WIRED puts AI, data centers and tech money at heart of 2026 midterms
An election watch list shifts attention from conventional campaign themes to technology forces around candidates — including data centers, AI lobbying and Elon Musk funding.
Topic: #AI
10 storiesReporting and analysis grouped around #AI.
Period:
Vesta raises $30M to expand AI software for mortgage lenders
AI-native mortgage software startup Vesta has raised a $30 million funding round led by Conversion Capital as it develops tools designed to help lenders originate home loans.
Humanoid robot hype faces AI roadblocks, MIT Technology Review says
Advances in artificial intelligence are driving fresh excitement around humanoid robots, but major technical barriers mean the machines are unlikely to reshape everyday life soon.
Amazon renames its tablets Alexa, putting AI at the centre of its iPad challenge
Amazon has introduced Alexa Tablets, abandoning the Fire name used for its tablet range for 15 years and placing its Alexa Plus assistant at the heart of the new product strategy.
Artificial uses Sam Altman satire to probe power in AI culture
Luca Guadagnino’s film brings a sharp satirical lens to the Sam Altman story, using a real-world AI power struggle to ask who controls technology and why.
Can Meta's Muse or OpenAI's Dots be trusted to manage daily life?
The consumer AI-agent race is moving beyond enthusiast-built tools, reviving difficult questions about delegated access, personal data exposure and whether users can retain meaningful control.
Why an AI-enabled future can be better for founders and builders
The most persuasive case for AI is not that it replaces human ambition, but that it lowers the cost of turning expertise, curiosity and small teams into useful products.
Google brings cross-app Gemini agent to enterprise workflows
Google has unveiled a Gemini agent intended to handle work tasks across applications and devices, giving enterprise users a single interface for assigning and tracking requests.
October Prime Day discounts linger on Apple hardware and Sony devices
Many of Amazon's strongest October Prime Day discounts remain available after the sale's formal close, including price cuts on selected Apple computers, earbuds and Sony products.
Alexa Plus advances as a household assistant but falls short as a life manager
Amazon’s updated assistant can turn an Echo Show into an unexpectedly emotional household device, creating family photo comparisons, but a hands-on review finds its broader personal-assistant promise remains unfinished.