Uncanny Valley | WIRED WIRED Roundup: Chip Manufacturers Bonanza
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Aug 22, 2025 Louise Matsakis, Wired's Senior Business Editor, delves into the intriguing intersection of tech and politics. She discusses OpenAI's rise to possibly becoming the highest-valued startup ever and the challenges it faces in monetization. The conversation takes a turn to the scandalous dealings of the Trump administration with chip manufacturers, shedding light on U.S.-China tech relations. Plus, a quirky tangent explores how budget cuts have sparked an unexpected boom in ant smuggling, offering a captivating mix of business and bizarre.
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Rogue Doge Created Shadow SBA Account
- Doge staff set up an unauthorized X account called Doge_SBA inside the Small Business Administration.
- The rogue account solicited tips about fraud and accepted a whistleblower DM, surprising agency social managers.
Monetization Threatens OpenAI's User Base
- OpenAI could reach enormous valuations if it monetizes a huge user base, but that path is uncertain.
- Charging subscriptions risks driving users to free or open-source alternatives and may force advertising into consideration.
User Data Makes OpenAI Attractive To Advertisers
- OpenAI holds deep behavioral and personal user data that could be attractive to advertisers or partners.
- Increased agentic features could force data sharing with third parties and raise user privacy risks.