Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 16h

It's so so good!!!!! Enjoy ❤️

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 6d

Have you been emotionally manipulated by an AI chatbot?
Some chatbots created as companions are guilt-tripping people to stop them from saying goodbye, @willknight.bsky.social explores why www.wired.com/story/chatbo...

Chatbots Play With Your Emotions to Avoid Saying Goodbye

A Harvard Business School study shows that several AI companions use various tricks to keep a conversation from ending.

www.wired.com

2 4

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

Zeyi Yang 杨泽毅 @zeyiyang.bsky.social · 7d

In college, I'd always walk past an unremarkable store in Beijing that sold a variety of trendy, but tacky, toys. That store has turned into Pop Mart, the $45-billion Chinese toy empire behind Labubu, the biggest global fad of 2025.

This is my big story/pilgrimage trip to explain how they got here

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

www.wired.com

1 41 140

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 20d

Oh Andrew my heart
goes out to you. What a difficult decision to make. RIP little fella ❤️

3

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 20d

Environmentalists joined pro-Palestine and pro-Ukraine groups and those defending human rights to march. They all told me that what unites them is opposition to Trump's politics.
Clive from Extinction Rebellion said: "If we weren’t here, he’d be coming down the Mall. We are here to stop him.”

3 16

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 20d

I covered the protests in London against Trump for @wired.com. Protesters aren't convinced by the AI deal from US tech giants: They want to know what the UK is giving them in exchange for up to $45bn in investment and where the power for data centers will come from www.wired.com/story/climat...

Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal

Thousands marched in London to protest President Donald Trump’s second state visit. Among them were many environmental activists unhappy with Britain’s new AI deal with the US.

www.wired.com

9 56 190

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 21d

Spent some time with Jensen Huang this morning and let's just say some stuff came up a lot
www.wired.com/story/jensen...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Is Bananas for Google Gemini’s AI Image Generator

The Nvidia CEO reveals his consuming love for Google’s image generator, the artsy side of Grok, and what exactly he uses Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT for right now.

www.wired.com

2 12 43

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 22d

I'm his editor and can confirm, he is an absolute legend

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 23d

WIRED @wired.com · 23d

Over 200 contractors who work on improving Google’s AI products, including Gemini and AI Overviews, have been laid off, sources tell WIRED. It’s the latest development in a conflict over pay and alleged poor working conditions. www.wired.com/story/hundre...

Hundreds of Google AI Workers Were Fired Amid Fight Over Working Conditions

Over 200 contractors who work on improving Google’s AI products, including Gemini and AI Overviews, have been laid off, sources tell WIRED. It’s the latest development in a conflict over pay and alleged...

www.wired.com

4 30 86

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · 23d

NEW: OpenAI is putting together a team capable of developing algorithms to control robots and appears to be hiring roboticists who work specifically on humanoids. Great piece from @willknight.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/openai...

OpenAI Ramps Up Robotics Work in Race Toward AGI

The company behind ChatGPT is putting together a team capable of developing algorithms to control robots and appears to be hiring roboticists who work specifically on humanoids.

www.wired.com

3 5 20

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Sep 5

If you haven't subscribed already, join us! It's going to be a wild ride www.wired.com/newsletter/e...

Sign up for WIRED's premium newsletters

WIRED's premium newsletters will showcase top-quality reporting and analysis, written by correspondents who are deeply sourced experts in their field.

www.wired.com

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Sep 5

NEW AI Lab this week: an AI-powered version of Atlas (Boston Dynamic's biped dancing robot) is demonstrating some surprising new improvisational skills to complete task—a significant step toward general-purpose robot algorithms. www.wired.com/story/this-h...

This Robot Only Needs a Single AI Model to Master Humanlike Movements

Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ dancing humanoid, can now use a single model for walking and grasping—a significant step toward general-purpose robot algorithms.

www.wired.com

2 1

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Aug 4

hmmmmmmm www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

2

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

Joel Khalili @joelkhalili.bsky.social · Jul 24

**THREAD**

Yesterday, WIRED launched a shiny new subscription package!

On top of all of our journalism, subscribers now get five premium newsletters, access to AMAs with reporters, and narrated articles.

I cover crypto for WIRED. Here are some of my favourite stories from the past twelve months:

1 9 67

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Jul 24

New from @joelkhalili.bsky.social: There was a time when crypto firms claimed to be out in the cold... now, under Trump's crypto regime, they're being courted by traditional banks willing to do business www.wired.com/story/the-gr...

The Great Crypto Re-Banking Has Begun

For years, crypto firms complained about being “debanked” in the US. Under the Trump administration, a group of fintechs is rolling out the red carpet.

www.wired.com

2 2

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Jul 23

New from @knibbs.bsky.social today: people are being asked in interviews whether they're willing to work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week FOREVER if they want to get a job in some US AI startups. This is just wild
www.wired.com/story/silico...

Silicon Valley AI Startups Are Embracing China’s Controversial ‘996’ Work Schedule

In an industry once known for cushy perks, some founders are now asking staff to commit to a 72-hour weekly schedule. You’re either in or you’re out.

www.wired.com

1 6

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Jul 23

New: Trump's AI Action Plan continues the crusade against “woke” AI, recommending that federal procurement guidelines are updated so that only AI companies that “ensure that their systems are objective and free from top-down ideological bias” are given contracts. www.wired.com/story/trumps...

Trump’s AI Action Plan Is a Crusade Against ‘Bias’—and Regulation

The Trump administration’s new AI policy blueprint calls for limited regulation and lots of leeway for Big Tech to grow even bigger.

www.wired.com

9 18 39

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Jul 21

Remember Mark Zuckerberg's plan to raise cattle on macadamia nuts and beer? Well...
www.wired.com/story/mark-z...

Mark Zuckerberg Is Expanding His Secretive Hawaii Compound. Part of It Sits Atop a Burial Ground

Meta’s CEO has become one of the biggest landowners in Hawaii, growing his property’s footprint and erecting new mysterious buildings.

www.wired.com

5 6

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala.bsky.social · May 21

New from me: The Enhanced Games, a version of the Olympics where you're allowed to take drugs, has announced a host city (Las Vegas), a date (next May) and a that an 'enhanced' athlete has set a world record in the 50m freestyle!

www.wired.com/story/the-en...

The Enhanced Games Has A Date, A Host City and a Drug-Fuelled World Record

The Enhanced Games, where athletes are allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, will host its first event in May. One "enhanced" former Olympic swimmer has already broken the 50m freestyle record.

www.wired.com

31 24 80

Natasha Bernal @natashabernal.bsky.social · Mar 26

Backstabbing! Sabotage! Spreadsheets! This story about how @joelkhalili.bsky.social went undercover to try to win a huge pot of crypto in a winner-takes-all game is so nerdy and fabulous pls read thanks www.wired.com/story/crypto...

I Went Undercover in Crypto’s Answer to ‘Squid Game.’ It Nearly Broke Me

I spent 10 days competing in Crypto: The Game, a winner-takes-all contest where hundreds of players try to finesse and backstab their way to claiming a $140,000 cryptocurrency prize.

www.wired.com

11

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

WIRED @wired.com · Mar 25

As the Trump administration continues its efforts to slash the US federal workforce, the team responsible for publishing data used in advanced research in astrophysics, nuclear fusion, and other fields appears to be on the chopping block.

Trump Admin Plans to Cut Team Responsible for Critical Atomic Measurement Data

The team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes measurement data crucial for advanced research in areas like astrophysics, nuclear fusion, and semiconductors.

wrd.cm

18 140 320

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · Mar 7

Exclusive: The White House is weighing measures to restrict Chinese artificial-intelligence upstart DeepSeek, including banning its chatbot from government devices

Exclusive | U.S. Likely to Ban Chinese App DeepSeek From Government Devices

The White House is weighing measures to restrict the artificial-intelligence upstart, including banning its chatbot from government devices.

www.wsj.com

6 10 16

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

makena kelly @makenakelly.bsky.social · Mar 6

The Social Security Administration banned its workers from reading WIRED (and other news pubs) on government devices.

from @davidgilbert.bsky.social
www.wired.com/story/social...

Social Security Workers Aren't Allowed to Read This Story

New internet restrictions at the embattled SSA have cut off access to WIRED, along with other “general news” websites like The Washington Post and The New York Times.

www.wired.com

20 120 420

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

Kate Knibbs @knibbs.bsky.social · Mar 4

SCOOP: Some of the DOGE staffers are drawing salaries from the agencies they are cutting. We got some new details: www.wired.com/story/doge-g...

Some DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries

Engineers and executives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing healthy taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.

www.wired.com

70 1.2K 2.1K

Reposted by Natasha Bernal

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · Feb 25

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restart the refugee admissions program that legally resettles people from across the globe, which the president had ordered shut down on his first day in office

Judge Overturns Trump Order Blocking Refugee Admissions

A lawsuit had argued the president overstepped his authority in shutting down the resettlement program.

www.wsj.com

4 52 170