Byron
@byronerd.bsky.social
South African mathematician (of sorts), AI ethicist, dabbler in robotics, and occasionally referred to as et al.
Reposted by Byron
I see so much of this in academic funding calls ‘we are looking for projects that explore how AI can help to solve … hunger, violence against women and children, poverty, etc.’ But there’s no space in there to say: ‘um, what if AI is not the right tool for this’
AI is the wrong tool to tackle complex societal & systemic problems. AI4SG is more about PR victories, boosting AI adoption (regardless of merit/usefulness) & laundering accountability for harmful tech, extractive practices, abetting atrocities. yours truly
www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/ai-...
www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/ai-...
The False Promise of “AI for Social Good”
Abeba Birhane refutes industry claims about the technology's potential to solve complex social problems.
www.project-syndicate.org
September 16, 2025 at 5:55 AM
I see so much of this in academic funding calls ‘we are looking for projects that explore how AI can help to solve … hunger, violence against women and children, poverty, etc.’ But there’s no space in there to say: ‘um, what if AI is not the right tool for this’
Reposted by Byron
Bouwer van Niekerk was murdered 5 Sep 2025. He was exposing corruption by ANC buddies. There was no online outcry by the South African maga supporters. But they were all crying and raging online over an american who didn't give a damn about them.
September 16, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Bouwer van Niekerk was murdered 5 Sep 2025. He was exposing corruption by ANC buddies. There was no online outcry by the South African maga supporters. But they were all crying and raging online over an american who didn't give a damn about them.
Reposted by Byron
Why would fans of a man they hail as a ‘free speech champion’ be so triggered by literally listening to him speak his ‘truths’?
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Hi James, Maybe a topic for tomorrow's show is to define the definition of free speech.You seem to be getting a lot of flack on Twitter about you playing tapes of Charlie Kirk and they said it dishonoured him.
September 12, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Why would fans of a man they hail as a ‘free speech champion’ be so triggered by literally listening to him speak his ‘truths’?
Reposted by Byron
They erased the new Banksy mural in London. But the stain remains.
September 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM
They erased the new Banksy mural in London. But the stain remains.
I just want to say that it's so inspiring to see people look up to succeeding, knowing all the challenges they've faced to get there🥹
September 9, 2025 at 12:09 PM
I just want to say that it's so inspiring to see people look up to succeeding, knowing all the challenges they've faced to get there🥹
Reposted by Byron
i met anubis in the realm of the underworld, big strong guy by the way, had a dog’s head, i’m not so sure about that. and he said to me, mr president, you’ve got the heaviest soul we’ve ever weighed down here. can you believe it? they’ve never seen a soul that heavy in all of duat
September 2, 2025 at 4:48 AM
i met anubis in the realm of the underworld, big strong guy by the way, had a dog’s head, i’m not so sure about that. and he said to me, mr president, you’ve got the heaviest soul we’ve ever weighed down here. can you believe it? they’ve never seen a soul that heavy in all of duat
Reposted by Byron
Reposted by Byron
Trump: People shouldn’t learn about slavery.
Also Trump: We’re reinstalling these monuments of confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery.
Also Trump: We’re reinstalling these monuments of confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery.
August 20, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Trump: People shouldn’t learn about slavery.
Also Trump: We’re reinstalling these monuments of confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery.
Also Trump: We’re reinstalling these monuments of confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery.
Anyone else finding social media increasingly exhausting?🤔
August 18, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Anyone else finding social media increasingly exhausting?🤔
Reposted by Byron
“Chung has written a work that both honors and unsettles the conventions of science fiction.”
Some thoughts on Bora Chung's RED SWORD, translated by @antonhur.com. Expect non-Ukraine/EE-related book reviews from me at @apofeniemagazine.bsky.social.
www.apofenie.com/the-latest-c...
www.apofenie.com/the-latest-c...
The Ones Who Survive Are Real — a Review of Bora Chung’s ‘Red Sword’ — APOFENIE
Reviewed by Kate Tsurkan Bora Chung’s “Red Sword” wastes no time: its universe is at once cruel and seductive, immediately demanding that humanity assert itself. We are introduced to the narrator—a ...
www.apofenie.com
August 18, 2025 at 3:03 PM
“Chung has written a work that both honors and unsettles the conventions of science fiction.”
Reposted by Byron
I'm writing an honest self-help book that promotes sure-fire success strategies like genetics, generational wealth, being a white man, and luck.
August 17, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I'm writing an honest self-help book that promotes sure-fire success strategies like genetics, generational wealth, being a white man, and luck.
Reposted by Byron
On a completely different tack, a small rant. This fucked up “iNtErSeX pEoPlE aRe aLl eItHeR mAlE oR fEmAlE oNlY” bullshit that empty-headed chucklefucks come out with ignores a huge part of the human side of living this - and that is WE OFTEN DON’T KNOW WHICH OURSELVES in whatever manner of-
August 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
On a completely different tack, a small rant. This fucked up “iNtErSeX pEoPlE aRe aLl eItHeR mAlE oR fEmAlE oNlY” bullshit that empty-headed chucklefucks come out with ignores a huge part of the human side of living this - and that is WE OFTEN DON’T KNOW WHICH OURSELVES in whatever manner of-
Reposted by Byron
A march in Sea Point, Cape Town, on Sunday was the latest in a series of protests aimed at spotlighting the targeted killing of media workers in Gaza. Local journalists led the demonstration, expressing solidarity with their colleagues on the other side of the world.
‘TARGETED ATTACK’: Cape Town journalists march in solidarity with media workers targeted and killed in Gaza
www.dailymaverick.co.za
August 17, 2025 at 8:30 PM
A march in Sea Point, Cape Town, on Sunday was the latest in a series of protests aimed at spotlighting the targeted killing of media workers in Gaza. Local journalists led the demonstration, expressing solidarity with their colleagues on the other side of the world.
Reposted by Byron
There will be a protest in Cape Town tomorrow starting at the Mouille Point Light House at 15h00 and ending at the Pavilion/Sea Point Swimming Pool, to protest the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the murder of Palestinian journalists. If you are in Cape Town, I hope to see you there.
August 16, 2025 at 5:09 PM
There will be a protest in Cape Town tomorrow starting at the Mouille Point Light House at 15h00 and ending at the Pavilion/Sea Point Swimming Pool, to protest the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the murder of Palestinian journalists. If you are in Cape Town, I hope to see you there.
Reposted by Byron
BREAKING: Police have confirmed they did not arrest the protesters holding a "kill 'em all" banner outside an asylum hotel because it's not like they did something really bad like object to genocide x
August 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
BREAKING: Police have confirmed they did not arrest the protesters holding a "kill 'em all" banner outside an asylum hotel because it's not like they did something really bad like object to genocide x
Reposted by Byron
Are Chappell Roan's fans known collectively as the Pink Roany Club and, if not, why not?
August 13, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Are Chappell Roan's fans known collectively as the Pink Roany Club and, if not, why not?
Reposted by Byron
There are times in life when you are so desperate to find someone else to blame for your situation that you just lash out. And you grab any chance to blame someone else.
BUSINESS REFLECTION : After the Bell: Manipulating the rand — really?
www.dailymaverick.co.za
August 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
There are times in life when you are so desperate to find someone else to blame for your situation that you just lash out. And you grab any chance to blame someone else.
Reposted by Byron
I actually don’t need to be a programmer to be able to look at AI-generated art, translation, or written work to deem them inferior to what a very proficient human (that’s me) can produce.
It doesn’t take a tech insider to spot shoddy product being sold for a premium.
It doesn’t take a tech insider to spot shoddy product being sold for a premium.
What sort of tech/programming experience do you have?
August 8, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I actually don’t need to be a programmer to be able to look at AI-generated art, translation, or written work to deem them inferior to what a very proficient human (that’s me) can produce.
It doesn’t take a tech insider to spot shoddy product being sold for a premium.
It doesn’t take a tech insider to spot shoddy product being sold for a premium.
Reposted by Byron
The Home Office ran an amnesty campaign for 'ninja swords', so I surrendered my katana, wakizashi and tanto.
Just had a call from a plod who's told me that (and I still can't quite believe this) that only the wakizashi meets the length requirement for the campaign so I can have the others back.
Just had a call from a plod who's told me that (and I still can't quite believe this) that only the wakizashi meets the length requirement for the campaign so I can have the others back.
August 8, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The Home Office ran an amnesty campaign for 'ninja swords', so I surrendered my katana, wakizashi and tanto.
Just had a call from a plod who's told me that (and I still can't quite believe this) that only the wakizashi meets the length requirement for the campaign so I can have the others back.
Just had a call from a plod who's told me that (and I still can't quite believe this) that only the wakizashi meets the length requirement for the campaign so I can have the others back.
Reposted by Byron
![Comic. A snake slithers around a hypercube. No two non-consecutive parts of its coils can be on adjacent corners. [Three small 4-dimensional hypercubes showing disallowed options with one large cube with snake wrapped around it. Dimensions = 4. Max Length - 7.] Snake(N) = Longest snake that can fit in an n-dimensional hypercube. Snake(N=1, 2, 3…8) = 1, 2, 4, 7, 13, 26, 50, 98. Snake(N>8) = UNSOLVED. [caption] It turns out every scientific field has a key thought experiment that involves putting a cute animal in a weird box for no reason. So far, quantum mechanics and graph theory have found theirs, but most other fields are still working on it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreicjbjwxfe3ef6styvrvsjtt63znh24tfuqxlceewi3b6t7zfu756i@jpeg)
August 8, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Reposted by Byron
this just tells me that he doesn't even know what "phd level" looks like
it's like people showing me machine translation results and asking me if i feel threatened and i'm like... how do you think my work is THIS BAD
it's like people showing me machine translation results and asking me if i feel threatened and i'm like... how do you think my work is THIS BAD
OpenAI releases the newest version of the AI model that powers its popular ChatGPT chatbot, with CEO Sam Altman promoting it as like having a “team of Ph.D. level experts in your pocket.”
OpenAI releases GPT-5, calling it a ‘team of Ph.D. level experts in your pocket’
OpenAI says its latest version of the popular AI model is better at coding, more accurate and less deceptive than previous versions.
nbcnews.to
August 8, 2025 at 4:24 AM
this just tells me that he doesn't even know what "phd level" looks like
it's like people showing me machine translation results and asking me if i feel threatened and i'm like... how do you think my work is THIS BAD
it's like people showing me machine translation results and asking me if i feel threatened and i'm like... how do you think my work is THIS BAD
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
No.
No.
Could AI help America out of its debt hole? on.ft.com/458QF0P | opinion
Could AI help America out of its debt hole?
Some investors believe the technology’s productivity benefits will put the US on a better fiscal path
on.ft.com
August 8, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
No.
No.
Reposted by Byron
Nationality and nationalism always felt so silly to me tbh
Its just invisible spaghetti lines humans drew on maps and decided were sacred 🙃
Nothing like pledging lifelong loyalty to a shape on a globe that might look totally different in the next few decades.
Go team arbitrary land blob! 🎉 woohoo
Its just invisible spaghetti lines humans drew on maps and decided were sacred 🙃
Nothing like pledging lifelong loyalty to a shape on a globe that might look totally different in the next few decades.
Go team arbitrary land blob! 🎉 woohoo
August 8, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Nationality and nationalism always felt so silly to me tbh
Its just invisible spaghetti lines humans drew on maps and decided were sacred 🙃
Nothing like pledging lifelong loyalty to a shape on a globe that might look totally different in the next few decades.
Go team arbitrary land blob! 🎉 woohoo
Its just invisible spaghetti lines humans drew on maps and decided were sacred 🙃
Nothing like pledging lifelong loyalty to a shape on a globe that might look totally different in the next few decades.
Go team arbitrary land blob! 🎉 woohoo
Reposted by Byron
Someone on here said that videogames offer a fantasy of predictable rewards for one's work, which in real life might not be rewarded at all. I think about it a lot!
I don't understand how video game market can support so many farming games. Do young people yearn for the fields?
August 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Someone on here said that videogames offer a fantasy of predictable rewards for one's work, which in real life might not be rewarded at all. I think about it a lot!