Ahead of the hit show's finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI "deeply disturbing." If you're a WIRED reader who uses AI in any creative context, I'd suggest staying far, far away from anyone involved in the TV show . In an interview earlier this year, actor Hannah Einbinder (who plays young comedy writer Ava Daniels on the show) described AI creators as "losers," "not artists," and "not special." In a wide-ranging conversation for ahead of the series finale on HBO Max, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello were resolute about the value of human creativity--and what can be lost when AI enters the picture. If their work on is any indication, Downs and Aniello (along with their third cocreator, Jen Statsky) would be wise to stick with the tough, tiring, absolutely-no-shortcuts approach they take to making entertainment. Across five excellent seasons--if you haven't seen the show, I really do recommend it-- has been praised for its sharp writing and wit, and its thoughtful portrayal of Deborah Vance and Ava's complex, constantly evolving relationship. The show has also acted as something of a mirror for the real-world entertainment industry, weaving in plotlines that tackle everything from media consolidation to corporate censorship to, yes, artificial intelligence. The show's cast and creators have been on a media whirlwind as it all comes to an end. When they came knocking on WIRED's door, we jumped at the chance to chat, and I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Downs and Aniello--both WIRED subscribers, much to my delight--earlier this month. KATIE DRUMMOND: Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs, who I just learned are married, congratulations and welcome to . You should have been there. You should have been there. Ugh, why didn't we bring you? We are going to renew for our 10-year at the same place though. Lucia was born in Italy, so it was closer to a lot of family. And you were married in what year? You have time to find your look. A major priority for me in my life is perfecting my look. We do work at Condé Nast, and my boss is Anna Wintour.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Inside LAUSD's alleged $22-million money-laundering scheme, 'the largest' in district history This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Los Angeles Unified is seeking to recover $22 million from a contractor after alleging that a former district manager steered lucrative IT contracts to the company in exchange for kickbacks. Peng and Sampath have denied wrongdoing.

Pentagon says US military to be an'AI-first' fighting force The US military plans to increase its use of artificial intelligence (AI) further after the Pentagon agreed to new and expanded contracts with some of the biggest names in technology. Under eight agreements with Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Oracle, Nvidia and the start-up Reflection, the Pentagon said AI technology would now be used for any lawful operational use. These agreements accelerate the transformation [of] the US military as an AI-first fighting force, the Pentagon said. Conspicuous by its absence is Anthropic, as the company has said it is concerned about how the Pentagon could use its tools in warfare and domestically. The firm is now suing the government over the alleged retaliation it faced after refusing to accept any lawful use language in its own contract.

Meta is under pressure to explain why it cancelled a major contract with a company it was using to train AI, shortly after some of its Kenya-based workers alleged they had to view graphic content captured by Meta smart glasses. In February, workers at the company, Sama, told two Swedish newspapers they had witnessed glasses users going to the toilet and having sex . Less than two months later, Meta ended its contract with Sama, which Sama said would result in 1,108 workers being made redundant. Meta says it's because Sama did not meet its standards, a criticism Sama rejects. A Kenyan workers' organisation alleges Meta's decision was caused by the staff speaking out.

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' The world's militaries spent $2.88 trillion in 2025, an increase of 2.9 percent from the year before, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) latest report. To put that number into perspective, $2.88 trillion amounts to $350 of military spending for each person on the planet. In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera unpacks the rise of global militarisation, including how much each nation spends, which countries sell the most weapons, and how military spending compares with spending on healthcare and education. In 2025, the five biggest military spenders were the United States ($954bn), China ($336bn), Russia ($190bn), Germany ($114bn) and India ($92bn), accounting for more than half (58 percent) of world military spending. The US is by far the biggest spender, as it has been every year since World War II.

Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil. It took just a few months of President Donald Trump's second term for Palantir employees to question their company's commitments to civil liberties . Last fall, Palantir seemed to become the technological backbone of Trump's immigration enforcement machinery, providing software identifying, tracking, and helping deport immigrants on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), when current and former employees started ringing the alarm. Right as they picked up the call, one of them asked, "Are you tracking Palantir's descent into fascism?" "That was their greeting," the other former employee says.

Scotland Yard is understood to be moving quickly towards embracing AI automation in its intelligence units. Scotland Yard is understood to be moving quickly towards embracing AI automation in its intelligence units. The Metropolitan police has held talks with Palantir that could lead to the London force buying the US spy-tech company's AI technology to automate intelligence analysis for criminal investigations, the Guardian has learned. Palantir, whose software is used by Donald Trump's ICE immigration enforcement programme and the Israeli military, demonstrated its systems to senior officers in the intelligence division at the UK's largest police force last month. Intelligence staff have been tasked with finding intelligence systems that AI could automate to increase productivity.

Palantir, co-founded by the billionaire Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel (pictured), has been appointed for a three-month trial period. Palantir, co-founded by the billionaire Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel (pictured), has been appointed for a three-month trial period. Sun 22 Mar 2026 12.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 22 Mar 2026 22.30 EDT Palantir is to be granted access to a trove of highly sensitive UK financial regulation data, in a deal that has prompted fresh concerns about the US AI companyâ s deepening reach into the British state, the Guardian can reveal. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has awarded Palantir a contract to investigate the watchdogâ s internal intelligence data in an effort to help it tackle financial crime, which includes investigating fraud, money laundering and insider trading. The Miami-based company, co-founded by the billionaire Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel, has been appointed for a three-month trial, paying more than £30,000 a week to analyse the FCAâ s vast â data lakeâ, which could lead to a full procurement of an AI system.

A judge ordered Kalshi to immediately halt sports and election contracts in the state, intensifying a growing regulatory battle over prediction markets. Kalshi has been temporarily banned in Nevada, marking the latest escalation in the widening regulatory war over prediction markets. The First Judicial District Court of Nevada has issued a 14-day restraining order, effective immediately, barring the company from "offering a derivatives exchange and prediction market which offers event-based contracts relating to sports, election, and entertainment related events" without first obtaining gaming licenses. This is the first time a US state has forced the company to cease operations. This particular legal battle began just over a year ago, when Nevada regulators sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter demanding that it stop offering sports-related events contracts.

Ties between the US tech giant Palantir and the United Kingdom government are coming under increased scrutiny following the arrest of former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite its public criticism of both Palantir and Mandelson, the UK government has entered into extensive contracts with the US tech giant, signing a defence contract worth 240 million pounds ($323m) in January. The contract was awarded to Palantir directly, while another, worth 330 million pounds ($444m) and involving the UK's Ministry of Health, was awarded in November 2023 following a bidding process. The latter contract's contents, campaigners say, remain heavily redacted . In addition to its role supporting US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which has resulted in killings and unlawful deportations, Palantir has partnered extensively with the Israeli military and its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.