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.
1. Trump says he’s fine with China-Canada deal. Been working on his own
2. Gets upstaged at Davos
3. Goes nuclear
2. Gets upstaged at Davos
3. Goes nuclear
January 24, 2026 at 2:38 PM
1. Trump says he’s fine with China-Canada deal. Been working on his own
2. Gets upstaged at Davos
3. Goes nuclear
2. Gets upstaged at Davos
3. Goes nuclear
A eulogy for the postwar order: "A country that cannot feed itself, fuel itself or defend itself has few options. When the rules no longer protect you, you must protect yourself," Carney said. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
'The old order is not coming back,' Carney says in provocative speech at Davos | CBC News
Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a frank assessment of how he views the world in a provocative speech in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, where he said the longstanding U.S.-led, rules-based intern...
www.cbc.ca
January 20, 2026 at 3:59 PM
A eulogy for the postwar order: "A country that cannot feed itself, fuel itself or defend itself has few options. When the rules no longer protect you, you must protect yourself," Carney said. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Think your neighborhood gossip is awkward? Here’s mine in Ankara: U.S. and Danish ambassadors live next door to each other. Must be one helluva conversation across the backyard fence these days.
January 20, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Think your neighborhood gossip is awkward? Here’s mine in Ankara: U.S. and Danish ambassadors live next door to each other. Must be one helluva conversation across the backyard fence these days.
Craziest thing about living overseas is waking up Monday morning to posts from people I follow for politics like, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED,” and “Wow!” And, “HOLY CRAP,” and I’m making mental preparations to live in a bunker before realizing it’s about NFL football.
January 19, 2026 at 4:56 AM
Craziest thing about living overseas is waking up Monday morning to posts from people I follow for politics like, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED,” and “Wow!” And, “HOLY CRAP,” and I’m making mental preparations to live in a bunker before realizing it’s about NFL football.
An OpenAI economics researcher quits, saying the company behind ChatGPT is burying research on painful economic consequences of A.I. and only interested in publishing propaganda. Piece here contrasts this with Anthropic publicly making dire claims about mass job losses. medium.com/predict/open...
January 18, 2026 at 6:55 AM
An OpenAI economics researcher quits, saying the company behind ChatGPT is burying research on painful economic consequences of A.I. and only interested in publishing propaganda. Piece here contrasts this with Anthropic publicly making dire claims about mass job losses. medium.com/predict/open...
Today’s news is making me think of a conversation I had with a prominent Canadian official, fuming that the U.S. was negotiating trade liberalization with China while Canada was frozen out, having poisoned its relationship with the fastest-growing economy on Earth to please DC to little gain
Carney opens Canada to Chinese EVs, China cuts canola tariffs
Carney opens Canada to Chinese EVs, China cuts canola tariffs
Xi Jinping and Mark Carney mark a new “strategic partnership.”
dlvr.it
January 16, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Today’s news is making me think of a conversation I had with a prominent Canadian official, fuming that the U.S. was negotiating trade liberalization with China while Canada was frozen out, having poisoned its relationship with the fastest-growing economy on Earth to please DC to little gain
Personal confession: I'm instantly suspicious of anyone who utilizes the word 'utilize'
January 16, 2026 at 9:27 AM
Personal confession: I'm instantly suspicious of anyone who utilizes the word 'utilize'
Observation: Claude Opus 4.5 is a far, far superior writer to ChatGPT. I sometimes submit a draft to both for an edit, then make my two 'editors' argue with each other. And Claude is consistently better. Like here where it mocks ChatGPT for proposing to butcher my copy:
January 14, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Observation: Claude Opus 4.5 is a far, far superior writer to ChatGPT. I sometimes submit a draft to both for an edit, then make my two 'editors' argue with each other. And Claude is consistently better. Like here where it mocks ChatGPT for proposing to butcher my copy:
I did not build this app to predict a stock market crash but...
What I wanted to show was how you or your institution can create a data dashboard, in a few easy steps. A project that would have cost tens of thousands is now virtually free for anyone. alexpanetta.substack.com/p/i-did-not-...
What I wanted to show was how you or your institution can create a data dashboard, in a few easy steps. A project that would have cost tens of thousands is now virtually free for anyone. alexpanetta.substack.com/p/i-did-not-...
January 12, 2026 at 11:46 AM
I did not build this app to predict a stock market crash but...
What I wanted to show was how you or your institution can create a data dashboard, in a few easy steps. A project that would have cost tens of thousands is now virtually free for anyone. alexpanetta.substack.com/p/i-did-not-...
What I wanted to show was how you or your institution can create a data dashboard, in a few easy steps. A project that would have cost tens of thousands is now virtually free for anyone. alexpanetta.substack.com/p/i-did-not-...
Developing…. Salman Rushdie vs the Iranian regime
January 9, 2026 at 5:58 AM
Developing…. Salman Rushdie vs the Iranian regime
After a few years stumbling through the desert, I could drink these words: "There were moments for the Canadiens when the hockey was so extraordinary it looked like the Central Red Army at the height of its powers."
The fruit of MSL’s labour starts to be shown as the Canadiens looked connected in their win over the Calgary Flames.
Also, Hughes SOTU mid season address in this Call Of The Wilde for Global Montreal.
globalnews.ca/news/1160344...
Also, Hughes SOTU mid season address in this Call Of The Wilde for Global Montreal.
globalnews.ca/news/1160344...
Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens dominate the Calgary Flames - Montreal | Globalnews.ca
Right from the drop of the puck on Wednesday, the Canadiens brought enormous energy. Montreal skated to a convincing 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
globalnews.ca
January 8, 2026 at 8:27 PM
After a few years stumbling through the desert, I could drink these words: "There were moments for the Canadiens when the hockey was so extraordinary it looked like the Central Red Army at the height of its powers."
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...