Business

The AI Issue

The Big Interview

OpenAI's Fidji Simo Plans to Make ChatGPT Way More Useful—and Have You Pay For It

As OpenAI expands in every direction, the new CEO of Applications is on a mission to make ChatGPT indispensable and lucrative.

Scam a Lot

Inside a Wild Bitcoin Heist: Five-Star Hotels, Cash-Stuffed Envelopes, and Vanishing Funds

Made in China

Chinese Beverage Chains Spread Across the US, Challenging Starbucks' Dominance

Artificial Intelligence

You Won’t Be Able to Offload Your Holiday Shopping to AI Agents Anytime Soon

Chatbot developers and retail giants are battling over user data as they lay the foundation for a future in which AI agents can do all your online shopping for you.

OpenAI’s Open-Weight Models Are Coming to the US Military

The gpt-oss models are being tested for use on sensitive military computers. But some defense insiders say that OpenAI is still behind the competition.

Anthropic’s Claude Takes Control of a Robot Dog

Anthropic believes AI models will increasingly reach into the physical world. To understand where things are headed, it asked Claude to program a quadruped.

The AI Boom Is Fueling a Need for Speed in Chip Networking

Next-gen networking tech, sometimes powered by light instead of electricity, is emerging as a critical piece of AI infrastructure.

Big Tech

The Former Staffer Calling Out OpenAI’s Erotica Claims

Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, he talks about what AI users should know about their bots.

Google, Microsoft, and Meta Have Stopped Publishing Workforce Diversity Data

Other big tech companies including Amazon, Apple, and Nvidia have continued their annual disclosures this year even as the Trump administration cracks down on DEI.

Kara Swisher Would Rather Work for Sam Altman Than Mark Zuckerberg

But ideally, the journalist and podcast host would rather not work for tech CEOs at all.

Meta Claims Downloaded Porn at Center of AI Lawsuit Was for ‘Personal Use’

In a motion to dismiss filed earlier this week, Meta denied claims that employees had downloaded pornography from Strike 3 Holdings to train its artificial intelligence models.

Startups and Tech Culture

Inside the Multimillion-Dollar Plan to Make Mobile Voting Happen

Political consultant Bradley Tusk has spent a fortune on mobile voting efforts. Now, he’s launching a protocol to try to mainstream the technology.

Welcome to Big Tech's ‘Age of Extraction’

In his new book, antitrust scholar and former White House adviser Tim Wu argues that tech giants are bleeding you dry—and lays out a plan to stop them.

Mark Zuckerberg Opened an Illegal School at His Palo Alto Compound. His Neighbors Revolted

Neighbors complained about noise, security guards, and hordes of traffic. An unlicensed school named after the Zuckerbergs’ pet chicken tipped them over the edge.

Inside the Messy, Accidental Kryptos Reveal

After 35 years, the secretive CIA sculpture finally gave up its mystery, thanks to a novelist, a playwright, and some misplaced documents. But the chase to decode continues.

Regulation

People Who Say They’re Experiencing AI Psychosis Beg the FTC for Help

The Federal Trade Commission received 200 complaints mentioning ChatGPT between November 2022 and August 2025. Several attributed delusions, paranoia, and spiritual crises to the chatbot.

WIRED Roundup: Satellites Data Leak, Cybertrucks, Politicized Federal Workers

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we run through the top stories of the week, including security concerns from satellites leaking sensitive data and the experiences of undeterred Cybertruck owners.

A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They’re Not Involved

A presentation that has been shared with the Trump administration references Tesla, Ikea, TSMC, and more in its plan to rebuild Gaza. Some of these companies say they had no idea they were mentioned.

Google Search Could Change Forever in the UK

New regulation from the UK’s competition authority means Google may be forced to make major changes in the way that people use its search engine.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Trump’s CZ Pardon Has the Crypto World Bracing for Impact

The Trump administration has recast Binance founder CZ as a martyr—and his pardon may have unintended consequences for the US crypto industry.

Donald Trump’s Truth Social Is Launching a Polymarket Competitor

As crypto-based prediction services attract a flood of attention and capital, the US president’s social media platform has announced plans to muscle in.

‘War on Crypto Is Over’: Donald Trump Pardons Binance Founder CZ

After serving a federal prison sentence for violating anti-money-laundering laws and US sanctions, former crypto exchange CEO Changpeng Zhao has been pardoned by US president Donald Trump.

Melania Trump Used as ‘Window-Dressing’ in Elaborate Memecoin Fraud, Legal Filing Claims

The first lady of the United States became a pawn in an intricate memecoin scam that resulted in millions of dollars in losses, crypto investors have alleged.

Computers and Software

The Man Who Invented AGI

Everyone is obsessed with artificial general intelligence—the stage when AI can match all feats of human cognition. The guy who named it saw it as a threat.

China Dives in on the World’s First Wind-Powered Undersea Data Center

The $226 million project uses ocean breezes and seawater to stay cool.

Sora Has Lost Its App Store Crown to … Dave's Hot Chicken

Dave’s Hot Chicken is the top app in the iOS App Store, ending Sora’s weeks-long reign.

How Data Centers Actually Work

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we discuss the economics and environmental impacts of energy-hungry data centers and whether these facilities are sustainable in the age of AI.

Retail and Logistics

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

The Unexpected Winners of Trump’s Trade War

Americans are now hit with tariffs when they shop from overseas sellers on eBay and Etsy. Shein and Temu had months to get ahead of the curve.

Chinese ‘Virtual Human’ Salespeople Are Outperforming Their Real Human Counterparts

Built using AI technology from Baidu and DeepSeek, the virtual livestreamers sell everything from wet wipes to printers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Trump Ends Tariff Exemption for Small Packages

Starting in September, US buyers on sites like Etsy and eBay may face higher tariffs on goods from abroad.

Transportation

Tesla Shareholders Approve Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Pay Package

The unprecedented payday will go into full effect by 2035—as long as Tesla hits ambitious financial and production targets.

How to Keep Subways and Trains Cool in an Ever Hotter World

As temperatures increase, trains and subways are becoming unendurable. Potential solutions include everything from cooling tunnels with water to painting rolling stock—but there’s no magic fix.

Spit On, Sworn At, and Undeterred: What It’s Like to Own a Cybertruck

“We were the targets.” WIRED spoke to seven Tesla Cybertruck owners about their most controversial purchase and why they’re proud to drive it.

New Rules Could Force Tesla to Redesign Its Door Handles. That’s Harder Than It Sounds

Proposed regulations in China would mean the end of flush handles on car doors, with precious little time to roll out the changes.

Energy

Inside Intel's Hail Mary to Reclaim Chip Dominance

The struggling American chipmaker is betting that a new plant and fresh product line will help turn around its fortunes.

X Data Center Fire in Oregon Started Inside Power Cabinet, Authorities Say

Generative AI has put data centers under the spotlight, and surging electricity needs could increase risk of fires.

These Startups Are Building Advanced AI Models Without Data Centers

A new crowd-trained way to develop LLMs over the internet could shake up the AI industry with a giant 100 billion-parameter model later this year.

This Refinery Wants to Make Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mainstream. Trump’s Cuts Could Kill It

A sprawling Minnesota refinery wants to make low-carbon aviation fuel mainstream—but without government support experts believe the project could be “dead in the water.”