Deep Listening

In today’s episode, we look into why Gen Z is having less sex than other generations — and what it says about how we are all relating to each other. WIRED’s Zoë Schiffer is joined by writer and journalist Carter Sherman to talk about her latest book, The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future, which reveals how the internet, politics, and conservative legislation have shaped how Gen Z views sex. Articles mentioned in this episode:  How Social Media Is Fueling Gen Z’s Sex Recession | WIRED  Thinking Machines Lab Raises a Record $2 Billion, Announces Cofounders | 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

18 Juli 23min

Last week, the DOJ released what they described as raw footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019. WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra went through the metadata and found that it had been, in fact, modified. In today’s episode, we dive into what Dhruv found and what it means.Articles mentioned in this episode:  The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out | WIRED Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified | 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

17 Juli 40min

After Elon Musk’s departure from D.C, the future of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency seemed uncertain. But DOGE’s work continues unabated — its influence spreading farther and deeper into federal government agencies. WIRED’s Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott share with Leah Feiger what they found through their reporting. Articles mentioned in this episode:  This Is DOGE 2.0 | WIRED  WIRED Talked to a Fired DOGE Staffer About Who Was Really in Charge  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

11 Juli 23min

This week, Lauren dives into the show’s inbox to answer listeners’ questions. With the help of WIRED’s Kate Knibbs and Paresh Dave, we look into a range of queries — from how AI is shaping the film industry to brainstorming how the Jony Ive and Open AI’s collaboration could look like. Articles mentioned in this episode:  This Viral AI Chatbot Will Lie and Say It’s Human | WIRED  A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers | 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

10 Juli 34min

Leah Feiger speaks with WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra about an exclusive WIRED investigation into how serious medical incidents are increasing at some of the country’s largest immigration detention centers.Articles mentioned in this episode:  ‘They're Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance Here’s What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent 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

4 Juli 17min

Sam Altman is the king of generative artificial intelligence. But is he the person we should trust to guide our explorations into AI? This week, we do a deep dive on Sam Altman. From his Midwest roots, to his early startup days, to his time at Venture Capital, and his rise and fall and rise again at OpenAI. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.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

3 Juli 41min

Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED’s Vittoria Elliott to discuss her conversation with Sahil Lavingia. Lavingia worked at Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, within the Department of Veteran Affairs, until he was fired for speaking out about his experience. Lavingia said his time at the VA was marked by a lack of transparency from DOGE leadership, and chaotic day-to-day operations– the ramifications of which are still being felt today. Just this week, Senators called for a federal investigation into the Trump administration’s killing of hundreds of contracts for the Department of Veterans Affairs.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

27 Juni 41min

Disney and Universal recently filed suit against Midjourney, an AI image generation startup, alleging the company has become a “bottomless pit of plagiarism,” and that it freely reproduces the studio's copyrighted content, including their most iconic characters. The lawsuit has the potential to shape how intellectual property is treated in the AI era. So, we'll dive into the details of the case and others, and explain how this conflict gives us a window into the growing tensions between AI companies, publishers, and creators. Articles mentioned in this episode:  ‘Wall-E With a Gun’: Midjourney Generates Videos of Disney Characters Amid Massive Copyright Lawsuit Disney and Universal Sue AI Company Midjourney for Copyright Infringement You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond.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

26 Juni 39min