One of AI’s Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is ‘Meant to Distract Us’

Timnit Gebru argues that AI companies are stoking fears of extinction to avoid discussing actual harms, like autonomous weapons.

Is AI Actually Going to Kill Us All?

This week on “Uncanny Valley,” we dig into a former Anthropic researcher’s AI doomsday warning, the latest upgrades from Apple’s event, and the census report that claimed Trump won the 2020 election.

Who Cares if AI Is Conscious—It’s Basically Alive

While philosophers ponder AI consciousness, the models have ideas of their own.

Wikipedia Workers Unionize for the First Time

More than 200 people in roles such as engineering, finance, and communications will now be represented by the Communication Workers of America.

Prediction Market Betting Is Getting People Banned and Arrested

This week on Uncanny Valley, we dig into the latest prediction market buzz, Flock’s AI-powered police search tool, and how tech bros don’t know how to talk about “rouge” AI agents

AI Has Human Doctors Asking: What’s Left for Us?

A recent paper argues that AI is often better at doctoring than doctors. Guess who isn’t thrilled.

Meta’s Big Reckoning Is Here

Meta is in court again over child safety, and this time it’s a landmark case that could force significant changes to core features of Facebook and Instagram.

Tech Visionary Says the Big AI Labs Don’t Get What People Want

Tim O’Reilly built a publishing empire that AI is helping to destroy. Yet he loves AI—as long as it’s open source.

Zohran Mamdani’s NYC Tech Team Is What DOGE Should Have Been

The mayor of New York City has assembled a crew of Silicon Valley and United States Digital Service veterans to overhaul city services with better software.

AI Slop Melodramas Are Taking Over X—and Their Creators Are Cashing In

Viral tales of good triumphing over evil are racking up millions of views. They’re almost entirely AI-generated clickbait.