The Nasdaq stock exchange is typically the destination of choice for technology companies looking to go public. It offers lower listing fees than the New York Stock Exchange, in addition to a smoother listing process with fewer barriers, so it's ideal for rapidly growing, early-stage companies. The Nasdaq-100 is an index of 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq, and given the nature of the exchange, it features a very high concentration of technology names.
The abilities of AI is rapidly evolving. Its skillset is far beyond anything we could have imagined a decade ago. With the advancements of AI, people now have the ability to create and design images and videos at their fingertips. But this same power can also be misused to produce content that doesn't actually exist in reality what's known as a deepfake. A deepfake is an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something
Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors. Brian Barrett: Welcome to WIRED's Uncanny Valley. I'm WIRED's executive editor Brian Barrett filling in today for Zoë Schiffer. Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week, including why the promise of a tech-forward school in Texas with software instead of teachers fell apart. I'm joined by our senior politics editor, Leah Feiger. Hey Leah.
But ultimately, this is all the result of bad software, ridden with vulnerabilities. "We don't have a cybersecurity problem. We have a software quality problem," she said. The main reason for this was software vendors' prioritization of speed to market and reducing cost over safety. AI is making attackers more capable, helping them create stealthier malware and "hyper-personalized phishing," and also to spot and surface vulnerabilities and flaws more quickly.
The bond market was also relatively steady as the countdown ticked to the announcement from the Fed. The widespread expectation is that it will announce the second cut of the year to its main interest rate in hopes of helping the slowing job market. More important will be whether the Fed gives hints about another cut to rates in December and beyond. Wall Street is banking on it.
YouTube continues to be a dominant force in advertising and entertainment, but the disruption from generative artificial intelligence spares no company. In a memo to staff Wednesday, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan cited the disruption and opportunity of AI as a reason to restructure the video platform, with the executive creating a new reporting structure for the company's product teams, and rolling out a voluntary employee buyout program, offering severance to any YouTubers that may want to leave the company.
The negotiations offer an occasion to stop to consider how China went from technological backwater to superpower in less than half a lifetime, and an opportunity for the United States to learn from that success. U.S. companies can work to regain hardware-manufacturing expertise, absorb knowledge and talent from some of China's best companies, and shift their approach toward AI, encouraging more practical applications and open-source innovation. The United States must accept that we can be better while not relinquishing our strengths.
On Wednesday, Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported its first-ever $100 billion quarter. Revenue rose 16 percent to $102.3 billion. Net income jumped 33 percent to $34.98 billion. Those are not the numbers of a company whose main business is being disrupted. It's more like the numbers of a company that's quietly figuring out how to change with the behavior of its users.
A chart making the rounds on social media has sparked intense debate about the state of the American economy. Since November 2022, when ChatGPT launched, the S&P 500 has surged more than 70% while job openings have plummeted roughly 30%. The juxtaposition has earned the graphic a foreboding nickname: the " scariest chart in the world." At first glance, the divergence appears to tell a simple story: that artificial intelligence has fractured the economy, enriching investors while devastating workers.
Transformify [TFY], the forward-thinking platform that helps businesses hire, manage and pay global teams, contingent workforce and independent contractors, has been recognised by the 2025 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards after scaling profit by an impressive 90%. Established in 2015 by CEO and Angel Investor, Lilia Stoyanov, TFY is underpinned by advanced AI which supports SMEs in scaling global growth by automating workforce onboarding, compliance, billing and payments.
He told attendees of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Annual Meeting that his administration 'inherited an unexamined patent application backlog that was an absolute dumpster fire.' Squires noted that the backlog was at 837,928 unexamined applications on January 20 and that the number jumped from 576,103 in 2020 to 837,928 in January 2025, adding that this represents a 'total betrayal of American inventors who deserve better.'
MIAMI - I am watching a man paralyzed from the neck down lift an artificial arm by merely thinking about do so. I am watching another quadriplegic play drums thanks to similar microchip in his brain. I am listening to doctors talk of hypothermia protocol, brain-computer interface and how artificial intelligence will help change the wheelchair world. "What do you think?" a scientist asks. "This is the greatest sports story of my lifetime," I say.
For decades, telecommunications companies have been the quiet power behind the world's digital transformation. They connect billions, fuel global commerce, and enable nearly every modern convenience. Yet despite that foundational role, telcos have often struggled to capture the consumer imagination or command the kind of loyalty enjoyed by tech and social media brands built on top of their networks. Today, two converging forces can change the equation: the rise of the creator economy and the rapid maturation of artificial intelligence.