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:

• Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data | WIRED
• A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They’re Not Involved | WIRED
• A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone | WIRED
• Spit On, Sworn At, and Undeterred: What It’s Like to Own a Cybertruck | WIRED
• Federal Workers Are Being Used as Pawns in the Shutdown | 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.

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
• Trump Wants to Take Over Cities. Influencers Are Giving Him the Fuel to Do It | WIRED
• The Who's Who of MAGA Influencers You Should Know About by Now | 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.

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.

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 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?

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:

• $3,800 Flights and Aborted Takeoffs: How Trump’s H-1B Announcement Panicked Tech Workers | WIRED
• China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs | WIRED
• A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu | 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.

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.

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, 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:

• OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos | WIRED
• Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown | WIRED
• 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 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.

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:

• DoorDash’s New Delivery Robot Rolls Out Into the Big, Cruel World | WIRED
• This Food-Delivery Robot Wants to Share the Bike Lane | 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.