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'Uncanny Valley': ICE's Secret Expansion Plans, Palantir Workers' Ethical Concerns, and AI Assistants

WIRED

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.


'Uncanny Valley': Minneapolis Misinformation, TikTok's New Owners, and Moltbot Hype

WIRED

We'll link all the stories we spoke about today in the show notes. Adriana Tapia produced this episode, Amar Lal at Macro Sound mixed this episode, Matt Giles and Daniel Roman fact-checked this episode, Mark Leyda was our San Francisco studio engineer, Kate Osborn is our executive producer, and Katie Drummond is WIRED's global editorial director.


'Uncanny Valley': Donald Trump's Davos Drama, AI Midterms, and ChatGPT's Last Resort

WIRED

On this episode of, our hosts unpack the news from Davos, where Trump and major AI companies shared the stage at the World Economic Forum. This week, WIRED's Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new cohosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been drawn to the drama going down in the quaint little town of Davos. Zoë tells us how at the World Economic Forum's event, major AI players like Anthropic have been the protagonists--sharing the spotlight with President Donald Trump, who insists on invading Greenland. Brian has been looking at how ICE activity is developing, and Leah is forcing us to think about this year's midterms because tech giants are already pouring millions into it. Plus, we dive into why OpenAI's decision to roll out ads in ChatGPT was a long time coming. Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. 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 . Today, we're starting a bit of a new chapter here on the show, and I want to introduce you to my brand new cohost, Brian Barrett, our executive editor here at WIRED, and Leah Feiger, our senior politics editor. So thrilled to be here. So longtime listeners know the show has taken on a bunch of different formats since it launched. We had the Gadget Lab days, the roundtable, news episodes. We really created this podcast because we want to bring you the best stories and the best takes about what's happening in tech and politics. That's all going to stay the same, but this time we're going to go even deeper. What trends you should be watching for, the news that's already happened or about to break, and how we are thinking about all of it.


WIRED Roundup: DOGE Isn't Dead, Facebook Dating Is Real, and Amazon's AI Ambitions

WIRED

WIRED Roundup: DOGE Isn't Dead, Facebook Dating Is Real, and Amazon's AI Ambitions In this episode of, we bring you the news of the week, then dive into how some DOGE operatives are still at work in the federal government--despite reports claiming otherwise. Uncanny Valley host Zoë Schiffer is joined by senior editor Leah Feiger to discuss five stories you need to know about this week, from how Amazon is trying to catch up in the AI race to why Facebook Dating is more popular than ever. Then, they dive into how--despite recent reports claiming that it's over--DOGE operatives are still very much working across federal agencies. Who the Hell Is Actually Using Facebook Dating? Sex Workers Built an'Anti-OnlyFans' to Take Control of Their Profits Here's What Its Operatives Are Doing Now 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 . Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week, including how despite some reports claiming that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is pretty much over, DOGE people are actually still at work across federal agencies. I'm joined today by our senior politics editor, Leah Feiger. How are you doing today? I am great because I've spent the day with you, but our gentle listeners don't know that. So the first story this week is one that I saw and I thought, you know what? Leah's going to want to talk about Amazon's artificial intelligence prowess.


WIRED Roundup: Gemini 3 Release, Nvidia Earnings, Epstein Files Fallout

WIRED

In this episode of we cover the news of the week and take a closer look at the Gemini 3, Google's latest AI model and chatbot. In today's episode, host Zoë Schiffer is joined by senior writer Max Zeff to discuss five stories you need to know about this week--from the political fallout after the release of the Epstein files, to why two young Mormon men created an app to help men stop "gooning." Then, we dive into Gemini 3's release and how companies like Google and OpenAI are honing in on AI profitability. 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 . Today on the show we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week, including how companies like Google and OpenAI are honing in on profitability as they develop their AI consumer-facing products. I'm joined today by WIRED's Senior Writer Max Zeff. It's great to be here.


WIRED Roundup: DHS's Privacy Breach, AI Romantic Affairs, and Google Sues Text Scammers

WIRED

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we discuss our scoop about how the Department of Homeland Security illegally collected Chicago residents' data for month, as well as the news of the week. In today's episode, host Zoë Schiffer is joined by executive editor Brian Barrett to discuss five stories you need to know about this week--from how AI affairs can now be grounds for divorce, to why Google is suing one of the largest networks of text scammers. Then, we dive into how the Department of Homeland Security illegally gathered the data of hundreds of Chicago residents. If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here's Where They Should Go This Is the Platform Google Claims Is Behind a'Staggering' Scam Text Operation AI Relationships Are on the Rise. Please help us improve Uncanny Valley 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. Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week, including our scoop about how the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, collected Chicago residents' data for months in violation of domestic espionage rules. I'm joined today by WIRED's executive editor Brian Barrett.


WIRED Roundup: AI Psychosis, Missing FTC Files, and Google Bedbugs

WIRED

In this episode of, we run through the top stories of the week and look closely at people's complaints to the FTC alleging that ChatGPT led them or loved ones into AI psychosis. In today's episode, Zoë Schiffer is joined by senior editor Louise Matsakis to run through five stories that you need to know about this week--from how SEO is changing in the era of AI to how frogs became a protest symbol. Then, Zoë and Louise dive into why some people have been filing complaints to the FTC about ChatGPT, arguing it has led them to AI psychosis. People Who Say They're Experiencing AI Psychosis Beg the FTC for Help The FTC Is Disappearing Blog Posts About AI Published During Lina Khan's Tenure 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 . Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week. And later, we'll dive into our main story about how several people have filed complaints to the FTC claiming OpenAI's ChatGPT led them or people they love into supposed AI psychosis. I'm joined today by WIRED's senior business editor, Louise Matsakis. It's great to be here. So Louise, our first story this week is actually one that we worked on together, part of our ongoing collaboration with Model Behavior, and it's all about how this holiday season, more shoppers are expected to use chatbots to figure out what to buy.


WIRED Roundup: Are We In An AI Bubble?

WIRED

WIRED Roundup: Are We In an AI Bubble? In this episode of, we talk about what you need to know this week, from one Antifa author's journey to flee the US to a recent Open AI announcement that rippled across the market. 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. In today's episode, Zoë Schiffer is joined by senior politics editor 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? He Wrote a Book About Antifa. 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 . Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week, including why a seemingly minor announcement from OpenAI ended up rippling across several companies and what it says about the current state of the technology industry. I'm joined today by our senior politics editor, Leah Feiger.


WIRED Roundup: The New Fake World of OpenAI's Social Video App

WIRED

On this episode of, we break down some of the week's best stories, covering everything from Peter Thiel's obsession with the Antichrist to the launch of OpenAI's new Sora 2 video app. 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. In today's episode, Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED's senior culture editor 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, Zoë and Manisha break down the news of OpenAI launching a new social app for AI-generated videos. 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 . Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week. Including our scoop of how OpenAI just launched a social app dedicated completely to AI-generated videos. I'm joined today by our Senior Culture Editor, Manisha Krishnan. Our first story is about the thing that I feel like our whole newsroom is talking about, possibly the whole country is talking about.


WIRED Roundup: The Right Embraces Cancel Culture

WIRED

On this episode of, we discuss OpenAI's new teen safety features, the right's retaliation against critics of the late Charlie Kirk, and more of the week's biggest stories. Charlie Kirk (R) shaking hands with US President Donald Trump as he speaks on stage at America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. In today's episode, our host Zöe Schiffer is joined by WIRED's senior culture editor Manisha Krishnan to run through five of the best stories we published this week--from OpenAI implementing teen safety features to how human design is the new astrology. Zöe and Manisha also discuss the reverberating reactions to Charlie Kirk's death and why the work of many creators, from comic book artists to late night show hosts, is getting cancelled.