Damon Beres
@damonberes.com
Senior editor at The Atlantic, focused on tech //
SIGNAL: Damon.63
📨 dberes at the atlantic dot com
✴️ damonberes.com
SIGNAL: Damon.63
📨 dberes at the atlantic dot com
✴️ damonberes.com
I read fewer novels than I’d like to but I did in fact read Flesh a month or two ago and it really was very good
David Szalay’s ‘Flesh’ Wins 2025 Booker Prize
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 AM
I read fewer novels than I’d like to but I did in fact read Flesh a month or two ago and it really was very good
The veil is dropping…
No More Mr. Nice AI
OpenAI is pursuing aggressive legal tactics against its opponents.
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:16 AM
The veil is dropping…
Reposted by Damon Beres
i parachute into X/Twitter a lot for my job and obviously have chronicled the devolution but today it feels that, even outside of the realm of groyperposting the broad culture there is just like *i have lead poisoning*
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
i parachute into X/Twitter a lot for my job and obviously have chronicled the devolution but today it feels that, even outside of the realm of groyperposting the broad culture there is just like *i have lead poisoning*
job opening alert
X Memes and Headline Commentary Tutor - Palo Alto, CA - Indeed.com
xAI
www.indeed.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:14 PM
job opening alert
Reposted by Damon Beres
I think @damonberes.com nailed this one: Social media is not social anymore, and with the pivot to AI, companies that build social media are building something that is isolating us even more
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I think @damonberes.com nailed this one: Social media is not social anymore, and with the pivot to AI, companies that build social media are building something that is isolating us even more
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Cannot wait for this. I will buy several. I will read it to my three-year-old
🚨 PLEASE PREORDER MY NEW BOOK 🚨
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
It's called The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life, and it's about the sensory enchantment of everyday life.
Click here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sm...
… or go wherever you buy books
(More info in the next post)
November 10, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Cannot wait for this. I will buy several. I will read it to my three-year-old
A lot of great detail in this story by my colleague @nickmiroff.bsky.social, but I’m struck that you could boil most of the justifications down to: ICE agents are scared.
Why They Mask
Veteran ICE officers know face coverings are a bad look. But they’re not coming off anytime soon.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
A lot of great detail in this story by my colleague @nickmiroff.bsky.social, but I’m struck that you could boil most of the justifications down to: ICE agents are scared.
Omg a heartwarming tale!!!!
After Their Books Were Pirated to Train AI, Three Authors Went to Court and Won. Their Fight Is Just Beginning (Exclusive)
Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson represented the many authors whose books were pirated by AI company Anthropic in a historic lawsuit, Bartz vs. Anthropic. The trio spoke with PEO...
people.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Omg a heartwarming tale!!!!
Reposted by Damon Beres
Tulsi Gabbard is trying to take control over counterintelligence from the FBI. It's not going great. A scoop with @shaneharris.bsky.social
Tulsi Gabbard’s Quest to Bring the ‘Deep State’ Under Her Control
A memo circulating within the federal government lays out her office’s reasoning for wanting to transfer counterintelligence work away from the FBI.
www.theatlantic.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Tulsi Gabbard is trying to take control over counterintelligence from the FBI. It's not going great. A scoop with @shaneharris.bsky.social
One of the best newsletters I receive tbqh
Are you curious about what’s really happening in China’s tech ecosystem?? Sign up for our weekly newsletter MADE IN CHINA: www.wired.com/newsletter/e...
November 7, 2025 at 5:26 PM
One of the best newsletters I receive tbqh
Reposted by Damon Beres
I think @damonberes.com right that chatbots shouldn’t be your friends, and insidious stuff arises from treating them as such.
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I think @damonberes.com right that chatbots shouldn’t be your friends, and insidious stuff arises from treating them as such.
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
But that doesn’t doom LLMs, which are useful and (sorry to ppl here) not purely evil.
It would be nice to try to sort out the jumble, but our culture isn’t great at that!
Reposted by Damon Beres
"Over years of use—and product upgrades—many of us may simply slip into relationships with bots that we first used as helpers or entertainment, just as we were lulled into submission by algorithmic feeds"
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:21 PM
"Over years of use—and product upgrades—many of us may simply slip into relationships with bots that we first used as helpers or entertainment, just as we were lulled into submission by algorithmic feeds"
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Damon Beres
this is so good and really captures what's sinister about everyone befriending chatbots.
"They provide some facsimile of companionship while allowing users to avoid uncomfortable interactions or reciprocity," writes @damonberes.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
"They provide some facsimile of companionship while allowing users to avoid uncomfortable interactions or reciprocity," writes @damonberes.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:30 AM
this is so good and really captures what's sinister about everyone befriending chatbots.
"They provide some facsimile of companionship while allowing users to avoid uncomfortable interactions or reciprocity," writes @damonberes.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
"They provide some facsimile of companionship while allowing users to avoid uncomfortable interactions or reciprocity," writes @damonberes.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Damon Beres
"Although chatbots may be built on the familiar architecture of engagement, they enable something new: They allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself".
👇👇
👇👇
New from me: I went deep on the way that generative AI and chatbots act as wormholes, pushing us deeper into our own minds. They threaten to compound the problems of algorithmic targeting that have festered unaddressed for years and years—what comes next may be even more alienating and isolating (🎁)
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:19 PM
"Although chatbots may be built on the familiar architecture of engagement, they enable something new: They allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself".
👇👇
👇👇
Reposted by Damon Beres
@damonberes.com wrote a real barnburner this week, on what we are permitting the AI chatbot industry to do to us all.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:51 PM
@damonberes.com wrote a real barnburner this week, on what we are permitting the AI chatbot industry to do to us all.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Damon Beres
if you're gonna read anything today, make it @damonberes.com's excellent (and unnerving) story about AI chatbots derailing the future of human friendship:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM
if you're gonna read anything today, make it @damonberes.com's excellent (and unnerving) story about AI chatbots derailing the future of human friendship:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Damon Beres
New: The FBI filed a subpoena trying to unmask the person or people behind archive.is / archive.today, which have been running anonymously for 13 yrs. Site was widely used by GamerGate, and then to bypass paywalls but has become kind of core archiving infrastructure
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
FBI Tries to Unmask Owner of Infamous Archive.is Site
The FBI has subpoenaed the domain registrar of archive.today, demanding information about the owner.
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
New: The FBI filed a subpoena trying to unmask the person or people behind archive.is / archive.today, which have been running anonymously for 13 yrs. Site was widely used by GamerGate, and then to bypass paywalls but has become kind of core archiving infrastructure
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
www.404media.co/fbi-tries-to...
😇
November 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
😇
Reposted by Damon Beres
Tech companies have long promised to deliver a golden age of human connection—but with AI companions, what’s actually unfolding is a digital age “more actively anti-social than the last,” @damonberes.com argues:
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
bit.ly
November 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Tech companies have long promised to deliver a golden age of human connection—but with AI companions, what’s actually unfolding is a digital age “more actively anti-social than the last,” @damonberes.com argues:
Reposted by Damon Beres
New from me: I went deep on the way that generative AI and chatbots act as wormholes, pushing us deeper into our own minds. They threaten to compound the problems of algorithmic targeting that have festered unaddressed for years and years—what comes next may be even more alienating and isolating (🎁)
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
New from me: I went deep on the way that generative AI and chatbots act as wormholes, pushing us deeper into our own minds. They threaten to compound the problems of algorithmic targeting that have festered unaddressed for years and years—what comes next may be even more alienating and isolating (🎁)
Reposted by Damon Beres
Robots are cool! But you definitely need real friends.
Chatbots "allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself." And the anti-social media era is only in its infancy...
Must-read @damonberes.com:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Chatbots "allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself." And the anti-social media era is only in its infancy...
Must-read @damonberes.com:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Robots are cool! But you definitely need real friends.
Chatbots "allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself." And the anti-social media era is only in its infancy...
Must-read @damonberes.com:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Chatbots "allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself." And the anti-social media era is only in its infancy...
Must-read @damonberes.com:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Damon Beres
Defining and essential from @damonberes.com on how AI is ushering the age of anti-social media: "Although chatbots may be built on the familiar architecture of engagement, they enable something new: They allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself."
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Defining and essential from @damonberes.com on how AI is ushering the age of anti-social media: "Although chatbots may be built on the familiar architecture of engagement, they enable something new: They allow you to talk forever to no one other than yourself."
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
New from me: I went deep on the way that generative AI and chatbots act as wormholes, pushing us deeper into our own minds. They threaten to compound the problems of algorithmic targeting that have festered unaddressed for years and years—what comes next may be even more alienating and isolating (🎁)
The Age of Anti-Social Media Is Here
The social-media era is over. What’s coming will be much worse.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
New from me: I went deep on the way that generative AI and chatbots act as wormholes, pushing us deeper into our own minds. They threaten to compound the problems of algorithmic targeting that have festered unaddressed for years and years—what comes next may be even more alienating and isolating (🎁)
I don't want to over hype anything but @cwarzel.bsky.social's GALAXY BRAIN is going to be the single greatest podcast ever created I cannot wait
Introducing: Galaxy Brain with Charlie Warzel
YouTube video by The Atlantic
www.youtube.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I don't want to over hype anything but @cwarzel.bsky.social's GALAXY BRAIN is going to be the single greatest podcast ever created I cannot wait
Reposted by Damon Beres
A little-known nonprofit has been lying to news publishers while funneling millions of paywalled articles to tech companies for AI training. Read my investigation in The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
The Nonprofit Doing the AI Industry’s Dirty Work
The web archive Common Crawl has been quietly funneling paywalled articles to AI companies—and lying to publishers about it.
www.theatlantic.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:59 PM
A little-known nonprofit has been lying to news publishers while funneling millions of paywalled articles to tech companies for AI training. Read my investigation in The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...