AI Will Never Be Conscious

In his new book, A World Appears, Michael Pollan argues that artificial intelligence can do many things—it just can’t be a person.

An ‘Intimacy Crisis’ Is Driving the Dating Divide

In his book The Intimate Animal, sex and relationships researcher Justin Garcia says people have miscalculated their need for human intimacy, which is the real issue at root of the loneliness epidemic.

You’ve Never Heard of China’s Greatest Sci-Fi Novel

Millions of words. Thousands of authors. The Morning Star of Lingao is barely known outside China—but it contains the secret to the country’s modernization and malaise.

Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale talks about Elon Musk, political resistance, and why she still has hope for America’s future.

DEI Died This Year. Maybe It Was Supposed To

I’m a Black staffer at WIRED. My position feels more precarious than ever. There’s a reason for that.