In this episode of we take you through our recent conversation with Lisa Su and go behind the scenes of our Big Interview event. 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 Goode sat down with AMD's CEO Lisa Su. In this episode of, hosts Michael Calore and Lauren discuss the key ideas that came up during the interview, as well as the other conversations that caught everyone's attention during the event. Can AI Look at Your Retina and Diagnose Alzheimer's? San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie: 'We Are a City on the Rise' Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Mike, I've been pondering the word tape. Because we say we're taping a podcast. I don't think the kids know what that means. I mean, they may know what it means in the abstract, but I don't think they've had the visceral experience of actually recording something onto tape. Be kind, rewind, all of that. No, so I guess we're supposed to say we're recording a podcast now. It's like when people say, let me film that. So then if you have a video podcast, are you shooting the podcast? Do you say taping, then? It covers all the bases. Well, should we record this pod? I would like to, yes. My throat is still feeling a little bit raw, even though it's been like four or five days. You sound delightful to me. I was first up in the morning. Katie, our boss, gave the intro to the conference and then it was me and Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD.

In this episode of, we talk to writer Evan Ratliff about how he created a small startup made entirely of AI employees--and what his findings reveal about the reality of an agentic future. 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. Hosts Michael Calore and Lauren Goode sit down with Evan to discuss how it's going, and the current promises and realities of AI agents. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Hey, Lauren, how are you doing? It was so fantastic that I had a hard time coming back, honestly. And I saw a lot of really beautiful art. Not a bad place to go for vacation, I have to say. I've heard this before, I confirmed it. And after seeing so much incredible art and just people doing stuff with their hands and tangible goods, I was like, I don't want to go back to the world of AI. I didn't want to go back to sitting in a coffee shop and hearing everyone pitching their AI startups and driving on the 101 and seeing the billboards. I was just like, What? No, keep me in the land of Burrata and Caravaggio. Well, Lauren, I'm sorry to tell you that you came back on the show just in time to talk about AI agents. It's something that we've talked about a lot this year and our listeners have heard about it a lot, and we're not sick of talking about it.

On this episode of, guest Brian Merchant walks us through a historical framework he used to analyze whether AI fits the classic signs of an economic bubble--and what that means for all of us. 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? Hosts Michael Calore and Lauren Goode sit down with Brian Merchant, WIRED contributor and author of the newsletter to break down the four criteria some researchers have used in the past to understand and brace for the worst. Please help us improve by filling out our listener survey . Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Hey Lauren, how are you doing? It's earnings season, so a lot of us on the business desk here at WIRED have been tuning into tech companies earnings reports and their earnings calls. And I guess that basically means it's CapEx season. Now that I'm a business desk reporter, I say CapEx. I throw it around at parties. But we are seeing a trend in how tech companies are sleeping on piles of money, but they aren't just sleeping on it. They're sharing big plans to spend on it, and especially to spend on AI infrastructure. And this is all partly what is fueling all of this talk about a bubble, which we touched on a little bit a couple of weeks ago with our colleague Molly Taft.

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we discuss the economics and environmental impacts of energy-hungry data centers and whether these facilities are sustainable in the age of AI. The Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas.Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images 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. Michael Calore and senior correspondent Lauren Goode sit down with senior writer 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. The AI Industry's Scaling Obsession Is Headed for a Cliff by Will Knight OpenAI's Blockbuster AMD Deal Is a Bet on Near-Limitless Demand for AI by Will Knight How Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren't Saying by Molly Taft Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. It's so nice to be back in studio with you again, because our schedules were not aligning for the past few weeks. But the stars and the moon have aligned now, and here we are once again. Lauren Goode: Here we are. And I'm sure all of our listeners have just been sitting here wondering, "When are Lauren and Mike getting back together? When is the band getting back together?"

Is Silicon Valley Still the Tech Capital? On this special episode of recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco, our hosts discuss Silicon Valley's history and future. All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. 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. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . This week, we wanted to share with you the live show that we hosted in partnership with KQED earlier this month. Our global editorial director, Katie Drummond, had a really fun and sharp conversation with Jack Conte, the CEO of Patreon, about what it takes to make authentic work in the era of AI and influencers. Then my cohosts, WIRED's Lauren Goode and Jason Kehe, joined the stage for a special roundtable discussion. I sadly couldn't make it, but I feel very thankful for everyone who came through that night. I hope you enjoy it. I just want to say before we officially get started, Michael Colore, who a lot of you know and love, our beloved "Snackfight," could not be here tonight because he is weathering Covid. He said we can share that, but we are so glad to have Jason here in his stead. Actually, how do we say that? I suppose you could say that in Mike's stead-- I forced Jason to come do it tonight. Bully was the word I was using. It's going to be great. We're so thrilled, and he's going to have plenty of spicy takes. So without any further ado, welcome again everyone to our first live edition of the Roundtable here in San Francisco with our partners, KQED.

Online gambling is on the rise, and AI is entering the field. This week, hosts Lauren and Mike speak with senior writer Kate Knibbs to discuss how, from startups to traditional gambling sites, industry players are promoting AI agents with the promise of helping users make better bets. Join us live in San Francisco on September 9. Get your tickets here. Mentioned in this episode: "Meet the Guys Betting Big on AI Gambling Agents," by Kate Knibbs "Volodymyr Zelensky's Clothing Has Sparked a Polymarket Rebellion," by Joel Khalili and Kate Knibbs Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link.

Michael Calore: They agreed, and nodded, and moved on because it's been accepted to use the word compute improperly as a noun. Michael Calore: ... as like a thing that exists in the world, which it is not. Computers are things that exist in the world. And what do computers do? Lauren Goode: Mike is shaking his fist at the clouds right now. Michael Calore: I really am.

Hosts Lauren Goode and and Michael Calore speak with staff writer 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. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. Michael Calore: Hey, this is Mike.

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 to discuss why Synchron's model is standing out, and the promises and limitations of these interfaces. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link.

This week, our host Lauren Goode, along with two of our senior writers, Kate Knibbs and Paresh Dave, dive into the show's inbox to answer listeners' questions. 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. Mentioned in this episode: This Viral AI Chatbot Will Lie and Say It's Human by Lauren Goode and Tom Simonite A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers by Molly Taft You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. Lauren Goode: This is WIRED's Uncanny Valley, a show about the people power and influence of Silicon Valley.