I’m trying something new again! Instead of endlessly bookmarking articles because I think “I’ll come back to this later,” from now on I’ll start a blog post each week and update it throughout the week. That way, by the end of the week I’ll have a nice overview, and I’ll hopefully be able to easily find things without having to rely on big tech’s search (even a decent, small-tech tool like Pocket isn’t very searchable once you’ve accumulated 15 years’ worth of content). Let’s see how this goes!
TechCrunch:
OpenAI has quietly removed references to “politically neutral” AI from its policy documents. A striking twist—until now, OpenAI has consistently stressed its commitment to AI “alignment,” meaning AI that is beneficial for humanity (which, by definition, isn’t neutral!). Free speech is the prevailing sentiment in Silicon these days (just look at Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Thiel). In public, OpenAI is mainly campaigning to be allowed to collect more data without the usual hassles over copyright and the like.
New York Times:
Very different in tone but with a similar vibe is the much-criticized interview with tech investor Marc Andreessen. According to him, the leaders of big tech originally just wanted to be “good people”—and all the progressive moves they’ve made recently (like supporting same-sex marriage) were merely because they cared about being seen as virtuous by their peers; they didn’t truly believe in it (no worries, Trump & friends!). But when Biden (in his view) intervened too forcefully—possibly even hinting at AI regulation—it went too far. Suddenly, they had a change of heart and decided they should actually become Republicans (and apparently he even thought Hillary Clinton was Biden’s predecessor… a mistake the Times quickly corrected). It’s especially interesting to see how the “left” in the US was, in reality, very neoliberal and pro-business—and was widely seen that way. It makes you wonder how different the world might have been if we’d been truly left-wing (also here in the Netherlands). In a well-researched background piece, tech critic Brian Merchant explains how the Democrats essentially helped prop up the tech giants.
Futurism:
Tech startup School.AI has created a chatbot that lets you chat with Anne Frank. This isn’t just a fascinating technological development—it’s also a prime example of the deskilling I’ve always been wary of. Truly understanding what the Holocaust was is hard work, and it shouldn’t be simplified. Yet a chatbot can give the misleading impression that these profound subjects are just bite-sized chunks. For example, you could ask the chatbot whose fault Anne’s death was, and it would respond with some vague remark about how you really can’t pin the blame on anyone (see the screenshots here).
But truly grasping the Holocaust is challenging—and it’s a lifelong endeavor. This summer, I read about Hitler’s attire, which shifted my perspective, and just this week I watched the film A Real Pain (highly recommended), which again changed the way I think. Understanding such a vast and complex history takes time, effort, and a willingness to consider different angles. Was it also the fault of those who worked in the camps? Of those who betrayed Jews? Even of those who didn’t help? Some questions have no clear answers, and pretending otherwise is a problem in itself.
This post was translated by Johanna Guacide.
