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WIRED

Welcome to Uncanny Valley—an insider look at the people, power, and influence of Silicon Valley—where each week, WIRED’s writers and editors bring you original reporting and analysis about some of the biggest stories in tech. On Thursdays, WIRED’s Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond is joined by Lauren Goode and Michael Calore to break down a recent story or phenomena bubbling up in Silicon Valley and explain its influence on our daily lives. And on Fridays, WIRED’s Zoë Schiffer has an urgent conversation about this week in the news.

Gadget Lab: Weekly Tech News from WIRED

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. 

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WIRED Roundup: Protest Frogs, Google Bedbugs, AI Psychosis

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: 

The AI Industry’s Scaling Obsession Is Headed for a Cliff | WIRED
OpenAI's Blockbuster AMD Deal Is a Bet on Near-Limitless Demand for AI | WIRED
A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers | WIRED
 • 
How Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren’t Saying | WIRED • 

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.

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How Data Centers Actually Work

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. 

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BIG INTV: Zohran Mamdani, the Internet’s Mayor

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: 

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Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data | WIRED • 

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A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They’re Not Involved | WIRED • 

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A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone | WIRED • 

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Spit On, Sworn At, and Undeterred: What It’s Like to Own a Cybertruck | WIRED • 

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Federal Workers Are Being Used as Pawns in the Shutdown | WIRED • 

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.

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WIRED Roundup: Satellites Data Leak, Cybertrucks, Politicized Federal Workers

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: 

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US | WIRED
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Trump Wants to Take Over Cities. Influencers Are Giving Him the Fuel to Do It | WIRED • 

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The Who's Who of MAGA Influencers You Should Know About by Now | WIRED • 

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.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The New Power of Far-Right Influencers

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.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

BIG INTV: Mark Cuban Would Still Have Dinner With Donald Trump

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.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED Roundup: Are We In An AI Bubble?

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: 

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$3,800 Flights and Aborted Takeoffs: How Trump’s H-1B Announcement Panicked Tech Workers | WIRED • 

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China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs | WIRED • 

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A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu | WIRED • 

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.

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How China Is Hoping to Attract Tech Talent

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.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

BIG INTV: Patreon CEO Jack Conte Wants You to Get Off of Your Phone

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: 

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OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos | WIRED • 

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Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown | WIRED • 

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The Real Stakes, and Real Story, of Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession | WIRED • 

Tesla Is Urging Drowsy Drivers to Use ‘Full Self-Driving.’ That Could Go Very Wrong | WIRED
 • 
Scientists Made Human Eggs From Skin Cells and Used Them to Form Embryos | WIRED • 

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.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED Roundup: The New Fake World of OpenAI’s Social Video App

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 here.
Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

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From WIRED Politics Lab: How Election Deniers Are Weaponizing Tech To Disrupt November

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