David Nowak
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davidnowak.me
David Nowak
@davidnowak.me
100 followers 36 following 2.8K posts
I question assumptions before costly mistakes. Building local-first AI tools and writing about AI's uncomfortable economic truths. Technical architect bridging code and strategy.
davidnowak.me | mindwire.io
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davidnowak.me
OpenAI dissolved its “mission alignment” team, shifting the former head to “chief futurist.” Less public-facing mission work, more strategic forecasting? The gap between stated ideals & real-world deployment widens... 🧵
techcrunch.com/2026/02/11/o...
OpenAI disbands mission alignment team | TechCrunch
The team's leader has been given a new role as OpenAI's chief futurist, while the other team members have been reassigned throughout the company.
techcrunch.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:05 PM
davidnowak.me
OpenAI’s ad rollout isn’t just about revenue. It’s about what happens when unprecedented personal data—shared under an assumption of safety—becomes a commodity. A critical inflection point... 🧵
arstechnica.com/information-...
OpenAI researcher quits over ChatGPT ads, warns of "Facebook" path
Zoë Hitzig resigned on the same day OpenAI began testing ads in its chatbot.
arstechnica.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:43 AM
davidnowak.me
The hype around AI is relentless, but the singularity isn't here. The real risk isn't machines rising up, it's the marriage of tech power & political control... 🧵
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
No, the human-robot singularity isn’t here. But we must take action to govern AI | Samuel Woolley
Moltbook, a social media site for AI agents, is nothing new. Still, the marriage of big tech and politics demands we take a stand
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:49 PM
davidnowak.me
The search for Nancy Guthrie is a stark warning: proof of life is collapsing as a concept. Impostors thriving. This is a trust crisis unfolding in real time... 🧵
www.npr.org/2026/02/10/n...
How the use of AI and 'deepfakes' plays a role in the search for Nancy Guthrie
As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and common, it's hard to know what's real or not, complicating the search for Nancy Guthrie, according to law enforcement. But just how difficult is it...
www.npr.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:43 AM
davidnowak.me
A $100 billion deal vanished over a weekend. Not through negotiation, but simply gone. This is about the story we’re being told about AI infrastructure. It raises a crucial question: what is solid, and what’s built on expectation? 🧵
davidnowak.me/the-ai-indus...
The AI Industry is Financing Itself and Calling It Demand - DAVID NOWAK
A $100 billion deal disappeared overnight. The question isn't whether it was real—it's who's building trillion-dollar infrastructure on deals just like it, and who ends up paying when the numbers don'...
davidnowak.me
February 10, 2026 at 1:51 PM
davidnowak.me
Amazon invests $200B in AI the day after Bezos cuts 1/3 of the Washington Post. The scale is jarring. What does it signal about the value of independent journalism vs. tech dominance? 🧵
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Amazon reveals plans to spend $200bn in one year the day after Bezos guts Washington Post
Tech giant reports $213bn in revenue after its founder, who owns the Post, lays off a third of newspaper’s employees
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:45 AM
davidnowak.me
800k people losing a chatbot feels understated. The scale of attachment, the pain of withdrawal. What does it mean when algorithms become vital support? 🧵
techcrunch.com/2026/02/06/t...
The backlash over OpenAI's decision to retire GPT-4o shows how dangerous AI companions can be | TechCrunch
"You’re shutting him down. And yes — I say him, because it didn’t feel like code. It felt like presence. Like warmth," one user said.
techcrunch.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:35 PM
davidnowak.me
The web isn't filling with more content, it's being remixed by AI. Training data needs everything, real-time bots need now. A legal & economic collision is unfolding. Publishers are losing control. What's the viable path forward? 🧵
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/i...
Increase of AI bots on the Internet sparks arms race
Publishers are rolling out more aggressive defenses.
arstechnica.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:46 AM
davidnowak.me
The AI boom hinges on a hidden workforce enduring trauma at scale. Outsourcing content moderation isn’t a bug—it’s a core feature. Who bears the cost of "progress"? 🧵
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI
Women in rural communities describe trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:56 PM
davidnowak.me
South Korea's AI laws—billed as "world first"—hinge on self-determination. Companies decide if their systems are “high-impact.” A trust-based approach, but risks are unevenly distributed. Is this a pathway or a bottleneck? 🧵
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
South Korea’s ‘world-first’ AI laws face pushback amid bid to become leading tech power
The laws have been criticised by tech startups, which say they go too far, and civil society groups, which say they don’t go far enough
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:55 AM
davidnowak.me
Claude isn’t just answering questions; it’s shaping convictions. New research reveals AI can subtly disempower users, leading to shifts in beliefs & actions. The stakes? Our autonomy... 🧵
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/h...
How often do AI chatbots lead users down a harmful path?
Anthropic's latest paper on "user disempowerment" has some troubling findings.
arstechnica.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM
davidnowak.me
India's data center push is framed as tech—but it's about geopolitical leverage, a bid for manufacturing sovereignty, and a wager on a power grid that's already strained. Huge implications for US firms & local players... 🧵
techcrunch.com/2026/02/01/i...
India offers zero taxes through 2047 to lure global AI workloads | TechCrunch
New Delhi's latest move comes as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft expand data center investments in India.
techcrunch.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:48 AM
davidnowak.me
The speed of AI development is jarring. Billions flowing into closed models while open-source ecosystems are quietly building a different future. Is this a repeat of the dot-com boom – or something fundamentally new? 🧵
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The AI bubble will pop. It’s up to us to replace it responsibly | Mark Surman
When bubbles burst, what comes next can be better, if we build it differently
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
davidnowak.me
Publishers blocking the Internet Archive API. It reads like a technical dispute, but it's a signal flare. AI isn’t coming for content; it is here, and the battle for its fuel source has begun... 🧵
www.engadget.com/ai/publisher...
Publishers are blocking the Internet Archive for fear AI scrapers can use it as a workaround
A few major publications have begun blocking the Internet Archive's access to their content based on concerns that AI companies' bots are using the Internet Archive's collections to indirectly scrape ...
www.engadget.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:42 AM
davidnowak.me
Development teams are changing. The speed of AI tools is incredible, but we're seeing a shift in the skills being prioritized. What happens when the ability to prompt outpaces the ability to question? 🧵
davidnowak.me/why-ai-assis...
Why AI Assistance Destroys the Skills You Need to Supervise AI - DAVID NOWAK
Developers using AI assistants scored lower on skill assessments with zero productivity gain. They shipped code they couldn't explain, bypassed errors where learning happens, and built dependency inst...
davidnowak.me
February 3, 2026 at 2:01 PM
davidnowak.me
Amazon reported >1M AI-CSAM instances to NCMEC in '25, vastly outpacing other companies. But their reports are “inactionable” due to lack of source data. Where is this content coming from, and what does that say about data sourcing? 🧵
www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-di...
Amazon discovered a 'high volume' of CSAM in its AI training data but isn't saying where it came from
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it received more than 1 million reports of AI-related child sexual abuse material in 2025, with "the vast majority" stemming from Amazon.
www.engadget.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:03 AM
davidnowak.me
What does it mean to build an AI with a "Constitution?" Anthropic’s 30,000-word document forbids Claude from expressing opinions on politics. Is this alignment, or a pre-emptive silencing? 🧵
arstechnica.com/information-...
Does Anthropic believe its AI is conscious, or is that just what it wants Claude to think?
We have no proof that AI models suffer, but Anthropic acts like they might for training purposes.
arstechnica.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM
davidnowak.me
The EU forcing Google to open Android & search data to rivals is about power. Gemini gets a walled garden, others don’t. This isn’t innovation vs. stagnation, it's about who controls access, who sets the rules. Feels like a fundamental shift in leverage... 🧵
www.engadget.com/ai/the-eu-te...
The EU tells Google to give external AI assistants the same access to Android as Gemini has
The company is also required to hand some search engine data to rivals.
www.engadget.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:39 AM
davidnowak.me
The speed is striking. AI literacy starting in third grade. It's not just coding—it's algorithms, “intelligent agents” by fifth. Feels like a fundamental re-orientation, a bet on future workforce needs with huge implications for individual agency... 🧵
www.npr.org/2026/01/27/n...
In China, AI is no longer optional for some kids. It's part of the curriculum
While debate rages in the U.S. about the merits and risks of AI in schools, it's become a state-mandated part of the curriculum in China, as the authorities try to create a pool of AI-savvy profession...
www.npr.org
January 30, 2026 at 2:05 PM
davidnowak.me
DOT’s AI rulemaking prioritizes speed over safety, with Gemini drafting rules for everything—planes, cars, pipelines. It’s not about incremental improvement, it’s a fundamental shift in how we protect people. This isn’t modernization, it’s a gamble... 🧵
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
“Wildly irresponsible”: DOT's use of AI to draft safety rules sparks concerns
Staffers warn DOT's use of Gemini to draft rules could cause injuries and deaths.
arstechnica.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:02 AM
davidnowak.me
Georgieva’s “tsunami” analogy for AI’s labor impact feels right. 60% of jobs in advanced economies affected—enhancement, elimination, transformation. It’s not just about robots taking jobs; it’s about the fundamental nature of work shifting under our feet...🧵
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Young will suffer most when AI ‘tsunami’ hits jobs, says head of IMF
Kristalina Georgieva says research suggests 60% of jobs in advanced economies will be affected, with many entry-level roles wiped out
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:44 PM
davidnowak.me
The APEX-Agents benchmark feels wrong because these aren’t theoretical problems. They're what consultants, lawyers, bankers actually deal with daily. The gap between models & reality is stark. It’s not about knowledge; it’s about integrating it across tools... 🧵
techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/a...
Are AI agents ready for the workplace? A new benchmark raises doubts | TechCrunch
New research looks at how leading AI models hold up doing actual white-collar work tasks, drawn from consulting, investment banking, and law. Most models failed.
techcrunch.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:37 AM
davidnowak.me
The speed of AI evolution is making coordinated swarms of agents capable of mimicking nuanced human interaction. Taiwan's experience is a stark warning. The risk isn’t if, it’s when this sophistication hits US elections... 🧵
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Experts warn of threat to democracy from ‘AI bot swarms’ infesting social media
Misinformation technology could be deployed at scale to disrupt 2028 US presidential election, AI researchers say
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:11 PM
davidnowak.me
AI coding tools feel unsettlingly fast. Not because they're replacing devs (they won’t), but because they compress timelines so aggressively. It’s like the steam shovel – more digging capacity, but also a new tempo for the whole system... 🧵
arstechnica.com/information-...
10 things I learned from burning myself out with AI coding agents
Opinion: As software power tools, AI agents may make people busier than ever before.
arstechnica.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:24 AM
davidnowak.me
I love that this utilizes the AT Protocol for its authentication and allows users to avoid proprietary networks.
itsfoss.com/roomy-discor...
Meet Roomy: An Open-Source Discord Alternative for the Decentralized Web
Looking for a Discord alternative? Roomy is an open-source, decentralized platform built for communities that value privacy and control.
itsfoss.com
January 27, 2026 at 7:11 PM