The team dives into Trump’s selected entourage for his high-stakes visit to China — from Silicon Valley’s tech billionaires to Melania director Brett Ratner. Plus, we break down the latest developments in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman, alleging that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission for profit-driven goals — but is either side actually gaining an edge in the trial? And Leah shares with us some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories that have been swirling around the hantavirus outbreak.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Everyone at the Musk v. Altman Trial Is Using Fancy Butt Cushions | WIRED
• Elon Musk Had ‘Hair-Raising’ Idea of Passing OpenAI On to His Kids, Sam Altman Says | WIRED
• Hantavirus Conspiracy Theories Are Already Spreading Online | WIRED
• Inside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes Hantavirus | WIRED

Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

The hit HBO Max comedy series Hacks follows the tumultuous relationship between a young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and legacy comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). The show has also had a lot to say about the business of show business. Creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello join Katie to talk about writing the series, corporate censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.”

Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from Alexis Ohanian’s newest tech venture to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.

This week, the team discusses the surprising reports of the Trump administration seemingly reversing its stance when it comes to AI safety and regulation. They also look into what exactly is going on with the Hantavirus outbreak, and whether we should be worried. Also — we get into the story of how a former federal employee who was ousted by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now running for office. Plus, a Spirit Airlines laid off employee shares with us how they experienced the company’s shutdown news last weekend and what they’ll miss most about the job.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• A Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Now She’s Running for Congress | WIRED
• What the Spirit Airlines Implosion Means for Your Vacation | WIRED

Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests.