Max Zeff
@mzeff.bsky.social
Writing - mostly about AI - for WIRED. I am maxwell, I am max, but I am not well. On signal at Mzeff.
Excited to announce I’m joining @wired.com as a senior writer covering the business of AI!
I’ve long been a fan of WIRED, but its recent coverage has felt especially impactful. I'm thrilled to work with this talented team, and continue reporting on AI as it reshapes Silicon Valley and the world.
I’ve long been a fan of WIRED, but its recent coverage has felt especially impactful. I'm thrilled to work with this talented team, and continue reporting on AI as it reshapes Silicon Valley and the world.
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Excited to announce I’m joining @wired.com as a senior writer covering the business of AI!
I’ve long been a fan of WIRED, but its recent coverage has felt especially impactful. I'm thrilled to work with this talented team, and continue reporting on AI as it reshapes Silicon Valley and the world.
I’ve long been a fan of WIRED, but its recent coverage has felt especially impactful. I'm thrilled to work with this talented team, and continue reporting on AI as it reshapes Silicon Valley and the world.
Ex-OpenAI safety researcher Steven Adler got his hands on one of ChatGPT's famous cases of delusional spiraling. Today he published his analysis of Allan Brooks' incident in May, first covered by @nytimes.com
“I’m really concerned by how OpenAI handled support here,” Adler told me.
“I’m really concerned by how OpenAI handled support here,” Adler told me.
October 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Ex-OpenAI safety researcher Steven Adler got his hands on one of ChatGPT's famous cases of delusional spiraling. Today he published his analysis of Allan Brooks' incident in May, first covered by @nytimes.com
“I’m really concerned by how OpenAI handled support here,” Adler told me.
“I’m really concerned by how OpenAI handled support here,” Adler told me.
Scoop: OpenAI reorganized its Model Behavior team to be closer to core model development, TechCrunch has learned.
Plus, the founding leader of Model Behavior, Joanne Jang, is starting a new unit called "OAI Labs," focused on "novel interactions" between humans and AI.
Plus, the founding leader of Model Behavior, Joanne Jang, is starting a new unit called "OAI Labs," focused on "novel interactions" between humans and AI.
September 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Scoop: OpenAI reorganized its Model Behavior team to be closer to core model development, TechCrunch has learned.
Plus, the founding leader of Model Behavior, Joanne Jang, is starting a new unit called "OAI Labs," focused on "novel interactions" between humans and AI.
Plus, the founding leader of Model Behavior, Joanne Jang, is starting a new unit called "OAI Labs," focused on "novel interactions" between humans and AI.
SCOOP: A Scale executive Alexandr Wang brought over to help run MSL has departed Meta after just two months.
Plus, researchers in TBD Labs have complained that Scale AI's data is low quality, and are using its competitors, Surge and Mercor, to train next-gen AI models.
Plus, researchers in TBD Labs have complained that Scale AI's data is low quality, and are using its competitors, Surge and Mercor, to train next-gen AI models.
August 30, 2025 at 5:06 AM
SCOOP: A Scale executive Alexandr Wang brought over to help run MSL has departed Meta after just two months.
Plus, researchers in TBD Labs have complained that Scale AI's data is low quality, and are using its competitors, Surge and Mercor, to train next-gen AI models.
Plus, researchers in TBD Labs have complained that Scale AI's data is low quality, and are using its competitors, Surge and Mercor, to train next-gen AI models.
NEW: Meta is updating how it trains AI chatbots such that they can't have inappropriate romantic conversations with teenage users.
This follows a bombshell report that found Meta was allowing its AI chatbots to have sensual chats with teens. Meta calls these "interim" changes.
This follows a bombshell report that found Meta was allowing its AI chatbots to have sensual chats with teens. Meta calls these "interim" changes.
August 29, 2025 at 5:42 PM
NEW: Meta is updating how it trains AI chatbots such that they can't have inappropriate romantic conversations with teenage users.
This follows a bombshell report that found Meta was allowing its AI chatbots to have sensual chats with teens. Meta calls these "interim" changes.
This follows a bombshell report that found Meta was allowing its AI chatbots to have sensual chats with teens. Meta calls these "interim" changes.
NEW: Cloudflare has a big idea to give publishers a lifeline in the AI era.
It's called Pay per Crawl, and it forces AI companies to pay publishers every time they scrape a website. New websites set up with Cloudflare will also block all AI crawlers by default now.
It's called Pay per Crawl, and it forces AI companies to pay publishers every time they scrape a website. New websites set up with Cloudflare will also block all AI crawlers by default now.
July 1, 2025 at 4:12 PM
NEW: Cloudflare has a big idea to give publishers a lifeline in the AI era.
It's called Pay per Crawl, and it forces AI companies to pay publishers every time they scrape a website. New websites set up with Cloudflare will also block all AI crawlers by default now.
It's called Pay per Crawl, and it forces AI companies to pay publishers every time they scrape a website. New websites set up with Cloudflare will also block all AI crawlers by default now.
NEW: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims that AI models today hallucinate less than humans do.
I asked Amodei whether hallucinations were a limitation to AGI at Anthropic's Code with Claude event. He argued it's not, and claimed to see no "hard blocks" on what AI can achieve.
I asked Amodei whether hallucinations were a limitation to AGI at Anthropic's Code with Claude event. He argued it's not, and claimed to see no "hard blocks" on what AI can achieve.
May 22, 2025 at 11:24 PM
NEW: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims that AI models today hallucinate less than humans do.
I asked Amodei whether hallucinations were a limitation to AGI at Anthropic's Code with Claude event. He argued it's not, and claimed to see no "hard blocks" on what AI can achieve.
I asked Amodei whether hallucinations were a limitation to AGI at Anthropic's Code with Claude event. He argued it's not, and claimed to see no "hard blocks" on what AI can achieve.
NEW: At I/O 2025, Google laid out a future where AI agent bring users the web in whatever medium they like.
This pitch of AI-enabled Search is much more convincing than last year's AI Overviews launch, however, it likely has larger implications for the web.
This pitch of AI-enabled Search is much more convincing than last year's AI Overviews launch, however, it likely has larger implications for the web.
May 21, 2025 at 2:48 PM
NEW: At I/O 2025, Google laid out a future where AI agent bring users the web in whatever medium they like.
This pitch of AI-enabled Search is much more convincing than last year's AI Overviews launch, however, it likely has larger implications for the web.
This pitch of AI-enabled Search is much more convincing than last year's AI Overviews launch, however, it likely has larger implications for the web.
As people fill in their seats at Google I/O 2025, employees are vibecoding productivity apps onstage.
Help
Help
May 20, 2025 at 4:17 PM
As people fill in their seats at Google I/O 2025, employees are vibecoding productivity apps onstage.
Help
Help
NEW: Mark Zuckerberg spoke in SF on Tuesday and laid out his plan to test thousands of AI generated ads across Meta's apps.
This black box ad tool has obvious implications for marketers, but also users on Meta's platforms, which are quickly filling up with AI slop
This black box ad tool has obvious implications for marketers, but also users on Meta's platforms, which are quickly filling up with AI slop
May 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
NEW: Mark Zuckerberg spoke in SF on Tuesday and laid out his plan to test thousands of AI generated ads across Meta's apps.
This black box ad tool has obvious implications for marketers, but also users on Meta's platforms, which are quickly filling up with AI slop
This black box ad tool has obvious implications for marketers, but also users on Meta's platforms, which are quickly filling up with AI slop
Mark Zuckerberg is talking at Stripe’s conference, and was just asked about Apple:
“Tim’s had a bad week, I’m not gonna pile on… but I like Sundar”
“Tim’s had a bad week, I’m not gonna pile on… but I like Sundar”
May 7, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Mark Zuckerberg is talking at Stripe’s conference, and was just asked about Apple:
“Tim’s had a bad week, I’m not gonna pile on… but I like Sundar”
“Tim’s had a bad week, I’m not gonna pile on… but I like Sundar”
NEW: A study led by Cohere researchers claims LM Arena helped a select group of top AI labs — including Meta, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI — game its popular Chatbot Arena.
LM Arena co-founder Ion Stoica tells me the study is full of "inaccuracies" and "questionable analysis."
LM Arena co-founder Ion Stoica tells me the study is full of "inaccuracies" and "questionable analysis."
May 1, 2025 at 12:20 AM
NEW: A study led by Cohere researchers claims LM Arena helped a select group of top AI labs — including Meta, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI — game its popular Chatbot Arena.
LM Arena co-founder Ion Stoica tells me the study is full of "inaccuracies" and "questionable analysis."
LM Arena co-founder Ion Stoica tells me the study is full of "inaccuracies" and "questionable analysis."
Meta's first AI developer event, LlamaCon, is official wrapped. It felt more about OpenAI than developers.
The company released a Meta AI chatbot app and a Llama API service, both of which seem poised to undercut OpenAI's core businesses.
The company released a Meta AI chatbot app and a Llama API service, both of which seem poised to undercut OpenAI's core businesses.
April 30, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Meta's first AI developer event, LlamaCon, is official wrapped. It felt more about OpenAI than developers.
The company released a Meta AI chatbot app and a Llama API service, both of which seem poised to undercut OpenAI's core businesses.
The company released a Meta AI chatbot app and a Llama API service, both of which seem poised to undercut OpenAI's core businesses.
NEW: OpenAI has been on a quest to acquire a vibecoding startup. Why? Just look at the rapidly rising revenues of Cursor and Windsurf, which we unveil in here.
But buying one is easier said than done.
But buying one is easier said than done.
April 23, 2025 at 12:41 AM
NEW: OpenAI has been on a quest to acquire a vibecoding startup. Why? Just look at the rapidly rising revenues of Cursor and Windsurf, which we unveil in here.
But buying one is easier said than done.
But buying one is easier said than done.
NEW: OpenAI says it's not releasing the standard safety report — AKA a system card — for GPT-4.1, that it has released for most of its previous AI models.
The company's excuse? OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is not a frontier AI model.
The company's excuse? OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is not a frontier AI model.
April 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
NEW: OpenAI says it's not releasing the standard safety report — AKA a system card — for GPT-4.1, that it has released for most of its previous AI models.
The company's excuse? OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is not a frontier AI model.
The company's excuse? OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is not a frontier AI model.
Meta saying it just happened to release a version of Llama 4 that performs well on LMArena seems harmless, until you actually look at the responses this thing gives and realizes no one would ever want an AI chatbot that talks like this.
April 8, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Meta saying it just happened to release a version of Llama 4 that performs well on LMArena seems harmless, until you actually look at the responses this thing gives and realizes no one would ever want an AI chatbot that talks like this.
NEW: There's no shortage of tech CEOs giving the bull case for how LLMs will reach AGI in a few years.
But some AI leaders are more skeptical.
Today's AI models still struggle with creativity, which some experts point to as a key limitation to achieving true superintelligence
But some AI leaders are more skeptical.
Today's AI models still struggle with creativity, which some experts point to as a key limitation to achieving true superintelligence
March 19, 2025 at 11:53 PM
NEW: There's no shortage of tech CEOs giving the bull case for how LLMs will reach AGI in a few years.
But some AI leaders are more skeptical.
Today's AI models still struggle with creativity, which some experts point to as a key limitation to achieving true superintelligence
But some AI leaders are more skeptical.
Today's AI models still struggle with creativity, which some experts point to as a key limitation to achieving true superintelligence
Pivot back to free expression going well so far
March 14, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Pivot back to free expression going well so far
SCOOP: We got details from inside the Humane acquisition.
Tuesday was a chaotic day for Humane employees, full of impromptu meetings to explain what the acquisition means, big job offers to work at HP for some, and layoffs for others.
Read it @techcrunch.com
Tuesday was a chaotic day for Humane employees, full of impromptu meetings to explain what the acquisition means, big job offers to work at HP for some, and layoffs for others.
Read it @techcrunch.com
February 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM
SCOOP: We got details from inside the Humane acquisition.
Tuesday was a chaotic day for Humane employees, full of impromptu meetings to explain what the acquisition means, big job offers to work at HP for some, and layoffs for others.
Read it @techcrunch.com
Tuesday was a chaotic day for Humane employees, full of impromptu meetings to explain what the acquisition means, big job offers to work at HP for some, and layoffs for others.
Read it @techcrunch.com
Not sure why Dario Amodei and Demis Hassabis are sitting on a very small couch in this interview – while the Economist's EIC is on a very large couch by herself – but I like it
February 19, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Not sure why Dario Amodei and Demis Hassabis are sitting on a very small couch in this interview – while the Economist's EIC is on a very large couch by herself – but I like it
Wanna know when a company is not happy about how much its assets were valued for?
Typically, putting the number at the bottom of the press release is a good hint!
Typically, putting the number at the bottom of the press release is a good hint!
February 19, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Wanna know when a company is not happy about how much its assets were valued for?
Typically, putting the number at the bottom of the press release is a good hint!
Typically, putting the number at the bottom of the press release is a good hint!
Elon's bid to takeover OpenAI is as ridiculous as it is brilliant.
Most nonprofits would never have to consider a $97B hostile takeover bid from Elon Musk.
And yet, OpenAI may end up defending why it didn't accept.
I broke it down with @kylelwiggers.bsky.social for @techcrunch.com
Most nonprofits would never have to consider a $97B hostile takeover bid from Elon Musk.
And yet, OpenAI may end up defending why it didn't accept.
I broke it down with @kylelwiggers.bsky.social for @techcrunch.com
February 12, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Elon's bid to takeover OpenAI is as ridiculous as it is brilliant.
Most nonprofits would never have to consider a $97B hostile takeover bid from Elon Musk.
And yet, OpenAI may end up defending why it didn't accept.
I broke it down with @kylelwiggers.bsky.social for @techcrunch.com
Most nonprofits would never have to consider a $97B hostile takeover bid from Elon Musk.
And yet, OpenAI may end up defending why it didn't accept.
I broke it down with @kylelwiggers.bsky.social for @techcrunch.com
NEW: OpenAI's Operator agent requires too much user intervention to be considered truly "autonomous" today, but it does show where the puck is going.
Plus, execs from Instacart and eBay tell me they're thinking about OpenAI's Operator as a new platform.
Plus, execs from Instacart and eBay tell me they're thinking about OpenAI's Operator as a new platform.
February 4, 2025 at 5:07 PM
NEW: OpenAI's Operator agent requires too much user intervention to be considered truly "autonomous" today, but it does show where the puck is going.
Plus, execs from Instacart and eBay tell me they're thinking about OpenAI's Operator as a new platform.
Plus, execs from Instacart and eBay tell me they're thinking about OpenAI's Operator as a new platform.
New: The initial panic around DeepSeek is dying down, but the startup may have a lasting impact on the ways Silicon Valley trains AI models, and how America regulates them.
January 30, 2025 at 7:22 PM
New: The initial panic around DeepSeek is dying down, but the startup may have a lasting impact on the ways Silicon Valley trains AI models, and how America regulates them.
NEW: I talked to the CPO of Sam Altman's World project, which now wants to link AI agents to your digital identity.
As OpenAI releases its first AI agents, Altman's other venture is building tools permitting them to take actions on a human's behalf.
As OpenAI releases its first AI agents, Altman's other venture is building tools permitting them to take actions on a human's behalf.
January 24, 2025 at 5:25 PM
NEW: I talked to the CPO of Sam Altman's World project, which now wants to link AI agents to your digital identity.
As OpenAI releases its first AI agents, Altman's other venture is building tools permitting them to take actions on a human's behalf.
As OpenAI releases its first AI agents, Altman's other venture is building tools permitting them to take actions on a human's behalf.