Richard Chirgwin
@rchirgwin.bsky.social
Former tech writer specialising in telecoms and infosec. Still an aspiring guitarist at over 60.
Nothing I do or say is licenced to anyone scraping social media accounts to train AI.
Nothing I do or say is licenced to anyone scraping social media accounts to train AI.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
My column on the latest wage growth figures and workers always being blamed for inflation
www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
As real wage growth falls again, Australian workers must feel the economy is rigged against them | Greg Jericho
The RBA never misses a chance to blame wages for rising prices but data shows profit-driven inflation is back
www.theguardian.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:32 PM
My column on the latest wage growth figures and workers always being blamed for inflation
www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
These Qld residents don’t have safe drinking water. Absolute disgrace. Step up, Qld government.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
Residents creating water out of thin air as they wait for 'basic right'
Just three hours from Brisbane, the residents of Cherbourg need to boil the town water to make it safe to drink. Delays to a new water treatment plant have driven them to use emerging technology that ...
www.abc.net.au
February 18, 2026 at 8:35 PM
These Qld residents don’t have safe drinking water. Absolute disgrace. Step up, Qld government.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Vale Jesse Jackson.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
February 18, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Vale Jesse Jackson.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Despite Alcoa's appalling breach of law, Environment Minister Watt has "granted Alcoa a national‑interest exemption to allow the company to continue land clearing for its mining operations for 18 months", while a strategic assessment mining at its Huntly & Willowdale mining operations is completed🤯
OMFG Alcoa will pay $55 million through enforceable undertakings cos for 6 YEARS between 2019-2025 they ILLEGALLY CLEARED jarrah forest, including habitat for endangered black cockatoos, for bauxite mining without approvals
Alcoa slugged $55m over illegal jarrah forest clearing
The US miner illegally destroyed the habitat of endangered black cockatoos for six years.
www.boilingcold.com.au
February 18, 2026 at 6:11 AM
Despite Alcoa's appalling breach of law, Environment Minister Watt has "granted Alcoa a national‑interest exemption to allow the company to continue land clearing for its mining operations for 18 months", while a strategic assessment mining at its Huntly & Willowdale mining operations is completed🤯
America, you just had to find a new way to do hyper-inflation didn't you?
AI is revolutionizing the world! A Playstation now costs $5,000 and this is the last phone you will ever own.
“.. ‘many system vendors will go bankrupt or exit product lines due to a lack of memory. Mobile phone production will be reduced by 200-250 million units, and PC and TV production will be significantly reduced.’ Yikes.”
@pcgamer.com #DRAM
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/mem...
@pcgamer.com #DRAM
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/mem...
February 18, 2026 at 6:01 AM
America, you just had to find a new way to do hyper-inflation didn't you?
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
It's not just stupid, could possibly be the fastest way to get back to the Stone Age.
February 18, 2026 at 5:57 AM
It's not just stupid, could possibly be the fastest way to get back to the Stone Age.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
AI is revolutionizing the world! A Playstation now costs $5,000 and this is the last phone you will ever own.
“.. ‘many system vendors will go bankrupt or exit product lines due to a lack of memory. Mobile phone production will be reduced by 200-250 million units, and PC and TV production will be significantly reduced.’ Yikes.”
@pcgamer.com #DRAM
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/mem...
@pcgamer.com #DRAM
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/mem...
February 17, 2026 at 10:02 PM
AI is revolutionizing the world! A Playstation now costs $5,000 and this is the last phone you will ever own.
It shits me to tears that smart people have to spend time and effort opposing Musk's stupidest ideas.
Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it
On Jan 30 2026, SpaceX filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for a megaconstellation of up to one million satellites to power data centres in space.
theconversation.com/too-many-sat...
On Jan 30 2026, SpaceX filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for a megaconstellation of up to one million satellites to power data centres in space.
theconversation.com/too-many-sat...
Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it
Cultural, spiritual, and most environmental impacts aren’t taken into account when launching thousands of satellites.
theconversation.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:44 AM
It shits me to tears that smart people have to spend time and effort opposing Musk's stupidest ideas.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Imagine thinking it's a good time to shit on Lakemba while all of Sydney plans to hit up the amazing food and atmosphere at Ramadan Nights
It's wild to me the media keeps printing articles about how Hanson has her finger on the pulse
It's wild to me the media keeps printing articles about how Hanson has her finger on the pulse
February 18, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Imagine thinking it's a good time to shit on Lakemba while all of Sydney plans to hit up the amazing food and atmosphere at Ramadan Nights
It's wild to me the media keeps printing articles about how Hanson has her finger on the pulse
It's wild to me the media keeps printing articles about how Hanson has her finger on the pulse
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
You might think an essay about ferries is dull material, but I GUARANTEE you: this is the tale that keeps giving.
How the Spirit of Tasmania became the greatest infrastructure disaster in the state’s history. A tragicomedy:
Ship of Fools
How the Spirit of Tasmania became the greatest infrastructure disaster in the state’s history
open.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 4:41 AM
You might think an essay about ferries is dull material, but I GUARANTEE you: this is the tale that keeps giving.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Counterpoint:
Don’t upload your medical records to any LLM.
That’s fucking insane.
Don’t upload your medical records to any LLM.
That’s fucking insane.
February 18, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Counterpoint:
Don’t upload your medical records to any LLM.
That’s fucking insane.
Don’t upload your medical records to any LLM.
That’s fucking insane.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Great bunch of news stories this morning, telling us the system is working as designed.
1. Aged care system declines/delays assessments and provision of assistance sometimes long enough that people die waiting. 2. Pet insurance isn’t worth the cost in premiums. 3. AI steals your voice then your job.
1. Aged care system declines/delays assessments and provision of assistance sometimes long enough that people die waiting. 2. Pet insurance isn’t worth the cost in premiums. 3. AI steals your voice then your job.
February 17, 2026 at 11:26 PM
Great bunch of news stories this morning, telling us the system is working as designed.
1. Aged care system declines/delays assessments and provision of assistance sometimes long enough that people die waiting. 2. Pet insurance isn’t worth the cost in premiums. 3. AI steals your voice then your job.
1. Aged care system declines/delays assessments and provision of assistance sometimes long enough that people die waiting. 2. Pet insurance isn’t worth the cost in premiums. 3. AI steals your voice then your job.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
im not falling for ‘you can’t just scold gen AI hobbyists’ like ive fallen for so many ‘be diplomatic and patient with idiots’es before. no. if they can’t live without this machine that’s trying to put me out of a job theyre dumb as a box of hair. like they’re clearly not worried about offending ME!
February 18, 2026 at 2:36 AM
im not falling for ‘you can’t just scold gen AI hobbyists’ like ive fallen for so many ‘be diplomatic and patient with idiots’es before. no. if they can’t live without this machine that’s trying to put me out of a job theyre dumb as a box of hair. like they’re clearly not worried about offending ME!
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
The tech might be better, it might do more than Tesla - in fact it does - but it’s still a scam.
February 17, 2026 at 9:24 PM
The tech might be better, it might do more than Tesla - in fact it does - but it’s still a scam.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
there is simply no evidence that this small group of women and children - or any small group of women and children - are a threat to “public safety”. None.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
Live: Return of IS-linked families an 'enduring problem' for Australia, O'Neil says
A Labor frontbencher has doubled down on the government's stance on the return of Australians linked to Islamic State fighters as it faces pressure on how the cohort obtained passports. Follow live.
www.abc.net.au
February 17, 2026 at 9:05 PM
there is simply no evidence that this small group of women and children - or any small group of women and children - are a threat to “public safety”. None.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Bad immigrants.
My @smh cartoon.
My @smh cartoon.
February 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Bad immigrants.
My @smh cartoon.
My @smh cartoon.
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
This is proooobably a long shot, but do I know anyone (or know someone who knows someone) working on machine learning for weather forecasting or adjacent research? 🧪
February 17, 2026 at 8:43 PM
This is proooobably a long shot, but do I know anyone (or know someone who knows someone) working on machine learning for weather forecasting or adjacent research? 🧪
Yet again: automation pursued in spite of what experience should have taught the executives.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Algorithm-based tool for home support funding is ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’, Australian aged care workers warn
Mark Aitken, who worked in the sector for 16 years, said eight times out of 10 he disagreed with the integrated assessment tool
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Yet again: automation pursued in spite of what experience should have taught the executives.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
It’s so hard to have a reasonable conversation about AI, because people refuse to see the massive upsides of job elimination, higher electrical bills, hard drive shortages, poisoning black people in Memphis, and an economy where a handful of pedos with bad hair control your life
February 17, 2026 at 5:48 PM
It’s so hard to have a reasonable conversation about AI, because people refuse to see the massive upsides of job elimination, higher electrical bills, hard drive shortages, poisoning black people in Memphis, and an economy where a handful of pedos with bad hair control your life
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
AI bit barns grow climate emergency by turning up the gas
AI bit barns grow climate emergency by turning up the gas
Companies talk renewables while firing up gas turbines as fast as they can
Bit barns need a lot of power to operate and, as hyperscalers look for ways to generate it, they are adding more dirty energy in the form of new gas turbines. One estimate says that these new power sources could add another 44 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2030, equivalent to the annual emissions of 10 million private cars.…
dlvr.it
February 17, 2026 at 6:58 PM
AI bit barns grow climate emergency by turning up the gas
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
Liam Alexander Hall obviously hates the Australian way of life and doesn’t worship “Australian values” like the rest of us and should be deported back to the shit hole from whence he came forthwith…
Man who allegedly threw homemade bomb into Invasion Day rally crowd named
The man accused of throwing a bomb at Invasion Day protesters in an alleged terrorism act attack in Perth can be named as Liam Alexander Hall.
www.abc.net.au
February 17, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Liam Alexander Hall obviously hates the Australian way of life and doesn’t worship “Australian values” like the rest of us and should be deported back to the shit hole from whence he came forthwith…
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
CHEERS to the real ones at the orgs who supported me to spend a very meaningful amount of time digging into this - I really consider it a privilege to do this!!
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
February 17, 2026 at 6:51 AM
CHEERS to the real ones at the orgs who supported me to spend a very meaningful amount of time digging into this - I really consider it a privilege to do this!!
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
@stand.earth @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social @caadcoalition.bsky.social, Green Web Foundation, Green Screen Coalition
Reposted by Richard Chirgwin
OKAY BIG ONE FOR YA
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
February 17, 2026 at 6:48 AM
OKAY BIG ONE FOR YA
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>
NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone....
Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!!
ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵>