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.

Robots with anthropomorphic features are increasingly shaping how humans perceive and morally engage with them. Our research investigates how different levels of anthropomorphism influence protective responses to robot abuse, extending the Computers as Social Actors (CASA) and uncanny valley theories into a moral domain. In an experiment, we invite 201 participants to view videos depicting abuse toward a robot with low (Spider), moderate (Two-Foot), or high (Humanoid) anthropomorphism. To provide a comprehensive analysis, we triangulate three modalities: self-report surveys measuring emotions and uncanniness, physiological data from automated facial expression analysis, and qualitative reflections. Findings indicate that protective responses are not linear. The moderately anthropomorphic Two-Foot robot, rated highest in eeriness and "spine-tingling" sensations consistent with the uncanny valley, elicited the strongest physiological anger expressions. Self-reported anger and guilt are significantly higher for both the Two-Foot and Humanoid robots compared to the Spider. Qualitative findings further reveal that as anthropomorphism increases, moral reasoning shifts from technical assessments of property damage to condemnation of the abuser's character, while governance proposals expand from property law to calls for quasi-animal rights and broader societal responsibility. These results suggest that the uncanny valley does not dampen moral concern but paradoxically heightens protective impulses, offering critical implications for robot design, policy, and future legal frameworks.

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?"

Distraught Diddy bows head while stood next to anxious lawyer as judge hints he'll impose VERY lengthy prison term Stranger who sneaked into family's house in dead of night and stabbed boy, six, to death is freed from jail after just ten years American Airlines plane is surrounded by emergency vehicles after returning to Heathrow airport following'malfunction' Living Nostradamus issues chilling warning about'changes in the global order'... and the telling detail everyone missed from blockbuster US military summit Nicole Kidman's divorce proves what we long suspected about her cold, saccharine fairytale: CAROLINE BULLOCK Mystery deepens over Hulk Hogan's death as his widow faces fresh anguish Scientists behind study linking Tylenol to autism accuse Trump of'spreading misinformation' His daughter was warped into an ultra-woke monster and set fire to his life. Now, GOP state senator Jay Block fights back... and reveals the dark secrets she was desperate to hide Taylor Swift goes house hunting in LONDON... as insider reveals why it could be goodbye to America and hello to the love she just can't shake'Fraud' Jimmy Fallon leaves baseball fans furious during Red Sox-Yankees Conservative firebrand Nick Sortor arrested in anti-ICE protest in Portland: 'You've made a big mistake' I'm no longer sleeping with my husband - and never will again, says MOLLY RYDDELL. I love him, but counted down the moments until he climaxed. Then I couldn't bear it any more and the truth spilled out... so many women feel the same Attention-seeking woke Democrat tells CNN panel that Trump is a'dementia-addled nursing home patient' I know exactly why Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban broke up. This is the truth about what happens when a woman's high-powered job forces her into a long-distance marriage A Chinese robotics company has unveiled a creepy robotic head with eerily human-like facial expressions and movements.

The user experience with large-scale generative AI is paradoxical: superhuman fluency meets absurd failures in common sense and consistency. This paper argues that the resulting potent frustration is an ontological problem, stemming from the "Quasi-Creature"-an entity simulating intelligence without embodiment or genuine understanding. Interaction with this entity precipitates the "Uncanny Valley of Agency," a framework where user comfort drops when highly agentic AI proves erratically unreliable. Its failures are perceived as cognitive breaches, causing profound cognitive dissonance. Synthesizing HCI, cognitive science, and philosophy of technology, this paper defines the Quasi-Creature and details the Uncanny Valley of Agency. An illustrative mixed-methods study ("Move 78," N=37) of a collaborative creative task reveals a powerful negative correlation between perceived AI efficiency and user frustration, central to the negative experience. This framework robustly explains user frustration with generative AI and has significant implications for the design, ethics, and societal integration of these powerful, alien technologies.

On September 9, WIRED is partnering with KQED for Uncanny Valley's first live show of the podcast. Join us in San Francisco to see hosts Katie Drummond, Michael Calore, and Lauren Goode shed light on the people, power, and influence of Silicon Valley. With original reporting and sharp analysis, Uncanny Valley covers today's biggest stories in tech. We demystify companies like Palantir, trends like vibe coding, and figures like Sam Altman; we break down WIRED's essential coverage of DOGE and ICE; we guide listeners through breakthrough innovation like generative AI and sweeping policy changes like the Trump Administration's tariffs. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to see our listeners in person.

On today's episode, our host Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED's senior politics writer Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week--from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariffs, to how AI was used to find a missing hiker in the Italian Alps. Then, Zoë and Jake discuss the details around OpenAI's latest partnership with the federal government. Mentioned in this episode: OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership by Zoë Schiffer and Will Knight Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can't Solve It by Jake Lahut Charter Planes and Bidding Wars: How Bitcoin Miners Raced to Beat Trump's Tariffs by Joel Khalili Google Will Use AI to Guess People's Ages Based on Search History by Dell Cameron US Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush by Mark Harris A Hiker Was Missing for Nearly a Year--Until an AI System Recognized His Helmet by Marta Abbà Get tickets to our live show, happening on September 9th, here. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.

On today's episode, our host Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED's senior business editor Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week, from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree to how much faster our brains have aged since the pandemic. Afterward, they dive into the surprising reason ChatGPT reportedly went full demon mode last week. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. Mentioned in this episode: The Real Demon Inside ChatGPT by Louise Matsakis Meta's AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target by Kylie Robison The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid by Javier Carbajal Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring--and Threaten the Open Internet by Lily Hay Newman and Matt Burgess This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. 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.

President Trump's tariff standoff with China has caused chaos, confusion, and major delays for companies of all shapes and sizes. As everyone waits to see what happens next, some businesses that depend on international trade are already feeling major impacts, saying that they might not meet their production deadlines. And one of those deadlines is pretty important: Christmas. Today on the show, we're joined by WIRED's senior business editor Louise Matsakis to talk through the latest on tariffs. Mentioned in this episode: Donald Trump Is Already Ruining Christmas by Zeyi Yang OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT in a Challenge to Google by Reece Rogers The Agonizing Task of Turning Europe's Power Back On by Natasha Bernal Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.

DATE SUBMITTED: March, 202 5 Words: 9, 22 0 2 Abstract H umanoid robots are a form of embodied artificial intelligence (AI) that look s and act s more and more like humans. Powered by generative AI and advances in robotics, humanoid robots can speak and interact with humans rather naturally but are still easily recognizable as robots. But how will we treat humanoids when they seem indistinguishable from humans in appearance and mind? We find a tendency (called "anti - robot" speciesism) to deny such robots humanlike capabilities, driven by motivations to accord members of the human species preferential treatment . Six experiments show that robots are denied humanlike attributes, simply because they are not biological beings and because humans want to avoid feelings of cognitive dissonance when utilizing such robots for unsavory tasks . Th us, pe ople do not rationally attribute capabilities to perfectly human like robots but deny them capabilities as it suits them . Keywords: robots, artificial intelligence, humanoids, speciesism, cognitive dissonance 3 In recent years, n ew artificial intelligen ce (AI) technologies have been introduced into the marketplace that have the potential to radically change people's work and lives . This paper examines how people might react to robots that seem be " perfectly human like " . With major companies like Amazon and Nvidia planning mass production of such robots, we are entering an era where the line between human and non - human entities is increasingly blurred. Our findings suggest that the advent of such robots will not lead people to rationally conclude that these robots are as capable as humans in performing some tasks . Rather, people will deny these robots humanlike attributes, driven by their motivation to prioritize their own species and to avoid feelings of cognitive dissonance from utilizing such robots for unsavory tasks. Aversion to Robots and AI People are often averse to robots. P sychological research has explained this effect by arguing that such "almost humanlike" robots appear as aesthetically dis pleasing, and that they remind people of zombies, death, or disease (Kätsyri et al., 2015; Mori, 1970; Wang et al., 2015) . Other psychological explanations focus on how people perceive robot minds, sometimes referred to as the "uncanny valley of mind" (Müller et al., 2021; Stein & Ohler, 2017) . These theories suggest that humanoid robots can be unsettling because they remind people of the human ability to experience feelings, even though these robots are not seen as having such capabilities (Gray & Wegner, 2012; Smith et al., 2021) .