Business

The China Issue

Backchannel

After Minneapolis, Tech CEOs Are Struggling to Stay Silent

Silicon Valley’s power brokers spent the past year currying favor with President Trump. Two deadly shootings in Minneapolis are now exposing the price of that bargain.

The Big Interview

Silicon Valley Tech Workers Are Campaigning to Get ICE Out of US Cities

Model Behavior

A Yann LeCun–Linked Startup Charts a New Path to AGI

Artificial Intelligence

Moltbot Is Taking Over Silicon Valley

People are letting the viral AI assistant formerly known as Clawdbot run their lives, regardless of the privacy concerns.

Google DeepMind Staffers Ask Leaders to Keep Them ‘Physically Safe’ From ICE

A federal agent allegedly tried to enter Google’s Cambridge campus in the fall, WIRED has learned. Now, staffers want policies that protect them from immigration officials.

This Humanoid Is Ready to Bring You a Toothbrush

Fauna, a new startup, is betting that humanoid robots will find success as hospitality workers, research assistants, and entertainers.

Where Tech Leaders and Students Really Think AI Is Going

We asked tech CEOs, journalists, entertainers, students, and more about the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. Here’s what they said.

Big Tech

Billion-Dollar Data Centers Are Taking Over the World

The battle for AI dominance has left a large footprint—and it’s only getting bigger and more expensive.

So Long, GPT-5. Hello, Qwen

In the AI boom, chatbots and GPTs come and go quickly. (Remember Llama?) GPT-5 had a big year, but 2026 will be all about Qwen.

Apple’s App Course Runs $20,000 a Student. Is It Really Worth It?

Apple, Michigan taxpayers, and one of Detroit’s wealthiest families spent roughly $30 million training hundreds of people to build iPhone apps. Not everyone lands coding jobs right away.

Terrifying New Photos Emerge From the Jeffrey Epstein Estate

The latest photo dump from Democrats in the House Oversight Committee includes more famous men and upsetting Lolita quotes written on a woman's body.

Startups and Tech Culture

No Phone, No Social Safety Net: Welcome to the ‘Offline Club’

Across Europe’s largest cities, people are gathering for semi-silent, offline hangouts, in search of an experience that isn’t mediated through their smartphones.

The Math on AI Agents Doesn’t Add Up

A research paper suggests AI agents are mathematically doomed to fail. The industry doesn’t agree.

Former USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What DOGE Broke

The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator Mikey Dickerson.

Tech Workers Are Condemning ICE Even as Their CEOs Stay Quiet

The killing of George Floyd in 2020 prompted a wave of statements from tech companies and CEOs. Today, pushback against ICE is largely coming from employees, not executives.

Regulation

Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei Believes the Market Will Reward Safe AI

The Trump administration might think regulation is killing the AI industry, but Anthropic president Daniela Amodei disagrees.

The Rare Earth Metal Driving Tensions Between the US and China

Yttrium plays a critical role in everything from aircraft engines to semiconductors. China controls the vast majority of the market—and that’s not changing any time soon.

Europe Is Bending the Knee to the US on Tech Policy

The Trump administration’s pressure on European regulators is having an impact, with fewer restrictions on Big Tech and canceled measures.

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.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

The Dollar Is Facing an End to Its Dominance

Questions around the reliability of the US greenback are dulling the luster of what was the world’s currency of trade. New, global alternatives are emerging.

In Cryptoland, Memecoin Fever Gives Way to a Stablecoin Boom

In a year that began with a memecoin trading frenzy, stablecoins have emerged as the respectable face of the crypto industry.

Crypto Magnate Do Kwon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

The founder of Terraform Labs was sentenced today for lying about “experimental” coins that blew a $40 billion hole in the crypto economy.

Circle’s Jeremy Allaire: We’re Building an ‘Economic OS’ for the AI Era

The cofounder and CEO of Circle says “money as an app platform” is the next step in a digital-based global economic system that’s right around the corner.

Computers and Software

ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations

A new federal filing from ICE demonstrates how commercial tools are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance.

AMD CEO Lisa Su Says Concerns About an AI Bubble Are Overblown

Lisa Su leads Nvidia’s biggest rival in the AI chip market. When asked at WIRED’s Big Interview event if AI is a bubble, the company’s CEO said, “Emphatically, from my perspective, no.”

Ruby Is Not a Serious Programming Language

Ruby survives on affection, not utility. Let's move on.

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.

Retail and Logistics

How China’s ‘Crystal Capital’ Cornered the Market on a Western Obsession

Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry.

The US Will Prioritize Visa Processing for Fans With World Cup Tickets

In the face of heavy travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, the United States announced that soccer fans going to the World Cup will enjoy a certain priority for processing tourist visa.

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.

Transportation

How Elon Musk Won His No Good, Very Bad Year

The billionaire’s involvement with the Trump administration and DOGE had deep impacts on Tesla’s bottom line. But Elon Musk was still able to turn his attention to SpaceX.

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.