Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 16hMissed posting this yesterday, 15 years after Steve's death. This was very hard to write, and I churned it out in hours to get it online that night. Try to hang on for the kicker, which might be the best paragraph I ever wrote. www.wired.com/2011/10/stev... 073
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Our tech overloads have pinned their businesses and their identities around "artificial intelligence." Yet when POTUS said he's ordering the US to BAN the term not one spoke out against this insane idea. www.wired.com/story/trumps...wired.comTrump’s Crazy AI Rebrand Was a Loyalty Test for Tech Execs—and It WorkedFor years these billionaires gushed obsessively about AI. But they meekly went along when Trump cancelled the term. 56418
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Looking for a great reader question for this week's Backchannel. Ask me anything. Go for it! 110
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026When AM radio ruled the waves, everyone was exposed to the top songs of the day. Octogenarians and classic music buffs knew all about the Beatles, hummed Motown tunes, etc. Now in our streaming bubbles, it's possible for mega-hits to exist when most people never hear them. 091
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026OK, 55 yrs ago defense tech drove Silicon Valley. But PC revolution, internet, etc was fueled by hacker spirit and idealism, at least until the money got crazy. SV's current militarism and Billion $ Bro-ism pivots away from that. it wasn't always solely about the money. www.wired.com/story/war-br...wired.comWar Bros Didn’t Always Rule Silicon ValleySome say that tech was always about the money and the military. Don’t buy that argument. 251
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026All of a sudden people are shocked at "rogue" AI. Supposedly understanding what makes LLMs tick will help us prevent that. But the more we understand AI models, the more caution is advised. www.wired.com/story/if-the...wired.comIf the AI Industry Followed Its Own Research, It Might Have Paused AlreadyAnthropic’s CEO says that safety hinges on understanding how AI “thinks.” So far the evidence is disturbing. 173
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Advanced AI is a boon for philosophers who study consciousness. But by the time they define that elusive quality--if they ever do--AI might have its own views on the subject, conscious or not. The big challenge is controlling those models. www.wired.com/story/who-ca...wired.comWho Cares if AI Is Conscious—It’s Basically AliveWhile philosophers ponder AI consciousness, the models have ideas of their own. 21100
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026A high-profile paper contends that AI alone is better than doctors alone, or docs working with AI. The AMA isn't happy. Meanwhile, clinicians are getting hooked on specialized AI chatbots. www.wired.com/story/ai-has...wired.comAI 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. 5257
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Thanks for the question, what's your first name (so I can answer you in the newsletter) 100
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Looking once more for a great reader question an answer in my WIRED newsletter/web column. AI is all over the news--anythjing I can answer for you on that? Maybe you want my view on the Meta settlement? My views on Dolly? Come on folks, ask away! 762
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Wow this week is going fast. I need a great reader question for my WIRED newsletter--here's your chance to ask me anything. Go for it! 492
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 07/08/2026I got an inside look at Mamdani's tech team--and got US Digital Service vibes. But there's a difference. www.wired.com/story/mamdan...wired.comZohran Mamdani’s NYC Tech Team Is What DOGE Should Have BeenThe 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. 1268
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Looking for a great reader question that I'll answer in my Backchannel/WIRED newsletter. Ask me anything! 101
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Here's a shattering Jeff Dean fact: Google's top scientist, along with Sanjay Ghemawat and 2 other top AI researcher are leaving Google to form Discovery Loop, a startup that hopes to automate the scientific method so AI can create breakthroughs in multiple fields. www.wired.com/story/jeff-d...wired.com4 of Google’s Top AI Brains Are Leaving—and Launching Their Own AI StartupJeff Dean and other high-profile Google executives have founded Discovery Loop, a startup that will seek AI-powered breakthroughs in everything from drug discovery to chip design. 3175
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Ever wonder who posts those first-person tales that start with ragebait and end in triumph for the writer and shame for the adversary? And why? www.wired.com/story/ai-slo...wired.comAI Slop Melodramas Are Taking Over X—and Their Creators Are Cashing InViral tales of good triumphing over evil are racking up millions of views. They’re almost entirely AI-generated clickbait. 030
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Time again for a Backchannel/WIRED reader question. Ask me anything and I will answer in the newsletter! 010
Reposted by Steven LevyKatie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 17/07/2026Our two investigations into Madison Square Garden are now unpaywalled and free for anyone to read. 3555361688
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026Lyft's David Risher insists that his company is better and cheaper than "the other guy." Check out his plans to turn around Lyft's also-ran status. www.wired.com/story/lyfts-...wired.comLyft’s CEO Says, ‘We’re the Good Uber’David Risher insists that Lyft has lowered its prices and that customers who only check his competitor’s app are “leaving money on the table.” 7162
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Yes, Sarah Wynn-Williams did seem to break her non-disparagement clause when she wrote Careless People. But Meta's bonkers campaign to silence her shows that her criticism of Zuck & Co is well grounded. www.wired.com/story/metas-...wired.comMeta’s Pursuit of the 'Careless People' Author Is Relentless and Self-DefeatingYes, Sarah Wynn-Williams violated her deal to stay silent. But the power disparity bolsters the view that Meta is a heartless bully. 415838
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 08/07/2026Hi, looking for a great reader question that I will answer with wit and wisdom in my Backchannel/WIRED newsletter/column. Ask me anything! 430
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 26/06/2026I'm on board with that! But as we've seen with GDPR it's tough to do in isolation, especially when the dominant powers don't buy in. 110
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Paris' big Vivatech conference was all about "sovereignty." Speaker after speaker griped about U.S. dominance, some offering plans to change things. Europe has a long way to go to compete in AI, but it has no choice--especially because of Trump. www.wired.com/story/europe...wired.comEurope Is Fed Up and Wants Its Own AIIt's a stretch to think that the continent can build a top-tier model, but it has an advantage: Donald Trump. 030
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Looking for a great reader question. Ask me anything! 220
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 18/06/2026Officially welcoming the great @laurengoode.bsky.social to Backchannel. She'll be doing the newsletter once a month, writing great essays like this one. The other three weeks you're stuck with me. www.wired.com/story/silico...wired.comSilicon Valley’s Elite Financial Advisers Say This Era of Wealth Is DifferentThe rich are getting richer. Here’s what wealth advisers are telling their tech clients right now. 1206
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Stewart Brand is one of my heroes, a visionary rooted in pragmatism who has made his mark on the world. He and his wife Ryan Phelan expressed these values in a home they built for his later years. www.wired.com/story/stewar... 092
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 12/06/2026The $1 M auction for the secrets of the CIA Kryptos sculpture was months ago--now we learn that Paradigm, a crypto-centric VC firm won. Here are their plans--and the line they didn't cross. www.wired.com/story/crypto...wired.comCrypto Guys Bought the Answer to the CIA’s Mysterious Kryptos SculptureThey swear they haven’t peeked at the closely guarded secret and that they’ll keep the cryptographic competition going. 0162
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Seeking a cool reader question for my Backchannel/WIRED newsletter. Lately I've been getting better responses from X than Bluesky. Folks, you can do better. Ask me anything! 12207
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Wow, the week went by fast. Now it's time to ask you folks for a great reader question that I will answer in the Backchannel/WIRED newsletter. Ask me anything! 040
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Here's an exclusive inside look at Flourish, a startup full of neuroscientists and AI researchers working together to make discoveries about the brain and use them to create a more efficient form of AI that learns like people do. www.wired.com/story/jeff-b...wired.comJeff Bezos Is Funding a Wild Hunt for the Brain’s ‘Core Algorithm’With $500 million in funding and a reported $2.5 billion valuation, Flourish wants to reinvent AI by putting real neurons under the microscope. 141
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Time for another reader question, which I will answer in the beloved Backchannel newsletter. People ask away. All topics welcome. 063
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 26/05/2026The recent AI agent breakthrough is just as big a bang as ChatGPT. Only techies realize this now but eventually no one will be able to ignore it. My report from inside this huge shift. www.wired.com/story/how-ai...wired.comAI Agents Plunged the Tech World Into Chaos. Here’s Exactly How That HappenedThe definitive story of how Claude Code and OpenClaw kicked off computing’s biggest transformation possibly ever. 1112
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 22/05/2026The good news: Google's upgraded AI search is better than the (less useful than they used to be) 10 Blue Links. Not so good: One more traffic-sucking blow for websites and online publications. www.wired.com/story/even-i...wired.comEven If You Hate AI, You Will Use Google AI SearchThe search giant’s AI-crafted answers are so convenient, you’ll be sucked in—to the detriment of the web and the artists and thinkers behind it. 39235
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Looking for a great reader question for my Backchannel newsletter. Here's your chance to hear from me on any subject. Fire away, friends! 000
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 14/05/2026It always blows my mind that the phrase I coined to describe the hacker mindset has found its way into the lexicon. 1161
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 08/05/2026Philosopher Nick Bostrom once was considered a doomer. Now he's considering whether AI's risk of annihilating humanity might be worth it--because we're all going to die anyway. If all goes right, he's looking forward to humanity's "retirement." www.wired.com/story/nick-b...wired.comNick Bostrom Has a Plan for Humanity’s ‘Big Retirement’The philosopher thinks humans should pursue advanced AI and the promise of a “solved world.” 010
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 06/05/2026In 1981 I went to Atlanta for Rolling Stone to view the amazing phenomenon of a 24-hour cable television news channel, and interviewed the complex dude who started it. RIP Ted Turner. 0113
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 03/05/2026I didn't expect to see that price. I had a full run at one point but they took up a lot of space, so I donated them to the Computer History Museum. 010
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 02/05/2026The search for Satoshi has resulted in a very crowded rabbit hole, but no bunny. Even ace investigators like NYT's John Carryrou and detective Tyler Maroney--who each ID'd a different Nakamoto--have not closed the case. Both can't be right, and both may be wrong. www.wired.com/story/you-fo...wired.comYou Found Satoshi? Let’s See the ReceiptsTwo new projects, including one from a Pulitzer-winning reporter, claim they’ve solved the mystery of Bitcoin’s creator. So why does the hunt continue? 061
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Witty article by my great colleague @mzeff.bsky.social on Wikipedia using his photo in Evan Spiegal entry--& how his heroic efforts have been unable to get it corrected. Under the surface, this indicates something rotten in Wikipedia, a failure of its crowd-sourcing. www.wired.com/story/why-do...wired.comWhy Does Wikipedia Think I’m Evan Spiegel?For the past week, a photo of me has been plastered on the CEO of Snap’s Wikipedia page. No one, not even Spiegel, seems to care. 041
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 02/05/2026I saw one pristine issue for sale on eBay for $70,000. If you want lower quality, there's one for $50k and a less spiffy one for a bargain 12k. Open offer: if you buy one for more than $10k I'll sign it for 10% of what you paid. 291
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 27/04/2026I tried so hard to talk to you for my book. NOW you come out with this? 170
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 24/04/2026John Ternus, your mission as CEO is to do for AI what Apple has done for desktop computing, mobile, and music--harness the power of a messy technology and make it accessible and delightful. Do you choose to accept? If not someone else will, and Apple will suffer. www.wired.com/story/apples...wired.comApple's Next CEO Needs to Launch a Killer AI ProductTim Cook was a great CEO, but he didn’t crack AI. It’s job number 1 for John Ternus. 16251
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 17/04/2026It's efficient and economical to have AI write drafts of of a news story or, god forbid, something longer. After all, people just want the info, right? Wrong. If this is the wave of the future, I'd rather drown. www.wired.com/story/backch...wired.comAI Drafting My Stories? Over My Dead BodyAI-assisted writing is creeping into newsrooms under the guise of efficiency. But the tradeoff may be more profound than publishers are willing to admit. 17315
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 17/04/2026Great song but not so underrated--it won an Oscar! 100
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Need a great reader question for my WIRED/Backchannel newsletter. Ask me anything! 883
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Thanks, Jason. There's already been two good books about the iPhone. Do you really need to read more? I do have another idea that might return me to PC history... 100
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Hey Kids! Want me to answer your question in my Backchannel newsletter? Here's your chance! Reply to this post and ask away. No subjects barred. 261
Steven Levy @stevenlevy.bsky.social · 27/03/2026Apple is turning 50. I talked to its CEO and his possible successor about the NEXT 50 years. www.wired.com/story/apple-...wired.comApple Still Plans to Sell iPhones When It Turns 100As the tech giant turns 50, WIRED spoke to executives about how they plan to win in the AI era. 4215