David Wells
@davidwellsct.bsky.social
Global security consultant focused on terrorism, counter-terrorism & technology (particularly AI): Former head of research & analysis at UN CTED: Ex UK/Aus intelligence
Reposted by David Wells
NEW | if the BBC *is* biased, it’s not against the right…
Arsonists cosplaying as fire fighters: Why the right-wing war on the BBC is succeeding
brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/arsonists-...
Arsonists cosplaying as fire fighters: Why the right-wing war on the BBC is succeeding
brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/arsonists-...
Arsonists cosplaying as fire fighters: Why the right-wing war on the BBC is succeeding
The resignation of Tim Davie as BBC Director-General is the next stage in the corporation's collapse into cowardice.
brokenbottleboy.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
NEW | if the BBC *is* biased, it’s not against the right…
Arsonists cosplaying as fire fighters: Why the right-wing war on the BBC is succeeding
brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/arsonists-...
Arsonists cosplaying as fire fighters: Why the right-wing war on the BBC is succeeding
brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/arsonists-...
Reposted by David Wells
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Japanese giant SoftBank said Tuesday it has sold its entire stake in tech giant Nvidia for $5.83 billion.
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
November 11, 2025 at 7:39 AM
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Reposted by David Wells
There’s a good chance the British Prime Minister’s main adviser on AI is an OpenAI shareholder - but the government refuses to say whether she is.
🧵 1/5
🧵 1/5
November 11, 2025 at 9:25 AM
There’s a good chance the British Prime Minister’s main adviser on AI is an OpenAI shareholder - but the government refuses to say whether she is.
🧵 1/5
🧵 1/5
Reposted by David Wells
Since the ceasefire took effect one month ago, Israeli attacks have killed at least 242 Palestinians and injured 622.
How many times has Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire? Here are the numbers
Since the ceasefire took effect one month ago, Israeli attacks have killed at least 242 Palestinians and injured 622.
bit.ly
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Since the ceasefire took effect one month ago, Israeli attacks have killed at least 242 Palestinians and injured 622.
Reposted by David Wells
The worst you can accuse Panorama of doing is making a misleading edit – and I’d dispute that! – to make *a point that was true*.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
Tory culture spox demanding the BBC "grovel" to Trump is baffling. Who is this supposed to chime with?
Just a bizarre line that no one who doesn't use X would ever think.
Just a bizarre line that no one who doesn't use X would ever think.
November 11, 2025 at 8:54 AM
The worst you can accuse Panorama of doing is making a misleading edit – and I’d dispute that! – to make *a point that was true*.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
Reposted by David Wells
“Measures used to ban groups such as Palestine Action should be restricted so that they are only used to protect the public from terrorism”
Translation: Palestine Action is not a terrorist organisation.
inews.co.uk/news/law-use...
Lift The Ban: wedonotcomply.org
Translation: Palestine Action is not a terrorist organisation.
inews.co.uk/news/law-use...
Lift The Ban: wedonotcomply.org
Law used to ban Palestine Action being used too widely, report says
Major review also says use of Prevent scheme is 'not fit for purpose' with referrals increasingly involving people with complex vulnerabilities
inews.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 9:58 AM
“Measures used to ban groups such as Palestine Action should be restricted so that they are only used to protect the public from terrorism”
Translation: Palestine Action is not a terrorist organisation.
inews.co.uk/news/law-use...
Lift The Ban: wedonotcomply.org
Translation: Palestine Action is not a terrorist organisation.
inews.co.uk/news/law-use...
Lift The Ban: wedonotcomply.org
Reposted by David Wells
I'm curious as to why @bylinetimes.bsky.social are running tech corporation talking points, including pushing them out to hundreds of thousands of people.
Here's my recent post breaking down why this line is so profoundly misleading:
ketanjoshi.co/2025/08/23/b...
Here's my recent post breaking down why this line is so profoundly misleading:
ketanjoshi.co/2025/08/23/b...
November 11, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I'm curious as to why @bylinetimes.bsky.social are running tech corporation talking points, including pushing them out to hundreds of thousands of people.
Here's my recent post breaking down why this line is so profoundly misleading:
ketanjoshi.co/2025/08/23/b...
Here's my recent post breaking down why this line is so profoundly misleading:
ketanjoshi.co/2025/08/23/b...
Reposted by David Wells
Can't wait to find out which major US financial institutions did a whoopsie with their AI data center securities exposure
This is insane. This is *literally* doing the same mechanics of the housing crisis and 2008 recession but to create debt to finance construction of AI data centers
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Can't wait to find out which major US financial institutions did a whoopsie with their AI data center securities exposure
Reposted by David Wells
Ms Rachel says The New York Times asked her if she’s funded by Hamas
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Ms Rachel says The New York Times asked her if she’s funded by Hamas
Reposted by David Wells
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by David Wells
The original Dem demands were:
1) Permanent ACA subsidies
2) Medicaid funding restored
3) No more blank checks for the regime (rescission)
They dropped Medicaid immediately. Went silent on rescission. Cut back to 1 year of subsidies on Friday. And surrendered today.
The Senate Democrats!
1) Permanent ACA subsidies
2) Medicaid funding restored
3) No more blank checks for the regime (rescission)
They dropped Medicaid immediately. Went silent on rescission. Cut back to 1 year of subsidies on Friday. And surrendered today.
The Senate Democrats!
November 10, 2025 at 2:29 AM
The original Dem demands were:
1) Permanent ACA subsidies
2) Medicaid funding restored
3) No more blank checks for the regime (rescission)
They dropped Medicaid immediately. Went silent on rescission. Cut back to 1 year of subsidies on Friday. And surrendered today.
The Senate Democrats!
1) Permanent ACA subsidies
2) Medicaid funding restored
3) No more blank checks for the regime (rescission)
They dropped Medicaid immediately. Went silent on rescission. Cut back to 1 year of subsidies on Friday. And surrendered today.
The Senate Democrats!
Reposted by David Wells
twitter being bought and turned into a propaganda machine for fascism, which is directly pumped into every journalist in the world's brain, is one of the worst things to happen in the last few years. we might not survive it.
I'm guessing the BBC 'scandal' has been big on X this week as this was the first I had heard of it...
November 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
twitter being bought and turned into a propaganda machine for fascism, which is directly pumped into every journalist in the world's brain, is one of the worst things to happen in the last few years. we might not survive it.
Reposted by David Wells
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
November 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
Reposted by David Wells
Huh? How do you do a "balancing" program when one candidate did an insurgency trying to overturn the election and the other...didn't?
Would Prescott have been satisfied with an hour of people telling BBC journalists why they didn't try and stoke a riot to overturn Trump's second win?
Would Prescott have been satisfied with an hour of people telling BBC journalists why they didn't try and stoke a riot to overturn Trump's second win?
Michael Prescott was ‘“shocked” that after an hour-long Panorama documentary dealing with Trump and the January 6 insurgency, there was no “similar, balancing” programme about Kamala Harris.’
More read about the machinations between the BBC resignations, the more worrying it becomes
More read about the machinations between the BBC resignations, the more worrying it becomes
The departure of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness means the BBC is leaderless when it needs leadership more than ever. Where are the people at the head of the BBC standing up for it?
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
November 9, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Huh? How do you do a "balancing" program when one candidate did an insurgency trying to overturn the election and the other...didn't?
Would Prescott have been satisfied with an hour of people telling BBC journalists why they didn't try and stoke a riot to overturn Trump's second win?
Would Prescott have been satisfied with an hour of people telling BBC journalists why they didn't try and stoke a riot to overturn Trump's second win?
Reposted by David Wells
Have heard this from a few different vectors and it's like a little burning sun of hope bursts into existence every time I hear about it.
At a recent guest lecture I did the students I spoke to weren't just not using it for their work but itching to join an active, organised resistance against it
At a recent guest lecture I did the students I spoke to weren't just not using it for their work but itching to join an active, organised resistance against it
A bit of good news: I think you'd all be pleasantly surprised by how resistant the undergrads are becoming to AI. Institutions have lost their minds on this front, but more and more the students themselves are saying "no" to this horribly corrosive technology.
November 9, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Have heard this from a few different vectors and it's like a little burning sun of hope bursts into existence every time I hear about it.
At a recent guest lecture I did the students I spoke to weren't just not using it for their work but itching to join an active, organised resistance against it
At a recent guest lecture I did the students I spoke to weren't just not using it for their work but itching to join an active, organised resistance against it
Reposted by David Wells
One doesn't have to squint very hard to see a bit of defensiveness about these rich guys who lead pretty soft lives and had pretty soft upbringings regarding their "manliness," and it's manifesting in ways that hurts everybody but them.
I’m sorry, but a goofy looking guy who grew up a privileged son of a pediatrician and has a phd in social theory from the university of Goethe and started in tech by investing an inheritance left to him by his grandfather talking about being a “dude” is very, very funny to me.
November 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
One doesn't have to squint very hard to see a bit of defensiveness about these rich guys who lead pretty soft lives and had pretty soft upbringings regarding their "manliness," and it's manifesting in ways that hurts everybody but them.
Reposted by David Wells
Pleased to have co-authored with this case study in Trust & Safety reflecting on the evolution of @gifct.bsky.social and the lessons learned & good practices emerging from the establishment and activities of #GIFCT:
gifct.org/2025/09/11/i...
gifct.org/2025/09/11/i...
Insight: Fighting Terror with Tech: The Evolution of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism - GIFCT
gifct.org
November 4, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Pleased to have co-authored with this case study in Trust & Safety reflecting on the evolution of @gifct.bsky.social and the lessons learned & good practices emerging from the establishment and activities of #GIFCT:
gifct.org/2025/09/11/i...
gifct.org/2025/09/11/i...
Reposted by David Wells
congrats to everyone for thinking this through before signing very big contracts to put it on every student’s device at the school or university you run
OVER A MILLION USERS
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
Panera’s moderately caffeinated lemonade was loosely associated with 2 deaths before it was taken off market.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
November 7, 2025 at 11:24 PM
congrats to everyone for thinking this through before signing very big contracts to put it on every student’s device at the school or university you run
Reposted by David Wells
‘Al could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
November 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
‘Al could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
Reposted by David Wells
ICYMI: Microsoft’s charge “implies a more than $12 billion quarterly loss at OpenAI, said Firoz Valliji, an analyst at Bernstein.”
That “would mark one of the largest single-quarter losses for a tech company in history.”
@jessefelder.bsky.social $MSFT
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
That “would mark one of the largest single-quarter losses for a tech company in history.”
@jessefelder.bsky.social $MSFT
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
November 7, 2025 at 7:17 PM
ICYMI: Microsoft’s charge “implies a more than $12 billion quarterly loss at OpenAI, said Firoz Valliji, an analyst at Bernstein.”
That “would mark one of the largest single-quarter losses for a tech company in history.”
@jessefelder.bsky.social $MSFT
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
That “would mark one of the largest single-quarter losses for a tech company in history.”
@jessefelder.bsky.social $MSFT
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
Reposted by David Wells
OpenAI's Sora 2 is flooding social media with videos of women being strangled. Yet another example of generative AI companies failing to prevent users from creating media that violates their own policies against violent content.
www.404media.co/openais-sora...
www.404media.co/openais-sora...
OpenAI’s Sora 2 Floods Social Media With Videos of Women Being Strangled
X and TikTok accounts are dedicated to posting AI-generated videos of women being strangled.
www.404media.co
November 7, 2025 at 4:06 PM
OpenAI's Sora 2 is flooding social media with videos of women being strangled. Yet another example of generative AI companies failing to prevent users from creating media that violates their own policies against violent content.
www.404media.co/openais-sora...
www.404media.co/openais-sora...
Reposted by David Wells
I would put more money on continuing to harvest infinite energy from the sun over assuming that forcing everyone to use The Machine The Lies To You is the steady basis of an entire economy
A fun question. In 5 years time, what looks better? The US’s enormous bet & capex on AI? Or China’s equally enormous bet and capex on renewables?
China has made cheap, clean energy available in huge quantities. The world should take the win econ.st/4oqFszB
Photo: Eyevine
Photo: Eyevine
November 7, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I would put more money on continuing to harvest infinite energy from the sun over assuming that forcing everyone to use The Machine The Lies To You is the steady basis of an entire economy
Reposted by David Wells
10% of Meta's 2024 ad revenue came from outright frauds and scams; the platform shows consumers 15 billion ads for fraud and scams every single day. This doesn't even include agitprop and AI slop.
the existential collapse of this monumental pile of shit company simply can't come quickly enough
the existential collapse of this monumental pile of shit company simply can't come quickly enough
Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show
Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, and it internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day, company documents show.
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:04 PM
10% of Meta's 2024 ad revenue came from outright frauds and scams; the platform shows consumers 15 billion ads for fraud and scams every single day. This doesn't even include agitprop and AI slop.
the existential collapse of this monumental pile of shit company simply can't come quickly enough
the existential collapse of this monumental pile of shit company simply can't come quickly enough
Reposted by David Wells
Does man who spends 14 hours a day posting deserve one trillion dollars? Many posters say the matter is complicated.
Elon Musk wants a pay package worth $1 trillion.
But an emerging group of opponents argue the package is excessive, and some say Musk’s political and side ventures have put the company at risk.
But an emerging group of opponents argue the package is excessive, and some say Musk’s political and side ventures have put the company at risk.
Elon Musk’s ultimatum to Tesla: Make me a trillionaire or I may leave
A proposed pay package could make Tesla CEO Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, but it faces resistance from shareholders and critics who say it’s unearned.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Does man who spends 14 hours a day posting deserve one trillion dollars? Many posters say the matter is complicated.