The Artificial Intelligence Database
Special Series
The Creepy TikTok Algorithm Doesn’t Know You
The uncanny, addictive AI has turned math into a mystical force—and flattened humanity into a series of codes.
By Eleanor Cummins
Special Series
If AI Is Predicting Your Future, Are You Still Free?
Part of being human is being able to defy the odds. Algorithmic prophecies undermine that.
By Carissa Véliz
Cloud Support
My Music App Knows Me Way Too Well. Am I Stuck in a Groove?
WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on predictability, freedom—and the duality of rebellion.
By Meghan O'Gieblyn
Meta Adverse
TikTok’s Next Big Move? To Become Facebook
ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok and Douyin, has global ambitions to challenge Meta’s universe.
By Chris Stokel-Walker
Rants and Raves
Netflix, Please Add a ‘Watched It’ Button Already
Wait a minute ... I've seen this before! Why is it so hard to filter out movies and shows on streaming services?
By Simon Hill
Social Media
Facebook Quietly Makes a Big Admission
The company’s new approach to political content acknowledges that engagement isn’t always the best way to measure what users value.
By Gilad Edelman
eat right
The Poop About Your Gut Health and Personalized Nutrition
Researchers are coming around to the idea that there isn't a one-size-fits-all diet. Some companies are going further to find out what fits you, specifically.
By Debby Waldman
log off
Social Media Algorithms Are Controlling How I Grieve
What happens to a loved one's account after they pass—and how does their digital afterlife affect the ones who survive them?
By Steven Blum
media
These Ex-Journalists Are Using AI to Catch Online Defamation
CaliberAI wants to help overstretched newsrooms with a tool that’s like spell-check for libel. But its potential uses go far beyond traditional media.
By Gilad Edelman
Overlooked
Twitter's Photo Crop Algorithm Favors White Faces and Women
A study of 10,000 images found bias in what the system chooses to highlight. Twitter has stopped using it on mobile, and will consider ditching it on the web.
By Khari Johnson
Algorithms
Europe's Proposed Limits on AI Would Have Global Consequences
The EU released draft laws that would regulate facial recognition and uses of algorithms. If it passes, the policy will impact companies in the US and China.
By Will Knight
Backchannel
I Called Off My Wedding. The Internet Will Never Forget
In 2019, I made a painful decision. But to the algorithms that drive Facebook, Pinterest, and a million other apps, I'm forever getting married.
By Lauren Goode
Q&A
Former DOD Head: The US Needs a New Plan to Beat China on AI
In an interview with WIRED, former secretary of defense Ash Carter discussed how to build morality into AI—and make sure other countries do too.
By Nicholas Thompson
Formulaic
An Algorithm Is Helping a Community Detect Lead Pipes
The model had shown promise in Flint before officials rebelled. Now Toledo is using it, while incorporating more public input.
By Sidney Fussell
On Camera
Job Screening Service Halts Facial Analysis of Applicants
But it’s still using intonation and behavior to assist with hiring decisions.
By Will Knight
Job Sites
New York City Proposes Regulating Algorithms Used in Hiring
A bill would require firms to disclose when they use software to assess candidates, and vendors would have to ensure that their tech doesn’t discriminate.
By Tom Simonite
Setting Priorities
The Newest Weapon Against Covid-19: AI That Speed-Reads Faxes
Local health departments rely on the old-fangled tech to track cases. A hastily developed machine-learning program gives it an assist.
By Tom Simonite
Eye in the Sky
A Clever Strategy to Distribute Covid Aid—With Satellite Data
The small nation of Togo used image analysis algorithms to target economic support for its most vulnerable residents.
By Tom Simonite
Machine Learning
The 8 Best Books About Artificial Intelligence to Read Now
Algorithms have crept into our feeds, streets, and workplaces. Here’s what WIRED staff are reading to understand what that means for the future.
By WIRED Staff
Up And Away
New AI-Based Navigation Helps Loon’s Balloons Hover in Place
Reinforcement learning might be the next step in keeping broadband-carrying balloons afloat above remote areas. Could Venus be next?
By Eric Niiler