Uncanny Valley | WIRED

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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.

  • 58 minutes 8 seconds
    BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

    Katie sits down with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about what it means to build something used by billions of people that’s not optimized for growth at all costs. Jimmy reflected on Wikipedia’s messy, human origins, the ways it’s been targeted by governments from Russia to Saudi Arabia, and the challenges of holding the line on neutrality in an online ecosystem hostile to the notion that facts even exist.

    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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    20 January 2026, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 43 seconds
    BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

    The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target, Reid Hoffman has a simple message for his peers: “Just speak up about the things that you think are true.”

    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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    13 January 2026, 10:00 am
  • 54 minutes 19 seconds
    BIG INTV: Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

    On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood talks about Elon Musk, political resistance, and why she still has hope for America’s future.

    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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    6 January 2026, 10:00 am
  • 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.

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    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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    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. 

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    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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    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.


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    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.

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    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. 


     

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    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.


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    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.


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    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
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