leah feiger
Did Chinese AI Steal From Anthropic, and OpenAI Loses Control of Two Models
On this episode of, we dive into accusations that China's Moonshot AI stole from Anthropic, and how the US Army needs to cut back on AI use. This week on, our hosts break down the White House's accusation that Chinese-owned Moonshot AI distilled Anthropic's Fable 5 to build their much talked about Kimi K3 model. The team discusses whether this is a repeat of the DeepSeek moment and what it means for the AI race between the US and China. They also get into how the US Army--and plenty of Silicon Valley companies--are having to cut back AI usage after burning through their tokens. Plus, we discuss why you should check if you have an alarm that could make your car easier to hack, and how OpenAI briefly lost control of two AI models during a security test. Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . Today on the show, we're taking a look at how Chinese AI has been leveling up in a major way. The latest model released by Moonshot AI, one of the most well-known labs in China, has been drawing worldwide attention this past week because of the model's enormous capabilities. On Wednesday, White House director, Michael Kratsios, accused Moonshot of illegally distilling Anthropic's Fable 5 model to build their own. We'll discuss whether we might be seeing another DeepSeek moment and what the AI race between the US and China actually means for users. We'll also get into how the US Army has been burning through their AI usage tokens and now find themselves in a position where they need to limit use. They're far from alone in having to pare back, though. Companies like Meta and Uber are already rethinking their AI usage as well because surprise, surprise, it's really expensive to use all these models. Also, on the docket for today, your car could have a hidden device that makes it more vulnerable to hacking.
Why Apple Sued OpenAI, New York Takes on Data Centers, and What to Know about Cyclosporiasis
On today's, we unpack OpenAI's ongoing drama, both legal and reputational, and whether these developments could further hurt the company--particularly in its fight against Anthropic. This week on, the team discusses the details behind Apple suing OpenAI over alleged stolen hardware secrets. And the company's headaches don't stop there--a group of OpenAI employees just started a super PAC to advocate for stronger AI guardrails. Plus, New York's first-in-the-nation data center moratorium draws Donald Trump's ire, DOGE stonewalls FOIA requests on its AI use at HUD, and WIRED's Emily Mullin explains the cyclosporiasis outbreak spreading across more than 30 states. DOGE Used AI for Housing Policy. The Government Won't Say How Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . Last Friday, Apple sued the company basically alleging that OpenAI has been stealing confidential hardware secrets. And now this week, WIRED learned that some OpenAI employees are launching a super PAC to push for AI guardrails. We'll get into all those details and whether these developments could further hurt OpenAI, particularly in its fight against Anthropic. We'll dive into what that means exactly and whether this move could pave the way for other states to follow suit. And we're going to check in on the disease sweeping the nation, cyclosporiasis, which is causing turbo diarrhea across the country . So basically what happened was last Friday, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly stealing information like unreleased iPhone parts and prototypes, confidential designs, documents about secret projects. That accusation sucks for OpenAI. It's pretty intense, but it gets really messy because Apple is basically saying that this theft, this alleged theft, mostly happened through former employees.
Why Amazon Dropped Its OpenAI Movie, Data Center Workers Fight Back, and Meta Leaks Employee Data
Amazon-owned MGM Studios' decision to drop the OpenAI movie is just part of AI and film industries becoming increasingly intertwined. On, we take a look at where this is all headed. This week on Uncanny Valley, our hosts discuss Amazon's controversial decision to drop Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI's Sam Altman--which reportedly did not paint him in a favorable light. Alongside Google DeepMind's $75 million brand new partnership with indie film studio A24, how much of a dent is AI actually having in the films we see? They also dive into the recent upheaval of workers--from electricians to software engineers--against data centers. Plus: Meta's program to track employees' data gets paused after a massive leak, and Anthropic is now getting along with the government thanks to CEO Dario Amodei no longer being in the room. Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . Before we start, two quick things. If you've been enjoying listening to the show, we would appreciate it if you took a second to rate it in your podcast app of choice. It really helps us reach more people. And second, if you have any questions related to tech, privacy, or politics that you would like me, Zoë, and Leah to take on, now is the time to submit them to [email protected] . It doesn't matter how big or how small, we want to hear from you and get you answers. We're discussing Amazon's MGM Studios' sudden decision to drop the OpenAI biographical movie just as they were wrapping up production.
Meta Is in Crisis, Google Search's Makeover, and AI Gets Booed by Graduates
Meta Is in Crisis, Google Search's Makeover, and AI Gets Booed by Graduates This week on, the team discusses Meta's recent layoffs and what they've been hearing from employees about the increasingly grim vibes at the company. They also talk about Elon Musk losing his lawsuit against OpenAI and share highlights from Google's annual conference--including an ambitious AI vision to change how people search the web. Finally, what do recent college graduates and women whose spouses work in AI have in common? Google Search Goes Agentic--and Doesn't Need You Anymore Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . We spoke to more than a dozen employees and it turns out the job cuts are far from the only reason why Meta employees are really going through it. He lost his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI in really as full a way as you can, as dramatically as possible. I know, Zoë, you're looking forward to talking about that. We're going to get into why young adults might be using AI, but they have very complicated feelings about it. And later in the show, we're going to hear about why women married to AI bros have had enough . This week, the company is letting go of roughly 10 percent of its workforce, which is about 8,000 employees total. It's the latest round of job cuts, adding to the roughly 25,000 jobs that have been cut in the past few years as part of Mark Zuckerberg's Year of Efficiency that started in 2023 and now the latest AI-forward workplace, which he is trying to develop and impose. And while these latest cuts are not as big as some of the rounds of layoffs that have already happened, they're getting a ton of attention because Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, has said that the reason they're happening, in part at least, in large part, is because the company is spending so much money on AI and data centers.
Trump's Tech Posse in China, Who's Winning in Musk v. Altman, and Hantavirus Conspiracy Theories
Today on, we discuss how Donald Trump's visit to China could influence conversations between world leaders at a moment when the economic and foreign policy stakes couldn't be higher. This week on, the team dives into Trump's selected entourage for his high-stakes visit to China, ranging from Silicon Valley's tech billionaires to director Brett Ratner. We also break down the latest developments in Elon Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman, alleging that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission for profit-driven goals, and whether either side is actually gaining an edge in the trial. Plus, Leah shares with us some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories that have been swirling around the hantavirus outbreak. Elon Musk Had'Hair-Raising' Idea of Passing OpenAI On to His Kids, Sam Altman Says Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . The high profile testimonies we've heard this week, including from OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman himself, have resurfaced a lot of past events and a lot of drama, but we're asking will this actually be consequential to the trial's verdict? He's accompanied by a select number of Silicon Valley's top CEOs. We'll discuss how their presence could influence conversations between world leaders at a moment when the economic and foreign policy stakes could not be higher for the US. A lot of them have been recycling very similar conspiracy theories from the Covid-19 pandemic . We're going to tell you what they're sharing and also how to spot this kind of harmful misinformation.
Trump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus Explained
Today on, we're diving into recent reports that the Trump administration is considering an executive order that would establish some sort of federal oversight over new AI models. This week on, the team discusses the surprising reports of the Trump administration seemingly reversing its stance when it comes to AI safety and regulation. We also look into what exactly is going on with the Hantavirus outbreak, and whether you should be worried. Also, we get into the story of how a former federal employee who was ousted by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now running for office. Plus, a Spirit Airlines laid off employee shares with us how they experienced the company's shutdown news last weekend and what they'll miss most about the job. A Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . And we're going to talk about whether this move actually signals a meaningful shift in future regulation of this technology.
Apple's Next Chapter, SpaceX and Cursor Strike a Deal, and Palantir's Controversial Manifesto
In this week's episode of, we talk about Tim Cook's legacy as CEO at Apple and what his long-rumored departure means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies. They also go into the reasoning behind SpaceX and Cursor's surprising deal, and why Palantir's self-published manifesto drew a lot of 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. Tim Cook's Legacy Is Turning Apple Into a Subscription This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift'Super Dumb' Men Write to us at [email protected] . 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 . Zoë, Leah, and I have really enjoyed being your new hosts these past few weeks, and we want to hear from you. If you like the show and have a minute, please leave us a review in the podcast or app of your choice. It really helps us reach more people, and for any questions and comments, you can always reach us at [email protected] . I missed you so much. And I missed you the exact same amount. I'm going to go away more often. Absence makes the heart go fonder, as we all know, and I'm thrilled to be here. This week on the show, we're saying goodbye to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who announced that he is stepping down from the top gig at the company. And, more than just talking about his legacy at Apple, we'll be looking into what this long-awaited shift actually means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies. We'll also get into why SpaceX and Cursor's potential $60 billion deal announced this week is pretty staggering, and we'll get into Palantir's controversial 22-point manifesto. I feel like manifesto's inherently controversial, otherwise they'd be memos that they posted on X this week.
'Uncanny Valley': Anthropic's DOD Lawsuit, War Memes, and AI Coming for VC Jobs
In today's episode, we discuss how the saga between Anthropic and the Department of Defense is far from over. This week on, our hosts look at 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 taking in millions in government contracts by helping organize America250 celebrations. Plus: Could AI come for the jobs of venture capitalists? Can AI Kill the Venture Capitalist? 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 . Zoë, Leah and I have really enjoyed being your new hosts these past few weeks, and we want to hear from you. If you like the show and have a minute, please leave us a review in the podcast or app of your choice. It really helps us reach more people, and for any questions and comments, you can always reach us at uncannyvalley@WIRED.com . This week, we're diving into Anthropic's lawsuit against the Department of Defense after the company was labeled as a supply chain risk. We're also discussing why on earth the Trump administration is sharing action film memes about the war in Iran and how a little known events company formed by some of the organizers of the January 6th rally is making bank in Trump's second term in office . Also, we'll talk about whether venture capitalists should be worried about AI taking their jobs .
'Uncanny Valley': ICE's Secret Expansion Plans, Palantir Workers' Ethical Concerns, and AI Assistants
In this episode of, our hosts dive into WIRED's scoop about a secret Trump administration campaign extending right into your backyard. This week, hosts Brian Barrett, Leah Feiger, and Zoë Schiffer discuss WIRED's big scoop on ICE's startling plans to expand to nearly every state in the US. Plus, a WIRED writer lets the viral AI assistant OpenClaw run his life for a week to give listeners a peek of what AI agents can and can't do. ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. 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 . I want to continue a conversation that we started yesterday in Slack after work hours for some of us. And this is about the men's short program-- But very specifically want to pick up on the conversation where Zoë had very strong feelings about the results of men's figure skating. I feel like we need to back up because you and Leah authentically care about the Olympics so much and I think just know more about sports than I do. I deeply have never engaged with sports ever, just as a whole rule, as a category. It doesn't exist in my life. Say the lines, say the lines, Zoë, or I'm going to read them verbatim from slack. Wait, I don't even know what you're talking about. I was merely surprised when I watched because the Americans went, I thought, wow, that guy basically fell over and was clumping around the ice, and then Japan went, and they were sailing around like little swans, and then when the gold medal came, it went to the Americans. I couldn't believe what had happened. No one else seemed outraged. For a little backup for our non-ice skating Olympic fans, I was always referring to Ilia Malinin, who a number of publications and sports experts say might actually be one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.