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

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:  AMD CEO Lisa Su Says Concerns About an AI Bubble Are Overblown | WIRED  Can AI Look at Your Retina and Diagnose Alzheimer’s? Eric Topol Hopes So | WIRED San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie: ‘We Are a City on the Rise’ | WIRED  Watch the Highlights From WIRED’s 2025 Big Interview Event Right Here | WIRED  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

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

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:  Amazon Has New Frontier AI Models—and a Way for Customers to Build Their Own | WIRED Poems Can Trick AI Into Helping You Make a Nuclear Weapon | WIRED Who the Hell Is Actually Using Facebook Dating? | WIRED Sex Workers Built an ‘Anti-OnlyFans’ to Take Control of Their Profits | WIRED DOGE Isn’t Dead. Here’s What Its Operatives Are Doing Now | WIRED  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

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:  All of My Employees Are AI Agents, and So Are My Executives | WIRED  AI Agents Are Terrible Freelance Workers | WIRED Who’s to Blame When AI Agents Screw Up? | WIRED   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

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

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

Whether it's teenagers reviving the Benadryl TikTok challenge or people signing up for an out of body experience program previously used by the CIA, some of us are chasing unconventional trips. Bad trips, essentially. But these trends are happening at a time when AI companies are also looking to create a “cleaner” trip for users, and others are using AI chatbots to therapeutically guide their psychedelic trips. Mike sits down with WIRED's Boone Ashworth and Manisha Krishnan to discuss these trends, and the promises and limitations of relying on tech to avoid bad trips.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Young People Are Tripping on Benadryl—and It’s Always a Bad Time | WIRED  The CIA Used This Psychic Meditation Program. It’s Never Been More Popular | WIRED  A Startup Used AI to Make a Psychedelic Without the Trip | WIRED  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

Right now much of the US economy rests on AI’s future. In fact, Odd Lots cohost Joe Weisenthal says the rest of the economy that isn't tech or AI related is creaking along. He breaks down for Katie why AI’s impact on finance goes beyond billion-dollar investments. 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, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s 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. Articles mentioned in this episode:  Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order | WIRED  If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here’s Where They Should Go | WIRED  This Is the Platform Google Claims Is Behind a 'Staggering’ Scam Text Operation | WIRED  AI Relationships Are on the Rise. A Divorce Boom Could Be Next | WIRED DHS Kept Chicago Police Records for Months in Violation of Domestic Espionage Rules | WIRED  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