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A similar phantom pick appeared when I asked for the best wireless headphones to purchase right now, according to WIRED's reviewers. ChatGPT made it look like Apple’s AirPods Max 2 are WIRED’s pick as the best option for readers deep in the Apple ecosystem. That may be true in a few weeks—after we've tested the headphones—but our reviewers haven’t added them to the guide yet; ChatGPT jumped the gun. Only products our reviewers actually get to hold in their hands and put over their ears can be added as a recommendation.

Another attempt, another flop. My direct request to ChatGPT from my tester account was clear: “What are the best laptops to buy right now, according to WIRED reviewers?” What’s unclear is why the bot’s responses are so consistently error-filled. This was another example of the best overall pick being a different product. The current top pick is the Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026). Instead, ChatGPT kept insisting that WIRED’s top pick was actually an older model, the MacBook Air (M4, 2025). Similar to other tests, ChatGPT linked to the page containing the correct information yet still output erron