Chinese ‘Virtual Human’ Salespeople Are Outperforming Their Real Human Counterparts
Built using AI technology from Baidu and DeepSeek, the virtual livestreamers sell everything from wet wipes to printers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
wired business
AI Isn’t Coming for Hollywood. It Has Already Arrived
An early winner in the generative AI wars was near collapse—then bet everything on a star-studded comeback. Can Stability AI beat the competition?
Government Staffing Cuts Have Fueled an Ant-Smuggling Boom
“It’s getting out of hand,” one seller says. “They realize the US market is a gold mine.”
OpenAI Is Poised to Become the Most Valuable Startup Ever. Should It Be?
The AI startup is chasing a $500 billion valuation, with backers betting it can become the next Apple or Google. There are reasons for skepticism.
The Global Car Reckoning Is Here. Far Too Many Auto Companies Don’t Have a Plan
How are the CEOs of Ford, BYD, Lamborghini, Polestar, and more planning to survive the hellscape that is the current automotive world? We asked them.
Labubus Are on Track to Be a Billion-Dollar Business This year
Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind the Labubu franchise, has sold $670 million worth of related products so far this year—more than iconic US toy lines Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Silicon Valley Is Panicking About Zohran Mamdani. NYC’s Tech Scene Is Not
New York City tech leaders aren’t rattled by the prospect of a Mayor Mamdani. In fact, many of them welcome it.
WIRED Roundup: Why GPT-5 Flopped
On this episode of Uncanny Valley, we dig into WIRED’s latest—from crude deportation memes to GPT-5’s negative reception.
Teachers Are Trying to Make AI Work for Them
Since the start of the AI boom, teachers have been tasked with figuring out if LLMs are helpful tools or a cheat code. This is how they’re bringing AI to…
How Microschools Became the Latest Tech Mogul Obsession
Between homeschool provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill and Trump’s attempts to gut the Department of Education, teaching kids looks different now. Silicon Valley’s answer? Microschools.