Alex Panetta
@alexpanetta.bsky.social
For 28 years: a journalist in print, TV, radio @ CBC, POLITICO, CP. Next: Getting a master’s in Artificial Intelligence management at Georgetown.
Opus 4.5 is a beast. I'm using it semi-constantly. But anyone here pumping it as AGI or the start of the singularity or whatever is selling snake oil, if my exchange with it a few minutes ago is any indication.
It just apologized to me for ....
It just apologized to me for ....
January 2, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Opus 4.5 is a beast. I'm using it semi-constantly. But anyone here pumping it as AGI or the start of the singularity or whatever is selling snake oil, if my exchange with it a few minutes ago is any indication.
It just apologized to me for ....
It just apologized to me for ....
Happy New Year everyone, from 8 hours ahead of where I usually celebrate it.
December 31, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Happy New Year everyone, from 8 hours ahead of where I usually celebrate it.
I do miss home, so this unexpected appearance of 1976 Olympic paraphernalia during a Mediterranean boat cruise is as close as I’ll come these holidays. You take traces of home where you can get them.
December 28, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I do miss home, so this unexpected appearance of 1976 Olympic paraphernalia during a Mediterranean boat cruise is as close as I’ll come these holidays. You take traces of home where you can get them.
We are immersed in algorithms. Yet we rarely see these formulas with such influence over our lives. My latest blog post on practical, ethical A.I. lets you try something rare: Control your own algorithm. For movie recommendations. Adjust it.
Maybe even discover a fun film to watch these holidays
Maybe even discover a fun film to watch these holidays
Nothing to watch this holiday? Seize control of your movie algorithm
A simple recommendation algorithm I built. Adjust it. Find movies with it
alexpanetta.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
We are immersed in algorithms. Yet we rarely see these formulas with such influence over our lives. My latest blog post on practical, ethical A.I. lets you try something rare: Control your own algorithm. For movie recommendations. Adjust it.
Maybe even discover a fun film to watch these holidays
Maybe even discover a fun film to watch these holidays
Not for nothing that one of the earliest Trump biographies was titled “Never Enough,” which chronicled cases of psychological textbooks going back decades using him as a case study for NPD.
December 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Not for nothing that one of the earliest Trump biographies was titled “Never Enough,” which chronicled cases of psychological textbooks going back decades using him as a case study for NPD.
These seem like standard U.S. demands, stuff they would be proposing if they want to keep USMCA. With one caveat: If Quebec has a separatist government next fall, virtually no chance Ottawa risks blowing up the country with big dairy concessions 🐄 🥛 🧀
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
December 18, 2025 at 6:39 AM
These seem like standard U.S. demands, stuff they would be proposing if they want to keep USMCA. With one caveat: If Quebec has a separatist government next fall, virtually no chance Ottawa risks blowing up the country with big dairy concessions 🐄 🥛 🧀
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...
One year from now, if we’re in the leadup to a Quebec independence referendum, this news today of minimal interest outside Quebec might wind up being a consequential development in Canadian history.
Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez to resign amid ongoing crisis nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/17/c...
Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez to resign amid ongoing crisis
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
One year from now, if we’re in the leadup to a Quebec independence referendum, this news today of minimal interest outside Quebec might wind up being a consequential development in Canadian history.
My look at Trump‘s extraordinary executive order on AI. And how it could affect a specific sector: AI-powered hiring.
open.substack.com/pub/alexpane...
open.substack.com/pub/alexpane...
What's affected by Trump’s AI order? Maybe your next job application
States are starting to tame the Wild West in AI-powered hiring. Trump isn't happy
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
My look at Trump‘s extraordinary executive order on AI. And how it could affect a specific sector: AI-powered hiring.
open.substack.com/pub/alexpane...
open.substack.com/pub/alexpane...
The most gratifying reaction to this alt-travel app I launched? Domestic travel potential. People telling me they discovered new destinations to visit in their own region, right near home. Day trips! That wasn't why I created this - but I'm so happy to hear people are finding new places near home /
December 13, 2025 at 11:36 AM
The most gratifying reaction to this alt-travel app I launched? Domestic travel potential. People telling me they discovered new destinations to visit in their own region, right near home. Day trips! That wasn't why I created this - but I'm so happy to hear people are finding new places near home /
A quick thought on the pivotal moment in the history of AI we just witnessed yesterday. Will be writing about it at alexpanetta@substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
A quick thought on the pivotal moment in the history of AI we just witnessed yesterday. Will be writing about it at alexpanetta@substack.com
Try my hack for a better holiday. 5,000 destinations. 190 countries.
A project I built for school and my blog. I spent the fall gathering geographic, architectural and economic data to find beautiful, less-crowded places that could use more visitors...
A project I built for school and my blog. I spent the fall gathering geographic, architectural and economic data to find beautiful, less-crowded places that could use more visitors...
December 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Try my hack for a better holiday. 5,000 destinations. 190 countries.
A project I built for school and my blog. I spent the fall gathering geographic, architectural and economic data to find beautiful, less-crowded places that could use more visitors...
A project I built for school and my blog. I spent the fall gathering geographic, architectural and economic data to find beautiful, less-crowded places that could use more visitors...
Striking overview of China zooming past the west in energy production that powers computing. “Biggest power grid the world has ever seen… Production increased by more than the rest of world combined… Some Chinese data centers paying less than half what US ones pay for ⚡️”
www.wsj.com/tech/china-a...
www.wsj.com/tech/china-a...
China’s AI Power Play: Cheap Electricity From World’s Biggest Grid
Government push for power supremacy transforms Inner Mongolia. Tech leaders worry about a U.S.-China “electron gap.”
www.wsj.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Striking overview of China zooming past the west in energy production that powers computing. “Biggest power grid the world has ever seen… Production increased by more than the rest of world combined… Some Chinese data centers paying less than half what US ones pay for ⚡️”
www.wsj.com/tech/china-a...
www.wsj.com/tech/china-a...
Tomorrow I'm releasing something I've been working on this fall, for school and my blog. It involves AI; a bad day in the French Alps; and fighting the popularity algorithms ruining travel. More tomorrow at alexpanetta.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Tomorrow I'm releasing something I've been working on this fall, for school and my blog. It involves AI; a bad day in the French Alps; and fighting the popularity algorithms ruining travel. More tomorrow at alexpanetta.substack.com
it's probably nothing...
November 11, 2025 at 5:58 AM
it's probably nothing...
Just found out there’s a kerfuffle here because of a 12-year-old post from Zohran Mamdani about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk — reinforcing the truth that there is no place on Earth that offers refuge from news about a New York mayoral race.
November 8, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Just found out there’s a kerfuffle here because of a 12-year-old post from Zohran Mamdani about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk — reinforcing the truth that there is no place on Earth that offers refuge from news about a New York mayoral race.
Waking up early enough in Turkey to catch the Montreal Canadiens winning in OT: Priceless
October 29, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Waking up early enough in Turkey to catch the Montreal Canadiens winning in OT: Priceless
A few weeks ago, he was dangling tariffs because of Canada‘s Middle East policy. Before it was fentanyl. And migration. And now it’s a TV ad. Maybe… stay with me here but…
Maybe… he just really likes tariffs.
Maybe… he just really likes tariffs.
Trump terminates trade talks with Canada because of tariff ads nationalnewswatch.com/2025/10/24/t... #nationlnewswatch via @natnewswatch
Trump terminates trade talks with Canada because of tariff ads
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
October 24, 2025 at 10:58 AM
A few weeks ago, he was dangling tariffs because of Canada‘s Middle East policy. Before it was fentanyl. And migration. And now it’s a TV ad. Maybe… stay with me here but…
Maybe… he just really likes tariffs.
Maybe… he just really likes tariffs.
The food in Turkey is amazing. Translated menus amazing in a different way.
October 23, 2025 at 8:00 AM
The food in Turkey is amazing. Translated menus amazing in a different way.
I started a blog about my current studies with a first post about a topic dear to my heart: Saving the news.
On how I turned AI against itself. Used it to avoid algorithms; kill my doomscrolling habit; reduce screen time; and focus on what matters.
Anyone can do it. Here's how.
On how I turned AI against itself. Used it to avoid algorithms; kill my doomscrolling habit; reduce screen time; and focus on what matters.
Anyone can do it. Here's how.
September 23, 2025 at 11:24 AM
I started a blog about my current studies with a first post about a topic dear to my heart: Saving the news.
On how I turned AI against itself. Used it to avoid algorithms; kill my doomscrolling habit; reduce screen time; and focus on what matters.
Anyone can do it. Here's how.
On how I turned AI against itself. Used it to avoid algorithms; kill my doomscrolling habit; reduce screen time; and focus on what matters.
Anyone can do it. Here's how.
7 full seasons. 6 Stanley Cups. The one year he returned to school, the Habs lost; after he retired, they kept losing. Lawyer. Federal cabinet member. Author. And nice guy - the kind who, after he was voted out of office, stood on a sidewalk the morning after the election to thank constituents. RIP.
Six-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Ken Dryden dies of cancer at age 78, Montreal Canadiens say.
Hall of Fame Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden dies of cancer at age 78
Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender who helped the Montreal Canadiens win six Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died after a fight with cancer. He was 78.
bit.ly
September 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM
7 full seasons. 6 Stanley Cups. The one year he returned to school, the Habs lost; after he retired, they kept losing. Lawyer. Federal cabinet member. Author. And nice guy - the kind who, after he was voted out of office, stood on a sidewalk the morning after the election to thank constituents. RIP.
Time to get to work. After two months of touring ancient ruins, and beaches, and in a couple of cases ruins *on* beaches, I’m going back to school today for the first time in 26 years. Only this time, my classroom is a laptop. The program is Georgetown’s AI master’s. Very excited to dig into this.
August 27, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Time to get to work. After two months of touring ancient ruins, and beaches, and in a couple of cases ruins *on* beaches, I’m going back to school today for the first time in 26 years. Only this time, my classroom is a laptop. The program is Georgetown’s AI master’s. Very excited to dig into this.
A call for colleges to return to their past, in response to AI cheating — to use oral exams and real-time assignments in class.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...
Opinion | Students Hate Them. Universities Need Them. The Only Real Solution to the A.I. Cheating Crisis.
www.nytimes.com
August 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
A call for colleges to return to their past, in response to AI cheating — to use oral exams and real-time assignments in class.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...
Canada created a foreign agent registry to track foreign influence. Except: “Funding (hasn’t been approved). Civil servants haven’t drafted the regulations. And the government hasn’t yet chosen the person who will head the registry.” www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opi...
August 13, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Canada created a foreign agent registry to track foreign influence. Except: “Funding (hasn’t been approved). Civil servants haven’t drafted the regulations. And the government hasn’t yet chosen the person who will head the registry.” www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opi...
Counterpoint: Trump is very capable of drawing a hard line — if he cares about something. He did this for the digital services tax: “Do X or no deal.”
Interesting he chose not to here. “..,very hard for us to make a deal….”
Interesting he chose not to here. “..,very hard for us to make a deal….”
President Trump suggests that Canada’s recognition of Palestine as a state will impact the trade relationship between the United States and Canada.
July 31, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Counterpoint: Trump is very capable of drawing a hard line — if he cares about something. He did this for the digital services tax: “Do X or no deal.”
Interesting he chose not to here. “..,very hard for us to make a deal….”
Interesting he chose not to here. “..,very hard for us to make a deal….”