2024 was another year defined by generative AI, with software features put into the hands of millions of people worldwide and unavoidably built into popular services, like Google Search. While some AI tools, like ChatGPTâs Advanced Voice Mode and Googleâs NotebookLM, were delightful to interact with, the prevailing narrative remained on the technologyâs inherent flaws, with rampant hallucinations and continued questions about proper data training.
I mean, who could forget about Shrimp Jesus and other surreal, AI-generated images spreading across Facebook? Or when AI Overviews told Google users it was OK to eat rocks in moderation as well as put glue on pizza? It was a year where bizarre AI-generated content felt everywhere.
Here at WIRED, 2024 was full of juicy investigations, deep conversations, and thorough gadget reviews. This quiz looking back at our journalism throughout the year captures only a small portion of all the hard work and fantastic pieces from my colleagues. With that in mind, I hope itâs an interesting way for readers to reflect on what has often felt like a chaotic year. Links are included at the bottom, after the end of the quiz, for further reading and to learn more about any of the 10 questions you may have missed.
For further reading, hereâs every article referenced in our quiz:
Question 1: Rabbit R1 Review: Skip This AI-Powered Hardware Assistant | WIRED
Question 2: The Willy Wonka Eventâs Lead Actor Speaks Out: âIt Was Just Gibberishâ | WIRED
Question 3: Jeffrey Epsteinâs Island Visitors Exposed by Data Broker | WIRED
Question 4: The Solar Eclipse Is the Super Bowl for Conspiracists | WIRED
Question 5: Huge Microsoft Outage Linked to CrowdStrike Takes Down Computers Around the World | WIRED
Question 6: J.D. Vance Left His Venmo Public. Hereâs What It Shows | WIRED
Question 7: Neuralinkâs First User Is âConstantly Multitaskingâ With His Brain Implant | WIRED
Question 8: Wear This AI Friend Around Your Neck | WIRED
Question 9 : Workers Say They Were Tricked and Threatened as Part of Elon Muskâs Get-Out-the-Vote Effort | WIRED
Question 10: AI’s Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet’s Hyper-Consumption Era | WIRED