people use it to communicate, share files, and gossip with coworkers or friend groups in one organized place. That style of free-flowing interaction—which Slack didn’t invent, but made mainstream—has changed the way we talk to each other online for better and for worse. It’s brought us closer together and enabled global collaboration, but it’s also allowed conversations to follow us anywhere … like when you get a notification at 10 pm that your boss has sent you a DM. This week, MIT Technology Review editor in chief Mat Honan joins the show to chronicle the history of Slack as the software suit turns 10 years old. We dig into how it helped our work lives bleed into our personal time, and how the company is faring under the auspices of Salesforce and against its competitors. Show Notes: Read Mat’s 2014 story about Slack founder <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/08/the-most-fascinating-profile-youll-ever-read-about-a-guy-and-his-boring-startup/">Stewart Butterfield and his boring startup</a>. Here’s Lauren’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/5-slack-and-zoom-hacks-you-need/">Slack soft return</a> and other office hacks you might want to use. Listen to the episode of WIRED’s Have A Nice Future podcast with <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/have-a-nice-future-podcast-4/">former Slack CEO Lidiane Jones</a>. Recommendations: Mat recommends <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-airtags-future-of-augmented-reality/">Airtags</a> and the <a href="https://chat.openai.com/g/g-2j454DYDb-sticker-wizard">ChatGPT sticker bot</a>. Mike recommends the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0j91I0qabIiBqv9nX0yy">Raw Impressions</a> podcast with Lou and Adelle Barlow. Lauren recommends using the soft return in Slack.  Mat Honan can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/mat">mat</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Apple's first ever mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, arrives tomorrow. Apple has a knack for revitalizing and legitimizing a product category—something that the face computer market really needs right now. But there are some hangups that could limit its initial success: the Vision Pro's exorbitant $3,499 price tag, the tethered battery pack, and the mere handful of apps available on the device at launch. These issues point to this headset being more of a development kit than a fully realized product for now. It's a beautiful machine, but its true potential may not be realized for some time. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu joins us to chat about the Apple Vision Pro and whether it's going to be the device that finally kicks off the face computer revolution. We also talk about the ways Apple is trying to make the headset disappear as part of the experience, both in the virtual space and in the physical realm. Show Notes: Read Julian’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apple-vision-pro-hands-on-january-2024/">hands-on experience</a> with the Apple Vision Pro. Read Lauren’s story about the Apple Vision Pro’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/one-part-of-apple-vision-pro-apple-doesnt-want-you-to-see/">battery pack</a>. Read Boone Ashworth on the current situation with <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apps-made-the-iphone-theyre-missing-from-the-vision-pro/">apps and developers</a>.  Recommendations: Julian recommends <a href="https://www.thumbtack.com/app">Thumbtack</a>, a platform to connect homeowners with service vendors. Lauren recommends butter lettuce. Mike recommends the Scottish police show <a href="https://www.britbox.com/us/show/Shetland_p05tb1sm">Shetland</a>. Julian Chokkattu can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/JulianChokkattu">JulianChokkattu</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

If you’ve committed any internet crimes lately, you probably shouldn’t have paid for them with Bitcoin. While many crypto-evangelists have long thought of digital currency as a means of buying legal and illicit goods on the web with total anonymity, the fact is that nearly all cryptocurrency transactions leave a digital trail behind them that can point to your true identity. No matter how hard you try to hide, a dedicated sleuth with the right resources can find you. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior cybersecurity writer and author of the book Tracers in the Dark digs into all the ways investigators, government agents, and hackers can track down criminals online by “following the money” exchanged in cryptocurrency transactions. This show originally aired on February 9, 2023. Show Notes Andy’s book is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tracers-Dark-Global-Crime-Cryptocurrency/dp/0385548095#customerReviews">Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency</a>. You can read two excerpts from the book on WIRED.com: the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/alphabay-series-part-1-the-shadow/">six-part AlphaBay saga</a> and the feature about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tracers-in-the-dark-welcome-to-video-crypto-anonymity-myth/">takedown of a website</a> for sharing child sex abuse materials. Recommendations Andy recommends the deliberately frustrating game <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/240720/Getting_Over_It_with_Bennett_Foddy/">Getting Over It</a>. Lauren recommends Andy’s WIRED story about the animal activists whose spy cams revealed the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/dex-pig-slaughterhouse-gas-chambers-videos/">grim realities of pork slaughterhouses</a>. Mike recommends the book <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612485/art-is-life-by-jerry-saltz/">Art Is Life</a> by the art critic Jerry Saltz. Andy can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/a_greenberg">a_greenberg</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

It's an election year in the US, which means you can expect a fresh tsunami of campaign ads in your feeds, in your inbox, and jammed in front of YouTube videos. This is also the first election of the AI era, where anyone can generate just about anything—an image, a Twitter bot, a speech—by typing a few lines of text into a prompt. Whether it's bad actors generating misleading deepfakes or candidates using text generators to write cringey campaign emails, AI is now firmly part of the election process. This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior politics writer Makenna Kelly joins us en route from the Iowa caucus to talk about how scammers and political campaigns alike are using AI to influence voters at the polls. Show Notes: Read more from Makena about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-iowa-conspiracies/">Iowa caucus</a> and the end of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/vivek-ramaswamy-campaign/">Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign</a>. Scroll through her <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@makenakelly">TikToks</a> about the caucus. Follow all of WIRED’s coverage of the <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/elections/">2024 election</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/">artificial intelligence</a>. Recommendations: Makena recommends Uniqlo under layers. Mike recommends the cringey Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone show <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-curse/">The Curse</a>. Lauren recommends the show <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4374208/">Catastrophe</a>. Makena Kelly can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/kellymakena">kellymakena</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

It's CES week. Yes, it's time to dive back into that glitzy, chaotic showcase where thousands of startups, companies, and general technology weirdos gather to show off all the new tech and futuristic devices that will give us a glimpse of the year in tech to come. AI is in everything, we're getting ChatGPT in our flying cars, and TVs are getting so big and bright you need sunglasses to watch them. This week on Gadget Lab, we come to you straight from lovely Las Vegas, Nevada, where CES is in full swing. We huddled together in a Vegas hotel room to talk all about the big trends, crazy tech, and just plain weird stuff we saw this week. Show Notes: Follow CES on our <a href="https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2024-liveblog-2/">liveblog</a> and check out many, many <a href="https://www.wired.com/gallery/ces-2024-photo-gallery-day-2/">bizarre</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/gallery/ces-2024-photo-gallery-day-1/">wonderful</a> things we saw at CES this year. Read Jeremy’s look at the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/supernal-sa2-passenger-evtol/">Supernal flying car</a>. Read Julian’s story about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/rabbit-r1/">Rabbit R1</a> AI personal assistant device. Check out <a href="https://wehead.com/">wehead.com</a>, if you dare. Follow all of WIRED’s <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/ces/">CES coverage</a> now and forever. Adrienne So can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/adriennemso">adriennemso</a>. Julian Chokkattu is @<a href="https://twitter.com/JulianChokkattu">JulianChokkattu</a>. Jeremy is @<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremywired">jeremywired</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

In 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that protected abortion rights in the United States. Since then, many states have rolled back abortion services or made them outright illegal. That includes some states restricting access to abortion pills like mifepristone. Now, at the start of an election year in the US and a year that will bring more legal challenges to abortion rights, a new study shows that women are stockpiling abortion pills in record numbers—even if they aren’t currently pregnant. This week, we welcome WIRED senior writer Kate Knibbs onto the show to talk about abortion medication, the trend of “advance provision” requests for mifepristone, and the coming legal fight over continued access to telehealth and in-person abortion services. Show Notes: Read Kate’s story about how women in the US are <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/stockpiling-abortion-pills-new-study/">stockpiling abortion pills</a>. Read our primer on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/missed-period-pills-menstrual-regulation-how-it-works/">menstrual regulation medications</a>. Learn more about the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/supreme-court-medication-abortion-mifepristone/">upcoming US Supreme Court case</a> that could change some Americans’ access to the pills. Recommendations: Kate recommends the film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23561236/">American Fiction</a>. Mike recommends the movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19623228/">Godland</a>. Lauren recommends embracing the theory of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number">Dunbar’s number</a> and focusing on your closest relationships. Kate Knibbs can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/Knibbs">Knibbs</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

Artificial intelligence was inarguably the biggest newsmaker in the tech industry this year. Whether it was ChaptGPT writing term papers, AI-generated Drake hits, or the board shakeup at OpenAI, the topic permeated the public consciousness and left people feeling varying levels of excitement and absolute terror about how this technology will shape our future. Generative AI seems poised to alter the direction of humanity, but it's up to the people to figure out exactly how it’s going to do that. This week on Gadget Lab, we’re sharing a very special session from the recent LiveWIRED event celebrating WIRED’s 30th anniversary. Onstage, WIRED editor-at-large Steven Levy interviews renowned AI scientist Fei-Fei Li and LinkedIn cofounder and former OpenAI board member Reid Hoffman about all the chaos at OpenAI and what generative AI will look like in the future. Show Notes: Read Steven’s story about <a href="https://wired.com/story/what-openai-really-wants/">what OpenAI really wants</a>. Read more from WIRED about <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/openai/">OpenAI</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/">artificial intelligence</a>. Check out the many other sessions from the <a href="https://www.wired.com/wired30/">LiveWIRED event</a>. Steven Levy can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/StevenLevy/">StevenLevy</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>). Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

It’s been a year, that’s for sure. Every week on Gadget Lab, we end the show by bringing you our recommendations for all of our favorite tech, books, TV shows, and life hacks. Now, at the end of the year, we’re going all-in on that idea with an entire episode dedicated to those recommendations. We talk about all the things that helped us get through 2023 and have us looking forward to 2024. This week on Gadget Lab, we make the mistake of letting our producer Boone Ashworth grab a mic again. He joins Lauren and Michael to talk about the best gadgets, lifestyle changes, shows, and culinary curiosities of 2023. Show Notes: Our talk with Casey Johnston from May of 2023 can be found in <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-598/">episode number 598</a>. Read more about <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/metas-threads-could-make-or-break-the-fediverse/">ActivityPub</a> and the coming federated social media landscape. Here’s our review of the new <a href="https://www.wired.com/review/valve-steam-deck-oled/">Valve Steam Deck OLED</a>. See our list of our <a href="https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-kettles/">favorite electric kettles</a>. Recommendations: Boone recommends running a half marathon or two, the new <a href="https://www.steamdeck.com/en/oled">OLED Steam Deck</a>, and <a href="https://www.ableton.com/en/live/what-is-live/">Ableton Live</a> software for making music (or at least pretending you understand how to). Lauren recommends lifting weights for fitness, an <a href="https://www.oxo.com/adjustable-temperature-pour-over-kettle.html">Oxo electric kettle</a>, and the 2021 movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10370710/">The Worst Person in the World.</a> Mike recommends getting to know ActivityPub, watching the show <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21056886/">Scavenger’s Reign</a> on Max, and eating lots of chili crisp. Boone Ashworth can be found on social media @<a href="https://twitter.com/BooneAshworth">booneashworth</a>. Lauren Goode is @<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenGoode">LaurenGoode</a>. Michael Calore is @<a href="https://twitter.com/snackfight">snackfight</a>. Bling the main hotline at @<a href="https://twitter.com/gadgetlab">GadgetLab</a>. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth. Our theme music is by <a href="https://solarkeys.bandcamp.com/">Solar Keys</a>.

This week, we talk about disinformation campaigns online that use doctored images of celebrities to sow confusion about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other world events.

This week, we talk about the quest to make texting between mobile platforms more seamless. Will it make things better, or will it further erode our humanity?

This week, we talk with our resident kitchen expert about coffee: The best ways to make it, what gear to buy, and what to avoid.

This week, we talk about the leadership shakeups at OpenAI and bring you an episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour with the godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton.

This week, we talk about the Mirai cyberattack that caused a massive internet blackout, the three friends who wrote the calamitous code, and the FBI manhunt that followed.

This week, we talk about the new Humane wearable and the future of phone alternatives.

This week, we analyze all the changes at X during its first year under new ownership.

This week, we talk about how the data of millions of 23andMe customers was stolen and put up for sale on the web. Pro tip: Don’t use the same password on multiple websites.

This week, we talk about how fake, doctored, and false media is so easily spread, how the social platforms are dealing with it, and how generative AI is making things worse.

This week on Gadget Lab, we're sharing an episode of Wondery's Business Wars podcast where we talk about the rise of AI over the past few years.

This week, we recap all the hardware and GenAI announcements from Google, and square them with the company’s ongoing antitrust woes over its search products.

This week, we cover the latest news from Meta: AI-enabled smart glasses, a VR headset, and an army of fresh chatbots.

This week, we learn how Amazon is teaching Alexa more skills to help it better compete in a landscape lousy with chatbots.

This week, we wrap up all the news from Apple’s launch event: the iPhone's USB-C port, iCloud+ inflation, and of course, the Double Tap control on Apple Watch.

This week, we discuss how adding animated chats to Roblox will advance the company’s plan to enrich its virtual world.

This week, we ask ourselves what our reliance on our smartphones tells us about our wants and fears.

This week, we discuss a recent court case in Illinois that illustrates how police overreach into school discipline has affected students and their families.

This week, we talk about what’s causing the heat waves, storms, fires, and other extreme atmospheric events we’ve been living through this summer, and how humanity can prepare for a very hot future.

This week, we talk about pending changes to how driverless taxis can operate on city streets, and how a loosening of the rules would impact road safety, rideshare drivers, and your commute.

This week, we discuss the local-first computing movement and its push to reduce our reliance on the corporate-owned, cloud-based software tools we use every day.

This week, we talk about how the changes in Hollywood that are fuelling the writers’ and actors’ strikes will affect not just TV and movies, but also podcasts, video games, and TikTok.

This week, Steven Levy joins us to talk about Musk’s new generative artificial intelligence startup, xAI. We also ask him whether that absurd cage match is actually going to happen.

This week, we talk about the instant popularity of Threads, poor little Bluesky, and why Twitter likely isn’t going anywhere.

This week, we're sharing an episode of WIRED's Have a Nice Future podcast. It's a conversation with futurist Noah Raford about how to prepare for the uncomfortable challenges of the world to come.

This week, we talk to the author of To Dye For, a new book about toxic fashion and the abundance of harmful chemicals in our clothing.

This week, we talk about how the two giants changed the digital—and IRL—retail landscape over the course of their decades-long rivalry.

This week, we sift through the details revealed in the leaked Cybertruck report, and talk about what happens next for Tesla.

This week, we learn what it's like to wear and use Apple's Vision Pro headset. Also, we round up the rest of the news from WWDC.

This week, we discuss the real and imagined dangers of generative artificial intelligence, which experts are eager to see regulated and contained.

This week, we cover the basics of cycling for fun and transportation, including selecting, maintaining, and accessorizing your two-wheeler.

This week, we talk to fitness writer Casey Johnston about getting strong, eating right, and feeling great.

This week, we recap all the news from Google I/O and discuss how the company is reshaping its core business with generative AI.

This week, we discuss the still-in-beta social platform the internet elite are buzzing—and skeeting—about.

This week, we dive into the market for male grooming products, scrotum deodorizers, and scented salves that target the nether regions.

This week, we talk to Tracers in the Dark author Andy Greenberg about how authorities are catching crypto criminals by following the money.

This week, we use a set of software tools to create robo versions of our real voices and see how they stack up.

This week, we learn how automakers adopted the subscription model where drivers pay to unlock features, and why the used car market will see it next.

This week, we trace how Amazon was able to build a massive public wireless network, and how it will change the future of connected devices.

This week, we learn how semiconductors are made. It’s easy! You just need light, water, a few billion transistors, and total geopolitical stability.

This week, we ask ourselves what our reliance on our smartphones tells us about our wants and fears.

This week, WIRED and NPR team up to cover the debate about students and teachers using generative AI in the classroom.

This week, we talk about the recommendation engines on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, and how a pair of US Supreme Court cases is putting them under renewed scrutiny.

This week, we talk about how streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu are growing in uncomfortable ways—and charging users more.

This week, we discuss all the ways generative AI is upending journalism, marketing, shopping, and search.

This week, we talk to Tracers in the Dark author Andy Greenberg about how authorities are catching crypto criminals by following the money.

This week, we ask if there's anything else our phones should be doing for us. Also, we break down the Samsung Galaxy announcements.

This week, we talk about why search engine companies, US lawmakers, and parents are all concerned about TikTok eating our brains.

This week, we get honest about our attachments to our gas stoves, and debate whether to replace them or just continue breathing their fumes.

This week, we talk about how US farmers’ fight to fix their own equipment could impact the repairability of phones, appliances, and other gadgets.

This week, our hosts report from consumer tech’s biggest show of the year in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This week, we look back at 2022’s biggest consumer tech stories. Then, we offer our predictions for what the next 12 months will bring.

This week, we list all the ways plastic is ruining our planet and making us sick, then come up with some ideas for reversing the damage.

This week, we talk about the development of the Ledger Stax, a cryptocurrency wallet designed by Tony Fadell.

This week, we discuss the advancements in generative AI tools like ChatGPT that make computer-enabled conversations seem more human than ever.

This week, we chart the rise of services that let you pay for purchases in interest-free installments, and what they mean for the future of shopping.

This week, a show from the archives where we discuss guided cooking apps, connected appliances, and all things smart (and not so smart) on our kitchen countertops.

This week, we discuss the implications Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter—and his high profile firings—could have for security and data privacy on the platform.

This week, we do our best to break down the social media platform many Twitter users are flocking to.

This week, we discuss possible consequences of Elon Musk's shakeup at the social media platform he now owns.

This week, we list all the ways plastic is ruining our planet and making us sick, then come up with some ideas for reversing the damage.

This week, we discuss how the increased use of sensors, chips, and software in cars is changing how we buy, drive, and maintain our vehicles.

This week, we discuss Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions for growing virtual reality as a platform, and how the new Quest Pro headset fits into that vision.

This week, we talk about the latest Pixel hardware, and why Google’s new smartwatch puts it on even footing with its rivals.

This week, we discuss guided cooking apps, connected appliances, and all things smart (and not so smart) on our kitchen countertops.

This week, we talk about Peloton’s growing product lineup, and whether our days of sweating along to streamed exercise classes at home are over.

This week, we talk about the Sony PSVR2, the still-secret Meta headset, and how virtual reality technology needs to improve to earn mainstream acceptance.

This week, we round up all the biggest announcements from Apple’s iPhone (and Watch) launch event.

This week, we examine YouTube's history and its role in shaping internet culture. Mark Bergen, author of a new book about the platform, joins us.

This week, we tell you how to claim tax discounts by upgrading your home, switching to an EV, and decarbonizing your life.

This week, we discuss the latest John Deere tractor hack and its broader implications for the right-to-repair movement.

This week, we look at Samsung’s latest folding phones and discuss what their release means for the mobile industry—and for Android.

This week, we wade into the marketplace of NFT videos that are sold pre-installed in digital photo frames.

This week, we examine Instagram’s move to prioritize Reels—a feature copied from TikTok—and whether that will help or hinder the platform’s growth.

This week, we interview the hosts of Land of the Giants. The podcast’s new season traces Facebook’s explosion from a tiny startup to the colossus known as Meta.

This week, we look at how regulatory pressure might deflate—or even kill—the nicotine vaping industry in the US.