WIRED Roundup: Meta’s AI Brain Drain

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death — from the response of right-wing tech leaders, to how Kirk helped shape conservative media influencers and U.S politics as we know it. Articles mentioned in this episode:  Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dead at 31 | WIRED ‘War Is Here’: The Far-Right Responds to Charlie Kirk Shooting With Calls for Violence | WIRED MAGA Influencers Take Their Victory Lap, With Big Tech Picking Up the Tab | WIRED    Join 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Hasan Piker, the Left’s favorite Twitch streamer has the kind of following that could get votes. But he tells Katie Drummond he’d rather use his influence to tell Democrats “you can't podcast your way out of this problem.” Streaming on Twitch seven days a week for 6-8 hours a day, he doesn’t see himself slowing down anytime soon. We also talk about his childhood in Turkey, his decision to live in the spotlight, and whether he’s planning a run for office.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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms, the industry seems to be at a low. So this week, we talk about the current state of dating apps and what it means for those looking for love (or something like it).Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Join 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Online gambling is on the rise, and AI is entering the field. This week, Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Kate Knibbs to break down how both startups and traditional gambling sites are promoting their own AI agents with the promise of helping users make better bets. Join 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.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Meet the Guys Betting Big on AI Gambling Agents | WIRED Volodymyr Zelensky’s Clothing Has Sparked a Polymarket Rebellion | WIRED   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A year after relaunching The Onion in print, CEO Ben Collins sits down with Katie to talk about why “going into something and not ruining it is bravery.” He tells her the first order of business to get the beloved fake newspaper back on its feet: get rid of all the dick pill ads. They discuss blogging at 15, analog journalism, disinformation, and the freedom that comes with being humorous. 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to run through five of the best stories you need to know about — from how AI is eliminating entry level jobs to how a secretive Democrat group is funding high-profile influencers. Then, Zöe and Leah dive into the scoop that AI researchers recently recruited to Meta’s Superintelligence Lab are already leaving — some of them, back to OpenAI. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Join 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.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Researchers Are Already Leaving Meta’s New Superintelligence Lab | WIRED  AI Is Eliminating Jobs for Younger Workers | WIRED  Elon Musk’s xAI Sues Apple and OpenAI Over App Store Rankings | WIRED  A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers | WIRED  What It’s Like Watching Dozens of Bodies Decompose (for Science)  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As the summer comes to an end, we’re thinking about what unplugging, going offline — the ultimate luxury — looks like in 2025. With a growing slate of apps aiming to reduce our screen time and some tech leaders trying to reinvent the internet as it was, where are we heading? WIRED’s features editor Jason Kehe joins us to discuss how as users we are now best positioned to take the power back. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Join 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.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Going Dumb: My Year With a Flip Phone | WIRED Bluesky Is Plotting a Total Takeover of the Social Internet | WIRED Alexis Ohanian’s Next Social Platform Has One Rule: Don’t Act Like an Asshole | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Reddit co-founder sits down for a wide-ranging conversation, from buying his first video game to meeting his future co-founder on the first day of college.  When he’s not investing in the future of women’s sports, he’s relaunching Digg as the future of toxic-free social media.Join 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from OpenAI’s being poised to become the highest valued startup in history, to how government staffing cuts have fueled an ant smuggling boom. Then, Zöe and Louise discuss the controversial deals that the Trump administration appears to be striking with chip manufacturers. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  How DOGE Set Up a Shadow X Account for a Government Agency | WIRED OpenAI Is Poised to Become the Most Valuable Startup Ever. Should It Be? | WIRED Silicon Valley Is Panicking About Zohran Mamdani. NYC’s Tech Scene Is Not | WIRED Government Staffing Cuts Have Fueled an Ant-Smuggling Boom | WIRED Why Trump Flip-Flopped on Nvidia Selling H20 Chips to China | WIRED      Join 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Vibe coding is everywhere, and it’s already drastically changing the tech industry — from shaping how software gets made to who gets hired. So back in July, our very own Lauren Goode went on a journey to become a vibe coder at one of San Francisco’s top startups. In this episode, she sits down with Mike to share her experience and they break down whether vibe coding really spells the end of coding as we know it. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  Vibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs | WIRED Cursor’s New Bugbot Is Designed to Save Vibe Coders From Themselves | WIRED   Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost   Join 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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices