Uncanny Valley | WIRED

WIRED

<p>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.</p>

  • 27 minutes 37 seconds
    Iran Targets U.S. Tech; Polymarket’s Bar Flop; Trump's Plans for Midterms

    The team is back this week to discuss how top U.S tech companies are increasingly finding themselves as targets in the ongoing war with Iran. We also get an inside view into how Polymarket’s pop-up bar in D.C went sideways. Plus, we go through the steps that the Trump administration is taking to control the upcoming midterm elections. 

    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.


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    2 April 2026, 9:30 am
  • 47 minutes 41 seconds
    The Myth That AI Will Replace Language Learning

    Luis von Ahn, Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO, joins Katie to discuss why we should still learn languages in the age of AI translation. He also talks about how Duolingo is dealing with falling share prices, and what’s next for the company.

    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.

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    31 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 40 minutes 5 seconds
    Trump's 80s Movie Approach to Foreign Policy w/ Chris Hayes

    For the first episode of our second season, Katie sits down with fellow journalist Chris Hayes, host of MS NOW’S All In, to talk about covering the news and capturing attention during an all-consuming news cycle. And the Trump administration's performance of imperialism as content. Hayes also talks about his book, The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource.

    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.


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    24 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 25 minutes 1 second
    Nvidia’s “Super Bowl of AI”; Tesla Disappoints Fans; Meta’s VR Metaverse Is Over

    This week, Brian and Zoë discuss the highlights from Nvidia’s annual developer conference, and why Tesla recently got in trouble with some of its most loyal fans online. Plus, Meta’s decision of shutting down Horizon Worlds VR officially marks the end of the metaverse dream.

    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 March 2026, 12:04 pm
  • 32 minutes 53 seconds
    Uncovering an AI Journalist

    This week we are bringing you a podcast recommendation. A great tech focused weekly show called Kill Switch, hosted by Dexter Thomas. On this episode Dexter goes down a rabbit hole. When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn’t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and fake reporting. Dexter talks with Nicholas Hune-Brown to trace how he uncovered an AI journalist and what it reveals about journalism today. 

    Subscribe to Kill Switch wherever you get your podcasts. 

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    18 March 2026, 12:20 am
  • 31 minutes 8 seconds
    Can Anthropic Win Its Lawsuit?; War Memes; AI Comes for VCs Jobs

    This week, the team discusses 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 making millions by organizing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Plus — could AI come for the jobs of venture capitalists? 

    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
    12 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 33 minutes 44 seconds
    Iran Strikes in the AI Era; Prediction Markets Ethics; Paramount Beats Netflix

    This week, the team dives into why disinformation and the AI industry battles have quickly positioned themselves at the center of the ongoing conflict between the U.S and Iran. They also discuss how prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi are increasingly facing insider trading accusations and ethical questions. Also, how did Paramount beat Netflix in its bid for Warner Bros? Plus — Zoë, Brian, and Leah share their predictions for the future.

    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.

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    5 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 39 minutes 53 seconds
    BIG INTV: Open AI’s Former Safety Lead Calls Out Erotica Claims (Rerun)

    Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. When Katie read his recent op-ed asking OpenAI to prove that they have and continue to address safety issues, she knew she wanted to talk to him. This week she sits down with Steven to talk about what AI users should know about their bots.

    Follow the UnCanny Valley feed for WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. 

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    3 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 31 minutes 22 seconds
    Pentagon v. ‘Woke’ Anthropic; Agentic v. Mimetic; Trump v. the State of the Union

    This week, the team dives into the feud that has been brewing between Anthropic and the Pentagon — and what it says about how the government interacts with tech companies. Later, Zoë tells us why figuring out whether you are agentic or mimetic has become the new litmus test in Silicon Valley. Plus, we discuss the key takeaways from the State of the Union address and give a farewell to the TAT-8 undersea cables — the ones that made our modern internet possible.

    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.

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    26 February 2026, 10:30 am
  • 47 minutes 11 seconds
    BIG INTV: Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’ (Re-Run)

    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
    24 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 30 minutes 30 seconds
    AI Researcher Resignations; Bots Hiring Humans; Evie Magazine’s Party

    This week, Zoë dives into why some researchers at top AI companies have been resigning and publicly voicing their concerns around AI safety. Then, Brian tells us about Rent-A-Human — a website where AI agents hire humans to perform real life tasks — and why it has gathered attention and controversy. Finally, Leah shares her experience attending a party for the conservative magazine Evie, and how the culture around it could shape the upcoming election cycle.

    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 February 2026, 10:00 am
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