Uncanny Valley | WIRED

WIRED

Welcome to Uncanny Valley—an insider look at the people, power, and influence of Silicon Valley– where each week, WIRED’s writers and editors bring you original reporting and analysis about some of the biggest stories in tech. On Tuesdays, WIRED’s Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond has an urgent conversation about this week in news. And on Thursdays, hosts Lauren Goode, Michael Calore, and Zoë Schiffer break down a recent story or phenomena bubbling up in Silicon Valley and explain its influence on our daily lives.

  • 42 minutes 42 seconds
    BIG INTV: CTO Elizabeth Stone On The Future of Netflix: “Personalized, Interactive, Immersive”

    Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone is an anomaly. Instead of coding, she spent her twenties getting a PhD in economics. She quietly rose through the ranks in Silicon Valley and is now responsible for leading Netflix’s technology push towards live programming. In this candid conversation, Stone discusses the value of failure, the power behind genuine curiosity, and why she can’t pick her favorite Love is Blind couple.

    -

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    23 December 2025, 3:21 pm
  • 31 minutes
    WIRED Roundup: The Five Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

    For better or for worse, this year had it all — from the AI industry shaping the global economy and our lives, to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taking over U.S federal agencies under Elon Musk’s leadership. In today’s episode, Zoë and WIRED’s executive editor Brian Barrett get together to reflect on some of this year’s key moments — and how they give us important clues as to what we can expect this upcoming year. 

    Articles mentioned in this episode: 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. 

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    19 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 25 minutes 43 seconds
    Introducing A New Chapter for Uncanny Valley

    As the year draws to an end, Mike and Lauren have some news to share with listeners. But first, they head over to the pool to unwind and reflect on what they’ll be watching for in the tech space this upcoming year, and what they think should stay behind. 

    Articles mentioned in this episode: 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    18 December 2025, 2:18 pm
  • 45 minutes 51 seconds
    BIG INTV: AWS CEO Matt Garman Doesn’t Think AI Should Replace Junior Devs

    The head of Amazon Web Services has big plans to offer AI tools to businesses, but says that replacing coders with AI is “a non-starter for anyone who's trying to build a long-term company.” Katie sits down to discuss German's vision, and why Amazon could be a dark horse in the AI race. 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    16 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 26 minutes
    WIRED Roundup: Making Art In the AI Era, With Wicked’s Jon. M Chu

    You don’t have to be a fan of musicals to know about the Wicked film franchise — it’s been everywhere since the first film launched last year, and that’s exactly how director Jon. M Chu wanted it. 

    At WIRED’s Big Interview event last week, senior culture editor Manisha Krishnan sat down with Chu to discuss what it takes to make a blockbuster during a moment of deep changes in the film industry. In today’s episode, we are taking a break from the week’s headlines and bringing you their conversation. 


     

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    12 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 47 minutes 7 seconds
    AMD CEO Lisa Su Isn’t Afraid of the Competition

    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 sat down with AMD’s CEO Lisa Su. In today’s episode, Mike and Lauren sit down to discuss the key ideas that came up during the interview, as well as the other conversations that caught everyone’s attention during the event. 

    Articles mentioned in this episode: 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    11 December 2025, 3:23 pm
  • 31 minutes 14 seconds
    BIG INTV: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie: ‘We Are a City on the Rise’

    Since taking office, San Francisco’s mayor has been on a quest to revitalize the city and increase public safety. He’s also kept the National Guard out—with a little help from some very powerful friends. Katie sat down with Mayor Lurie (who took off his shoes) on stage at WIRED’s Big Interview Event in San Francisco. 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    9 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 25 minutes 47 seconds
    WIRED Roundup: DOGE Isn’t Dead, Facebook Dating Is Real, Amazon AI Releases

    In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s 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 DOGE is over, its operatives are still working across federal agencies. 

    Articles mentioned in this episode: 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    5 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 36 minutes 16 seconds
    What Happens When Your Coworkers Are AI Agents

    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. Mike and Lauren sit down with Evan to discuss how it’s going, and the current promises and realities of AI agents. 

    Articles mentioned in this episode: 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    4 December 2025, 2:26 pm
  • 46 minutes 48 seconds
    BIG INTV: Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’

    On this week’s episode of The Big Interview podcast, the philanthropist sits down with Katie to offer her insights on billionaire donors, kids on phones, and the importance of women’s healthcare.

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.


    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    2 December 2025, 10:00 am
  • 23 minutes
    WIRED Roundup: Epstein Files Fallout, NVIDIA Earnings, Gemini 3 Release

    In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s 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. 

    Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian's newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    21 November 2025, 6:42 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App