Uncanny Valley | WIRED WIRED Roundup: AI Romantic Affairs; Google Sues Text Scammers; DHS’s Privacy Breach
55 snips
Nov 14, 2025 
Brian Barrett, WIRED's Executive Editor, dives into intriguing tech stories. He discusses how AI romantic relationships are starting to factor into divorce cases. Google’s lawsuit against a massive text-scamming network reveals the alarming scale of phishing operations. The DHS's questionable data gathering in Chicago raises severe privacy concerns. They also touch on the implications of Apple removing gay dating apps in China and explore ideal locations for environmentally friendly data centers. It's a whirlwind of tech, policy, and ethics!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Apple Complies With China At Social Cost
- Apple removed top gay dating apps in China after a government order, harming LGBTQ services that also provided health resources.
- Brian Barrett and Zoë Schiffer note Apple often complies with Chinese regulators for market access, trading values for business continuity.
Best Places To Build Greener Data Centers
- A study recommends building data centers where grids are cleaner and water is abundant, naming Texas, Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
- Brian Barrett emphasizes renewable energy and regional trade-offs are essential to reduce environmental harm from AI infrastructure.
On-Site Visit: Data Centers Need Everything
- Zoë recounts visiting OpenAI's data center in Abilene and seeing massive gas turbines and mixed energy strategies.
- Brian Barrett and Zoë describe community pushback and limited local job gains from data centers.