A conversation series that only WIRED could host, led by WIRED’s Global Editorial Director, Katie Drummond. Every week, Katie sits down with influential figures in culture, politics, business, science, and beyond for a discussion captured through the WIRED lens – equal parts geeky, intellectual and goblin mode. This series will feel like the internet and will sit at the intersection of technology, power, and culture. In an age of information overload, this series will provide its listeners “the ultimate luxury:” meaning and context. Or put another way, if you're looking for the soul of our new society in wild metamorphosis, our advice is simple. Listen to this podcast.

Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th

• Get your tickets HERE

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from how the Trump administration is creating and sharing memes to make fun of deportations, to NASA’s ambitious goal to put nuclear reactors on the moon. Then, Zöe and Jake dive into why users kind of hated OpenAI’s GPT-5 release.

Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th

• Get your tickets HERE

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• OpenAI Scrambles to Update GPT-5 After Users Revolt | WIRED
  The Trump Administration Is Using Memes to Turn Mass Deportation Into One Big Joke | WIRED
• Trump Family–Backed World Liberty Financial Sets Up $1.5 Billion Crypto Treasury | WIRED
• Inside the ‘Whites Only’ Community in Arkansas | WIRED
• Why the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon | WIRED

Palantir Technologies is arguably one of the most notorious American corporations. Cofounded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the company has worked with ICE, the US Department of Defense, the Israeli military and sparked numerous protests in multiple countries. But what do they actually do?

Palantir is often called a data broker, a data miner, or a giant database of personal information. In reality, it’s none of these—but even former employees struggle to explain it. Luckily, WIRED staff writer Caroline Haskins joins us to decode Palantir for us.

Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th

• Get your tickets HERE

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• What Does Palantir Actually Do?
• Palantir Is Helping DOGE With a Massive IRS Data Project
• ICE Is Paying Palantir $30 Million to Build ‘ImmigrationOS’ Surveillance Platform
• Lauren’s latest article: Lisa Su Runs AMD - and Is Out for Nvidia’s Blood

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariffs, to how AI was used to find a missing hiker in the Italian Alps. Then, Zoë and Jake discuss the details around OpenAI’s latest partnership with the federal government.

Live show tickets at: https://www.kqed.org/event/5459

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership | WIRED
• Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It | WIRED
• Charter Planes and Bidding Wars: How Bitcoin Miners Raced to Beat Trump’s Tariffs | WIRED
• Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History | WIRED
• US Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush | WIRED
• A Hiker Was Missing for Nearly a Year—Until an AI System Recognized His Helmet | WIRED

AI chatbot premium subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max currently cost around $200, but it’s not entirely clear why. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Reece Rogers to find out what’s behind these models that AI companies bill as their most powerful, and whether they could become a staple in our future.

Live show tickets at: https://www.kqed.org/event/5459

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Seriously, Why Do Some AI Chatbot Subscriptions Cost More Than $200? | WIRED
• Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost | WIRED

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree, to how much faster our brains have really aged since the pandemic. Afterwards, they dive into the surprising reason behind why ChatGPT reportedly went full demon mode last week.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• The Real Demon Inside ChatGPT | WIRED
• Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target | WIRED
• The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid | WIRED
• Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet | WIRED
• This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. It Could Be Headed to the NBA | WIRED
• The First Planned Migration of an Entire Country Is Underway | WIRED

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at longevity, but at beating death altogether. This week, we talk about the Silicon Valley moguls obsessed with living forever and the radical measures they're taking to do so.

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Trump’s newly unveiled AI plan to how supermassive black holes could have originated. Plus, they dive into why the relationship between Silicon Valley and D.C is undergoing some major changes.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Trump’s AI Action Plan Is a Crusade Against ‘Bias’—and Regulation | WIRED
• Newly Discovered ‘Infinity Galaxy’ Could Prove How Ancient Supermassive Black Holes Formed | WIRED
• How Trump Killed Cancer Research | WIRED
• The Great Crypto Re-Banking Has Begun | WIRED
• The GOP's Message for Tech Billionaires: Be Like Peter Thiel | WIRED