Ben E
@benenz.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben E
This is terrible policy that likely forces all users to identify themselves to online services, and fails to recognise the reality of the world in which modern teenagers exist and communicate.
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
December 8, 2025 at 1:16 AM
This is terrible policy that likely forces all users to identify themselves to online services, and fails to recognise the reality of the world in which modern teenagers exist and communicate.
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
Reposted by Ben E
Extremely upset that a throw-away XKCD joke somehow became the organizing principle for the Internet.
November 20, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Extremely upset that a throw-away XKCD joke somehow became the organizing principle for the Internet.
Reposted by Ben E
Just the president of the United States rationalizing that a Washington Post reporter was basically asking to be murdered and cut to pieces with a bone saw because of his reporting.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Just the president of the United States rationalizing that a Washington Post reporter was basically asking to be murdered and cut to pieces with a bone saw because of his reporting.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
Reposted by Ben E
get absolutely fucked you embarrassing clown of a man
September 28, 2025 at 8:51 PM
get absolutely fucked you embarrassing clown of a man
Reposted by Ben E
Personally think we should consider making this not just the way it is
September 27, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Personally think we should consider making this not just the way it is
Reposted by Ben E
September 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Ben E
new zealand government reaching new heights of stupidity
next year our public dollars will go more to AI grants ($70 million) than all investigator-initiated basic science combined ($56 million in the Marsden fund)
next year our public dollars will go more to AI grants ($70 million) than all investigator-initiated basic science combined ($56 million in the Marsden fund)
September 18, 2025 at 6:08 AM
new zealand government reaching new heights of stupidity
next year our public dollars will go more to AI grants ($70 million) than all investigator-initiated basic science combined ($56 million in the Marsden fund)
next year our public dollars will go more to AI grants ($70 million) than all investigator-initiated basic science combined ($56 million in the Marsden fund)
Reposted by Ben E
The fact that the thing we're calling artificial intelligence *can't do math* and yet we're jamming it into programs that successfully *have done math* for decades, then warning people against using the AI to do math, seems like an excellent summary of where we are.
Good thing no one uses Microsoft Excel for anything related to legal, regulatory or compliance business functions
www.theverge.com/news/761338/...
www.theverge.com/news/761338/...
August 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The fact that the thing we're calling artificial intelligence *can't do math* and yet we're jamming it into programs that successfully *have done math* for decades, then warning people against using the AI to do math, seems like an excellent summary of where we are.
Reposted by Ben E
Every reputable expert I know considers mRNA vaccine technology to be one of the most revolutionary advances in medicine in our lifetimes. Its inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2023. Shutting it down now is pointless self-harm to humanity.
Release from HHS: HHS will wind down its development of the mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
August 5, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Every reputable expert I know considers mRNA vaccine technology to be one of the most revolutionary advances in medicine in our lifetimes. Its inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2023. Shutting it down now is pointless self-harm to humanity.
Reposted by Ben E
I’m increasingly of the mind that there can be no moderate, meet-somewhere-in-the-middle stance on chatbot style AI in educational settings. Rhetoric about “limited” or “reasonable” or “ethical” use is just that, empty rhetoric. The only appropriate (& wise) stance is total opposition and refusal.
July 30, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I’m increasingly of the mind that there can be no moderate, meet-somewhere-in-the-middle stance on chatbot style AI in educational settings. Rhetoric about “limited” or “reasonable” or “ethical” use is just that, empty rhetoric. The only appropriate (& wise) stance is total opposition and refusal.
Reposted by Ben E
Hey friends! I did a TEDx talk and it's now up on the TED Conferences YouTube. It's possibly the best and most important talk I've ever done.
I would ask that you watch it, and please SHARE it broadly and widely. Thank you! youtu.be/dVG8W-0p6vg #AI #Tech #TED
I would ask that you watch it, and please SHARE it broadly and widely. Thank you! youtu.be/dVG8W-0p6vg #AI #Tech #TED
Tech Promised Everything. Did it deliver? | Scott Hanselman | TEDxPortland
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
youtu.be
July 17, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Hey friends! I did a TEDx talk and it's now up on the TED Conferences YouTube. It's possibly the best and most important talk I've ever done.
I would ask that you watch it, and please SHARE it broadly and widely. Thank you! youtu.be/dVG8W-0p6vg #AI #Tech #TED
I would ask that you watch it, and please SHARE it broadly and widely. Thank you! youtu.be/dVG8W-0p6vg #AI #Tech #TED
Reposted by Ben E
I imagined the Chatsubo in 1984. 41 years later I opened its door. Neuromancer is in production.
July 1, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I imagined the Chatsubo in 1984. 41 years later I opened its door. Neuromancer is in production.
Reposted by Ben E
On Sunday I traveled to the middle of the desert to capture this: The ISS against our sun. What I didn't expect: the sun producing a magnificent flare at the same time
A once-in-a-lifetime shot I'm thrilled to share with you. See the uncropped shot or get the print in the reply
A once-in-a-lifetime shot I'm thrilled to share with you. See the uncropped shot or get the print in the reply
June 20, 2025 at 11:52 PM
On Sunday I traveled to the middle of the desert to capture this: The ISS against our sun. What I didn't expect: the sun producing a magnificent flare at the same time
A once-in-a-lifetime shot I'm thrilled to share with you. See the uncropped shot or get the print in the reply
A once-in-a-lifetime shot I'm thrilled to share with you. See the uncropped shot or get the print in the reply
Reposted by Ben E
Shambolic. If teachers can use AI to mark, why can’t students use AI to write? And here we go: students not doing the work and teachers not doing the marking. Why don’t students not bother to go to school and teachers can stay at home? How about we all don’t get out of bed in the morning?????
June 10, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Shambolic. If teachers can use AI to mark, why can’t students use AI to write? And here we go: students not doing the work and teachers not doing the marking. Why don’t students not bother to go to school and teachers can stay at home? How about we all don’t get out of bed in the morning?????
Reposted by Ben E
Government members on Finance and Expenditure Committee just voted to use an AI bot to read submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill🙄. Turns out democracy under this government is real people making submissions and computers reading them. 👎
June 4, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Government members on Finance and Expenditure Committee just voted to use an AI bot to read submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill🙄. Turns out democracy under this government is real people making submissions and computers reading them. 👎
Reposted by Ben E
This is outstanding on the vapid scientifically illiterate dreams of the tech overlord class
arstechnica.com/culture/2025...
arstechnica.com/culture/2025...
Silicon Valley billionaires literally want the impossible
Ars chats with physicist and science journalist Adam Becker about his new book, More Everything Forever.
arstechnica.com
May 11, 2025 at 5:29 AM
This is outstanding on the vapid scientifically illiterate dreams of the tech overlord class
arstechnica.com/culture/2025...
arstechnica.com/culture/2025...
Reposted by Ben E
May 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Ben E
This is a new image from #JWST.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
April 29, 2025 at 6:47 PM
This is a new image from #JWST.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
Reposted by Ben E
I wrote something about the secret police kidnapping and disappearing students over their op-eds, and wondering what happened to all those people screaming about the "free speech crisis on campus."
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/27/t...
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/27/t...
Trump’s Secret Police Are Now Disappearing Students For Their Op-Eds
For years, we’ve been hearing breathless warnings about a “campus free speech crisis” from self-proclaimed free speech warriors. Their evidence? College students doing what colleg…
www.techdirt.com
March 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I wrote something about the secret police kidnapping and disappearing students over their op-eds, and wondering what happened to all those people screaming about the "free speech crisis on campus."
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/27/t...
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/27/t...
Reposted by Ben E
Wrote up something about Techdirt's recent coverage, and why (whether we like it or not) we need to be a "democracy blog" now, rather than just a "tech" blog (not that we've ever been just a tech blog).
This story is *the* story and it impacts everything else.
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
This story is *the* story and it impacts everything else.
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)
While political reporters are still doing their view-from-nowhere “Democrats say this, Republicans say that” dance, tech and legal journalists have been watching an unfortunately recogn…
www.techdirt.com
March 4, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Wrote up something about Techdirt's recent coverage, and why (whether we like it or not) we need to be a "democracy blog" now, rather than just a "tech" blog (not that we've ever been just a tech blog).
This story is *the* story and it impacts everything else.
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
This story is *the* story and it impacts everything else.
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
Reposted by Ben E
What are we DOING here? We're just meant to sit and act like this insane plagiarism and climate threat that requires more money than anything has ever cost is worth it? Are we meant to pretend that ChatGPT is worth this aimless, meaningless destruction of capital and our environment? For what?
Yeah I need way more money than anyone ever got before. I need it because my shit is difficult right now. But it's important in ways even I haven't been able to work out. OpenAI is a serious business. Help me. Please help me please my serious company is so good. Help me
www.cnbc.com/2024/12/27/o...
www.cnbc.com/2024/12/27/o...
December 28, 2024 at 6:47 AM
What are we DOING here? We're just meant to sit and act like this insane plagiarism and climate threat that requires more money than anything has ever cost is worth it? Are we meant to pretend that ChatGPT is worth this aimless, meaningless destruction of capital and our environment? For what?
Reposted by Ben E
I think @faineg.bsky.social’s summary of Bluesky is absolutely terrific, and why people should migrate from Twitter (and even Threads). By putting a bit of effort into learning its moderation tools, you have much more control over what you want to read
little-flying-robots.ghost.io/the-great-bl...
little-flying-robots.ghost.io/the-great-bl...
The Great Bluesky Migration: I Answer (Some) Of Your Questions
For the last year and a half, us Bluesky users have frequently reminded one another that we are merely posters on a niche microblogging website.
It's intended as a warning about hubris. A protective ...
little-flying-robots.ghost.io
November 21, 2024 at 1:26 AM
I think @faineg.bsky.social’s summary of Bluesky is absolutely terrific, and why people should migrate from Twitter (and even Threads). By putting a bit of effort into learning its moderation tools, you have much more control over what you want to read
little-flying-robots.ghost.io/the-great-bl...
little-flying-robots.ghost.io/the-great-bl...