The buzzy, chatty, out-of-control rise of Clubhouse

PLUS: The secret AI auction, and reflections on the Atlanta shooting. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  03.21.21 In the late afternoon on Wednesday, I hopped on Clubhouse, the audio-only social network, to talk about Clubhouse. If you're an avid user of the app, you'll likely think "Of course!" and then roll your eyes a little. For the full year of its existence, people have regularly congregated on Clubhouse to discuss the future of the app itself. So when WIRED published editor-at-large Steven Levy's feature story on the wildly popular social network, Levy and I knew exactly where to talk about it. Clubhouse is a bit of a mystery. Its conversations are ephemeral: They only happen in real time, and you can't speed them up or replay them, locking you in the moment. Because it's still a young app, many of its features feel awkward or unfinished. Yet it's proven itself addictive enough to cultivate an enthusiastic, rapidly growing fanbase. All those new users have caused the app growing pains. It's not hard to find disinformation, extremist views, and racist language amid all the chatter on tech and cultural trends. Just like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, Clubhouse has to grapple with the hardest question in tech. How do you encourage civil interactions and tamp down on all the undesirable stuff? The difference for Clubhouse is that its cofounders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, have to face that monumental challenge from the very beginning. Levy interviewed Davison and Seth at length to see how they are steering the pandemic-perfect phenomenon they dreamed up. Sandra Upson | Features Editor, WIRED   The Buzzy, Chatty, Out-of-Control Rise of Clubhouse BY STEVEN LEVY | 23-MINUTE READ Paul Davison and Rohan Seth's audio-only app is the tech crush of the pandemic. Now comes the hard part: hosting a global gabfest, without the toxicity.   The Secret Auction that Set Off the Race for AI Supremacy BY CADE METZ | 12-MINUTE READ How the shape of deep learning—and the fate of the tech industry—went up for sale in Harrah's Room 731, on the shores of Lake Tahoe.   The Atlanta Shootings Made Me Stop Gaslighting Myself BY JERRINE TAN | 8-MINUTE READ My unarticulated suspicions about Asian women being objectified, dehumanized targets have been confirmed.   Bill Gates Is Upbeat on Climate, Capitalism, and Even Politics BY STEVEN LEVY | 11-MINUTE READ The technologist and philanthropist goes beyond his recent book to talk about climate denial, vaccines, and David Foster Wallace.   Wikipedia Is Finally Asking Big Tech to Pay Up BY NOAM COHEN | 5-MINUTE READ The Big Four all lean on the encyclopedia at no cost. With the launch of Wikimedia Enterprise, the volunteer project will change that—and possibly itself too.   Russia's Failure to Throttle Twitter Isn't a Sign of Weakness BY JUSTIN SHERMAN | 3-MINUTE READ Widely cast as an indication of frailty, the Kremlin's bungled crackdown shows the lengths it will go to to control the Russian internet. GET WIRED Save 66% on your subscription to WIRED. Get 1 year of WIRED for less than $1 per month, plus get a free tote! You can't see into the future, but you can subscribe to WIRED. Subscribe now.         This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.