The vibe of the event
If you have been keeping up with WIRED’s fall focus on the intersection of gender and power, they are taking the conversation IRL. For a live-audience recording of their Uncanny Valley podcast in San Francisco, the team is getting real about the state of the tech industry today.
The lineup
The event kicks off with a convo between tech journalist and author Paulina Borsook and WIRED global editorial director Katie Drummond. Borsook is actually re-releasing her 2000 book, Cyberselfish, this fall. If you don't know the lore, Borsook has been a long-time skeptic of the tech world—a take that was definitely not the "main character energy" the industry was vibing with during the massive growth spurts of the last few decades. You can expect a deep dive into how WIRED has changed since then and her spicy takes on today's trillionaire class.
Following that, executive editor Brian Barrett and contributing editor Zoë Schiffer are jumping on a panel with senior correspondent Lauren Goode. The group is set to discuss Goode’s quest to identify exactly who holds the most power in Silicon Valley right now.
How to tune in
If you aren't currently in the Bay Area to catch the live recording, don't worry—the whole thing is being livestreamed. You can catch the action on the WIRED website.
Why it matters
It’s a reality check on the tech industry. By looking at how the "growth mindset" of the 2000s evolved into the current trillionaire-dominated landscape, WIRED is essentially asking: who actually holds the keys to the future, and what does that mean for the rest of us? Lowkey, listening to industry veterans critique the current power structure is the best way to separate the tech hype from the actual impact.
