Zoë Schiffer

AI position

No x-risk mention

Her AI coverage is framed around business, labor, and corporate power, not existential-risk arguments.

Why influential

Defines how AI and technology power are understood by policymakers, investors, researchers, workers and the broader press. Primary policy lanes: ai companies; labor; platforms; corporate power.

Who pays attention

Technology employees, regulators, labor advocates, investors, policymakers and specialist reporters

Work samples

• OpenAI's Fidji Simo Plans to Make ChatGPT Way More Useful—and Have You Pay For It

  Nov 17, 2025 · article

  Q&A with OpenAI CEO of Applications Fidji Simo on joining OpenAI, monetization, mental-health safeguards, and data center deals.

• Sam Altman Says ChatGPT Is on Track to Out-Talk Humanity

  Aug 15, 2025 · article

  Reporting from an on-the-record press dinner with Altman on GPT-5 backlash, AI bubble comments, and OpenAI's trillion-dollar spending plans.

• Sam Altman Slams Meta's AI Talent Poaching Spree: 'Missionaries Will Beat Mercenaries'

  Jul 1, 2025 · article

  Reported on a leaked internal OpenAI memo from Altman responding to Meta's AI hiring spree.

• xAI Was About to Land a Major Government Contract. Then Grok Praised Hitler

  Jul 1, 2025 · article

  Coverage of xAI's Grok controversy and its effect on a pending federal contract.

• Why Anthropic Shut Down Its Best AI (Special News Update)

  Jun 15, 2026 · podcast

  Uncanny Valley segment with Brian Barrett covering export controls affecting Anthropic's advanced models; episode-catalog page used as URL, no dedicated episode page found.

AI-world contacts

• Sam Altman — CEO, OpenAI

  • Quoted / citeddirectness unclassified · Aug 15, 2025 — One of several reporters at an on-the-record OpenAI press dinner in San Francisco; quoted Altman directly on GPT-5, the AI bubble, and spending plans.
  • Wrote aboutdirectness unclassified · Jul 1, 2025 — Reported on a leaked internal Altman memo responding to Meta's AI talent poaching, quoting from the memo text.

• Fidji Simo — CEO of Applications, OpenAI

  • Wrote aboutdirectness unclassified — Sat for an on-the-record Q&A with Schiffer at WIRED covering OpenAI product strategy, monetization, and ChatGPT mental-health safeguards, published Nov 17 2025.