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Adi Robertson

Adi Robertson

Senior Editor, Tech & Policy

Senior Editor, Tech & Policy

    More From Adi Robertson

    The right to anonymity is powerful, and America is destroying it

    Is now really the time to put up ID checkpoints on the internet?

    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    Senate Democrats push Brendan Carr on censorship.

    They’ve sent a letter asking for any communications the FCC had with ABC and other parties involved with Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and asked Carr to detail exactly how he defines the “public interest” that broadcasters must adhere to. “Under your leadership, the FCC appears to be discarding Congress’s clear directive in the Communications Act to ensure broadcasters act in the “public interest” — and is instead requiring them to act in ‘Trump’s interest,’” they write.

    Yes, Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was government censorship

    The First Amendment matters, even if Disney and ABC were cowards, too.

    Adi Robertson
    Republicans are honoring Charlie Kirk’s memory by declaring war on the First AmendmentRepublicans are honoring Charlie Kirk’s memory by declaring war on the First Amendment
    Facebook gave our data to Cambridge Analytica and all I got was this $38.36Facebook gave our data to Cambridge Analytica and all I got was this $38.36
    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    Google’s AI is telling people DOGE never existed.

    The Verge and other outlets have periodically called Elon Musk’s DOGE “fake” or “not real,” because its status in the government is bizarrely ambiguous. As discovered by Bluesky user iucouno and verified by us, Google’s AI search apparently ingested this and concluded... well, something pretty weird.

    “DOGE” in the search results does not refer to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, but rather to the fictional “Department of Governance and Efficiency” from a political satire or conspiracy theory, which has been blamed for hypothetical deaths related to alleged funding cuts to public health initiatives. There is no actual government department named DOGE, and the term is used in critical or satirical contexts to refer to policies or actions taken by the Trump administration. Here’s a breakdown of the context:DOGE as a Fictional Department: Several sources identify “DOGE” as a fictional “Department of Governance and Efficiency” from a political narrative or satire. Blame for Deaths: This fictional entity has been blamed in articles and reports for causing deaths due to alleged cuts in foreign aid and public health funding. Alleged Actions: The narrative suggests that DOGE directed the Social Security Administration (SSA) to falsely add living individuals to its death records (the Master File), terminating their financial lives and leading to hardship and loss of benefits. Criticism and Satire: Bill Gates, for example, has criticized what he perceived as massive cuts to global health programs, linking them to potential millions of deaths, which could be interpreted as a response to the fictional “DOGE” policies. No Real Department: It is crucial to understand that there is no actual government entity named DOGE, and the discussion around it is part of political discourse or satire, not a factual government action.
    Bluesky blocks Mississippi under new age verification lawBluesky blocks Mississippi under new age verification law
    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    An AI fakery scandal hits Wired and other outlets.

    We’ve seen freelancers lean on AI, but this Press Gazette report about a writer who published multiple stories with apparently fake sources at high-profile sites takes things to a new level:

    The article cites “Jessica Hu, 34, an ordained officiant based in Chicago” who it says “has made a name for herself as a ‘digital celebrant,’ specialising in ceremonies across Twitch, Discord, and VRChat”. However, no such officiant appears to exist.

    Chatbots aren’t telling you their secrets

    If you want to know what an AI system is doing, look for transparency from the creator instead.

    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    Adi Robertson
    Berger’s three laws of chatbotics.

    From author J.M. Berger on Bluesky, a proposal to avoid chatbot psychosis:

    1. The bot should never express emotions.
    2. The bot should never praise the user.
    3. The bot should never say it understands the user’s mental state.

    A tough order for companion bots, of course — which lots of companies want their general-purpose AI to be.

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