Edward Ongweso Jr
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edwardongwesojr.com
Edward Ongweso Jr
@edwardongwesojr.com
53K followers 730 following 230 posts
writer, editor, degenerate, Luddite, decel

thetechbubble.substack.com
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Edward Ongweso Jr @edwardongwesojr.com · Mar 3
The Silicon Valley Consensus: a persistent but fragile pattern for overbuilding, overvaluing, and overinvesting in tech to enrich networks of capitalists & advance their (reactionary) political projects. 1st iteration focuses on AI capex, first half today. thetechbubble.substack.com/p/the-silico...
The Silicon Valley Consensus & AI Capex (Part 1)
On overbuilding AI infrastructure and its energy supply
thetechbubble.substack.com
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
hagenblix.bsky.social
I do, of course, have a paragraph from "Why We Fear AI" for this
An LLM is an abstraction over the status quo (or rather, the text of the status quo) that has, at its core, no other aim than producing more text that is just like the text already in existence. One result is that the dominant ideas, the dominant textual patterns of our time, are recast as “intelligence” per se. We might call the complex mass of concepts and ideas, the channels into which ideas flow often and easily, or the boundaries of what is reasonable to debate in so-called “polite society”—the dominant ideology of an age. An age’s dominant ideology tends to presuppose that the power of that age is natural; the hallmark of ideology, in this sense, is that it is easy to recognize only when it’s past its time. We may no longer think that an almighty god appointed a king to rule us, that women are naturally unfit to vote, or that sex outside of a heterosexual marriage is immoral. But at various times, to think otherwise (to think of replacing the monarchy with a republic, to affirm that women are people, or being in favor of sexual or gay liberation) was the far more difficult, even dangerous thought—if not to have, then at the very least to put in writing. Ideology, of course, is never complete, other thoughts are always possible. But ideology is easy to think, it’s what our thoughts are already marinated in. And hence, ideology will be dominant in the textual patterns of an age. Seen in this light, what is called “intelligence” in a language model, is really that—ideology as a thing that can pretend to be a person.
November 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
lukeoneil47.bsky.social
Here’s one of me and the reading gang. @attackerman.bsky.social @kylietcheung.bsky.social @graceroso.bsky.social @edwardongwesojr.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
edzitron.com
Exclusive: Based on documents viewed by this newsletter, OpenAI spent over $12.4 billion on inference from 2024 to September 2025. As part of its Microsoft revenue share, it sent $493.8m in 2024/$865.8m Jan-Sep 2025, implying lower revenues than previously reported.
www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Exclusive: Here's How Much OpenAI Spends On Inference and Its Revenue Share With Microsoft
As with my Anthropic exclusive from a few weeks ago, though this feels like a natural premium piece, I decided it was better to publish on my free one so that you could all enjoy it. If you liked or f...
www.wheresyoured.at
November 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
bcmerchant.bsky.social
It's entirely fitting that one of the first big AI-generated music producers is a Deloitte consultant.
chaykak.bsky.social Kyle Chayka @chaykak.bsky.social · 4d
for my @newyorker.com column I profiled Nick Arter, a consultant turned musician who began producing AI songs under the name Nick Hustles a year ago and has hit millions of streams and gone pro. Where is the line of human creativity in the post-AI music industry? www.newyorker.com/culture/infi...
That New Hit Song on Spotify? It Was Made by A.I.
Aspiring musicians are churning out tracks using generative artificial intelligence. Some are topping the charts.
www.newyorker.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
ojutel.bsky.social
Sharing a great new paper on VC from David Kampmann, LSE really leading the way on the new critical scholarship on VC
@jathansadowski.com @mrshoward.bsky.social @edwardongwesojr.com @parismarx.com @profhilaryallen.bsky.social @jacobsilverman.com
academic.oup.com/ser/advance-...
The political economy of venture capital: winners-take-all and founder control
Abstract. In many US Tech corporations such as Meta, Alphabet, and SpaceX, founders still hold shareholder voting control. How can we better understand the
academic.oup.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
bcmerchant.bsky.social
NEW YORK CITY: I hear you're in a celebratory mood over there. Well how would you like to use some of that energy to help dismantle big tech?

Join me, @parismarx.com, @edwardongwesojr.com, @jathansadowski.com, @veenadubal.bsky.social, and special guests for the Second NYC Luddite Tribunal.
RSVP to THE LUDDITE TRIBUNAL | Partiful
It's time to put technology on trial, and to smash it if necessary. Join Paris Marx, Jathan Sadowski, Ed Ongweso Jr, Veena Dubal, Brian Merchant, and special guests for an evening of booze, discussion...
partiful.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
aljazeera.com
The first African author to win the Nobel in literature, Soyinka has been an outspoken critic of governments worldwide.
Trump administration strips Nigerian Nobel winner Wole Soyinka of US visa
The first African author to win the Nobel in literature, Soyinka has been an outspoken critic of governments worldwide.
bit.ly
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
the-syllabus.bsky.social
Driven by a new cohort of think-tank voices, the second Trump administration is shifting toward hemispheric prioritization and managed disengagement. Our French pick of the week maps the intellectual genealogy of the "restrainers."

By @rmomtaz.bsky.social et al.

buff.ly/3TnNFoJ
October 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
prisonculture.bsky.social
"In less than 36 hours since we announced that we will be sending payments to disabled SNAP recipients in the South—$100 to individuals and $250 to households—we have received more than 12,400 applications, totaling $2.7 million in requests." - they have to close the form tomorrow... no way to cover
newdisabledsouth.org New Disabled South @newdisabledsouth.org · 20d
We are offering one time payments to disabled folks in the South who will not receive their SNAP benefits this month. If you need help, please find more information and details at ndsdj.org/snaphelp.

If you’d like to donate to the fund, go to ndsdj.org/snapdonate

We take care of each other ❤️
Graphic with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Apply: Food Assistance for Disabled People in the South.’ Text below explains that due to the government shutdown, people in the South will not receive their November SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments. New Disabled South is offering one-time payments to help people impacted by not receiving SNAP — $100 for individuals and $250 for households with two or more people. It notes that funding is first-come, first-served and that SSI or Medicaid recipients should read a disclaimer before applying. A call-to-action at the bottom reads: ‘Apply at ndsdj.org/snaphelp.’ There are small illustrations of a grocery bag and a grocery list. Graphic with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Donate to Support Food Assistance for Disabled People in the South.’ The message says that New Disabled South is raising money to provide direct payments to people impacted by loss of SNAP funds, and invites donations. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Donate at ndsdj.org/snapdonate.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag with food items is on the left. Graphic in Spanish with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Solicitar: Asistencia Alimentaria para Personas con Discapacidad en el Sur.’ The text explains that due to the government shutdown, people will not receive November SNAP payments and that New Disabled South offers one-time payments of $100 for individuals and $250 for households with two or more people, first-come, first-served. It also includes a note for SSI or Medicaid recipients. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Solicitar en ndsdj.org/snaphelp.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag and grocery list appears on the left. Graphic in Spanish with a light background and the New Disabled South logo in the top right corner. Large bold text reads: ‘Dona para apoyar la asistencia alimentaria para personas con discapacidad en el Sur.’ The text explains that New Disabled South is raising funds to make direct payments to people affected by the loss of SNAP funds and provides information on how to donate. A black banner at the bottom reads: ‘Dona en ndsdj.org/snapdonate.’ A small illustration of a grocery bag with food items appears on the left.
October 29, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
junlper.beer
i deeply love WIRED and their reporting, but that ed zitron piece was one of the most bad faith, head scratchingly bizarre pieces i’ve ever read
October 27, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
brian-goldstone.bsky.social
Under Trump, the draconian future of homelessness policy is coming into focus: mass internment. Utah is building a 16-acre site to detain up to 1,300 homeless people inside locked "accountability centers." This is profoundly alarming.

Vital reporting from @ellenbarry.bsky.social and Jason DeParle:
In Utah, Trump’s Vision for Homelessness Begins to Take Shape
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
lukeoneil47.bsky.social
Nov 12 at the Francis Kite Club @orbooks.bsky.social in NYC with @kylietcheung.bsky.social @attackerman.bsky.social @graceroso.bsky.social and @edwardongwesojr.com www.eventbrite.com/e/we-had-it-...
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
edwardongwesojr.com
flattening AI skepticism to such a one-dimensional state is the real position with low barriers to entry—the providence of useful idiots & dullards! thetechbubble.substack.com/p/the-phony-...
October 18, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
parismarx.com
I hear there’s a new wave of Twitter people headed this way. I know we don’t talk about them much anymore, but I made a starter pack ages ago you might like if you’re into critical tech work and Luddites.
October 16, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
susglickman.bsky.social
have a new piece out of defense tech with nyrb!

www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
The War Over Defense Tech | Susannah Glickman
Last October, on a Martin Luther–inspired website called www.18theses.com, a software executive named Shyam Sankar published a four-thousand-word polemic
www.nybooks.com
October 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
edwardongwesojr.com
we are going to have So Much Fun this year, are you excited? (I am!)
edzitron.com Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · Oct 16
Better Offline CES 2026 planning is on. @chloebadcliffe.bsky.social, @davidjroth.bsky.social, @edwardongwesojr.com, @funranium.bsky.social, @iwriteok.bsky.social, @bishonentype.bsky.social, an open bar, tacos, and 20+ hours of podcasts. The best show at CES, including the convention itself.
October 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
jathansadowski.com
In the new TMK, @triofrancos.bsky.social joins us to discuss the about the many frontiers, tensions, and futures of green capitalism. We go deep into the political economy of lithium and the material infrastructures of extraction. Thea is so sharp and this is such a great conversation.
425. The Oxymorons of Green Capitalism (ft. Thea Riofrancos)
We are joined by Thea Riofrancos — author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism — to chat about the many frontiers, tensions, and futures of green capitalism. How do we understand a system
soundcloud.com
September 29, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
arn.is
One of my favorite podcasts (This Machine Kills) has an episode with the amazing @triofrancos.bsky.social on Green Capitalism.

Find it where you listen your podcasts at.

Kudos to you too @jathansadowski.com & @edwardongwesojr.com for the thoughtful discussion!
425. The Oxymorons of Green Capitalism (ft. Thea Riofrancos)
Podcast Episode · This Machine Kills · 29/09/2025 · 1h 36m
podcasts.apple.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
danieldenvir.bsky.social
New @thedigradio.bsky.social: first of two w @melindacooper.bsky.social on Counterrevolution: Extravagance and Austerity in Public Finance. How neoliberalism remade US capitalism into an engine for endless asset appreciation, and the attendant reactionary politics www.thedigradio.com/podcast/coun...
Counterrevolution w/ Melinda Cooper
Featuring Melinda Cooper on Counterrevolution: Extravagance and Austerity in Public Finance. Neoliberalism remade the American economy into an engine for the appreciation of assets stretching from the...
www.thedigradio.com
October 1, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
hypervisible.blacksky.app
If you are inclined to click on this, I’ve highlighted the only phrase you need to read.
As a red teamer at OpenAI, I conduct safety testing on their new AI systems before public release, and the testers are consistently wowed by the human-like behavior.
September 30, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
greatdismal.bsky.social
September 26, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
edzitron.com
I chatted with the @financialtimes.com about my writing, the podcast, tech criticism, and being myself.

archive.is/2025.09.25-0...
Ed Zitron sitting on a chair with a game console staring very normally Ed Zitron staring with a shadow on his face
September 25, 2025 at 8:28 AM
edwardongwesojr.com
Wrote about Vision 2030's shortcomings as a diversification strategy vs its success in centralizing power at home & securing geopolitical importance in a global order centered on assets that aren't oil. next essay will look at assets & political coalition

thetechbubble.substack.com/p/visions-of...
Visions of Mustaqbālna
On Saudi Arabia's various fever dreams and their role in our long national nightmare
thetechbubble.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Reposted by Edward Ongweso Jr
jathansadowski.com
This essay is so damn good. I love to see @edwardongwesojr.com digging in the crates to find sharp, prescient critiques of technological political economy from Victorian literature that could / should be written today. thetechbubble.substack.com/p/on-the-ori...
On the Origins of Dune's Butlerian Jihad
Some notes on what should go in our own Orange Catholic Bible.
thetechbubble.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:03 AM