Phil Steitz
@psteitz.bsky.social
Animal lover, trail runner, mathematician, product and tech leader, open source developer
Reposted by Phil Steitz
A phrase for why so much AI art looks the same: cultural stagnation.
Creativity gets flattened into polished sameness when machines optimize for what’s familiar.
buff.ly/JkvxYJF
Creativity gets flattened into polished sameness when machines optimize for what’s familiar.
buff.ly/JkvxYJF
AI-induced cultural stagnation is no longer speculation − it’s already happening
AI-mediated culture is already being filtered in ways that favor the familiar, the describable and the conventional.
theconversation.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:14 PM
A phrase for why so much AI art looks the same: cultural stagnation.
Creativity gets flattened into polished sameness when machines optimize for what’s familiar.
buff.ly/JkvxYJF
Creativity gets flattened into polished sameness when machines optimize for what’s familiar.
buff.ly/JkvxYJF
Stylin’ like Macron
Enter the cool blue Midnight Parrotfish; rocking a Canadian tuxedo and a smile 😁🌌🦜🐟👖 #midnightparrotfish #parrotfishjungle #parrotfishcapitaloftheworld #canadiantuxedo #coolblue #coral #coralcitycamera #miami #portmiami #biscaynebay #coralcity
January 24, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Stylin’ like Macron
www.wsj.com/tech/europe-...
There is a real innovation opportunity here. Over-priced bloatware, cloud services and slop engines are ripe for replacement. EU has talent and core infrastructure to do it.
There is a real innovation opportunity here. Over-priced bloatware, cloud services and slop engines are ripe for replacement. EU has talent and core infrastructure to do it.
Europe Prepares for a Nightmare Scenario: The U.S. Blocking Access to Tech
Trump’s threats have injected new urgency into European efforts to reduce its reliance on American technology.
www.wsj.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM
www.wsj.com/tech/europe-...
There is a real innovation opportunity here. Over-priced bloatware, cloud services and slop engines are ripe for replacement. EU has talent and core infrastructure to do it.
There is a real innovation opportunity here. Over-priced bloatware, cloud services and slop engines are ripe for replacement. EU has talent and core infrastructure to do it.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
I am looking for a graduate-level intern for next summer to work with my team on large-scale security systems.
If you do large-scale data, formal methods, distributed systems, computer security or anything related, ping me. Or just apply before mid-March.
hpe.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Jobsathpe/jo...
If you do large-scale data, formal methods, distributed systems, computer security or anything related, ping me. Or just apply before mid-March.
hpe.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Jobsathpe/jo...
January 21, 2026 at 10:04 PM
I am looking for a graduate-level intern for next summer to work with my team on large-scale security systems.
If you do large-scale data, formal methods, distributed systems, computer security or anything related, ping me. Or just apply before mid-March.
hpe.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Jobsathpe/jo...
If you do large-scale data, formal methods, distributed systems, computer security or anything related, ping me. Or just apply before mid-March.
hpe.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Jobsathpe/jo...
Reposted by Phil Steitz
From today’s WSJ. Either the LLMs are way better at “executive” tasks, executives are way better at promoting or result quality is less important for them. I suspect it’s mostly the last thing.
January 22, 2026 at 5:59 PM
From today’s WSJ. Either the LLMs are way better at “executive” tasks, executives are way better at promoting or result quality is less important for them. I suspect it’s mostly the last thing.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
Yep.
Even after Trump is gone, the world will remember that he threatened to forcibly seize the territory of a peaceful democratic ally, and our institutions failed to immediately remove him. That makes US dangerously unreliable, not just one senile gangster.
His not being impeached by the end of the business day as a result of this threat is as much a problem as the threat itself. It’s not just Trump that the world has to worry about, it’s a GOP that supports him and Democrats who suck their thumbs and refuse to even discuss pushing to remove him
January 21, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Yep.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
I was present for the birth of the web, the explosion of personal sites, and the blogging revolution, and you know what we never had to do? Beg people to use our shit.
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
Big tech boss tells delegates at Davos that broader global use is essential if technology is to deliver lasting growth
www.irishtimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:19 AM
I was present for the birth of the web, the explosion of personal sites, and the blogging revolution, and you know what we never had to do? Beg people to use our shit.
One of our newer donkeys from the BLM roundup. Rare coloring for a wild one.
January 20, 2026 at 3:07 PM
One of our newer donkeys from the BLM roundup. Rare coloring for a wild one.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
Data disruptions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is down ~ 30% on staffing incl leadership roles. That has left them scrambled post shutdown to try to do more w/less, inc key regional survey offices closed. That has meant that tough decisions on filling gaps in the data had to be made.
January 18, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Data disruptions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is down ~ 30% on staffing incl leadership roles. That has left them scrambled post shutdown to try to do more w/less, inc key regional survey offices closed. That has meant that tough decisions on filling gaps in the data had to be made.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
Good to be back on the Majority Report to talk about what the crypto industry has gotten out of the first year of Trump’s presidency, its influence on the upcoming midterm elections, and the growing presence of prediction markets in everyday life.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATV...
Trump Ushers in Technoligarchy | Molly White | TMR
YouTube video by The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder
www.youtube.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Good to be back on the Majority Report to talk about what the crypto industry has gotten out of the first year of Trump’s presidency, its influence on the upcoming midterm elections, and the growing presence of prediction markets in everyday life.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATV...
Reposted by Phil Steitz
🧵 Trump administration AI policy is widely described as deregulatory. This description is misleading. What's happening is not the absence of governance but its rearrangement--intensive state intervention operating through mechanisms we don't typically call regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The mirage of AI deregulation
One of the most interventionist approaches to technology governance in the United States in a generation has cloaked itself in the language of deregulation. In early December 2025, President Donald Tr...
www.science.org
January 15, 2026 at 7:23 PM
🧵 Trump administration AI policy is widely described as deregulatory. This description is misleading. What's happening is not the absence of governance but its rearrangement--intensive state intervention operating through mechanisms we don't typically call regulation. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.quantamagazine.org/when-chatgpt...
I wish I could see this as a paradigm shift, but I am still waiting for the science on the other side.
I wish I could see this as a paradigm shift, but I am still waiting for the science on the other side.
When ChatGPT Broke an Entire Field: An Oral History | Quanta Magazine
Researchers in “natural language processing” tried to tame human language. Then came the transformer.
www.quantamagazine.org
January 17, 2026 at 7:24 PM
www.quantamagazine.org/when-chatgpt...
I wish I could see this as a paradigm shift, but I am still waiting for the science on the other side.
I wish I could see this as a paradigm shift, but I am still waiting for the science on the other side.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
"We’re actually seeing new super PACs being established. One of them has already committed to spending $100 million in the midterms. And we’re seeing politicians and candidates speaking very frankly about wanting to install pro-crypto candidates"
more here:
www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...
more here:
www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...
How Crypto Is Used for Political Corruption
This new source of money is giving the administration unprecedented new powers.
www.theatlantic.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:32 PM
"We’re actually seeing new super PACs being established. One of them has already committed to spending $100 million in the midterms. And we’re seeing politicians and candidates speaking very frankly about wanting to install pro-crypto candidates"
more here:
www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...
more here:
www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...
Reposted by Phil Steitz
This is a very striking piece by @davekarpf.bsky.social - short, clear, to-the-point, and not just about AI agents doing coding: open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
What comes next, if Claude Code is as good as people say.
We know how this turns out. First comes the novelty, then comes the corrosion.
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:54 PM
This is a very striking piece by @davekarpf.bsky.social - short, clear, to-the-point, and not just about AI agents doing coding: open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
Reposted by Phil Steitz
"The wall looks permanent until the day it comes down."
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls
On the optimism of preparation in a time of democratic decay.
data4democracy.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:32 AM
"The wall looks permanent until the day it comes down."
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
The map IS the territory. Borges in shambles
January 11, 2026 at 2:59 AM
The map IS the territory. Borges in shambles
Reposted by Phil Steitz
My takeaway is that reasoning chain "aha" moments are useful, but models don't actually know when to trigger them. Feels like every other case where models shallowly mimic insight and it kind of actually works.
Do reasoning models have real “Aha!” moments—mid-chain realizations where they intrinsically self-correct?
In a new pre-print, “The Illusion of Insight in Reasoning Models," led by @liv-daliberti.bsky.social we provide strong evidence that they do not!
📜: arxiv.org/abs/2601.00514
In a new pre-print, “The Illusion of Insight in Reasoning Models," led by @liv-daliberti.bsky.social we provide strong evidence that they do not!
📜: arxiv.org/abs/2601.00514
January 5, 2026 at 9:35 PM
My takeaway is that reasoning chain "aha" moments are useful, but models don't actually know when to trigger them. Feels like every other case where models shallowly mimic insight and it kind of actually works.
Reposted by Phil Steitz
it is a good time to take up a couple of short daily walks around the same natural things, even a tree or a shrub or a bush. noticing how they are moving along, day by day, knowing that the light is coming.
like waiters laying the tables in a quiet empty room for a party that will suddenly arrive
like waiters laying the tables in a quiet empty room for a party that will suddenly arrive
January 4, 2026 at 6:57 PM
it is a good time to take up a couple of short daily walks around the same natural things, even a tree or a shrub or a bush. noticing how they are moving along, day by day, knowing that the light is coming.
like waiters laying the tables in a quiet empty room for a party that will suddenly arrive
like waiters laying the tables in a quiet empty room for a party that will suddenly arrive
Reposted by Phil Steitz
+1 bottlenecks are rarely in the ability to write more code but in all other tasks where processes or systems are limiting the bandwidth
While dev teams celebrate the speed of "AI" coding assistants, business stakeholders are increasingly asking why they're not getting to their destination any faster.
Allow me to explain.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/03/t...
Allow me to explain.
codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/03/t...
The AI-Ready Software Developer #20 – It’s The Bottlenecks, Stupid!
For many years now, cycling has been consistently the fastest way to get around central London. Faster than taking the tube. Faster than taking the train. Faster than taking the bus. Faster than ta…
codemanship.wordpress.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:57 AM
+1 bottlenecks are rarely in the ability to write more code but in all other tasks where processes or systems are limiting the bandwidth
wallstreetjournal-ny.newsmemory.com?publink=2207...
🎶Nice work if you can get it. 🎵
- Sung with feeling, sitting on a crate of bootleg gin.
🎶Nice work if you can get it. 🎵
- Sung with feeling, sitting on a crate of bootleg gin.
OpenAI’s Pay Tops That Of Any Recent Tech Startup
OpenAI is paying employees more than any tech startup in recent histo
wallstreetjournal-ny.newsmemory.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:23 PM
wallstreetjournal-ny.newsmemory.com?publink=2207...
🎶Nice work if you can get it. 🎵
- Sung with feeling, sitting on a crate of bootleg gin.
🎶Nice work if you can get it. 🎵
- Sung with feeling, sitting on a crate of bootleg gin.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Ok, we almost have observability now. It’s like we could see the call stack before but no actual parameters.
Ok, we almost have observability now. It’s like we could see the call stack before but no actual parameters.
The brain has a hidden language and scientists just found it
Researchers have created a protein that can detect the faint chemical signals neurons receive from other brain cells. By tracking glutamate in real time, scientists can finally see how neurons process...
www.sciencedaily.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:59 AM
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Ok, we almost have observability now. It’s like we could see the call stack before but no actual parameters.
Ok, we almost have observability now. It’s like we could see the call stack before but no actual parameters.
“Journalism can thrive if it demonstrates, story by story, what a machine cannot: the courage to look directly at the world, the judgment to interpret it, and the willingness to stand behind every word. That is a value worth defending, because no algorithm can recreate it…”
#Design #Outlooks
In 2026, AI will outwrite humans · What it means when human content gets scarcer ilo.im/1692k1 by Davey Alba
_____
#Journalism #Publishing #News #Blogs #Writing #Content #Humans #Machines #AI #Slop
In 2026, AI will outwrite humans · What it means when human content gets scarcer ilo.im/1692k1 by Davey Alba
_____
#Journalism #Publishing #News #Blogs #Writing #Content #Humans #Machines #AI #Slop
In 2026, AI will outwrite humans
"It's a story about volume, value, and what journalism becomes when 'content' grows functionally infinite."
ilo.im
December 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
“Journalism can thrive if it demonstrates, story by story, what a machine cannot: the courage to look directly at the world, the judgment to interpret it, and the willingness to stand behind every word. That is a value worth defending, because no algorithm can recreate it…”