The muscular middle; princess photo foulup; uncanny cerebral valley: Newsletter 13 March 2024
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The muscular middle; princess photo foulup; uncanny cerebral valley: Newsletter 13 March 2024

A new politics arises from the ashes of the American disaster, AI proponents and doomsayers wrestle, books as chatbots, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and a chance to see me debate at Berkeley. The inspirational rise of the muscular middle I’ve freakin’ had it with the American political system. It’s time…

Biden or Trump?; US vs. Amazon; AI in the crosshairs: Newsletter 10 January 2024
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Biden or Trump?; US vs. Amazon; AI in the crosshairs: Newsletter 10 January 2024

Newsletter 26: Incumbent vs. incumbent, writing better than machines, Amazon under fire, three people to follow, three books to read, and the gathering of the ghosts. The easiest election choice ever We are about to enter the extended, loud, contentious, and tedious US presidential election season. In some election years this is a difficult choice….

The wages of theft; Steamboat Willie freed; sex in Iowa schoolbooks: Newsletter 3 January 2024
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The wages of theft; Steamboat Willie freed; sex in Iowa schoolbooks: Newsletter 3 January 2024

Newsletter 24: Why Claudine Gay had to go, a Mickey Mouse horror film, Tolkien’s victorious ghost, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and how to successfully write your book in 2024. Reflections on the plagiarism that brought down Harvard president Claudine Gay Harvard president Claudine Gay has now resigned. She made the…

Based on one complaint, Amanda Gorman’s poem was banned. Why protect our youth from truth?

Based on one complaint, Amanda Gorman’s poem was banned. Why protect our youth from truth?

Amanda Gorman composed her poem The Hill We Climb for Joe Biden’s inauguration. Now, based on one feckless parent’s complaint, an elementary school in Miami has removed it so children can no longer access it without a parent’s permission. Here’s the whole poem; judge for yourself. Is this text going to corrupt young people? I’ve…

Don’t be fooled. The call to pause AI research is purely symbolic.

Don’t be fooled. The call to pause AI research is purely symbolic.

More than 1,000 people including Elon Musk, Andrew Yang, and Steve Wozniak signed a statement calling for a six-month pause in development of large-language-model-based artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT. “Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable,” the statement says….