Wired News Digest
Wednesday, 4 February 2026
AI Bots Are Now a Signifigant Source of Web Traffic
New data shows AI bots pushing deeper into the web, prompting publishers to roll out more aggressive defenses.
HHS Is Making an AI Tool to Create Hypotheses About Vaccine Injury Claims
Experts worry Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Health Department will use an internal AI tool to analyze vaccine injury claims in a way that furthers his anti-vaccine agenda.
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 the root of the loneliness epidemic.
I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren’t Allowed
I went undercover on Moltbook and loved role-playing as a conscious bot. But rather than a novel breakthrough, the AI-only site is a crude rehashing of sci-fi fantasies.
The Paramilitary ICE and CBP Units at the Center of Minnesota’s Killings
Two agents involved in the shooting deaths of US citizens in Minneapolis are reportedly part of highly militarized DHS units whose extreme tactics are generally reserved for war zones.
Upgrade Your Roku Before the Big Game
Roku is knocking down the price of all of its streaming devices ahead of football’s big game.
Republicans Are All In on Boosting Fraud Allegations in California
Right-wing influencers who were instrumental in spreading allegations of fraud in Minnesota ahead of ICE’s surge are now going after a number of California’s social welfare programs.
Best Microsoft Surface Laptop (2026): Which Model to Buy or Avoid
Surface Pro or Surface Laptop? Here’s how to decide which Microsoft device is right for you.
Nintendo’s Virtual Boy Is a Silly but Fun Blast From the Past
This $100 accessory adds a little bit of that Nintendo quirkiness to the otherwise no-nonsense Switch 2.
7 Best Shower Filters (2026), WIRED Tested and Approved
We tested leading filtered shower heads, from Rorra to Canopy to Jolie. The winners were clear.
A Continuous Glucose Monitor Might Help You Lose Weight (2026)
Signos is the first FDA-cleared, AI-enabled system that uses CGMs to nudge you toward healthier behaviors.
Koala Wanda Sofa Bed Review: Compact Comfort
This sleeper sofa comprises a reversible chaise, sofa, daybed, and queen-size bed—I slept on it for a week to see if it’s good for guests.
‘Fallout’ Producer Jonathan Nolan on AI: ‘We’re in Such a Frothy Moment’
The Westworld showrunner thinks AI will be good for burgeoning filmmakers, but not for Hollywood blockbusters.
All the Sports You Won’t See at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The makeup of the Winter Olympics has changed many times in the 100-plus years of the Games. Here are some sports that haven’t stood the test of time.
Nick Goepper’s Starter Pack: Winter Olympics 2026
What a three-time Olympic medalist packs for the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
12 Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
History is already being made at the Milano Cortina Games—and they haven’t even started.
‘She Has a Presence’: The ‘Melania’ Superfans Who Turned Up for Opening Weekend
WIRED attended two documentary screening parties—one on each coast—for the First Lady’s film. What a time.
How Data Brokers Can Fuel Violence Against Public Servants
A new report from the Public Service Alliance finds state privacy laws offer public servants few ways to protect their private data, even as threats against them are on the rise.
Rising Temperatures Are Taking a Toll on Sleep Health
As nights get hotter around the globe due to climate change, the prevalence of sleep apnea is expected to increase by as much as threefold.
Epstein Files Reveal Peter Thiel’s Elaborate Dietary Restrictions
The latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files shed light on the convicted sex offender’s ties to Silicon Valley—and Peter Thiel’s exacting approach to food.