The AI IPO Race Heats Up, DOGE Whistleblower Sues Elon Musk, and Instagram Gets Hacked

This week on Uncanny Valley, we discuss why the race among the top AI companies to go public has just gotten started but is already creating bizarre repercussions—including numerous San Francisco real estate listings preferring Anthropic stock instead of cash. They also get into why Donald Trump’s new executive order on AI safety is underwhelming and how hackers were able to use Instagram’s AI chatbot to access high-profile accounts like President Barack Obama’s. Plus, we report on how a DOGE whistleblower is suing Elon Musk for defamation after the billionaire publicly called him a liar—and the next thing he knew, his life was in danger.

You can follow Brian Barrett on Bluesky at @brbarrett, Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky at @zoeschiffer, and Leah Feiger on Bluesky at @leahfeiger. Write to us at [email protected].

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Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.

Brian Barrett: Hey, this is Brian. Before we start, two quick things. If you've been enjoying listening to the show, we would appreciate it if you took a second to rate it in your podcast app of choice. It really helps us reach more people. And second, if you have any questions related to tech, privacy, or politics that you would like me, Zoë, and Leah to take on, now is the time to submit them to [email protected]. It doesn't matter how big or how small, we want to hear from you and get you answers. OK, on to the show.

Zoë Schiffer: I know. You're not even supposed to be here, but you're here.

Brian Barrett: Couldn't miss it. I am out this week, technically. I'm at the beach with my parents and my family, and we're playing a lot of mini golf. That's basically it.

Leah Feiger: That's pretty good stuff though. Who's winning?

Zoë Schiffer: Welcome to WIRED's Uncanny Valley. I'm Zoë Schiffer, director of business and industry.

Leah Feiger: And I'm Leah Feiger, director of politics and science.

Zoë Schiffer: Today on the show, we're diving into the IPO bonanza that the top AI companies are embarking on to the point where some real estate listings in San Francisco are looking for not just regular old cash but something that is considered even more valuable right now: stock in Anthropic and OpenAI. The madness is honestly just beginning.

Leah Feiger: And this week the Trump administration announced an executive order asking AI companies to give the federal government access to their mos