Tom Simonite
Senior Writer
Tom Simonite is a senior writer for WIRED in San Francisco covering artificial intelligence and its effects on the world. He once trained an artificial neural network to generate seascapes and is available for commissions. Simonite was previously San Francisco bureau chief at MIT Technology Review, and wrote and edited technology coverage at New Scientist magazine in London. He lives in San Francisco, where he enjoys riding his bike and testing the reactions of prototype self-driving cars.
This 22-Year-Old Builds Chips in His Parents’ Garage
Sam Zeloof combines 1970s-era machines with homemade designs. His creations show what’s possible for small-scale silicon tinkerers.
When It Comes to Health Care, AI Has a Long Way to Go
Medical information is more complex and less available than the web data that many algorithms were trained on, so results can be misleading.
This AI Software Nearly Predicted Omicron’s Tricky Structure
New algorithms that decipher complex sequences of amino acids offered an early view of the coronavirus variant. They could point the way to future drugs.
Face Recognition Is Being Banned—but It’s Still Everywhere
Two dozen cities and states prohibit use of the tech. But it’s on phones and is increasingly used in airports and in banks.
Facebook Says Its New AI Can Identify More Problems Faster
The “Few-Shot Learner” system doesn’t need to see as many examples to identify troublesome posts, and it works in more than 100 languages.
Ex-Googler Timnit Gebru Starts Her Own AI Research Center
The researcher, who says Google fired her a year ago, wants to ask questions about responsible use of artificial intelligence.
3 Years After the Maven Uproar, Google Cozies to the Pentagon
The company has contracts to detect corrosion on Navy ships and help maintain Air Force jets. Now it wants to bid for a lucrative cloud contract.
This Company Tapped AI for Its Website—and Landed in Court
Under pressure to make their sites accessible to visually impaired users, firms turn to software. But advocates say the tech isn't always up to the task.
This Group Pushed More AI in US Security—and Boosted Big Tech
The National Security Commission on AI included members from Oracle, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Some of its recommendations are already federal law.
Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close
Human reviewers and AI filters struggle to police the flood of content—or understand the nuances in different Arabic dialects.
The Government Wants to Boost Its Tech—Starting With Workers
Robin Carnahan, head of the agency that manages the federal government's offices and IT, is revamping job descriptions and pushing remote work.
A True Story About Bogus Photos of People Making Fake News
A photographer set out to capture the misinformation producers in a small town in Macedonia. He wound up revealing uncomfortable truths about his own profession.
A New Formula May Help Black Patients’ Access to Kidney Care
The prior algorithm adjusted calculations for Black patients—making it harder for them to qualify for transplants and other treatments.
These Deepfake Voices Can Help Trans Gamers
Players of online games can be harassed when their voices don't match their gender identity. New AI-fueled software may help.
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Are These the Hidden Deepfakes in the Anthony Bourdain Movie?
Pindrop, which makes software to identify synthetic audio, found three clips totaling 50 seconds in the nearly 2-hour movie.
Now That Machines Can Learn, Can They Unlearn?
Privacy concerns about AI systems are growing. So researchers are testing whether they can remove sensitive data without retraining the system from scratch.
Deepfakes Are Now Making Business Pitches
The video technology, initially associated with porn, is gaining a foothold in the corporate world.
These Algorithms Look at X-Rays—and Somehow Detect Your Race
A study raises new concerns that AI will exacerbate disparities in health care. One issue? The study’s authors aren’t sure what cues are used by the algorithms.
As the Use of AI Spreads, Congress Looks to Rein It In
The White House, lawmakers from both parties, and federal agencies are all working on bills or projects to constrain potential downsides of the tech.
A New Tool Shows How Google Results Vary Around the World
Search Atlas displays three sets of links—or images—from different countries for any search.