1. Lawyers, assemble!
Authors v OpenAI part 273. A judge has ordered disclosure of internal communications about dataset deletions. This sounds incredibly dull, but it matters fin determining whether there was willfulness in OpenAI’s blatant theft, and that, in turn, determines how much indamages they are potentially on the hook for. If the entire AI industry falls into a pit of doom because it didn’t think it was worth spending a few hundred million on licensing, while spending hundreds of billions on compute, I for one will laugh my socks off. The Hollywood Reporter has the best quick read.
2. The job number you won’t like
MIT reckons AI could already replace 11.7% of US wages. That is not 11.7% of jobs, but it is still a significant number. The policy story is local, not national. Which towns get hit, which sectors hollow out, and who pays to reskill? Start with CNBC, then ask politicians for the postcode‑level cut, because that’s where all the inequalities will lie.
3. Timeless Tekserve
A wonderful celebration for David Lerner, co‑founder of Tekserve. It is a great example that repair, care and community support beat “move fast” every day of the week. The New York Times captures why that shop mattered to so many New Yorkers and to the broader Mac community.
4. China’s EV charm offensive (with ring lights)
Car YouTubers are flying out, filming, and flipping their opinions as Chinese EVs step up on design and price. Attention markets meet industrial and propaganda strategy in this neat piece from The Verge. And it’s more than just perception: China has got really good at EVs in a remarkably short period of time.
5. Trade policy with the subtlety of a brick
A senior EU figure calls US negotiating tactics “blackmail” over metals tariffs versus digital rule‑making. Even M. Le Président himself says Brussels is “afraid” to tackle Big Tech. Hyperbole aside, this is a tidy snapshot of how tech regulation and geoeconomics get horse-traded, and how even big blocs can’t protect us when we’re so reliant on one country’s technology giants.
6. A browser that respects you
Kagi’s Orion 1.0 is out. WebKit under the hood, privacy first by design, and a set of thoughtful touches that make Chrome feel bloated (because Chrome is bloated). Even if you don’t switch, it is good to be reminded that defaults are choices. Details on Kagi’s blog, and one of the most important details: the Linux version is coming next. Eat that, Windows suckers!
7. Oh, you thought it was all private, did you?
OpenAI is preparing to roll out ads in ChatGPT. I’m willing to bet that they won’t put ads into paid accounts. Or at least, they won’t at first. The general law of enshittification means that even if you’re paying a hefty fee to them every month, your data will be used to target you with ads in a year or two.
8. Meet the new boss
It turns out that some of the biggest users of AI are executives. Yes, the people who think that the jobs of almost every entry-level employee can be replaced by AI are, in fact, demonstrating how much they can be replaced by AI.
The fact is that an awful lot of what executives do is exactly the kind of thing which LLMs can do just as well. The part they can’t replace is the genuine art of leadership: getting people to all go in the same direction at the same time, with a reasonable degree of happiness and confidence. These “soft” leadership skills are usually the ones Silicon Valley execs don’t have and don’t value, so I will be very pleased when they make themselves basically redundant.
9. Apple is making something unimaginable
I’m not one of those who believe that William Gibson’s Neuromancer is basically unfilmable. But it’s certainly one of those books which, if done wrong, will be an absolute mess.
So I’m actually quite happy that Apple is taking a crack at it. The company has proven it can do science fiction, even if Foundation remains a dull plod (because the books are a dull plod). One thing that already stands out is the casting – I can’t imagine a better Armitage than Mark Strong, who can shift from professionalism to ultraviolence and extreme threat in a heartbeat.
10. And finally, something wonderful
Maruyama Ōkyo popularised the shasei technique, painting directly from nature to convey the inner lives of animals, such as puppies. This approach reflects Buddhist beliefs that all beings are animated by spirits, allowing painters to express emotions and subjective experiences. If you’re a teacher, you should download this lesson plan about the wonderful work. Or just look at the art's elegance.