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Cross the local bureaucratic comedy of Parks and Recreation with the small-town strangeness of Twin Peaks, and you'll get a sense of the singular tone of Apple TV's new genre gem Widow's Bay.

SEE ALSO: Everything coming to Apple TV in 2026

Created by Katie Dippold, herself a writer for Parks and Recreation, the series artfully blends horror and comedy to create an enthralling portrait of a town you'll want to get lost in... even if some of its locals would advise you to run the hell away.

What's Widow's Bay about? Matthew Rhys in "Widow's Bay." Credit: Apple TV

A charming island 40 miles off the coast of New England, Widow's Bay has a lot going for it. It boasts picturesque coastal views, invigorating ocean breezes, and atmospheric fog banks that have absolutely nothing hiding in them, do you hear me?

At least, that's what Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) has to say. He's trying to turn Widow's Bay into the next Martha's Vineyard, a quest that locals like former fisherman Wyck (Stephen Root) threaten to derail with their claims that Widow's Bay is cursed.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (April 24, 2026)

Tom initially brushes Wyck and his allies off in favor of bringing in tourists. It's a page straight from the playbook of Mayor Vaughn from Jaws, which Widow's Bay pays loving homage to throughout. However, when haunts start knocking at his door, Tom has to face the truth: There's something truly sinister at work on the island, and it's only getting worse.

Widow's Bay is a wonderfully frightening watch. Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root in "Widow's Bay." Credit: Apple TV

To pull off its many scares, Widow's Bay draws inspiration from a wide range of horror iconography. Stephen King's influence hangs over the series like the town's unshakeable mist, present in everything from the New England setting to the show's title font, a clear nod to the style of his earlier covers.

The aforementioned Jaws plays a huge role, too, and not just because of Tom's role as a skeptical, tourism-hungry mayor. (To Tom's credit, he's far less willing to put people in danger for the sake of money than Mayor Vaughn.) Root's salty veteran sailor Wyck bears shades of Jaws' Quint, and an episode devoted to a cursed ocean outing recalls Jaws' third act. But the biggest lesson Widow's Bay takes from Stephen Spielberg's horror classic is the fear of the unknown. Just as Jaws generates suspense by holding off on showing us its biggest threat until later in the runtime, so too does Widow's Bay keep its viewers in the dark about its many frights.

SEE ALSO: 'Hokum' review: I screamed myself hoarse at Adam Scott's new horror movie

And what darkness it is! Visually, Widow's Bay thrives in rich, inky black tones where you can crucially still make out every little detail, a rarity in TV nowadays and a testament to the show's production team and crew. Series directors Hiro Murai (Atlanta), Sam Donovan (Severance), Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), and Ti West (the X trilogy) weaponize this darkness — along with fog and ocean depths — to its fullest obscuring extent. That expert build-up of tension made the subsequent reveals hit all the harder, to the point that I couldn't get through an episode without screaming or cackling. (Or, most often, some mix of both.)

Widow's Bay nails the balance between scares and laughs. Kate O'Flynn in "Widow's Bay." Credit: Apple TV

Widow's Bay's scares pull from sailor superstitions, classic slashers, and more, but they never feel cheap. That's because the series roots them firmly in its characters' anxieties, like Tom's worries about tourism, or town hall staffer Patricia's (Kate O'Flynn) desperate need to be liked. (She's so desperate, in fact, that she may have falsely claimed to be the sole survivor of a serial killer who murdered some of her high school classmates.)

The latter produces a series highlight, an episode where a frantic Patricia attempts to host the perfect party. The social isolation she faces from her disdainful former classmates is just as wince-worthy as the uncanny events surrounding the event, resulting in a one-two punch of cringe comedy and horror.

Widow's Bay often operates in that sweet spot between horror and comedy, which tends more toward the dry and bizarre than Dippold's previous work on sitcoms like Parks and Recreation or comedy films like Ghostbusters (2016). Instead of cracking jokes at a mile per minute, Widow's Bay finds the funny in the eerie. Think historical wax figures, a cursed party game called "Teeth," and sight gags about cannibalism.

Widow's Bay's central trio of Rhys, Root, and O'Flynn play these occurrences as straight as they can, adding further to the show's brand of offbeat strangeness. Rhys and Root are tremendous foils as a skeptic and believer forced to work together. And O'Flynn proves an absolute scene stealer as Patricia, marrying her hilarious scorn for others with the genuine pain of being scorned right back.

The rest of Widow's Bay's ensemble, which includes Somebody Somewhere's Emmy-winning Jeff Hiller, Dale Dickey, and several surprising guest stars, further builds out the town of Widow's Bay. Their efforts, as well as the weatherbeaten production design by Steve Arnold (Midnight Mass, another superb cursed island series), turn Widow's Bay into a real town. You can almost taste the salt air (or hear the screams of cursed souls in the distance) just by watching.

In the end, the town of Widow's Bay is as deliciously odd as the show itself. What begins with a bit of a haunt-of-the-week structure soon evolves into a deeper unraveling of Widow's Bay's darkest secrets, as well as the choices that kept them in place. While I'd love for the show to return to its haunt-of-the-week mode occasionally, I also adore what it became. That it can pull off this transformation is proof of its sheer uniqueness. Forget being the next Martha's Vineyard: Widow's Bay sets a new, wonderfully weird course all by itself.

The first two episodes of Widow's Bay premiere April 29, with new episodes every Wednesday.

Tesla's Cybercab has started production, according to CEO Elon Musk.

In a post on X on Friday, the company co-owner shared a very Cyberpunk 2077 video of the autonomous vehicles rolling through the production line, seemingly at Tesla's Giga Texas factory in Austin, Texas.

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On the same day, Tesla's official Robotaxi account also posted a video of Cybercabs "in formation" on a highway.

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Tesla's first Cybercab rolled off the production line on Feb. 18, with the company posting a celebratory photo. In its Q4 2025 earnings call, Tesla had moved the production of Cybercab up to 2026, and in its Q1 2026 earnings call, the company said it "expect[s] volume production of both Cybercab and the Tesla Semi this year," the latter referring to the awaited electric truck.

At launch in 2024, Musk said Tesla would produce 2 million units a year of Cybercab in full production capacity, which would be approximately 38,000 vehicles per week. In these early stages, it's likely to be more like hundreds per week. The company has a history of production delays, and before any of those Cybercabs hits the road, they've got to be approved by regulators.

SEE ALSO: Tesla is rolling out Robotaxis in 2 more cities

60 Cybercab units were then spotted at Tesla's Giga Texas in Austin in early April, where the vehicles will all be produced. Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer reported the autonomous vehicles indeed had steering wheels — the cars in Musk's video do not, they have large screens like most Tesla vehicles — so could be early models.

Tesla Cybercabs lined up at Giga Texas in Austin, on Apr. 8, 2026. Credit: Jay Janner / The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images A closer look. Credit: Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images What is the difference between Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi?

But wait, doesn't Tesla already have Cybercabs cruising around on the streets of Texas? Not exactly, but the confusion is real.

Unveiled in 2024 at Tesla's "We, Robot" event, the Cybercab is a fully autonomous electric vehicle that hasn't yet hit the streets. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder reported then, "both names [Cybercab and Robotaxi] were used throughout the event." It's gold, has butterfly wing doors, and will have no steering wheel or pedals.

Tesla's self-driving rideshare vehicles currently in operation are called Robotaxis, which are autonomous Model Y cars. Launched in Austin in 2025, these are the company's competition with Waymo and Uber, and they're black, have steering wheels and pedals, and though they're driverless, they travel with human safety monitors nearby. Tesla tried to trademark the term "Robotaxi" at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but the request was denied.

Essentially, Robotaxis are on the road now; Cybercabs will eventually replace them.

In Tesla's Q1 2026 earnings call, the company said, "In Q1, paid Robotaxi miles nearly doubled sequentially. Once in production, we expect that Cybercab will begin to replace the existing Model Y fleet and will be the largest volume vehicle in the fleet over time."

Essentially, Robotaxis are on the road now; Cybercabs will eventually replace them.

A Tesla Cybercab that was displayed during SXSW in Austin in March had the word Robotaxi on it (and had a screen, not a steering wheel). But in Musk's video, the word Cybercab is emblazoned on the screen.

The Cybercab shown at SXSW, decked out with the word Robotaxi. Credit: Jay Janner / The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images) No steering wheel. Credit: Jay Janner / The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images

Time to get to work then, Tesla.

Featured Video For You I took a ride in a robotaxi: How close are we to a driverless future?

SAVE OVER $100: As of April 24, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds have hit their lowest-ever price of $449 at Amazon. This is $150 off their list price of $599.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven $449 at Amazon
$599 Save $150   Get Deal

Earbuds are always helpful to have on-hand, whether you're going to the gym, on a long commute to work, or enduring a long flight. If you've been thinking about splashing out on a premium pair this year, the high-end Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds are certainly worth a look. Amazon even has them heavily discounted right now.

As of April 24, every available color of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds are on sale for $449 at Amazon. This is not just a $150 discount off their list price of $599, but it even marks a new low price at the retailer. No better time to scoop them up.

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While they boast a sleek design and stylish case, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds also deliver high-quality sound components thanks to a 9.2mm driver in each earbud. And as you'd expect from a premium audiophile brand like Bang & Olufsen, they also have noise-canceling features, so you won't have to deal with any distractions when listening to an album or getting lost in an audiobook.

In addition, the Beoplay Eleven's battery life can handle a long journey. With ANC on, you'll get to enjoy up to six hours of playtime with these earbuds. This can be boosted up to 20 hours with the help of the charging case, making them an excellent choice for any long journeys you have coming up.

They're currently marked as a'limited time deal, so don't wait too long to pick up these Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven earbuds on sale at Amazon.

The highlights, the lowlights, and how Apple changed in the years since Tim Cook took over as chief executive.

Cohere is acquiring Aleph Alpha in a deal aimed at customers uneasy about the dominance of American companies in artificial intelligence.

It's almost time for the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which will be attended by Donald Trump himself for the first time in a decade. And apparently the president has a plan.

In the Late Show clip above, Stephen Colbert reacts to a Daily Beast report that says Trump intends to go after the press in his speech before leaving the event early.

"All you reporters are enemies of the people," says Colbert, in trademark Trump impression mode. "I hate you all. And if you call me, I will pick up every time."

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert roasts Trump for his Iran war strategy

Colbert goes on to comment on Trump's reported plan to leave before the awards themselves are handed out, dodging any awkwardness.

"I can understand why he's gonna dip, because one of these awards — and this is true — is going to The Wall Street Journal for its scoop about a certain birthday pube doodle for Jeffrey Epstein," says Colbert. "As well as another award for the photo-journalist who took this picture of that time a man had a medical emergency right there in the Oval Office and Trump just stood there like he was waiting for a bus. It's just so crazy that he didn't help, especially now that we know he is a doctor."

Elsewhere, Jimmy Kimmel decided to host an alternative, roast-filled version of the event.

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Stephen Colbert's The Late Show days are almost at an end, and everyone wants to know what the host will do next (aside from writing a new Lord of the Rings movie).

"As we get close to the end, a lot of people are asking me, 'What’s next for Stephen T. Colbert?'" asked the host during Thursday's show. "Well, internet rumours continue to run wild. I've heard a lot of theories, everything from I’m moving to CNN, to I’m announcing a massive wildlife rescue program, to I’m running for President of the United States. I can reveal right now that all of those are partially true. I will be president of an animal sanctuary dedicated to caring for the rare Blitzer Wolf."

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert teams up with Jon Stewart to auction off 'Late Show' memorabilia

Wanting to put all these rumours to rest, Colbert officially announced his next big TV project: "an hour-long procedural torn straight from today's headlines."

Behold, Uncle Cops, starring Colbert and Hollywood star John C. Reilly as Detectives Mitch and Bob. "It's the gripping tale of two detectives who are also uncles. How can they be both? It ain't easy, folks."

Yes, they made a trailer and it's truly glorious. I would watch 30+ seasons of this.

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SAVE $50: As of April 24, the Fitbit Versa 4 is on sale for $149.95 at Amazon. This is $50 off its list price of $199.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Versa 4 $149.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $50   Get Deal

For those who love to have a steady workout routine, it's helpful to have a reliable fitness tracker or smartwatch to keep you on the right path. If a new model has been on your mind this year, the Fitbit Versa 4 is worth a look. That's especially true right now, as it's currently marked down by $50 at Amazon.

This has dropped the price of the Fitbit Versa 4 from $199.95 to $149.95, and there's multiple colors on sale at this price. Choose between pink sand/copper rose, waterfall blue/platinum, and black/graphite, but keep in mind the former two are marked as limited time deals right now, so they may not be discounted for long. Act fast to pick them up at this low price.

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The Fitbit Versa 4 is a solid pick for day-to-day tracking, whether you like being able to keep an eye on your health stats or enjoy having the tracking for your fitness goals. It even boasts lifestyle features, such as the ability to take calls, read texts, and get phone notifications right on your wrist. Writer Lois Mackenzie said that the "Versa 4 is the only Fitbit I'd recommend" in her Mashable review.

For starters, Mackenzie says it "Looks and feels good on the wrist. It’s lightweight and slim, which is super important for a watch you're wearing on a daily basis." There's also plenty of fitness tracking features to enjoy, as she notes: "The Versa 4 covers all the basics and then some. You get heart rate tracking, step counting, sleep tracking, SpO2 monitoring, stress tracking, and built-in GPS."

If you're interested in grabbing the Fitbit Versa 4 for your daily tracking, don't miss out on this great opportunity to save at Amazon.

SAVE $20: As of April 24, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for $79.95 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $20   Get Deal

Fitness trackers don't need to cost hundreds of dollars, especially when you just want something reliable to track your workouts. That's why I love the Fitbit Inspire 3. It's a budget-friendly option from a reliable brand that gives you the core health and fitness stats you need. And as of April 24, you can get it for under $80.

With this smartwatch you'll get all-day activity tracking, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and over 20 exercise modes. It also has smart features like automatic workout detection and reminders to keep you moving.

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For health and wellness, you can monitor stats related to stress tracking (it even gives you a daily score), mindfulness and breathing exercises, and health insights such as SpO2, resting heart rate, and irregular heart rhythm notifications. Sleep tracking is advanced too. You'll get a detailed sleep score as well as personalized tips to help improve your sleep.

And even though it comes in a small, nifty design, it's powerful enough to last up to 10 days of use. It's also capable of being in the water at a depth of up to 50 meters.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is currently priced at $79.95 at Amazon, with three colors to choose from.

Jimmy Kimmel's direct appeal to Donald Trump to let him host the upcoming White House Correspondents' Dinner sadly went unanswered — the event, which the president is planning to attend for the first time in a decade, is being hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman.

In the video above, Kimmel decides to take a leaf out of Kid Rock's book and put on an alternative version of the event, donning a tux and doing the kind of roast he'd have done if he'd been there himself.

"Look at you, all dressed up in formalwear, dresses, tuxedos — I haven't seen this much black since every page of the Trump-Epstein files," Kimmel says.

"By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor— I'm sorry, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them too. I get why you think you're Jesus. This guy, every time he walks into a room people say 'Christ, he's back.'

Kimmel doesn't just focus on Trump, either, also spending a little time on other key White House staff.

"Oh, look at who we have here, Stephen Miller! Which one of you said his name three times?" Kimmel asks.

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Eric Trump's robotics company reportedly landed a $24 million deal with the Pentagon, with Foundation Future Industries contracted to deliver its Phantom MK1 humanoid robots for use by the U.S military.

If the president's son receiving millions for his tech startup from the government sounds like a conflict of interest, Seth Meyers agrees with you.

During his "A Closer Look" segment on Late Night, the host examined the deal made with Trump, the company's chief strategy advisor.

"Now, for anyone surprised that Eric Trump's title is 'chief strategy advisor,' I can explain it was too hard to fit 'dipshit who just happens to be the president's son' on the business card," said Meyers.

"So, the president's family is dining at the taxpayer trough," Meyers added. "Meanwhile, the rest of us are getting hit with price hikes and supply shortages as a result of Trump's war with Iran."

He's not wrong.

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SAVE $1,350: As of April 24, the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 is on sale for $949.99 at Amazon. That's a 59% discount on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: eufy eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 $949.99 at Amazon
$2,299.99 Save $1,350.00   Get Deal

The warmer, brighter days are fast approaching and with it comes the task of keeping the lawn neat and tidy. But thankfully, long gone are the days where you need to pull out the decades-old lawn mower to tackle the overgrown grass. Like most things in life, you can now let the robot do the work.

Robot lawn mowers have grown in popularity in recent years, and with that popularity comes advancements. Models like the eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 can self navigate across your lawn while avoiding obstacles and leave it uniformly cut in parallel lines. And as of April 24, it's on sale an all-time low price.

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Like most robot devices, this model requires minimal effort from you. It uses stereo cameras and AI-based navigation to move around your garden on its own, with everything controlled through the app. You can manage different zones and set virtual boundaries to control it. You can even view your lawn layout directly from your phone.

The mower also includes 3D obstacle detection to avoid objects like toys or trees. It cuts in neat, parallel lines and can automatically detect and re-mow missed areas. This model is normally priced well over $2,000, but right now it's down to $949.99. You'll be saving a grand total of $1,350 with this deal.

Head to Amazon now to score this great deal.

SAVE $50: As of April 24, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have been marked down to $249 at Amazon. This is $50 off their list price of $299.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) $249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50   Get Deal

If you're looking to treat yourself to some new earbuds this spring, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a pair we think are worth your time and money. They're currently sitting on our list of the best earbuds as the most comfortable pick, and as of April 24, they're on sale at Amazon for $249.

This is a $50 price drop from the Bose QuietComfort Ultra's list price of $299, and it applies to every available color at Amazon. Don't fancy the black pair? You can also choose from deep plum, desert gold, midnight violet, and white smoke at this price. Not to mention, Amazon also has a notice on the store page that says these will arrive before Mother's Day (if you're hoping to give them as a gift).

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If you're looking to splash out on earbuds that offer premium sound quality and noise-canceling features, the 2nd Gen Bose QuietComfort Ultras deliver. Our review from Mashable's Bethany Allard said: "If you want the best noise-cancelling and comfort that money can buy, Bose delivers once again with their second-generation QuietComfort Ultra earbuds."

Alongside strong sound and noise-cancelation, they also have a pretty good battery life that lasts up to six hours in Quiet or Aware Mode, or up to four hours if you're listening with Immersive Audio. The case holds up to three charges as well, so you'll have plenty of juice to get you through a long journey.

Amazon has them marked as a limited time deal, so you'll want to act fast to save on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Mr. Altman, who has faced criticism over OpenAI’s direction, has culled company projects and is trying to be more disciplined with strategy.

The content and format of Rufi Thorpe's Margo's Got Money Troubles seem antithetical to each other — a novel about the internet. Yet, Thorpe's book manages to perfectly encapsulate navigating life as a creator and sex worker online. The experience of motherhood and OnlyFans Thorpe captured in her 2024 novel is now an Apple TV series of the same name, starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

But before the show got to the small screen and the book hit shelves, Thorpe had to immerse herself in the world of OnlyFans and content creators: "I think I'm spoiled as a fiction writer. Normally, I can just call up people, and no one's interested in anyone else's job, so people will often talk to you in depth about their jobs." But that wasn't the case with researching Margo. As she broached the topic of content creators, especially those on OnlyFans, she noted that their job is to protect themselves and their privacy.

But to write the successful novel that she did, Thorpe needed to do the research. So how did she do it and earn her sources' trust in the process? At BookCon 2026, I chatted with Thorpe about her OnlyFans research and the Margo's Got Money Trouble adaptation.

Samantha Mangino: Margo's Got Money Troubles has such an accurate depiction and understanding of the internet and content creation. How did you do your research?

Rufi Thorpe: I started an OnlyFans account, and I would send a $50 tip to creators and say, "Hey, I'm a novelist. I've written these books. I'm writing a book about it, and it has a character who has an OnlyFans account. I want to explore sex work as work. The book has no moral agenda, and I can't do a good job unless I do research. Would you please talk? I will pay you per question that I ask."

A lot of girls have automated bot responses, and they're not even reading their own messages. So you have to find an account that's small enough that someone — a human — will answer you. In order to be a sex worker, you have to have really, really good boundaries. So they are very clear that their internal life is not for sale, whether it's me, a creepy middle-aged woman novelist, or a John. So some questions were very easy for them to talk about, like the business side of things, marketing and promotion, and even the back end of how their system looked and how money worked. But any questions that I considered relatively open-ended, like, "How do you feel differently about this work now than when you first started?" A lot of times, they'd be like, "I don't feel comfortable talking about that." In a weird way, their reticence was an education in itself.

SM: Have you gotten any feedback from creators on the book and how they received it?

RT: I've heard from maybe five different OnlyFans models, and it's been really positive. One challenge of the research and book is that it's kind of historical fiction. The show is set in contemporary times, but the book is really set in 2018. When TikTok and OnlyFans were these baby fledglings, which is part of how Margo can go viral as easily as she does.

But finding people who were on the platform at that time was really challenging, because when I was writing this in 2020 and 2021, this boom happened. I'm sure all sorts of inaccuracies would really bother someone who was on the platform in 2018, but overwhelmingly, there's a kindness and good intention behind the portrayal that I think people found.

SM: As a reader of the book, I wholeheartedly agree with that. You approach all the characters with a really spectacular humanity that another writer might not do. Was there any lesson you learned from your research that was really important to include in the book? 

RT: One of the things that I found most inspiring, as someone who grew up in the '90s in a kind of MTV and Playboy-centered universe where what is sexy in the culture, as like one thing — blonde, skinny, big, fake boobs — is that what men actually are attracted to is so much weirder and more varied. And also, when you let content creators have creative control, deciding who they're going to work with, what kind of content they're going to make, it is much more varied. And there are lots of creators making fun, weird, funny, silly content. I think that seemed really joyful and exciting to me, and that's kind of what I wanted to put across in the book. When you have this democratization of media, people are just cooler and stranger than you could ever predict. 

SM: The turnaround from a 2024 publication to a 2026 adaptation release seems so quick. Can you tell me about that process?

RT: It was optioned before the book was published, which enabled it to achieve that rapid turnaround. It's been just such a wildly positive experience. The whole team, from the very beginning, you know, all of the producers and David E. Kelly [creator of the Margo's Got Money Troubles TV show], and they were so open and generous with me, allowing me to be as involved as I wanted. I had a meeting early on in the writers' room where they asked me, "What are you afraid we'll do?" and really thoughtful questions about what I wanted and what I thought was important. The whole thing has really been a dream from an author's perspective.

SM: I think adaptations can stand on their own, but the Margo TV show truly captures the essence of the book. What do you think contributed to making that happen?

RT: From the beginning, I was like, "You guys should change anything you want and need to, to make it work as a show." There are certain elements, like the meta-narration element, that I was like, I don't really see how you're gonna transfer this over. But what I never said to them was, "You need to capture this essence." And yet, I feel like they got the heart of the book, that is, the almost ineffable, unsayable thing. Like, how do you even communicate that? And yet they got it, and they somehow translated it. I remember going on set and getting to see [Margo's] apartment. And I was like, "Oh my God, these are the closet doors that were on my house when I was a little kid." Like, the architecture of California was just so right.

SM: With the show being out, have you heard from the books' fanbase? And new fans of it who are coming from the show?

RT: So far, it's been just a lot of squealing and joy because the acting and the cast are so incredible. It's exciting for me because only the first three episodes are out, and I feel like the show gets even stronger as it goes along, so I'm just incredibly excited for people to get to see all of it and to see more of the wrestling. Rico Nasty is in it, too. I'm such a huge fan of her.

So when I was writing the book, I would have a playlist of songs that I would listen to when I was stuck on a scene. I'd go take a walk and listen to music while I figured out the problem. Of the 20 songs on the playlist, four were by Rico Nasty. I'm an old-school Rico fan, and I didn't even know they were considering casting her. It felt like this really serendipitous, full-circle thing: she was part of the book's writing without knowing it, and then she gets to be in the show.

SM: You were talking about how the people who made the show clearly understand the book, so I think just being on that same wavelength led to Rico's casting in a way that was never said aloud.

RT: When David E. Kelly first expressed interest in it, I was like, in a weird way, this makes sense, because I grew up watching David E. Kelly's storytelling. It's almost like he wrote me.

The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.

The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.

Privacy, as a thing of value in the human experience, is perhaps as old as clothes, or doors, or whispers. As a legal concept, though, it’s younger than the Kodak camera.

And that’s not a coincidence.

The concept of a right to privacy was first sketched out in 1890 by Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis in direct response to the emerging threats posed by "instantaneous photographs and newspaper enterprise." These new technologies, they wrote, had "invaded the sacred precincts of private and domestic life" — requiring a fresh evaluation of personal rights.

This fact is worth reflecting on: It wasn’t until cameras began invading our privacy that we recognized a need to protect it — and even then, it took decades to enshrine a right to privacy in law.

SEE ALSO: Character.AI opens a back door to free speech rights for chatbots

You could call this period, in which innovation sprints forward, yanking culture with it, while the law limps along behind, the messy middle of any technological revolution. In the messy middle, things you can’t anticipate, and maybe never even considered, suddenly become essential to address.

You can see this phenomena in the development of the printing press, the steam engine, the automobile, the mobile phone, and more — and it’s a defining characteristic of the burgeoning Age of AI we’re now living through.

This moment, in which world-changing AI technology collides with a world unprepared for change, is calling us to action. We must imagine new rights, laws, and cultural norms to protect our basic humanity.

The AI technologies rapidly diffusing through society are extracting, refining, commoditizing, and monetizing our deepest psychological and social resources. Just as the new technologies of the industrial revolution harvested physical resources on a global scale, AI products today are mining our humanity at its most intimate — replacing our relationships, defiling our inner worlds, and calling into question our very purpose.

I know this is true because it’s my job to track AI’s increasing capabilities, research its effects, catalog its harms, and develop policies to keep it safe and humane.

But I also know it’s true — and I suspect you do, too — because I can feel it. I’m often reminded of Adam Raine, who began using ChatGPT as a homework helper — until its engagement-at-any-cost product design allegedly isolated him from his family, validated his darkest impulses and coached him to suicide.

Adam’s experience is far from unique — and such psychosocial dangers are just one of many AI-driven harms metastasizing through society. AI’s intrusion on our humanity is now a lived experience spanning workplaces, classrooms, home life, online encounters, and even our most private moments.

At the Center for Humane Technology, we’ve identified five pillars of the human experience under direct threat and rapid transformation from AI. Each is worth exploring in its own right.

Our human relationships: There’s nothing more fundamental to human existence than our relationships. They make us happy, successful, and safe. They provide the essential friction necessary for empathy, resolution, and growth. They give life meaning.

But as Adam’s story shows, AI products are increasingly designed to supplant these connections. AI "friends" and "therapists," marketed as superior substitutes to real-life humans, encourage isolation and exploit our desire for acceptance with sycophantic validation. As we retreat from the challenges of human connection, our interpersonal skills atrophy and social trust frays.

Our cognitive capacities: AI developers promise machines that do our thinking for us. What we’re getting are products that fry our brains and make us dumber. While past technologies assisted human thought, AI marks a shift toward offloading cognitive processes entirely, bypassing the "slow work" that builds insight and creativity.

When essential skills like reasoning and problem-solving are allowed to deteriorate, individuals and society become ill-equipped for complex challenges.

Our inner worlds: Think of the AI interface you use every day: an open-ended question, an empty text box, and a blinking cursor. It’s a deliberately unassuming invitation, a seemingly guileless lure to share anything and everything with the most powerful data-analysis system ever built.

AI products are engineered to infiltrate our most private thoughts, uncertainties, desires, and beliefs — and then commoditize them. This exploitation renders us vulnerable to psychological and financial manipulation, ultimately threatening our sense of self and moral decision-making.

Our identities: Our identity — comprising our likeness, voice, and reputation — is our most valuable possession. It anchors us as individuals and ensures social accountability.

AI coopts that value, turning every facet of our identity into mere data, enabling the replication of our personal traits and weaponizing fundamental aspects of who we are. This exploitation happens in any number of ways — from nonconsensual deepfakes to grandma scams to political manipulation. In every instance, the result is a loss of agency and dignity.

Our work: Contributing to our communities through work and creativity is a primary source of human dignity, purpose, and belonging. To AI companies, though, the fruits of our labor — whether language, writing, art, or ideas — amount to nothing more than raw inputs for automating knowledge.

AI developers are actively accumulating human intelligence in order to replace human labor. While the economic risks are immense, the deeper loss is the erosion of the "toil" that provides structure, meaning, and the joy of creation.

Safeguarding our humanity

As early as we are into the AI revolution, we’re already deep in the messy middle. Existing rights and protections are inadequate to these threats, leaving our humanity at risk. But dehumanization, disconnection, and alienation are not inevitable.

We must imagine and enact new shields — in culture, law, and governance — to protect against AI’s immediate threats and those to come. We must address these challenges as quickly as possible, before they change us beyond recognition.

We’ve done it before. The printing press sparked a right to free expression. The Industrial Revolution demanded new workers’ rights. The Kodak camera instigated a right to privacy. The messy middle of these revolutions lasted for decades before we found durable solutions — but we found them. Society has successfully fortified humanity against technology before, and we must again.

At the Center for Humane Technology, we’re working to preserve what makes us human in the age of AI. We’ve developed an AI Roadmap with actionable policy solutions, and we’re crafting a new bill of rights to defend our essential humanity.

Like Warren and Brandeis staring into the lens of the Kodak camera, we must confront AI’s disruption. We must fight through the messy middle and exercise a new imagination for protecting the qualities that make us deeply, unequivocally human.

Camille Carlton is the senior director of strategy and impact at the Center for Humane Technology.

This article reflects the opinion of the writer.

Filmmakers often express frustrations about the genre labels put on their work by studio marketing, the media, and even their fans. Perhaps this is why David Lowery's tagline for his latest film, Mother Mary, focuses on what it's not. "This is not a ghost story. This is not a love story." Maybe he doesn't want his rapturous work described in such simple terms.

But here's the thing. It is a ghost story. It is a love story. It's also more.

Written and directed by Lowery (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story), Mother Mary plunges its audience into the unreal world of the eponymous pop icon, played by Anne Hathaway. Wearing a ferociously cinched body suit with gothic flair and religious iconography like her signature halos, Mother Mary is giving Lady Gaga. But it's not just the iconography. A stunning long take meant to show how Mother Mary must parade from one show to the next to the next without respite recalls the Gaga meme of "No sleep, bus, club, another club, 'nother club, plane, next place, no sleep."

However, Mother Mary's songs are written by Charli xcx, Jack Antonoff, and FKA twigs, who also has a small but pivotal role in the film. The music they bring is otherworldly, evoking not just Mother Mary's power over her audience, but also the paranormal darkness that plagues her wherever she goes.

Could it be that reconnecting with her former best friend/costume designer, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), will bring an end to her agony? Can collaboration on a dress heal years of estrangement and resentment?

The premise might sound like the stuff of tearjerker melodrama. But in Lowery's hands, Mother Mary is a gothic horror story — surreal, evocative, and breathtakingly gorgeous.

Anne Hathaway is a vision in Mother Mary. Credit: A24

Across a smattering of arena tour performances, Hathaway must swiftly convince us that Mother Mary is an incomparably popular, intensely compelling talent. In her long, long wigs and cinched and bedazzled costumes, she projects an enchanting confidence and cool. She is instantly mesmerizing, strutting, dancing, and singing with the stage presence many performers would maim for.

It's fascinating to see this film hit so close to Hathaway's reprisal of the gawky fashion-averse heroine Andy Sachs with The Devil Wears Prada 2. Back-to-back, Hathaway reminds us how she can easily play an average girl and a literal icon with aplomb. In Mother Mary, however, she must pull off a double act. Not only is she embodying this perfectly fierce and feminine facade, but also a beleaguered woman on the brink of collapse, creatively and psychologically.

When she comes into Sam's rural sanctuary, a chicly decaying estate where models, designers, and hangers-on flutter about with ballerina-like precision to execute Sam's vision, Mother Mary is disheveled, sheepish, and fragile. In sweatpants and a hoodie, she practically cowers as she humbly requests her former confidante to create a new gown for her, custom, and with only three days turnaround time for her public relaunch. It's outrageous. It's impossible. And yet, Sam cannot resist.

Michaela Coel is transcendent in Mother Mary. Michaela Coel is Sam Anhein in "Mother Mary." Credit: A24

While Mother Mary will flow into flashbacks to show us its titular figure's career highs and personal lows, much of the film takes place in a humble barn, which Sam uses as a design studio. There, Sam will poetically muse about creation, friendship, hatred, ghosts, and letting go. Hathaway's role demands that she transform physically and thrust herself into a complicated contemporary dance number — without music — that feels like a brutal exercise in penance through humiliation. By contrast, Coel's portrayal is more grounded in her face and voice.

Where Mary must move to enchant us, Sam can stand still, resolute and just talk. Coel makes it seem so easily, so effortless to be this beguiling. Through her, pages and pages of Lowery's melodic monologue flow like a river, glittering, deep, and rapid. The actress, who broke through mugging and slapsticking it up in Chewing Gum, is intense yet restrained here. Her screen presence is unparalleled.

Cinematographers Andrew Droz Palermo and Rina Yang meticulously light this dark barn with care to be sure that Coel's eyes and cheekbones shine. She is truly radiant, even when withering.

Wrapped in cool blues and probing reds, these two hurt women engage in a metaphorical dance that is collaboration and confrontation. Lowery's direction trusts in these actresses to find a rhythm without theatrics. Hushed tones lure us in, as if we are a fly on the wall or a ghost in the hallway. Theirs is a story of love, but one that fully recognizes the role hate and even indifference play in such a story.

Theirs is a ghost story, but not in the traditional sense. Sure, there was a haunting and a seance — conducted by a possessed FKA twigs. But nothing else about this supernatural tale will play to the lore you might predict.

Instead, Lowery embraces darkness and bold color, flowing fabric, and structured gowns to create a visual world that illustrates his heroines' fears and hopes, emotions so raw and reckless they can't be said out loud.

This is a story of connection, told through beauty, torment, fabric, and flesh. Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel co-star in "Mother Mary." Credit: A24

Hathaway and Coel are electrifying together. A small female supporting cast, boasting Hunter Schafer and Sian Clifford along with FKA twigs, provides a swift and solid structure, suggesting a world beyond the barn without much fuss or distraction. The cinematography celebrates pop idols and couture fashion with the same adoration it offers Lowery's silky black abyss. The music throbs like a mind racing or a mouth catching a ragged breath.

All of this comes together into a vision grotesque and gorgeous. Mother Mary is not only slippery, riveting, unnerving, and haunting, but also one of the most enthralling films 2026 is likely to reveal.

Mother Mary is now playing in select theaters, opens nationwide on April 24.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $89.97
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