Uncanny Valley | WIRED

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 vent...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Oh...

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: 

• Artemis II’s Breathtaking View of the Far Side of the Moon | WIRED
• The Future of the Artemis Program Is Riding on Reentry | WIRED  

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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? ...

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 c...

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:

• The DOJ Misled a Judge About How It’s Using Voter Roll Data | WIRED 
• Ar...

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, po...

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:

• Iran Threatens to Start Attacking Major US Tech ...

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 inaccur...

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.

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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:

• Nvidia Is Planning to Launch an Open-Source AI Agent Platform | WIRED 
• The Tesla Influencers Leaving ...

This week we are bringing you a podcast recommendation. A great tech focused weekly show called Kill Switch, hosted by Dexter Thomas. On this episode Dexter goes down a rabbit hole. When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn’t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and ...

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 ve...

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 p...

Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. When Katie read his recent op-ed 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 polit...

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 t...