Ted Johnson
@johnsoth.bsky.social
Paranoid Minnesotan, ex-San Franciscan. Distruster of all things new.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
the idea that we will ever devise a technology that can automatically sort true statements from false ones and factual ones from “hallucinations” is a lead-to-gold fantasy
December 9, 2025 at 12:55 PM
the idea that we will ever devise a technology that can automatically sort true statements from false ones and factual ones from “hallucinations” is a lead-to-gold fantasy
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
AI dialogues shifted political support by 2 to 3 points in trials, eclipsing standard ads. Roughly one-third of this effect persisted for a month. However, models optimized for persuasion proved more factually error-prone.
#MLSky
#MLSky
AI chatbots can persuade voters to change their minds
Conversations with AI can sway people’s political views. Concerningly, a chatbot’s facts are not always accurate, especially when it supports right-wing positions.
www.nature.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Shocking how fast the average American adopted the politics of schizophrenic John 3:16 van owners
December 4, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Shocking how fast the average American adopted the politics of schizophrenic John 3:16 van owners
Reposted by Ted Johnson
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Reposted by Ted Johnson
The last of the original Garbage Pail Kids has died in custody
November 27, 2025 at 3:02 AM
The last of the original Garbage Pail Kids has died in custody
Reposted by Ted Johnson
This has been bothering me a lot lately, but on a broader scope. People are afraid to be original. Critiques are all the same, jokes are copy/pasted, opinions use a handful of buzzwords that don't actually describe anything. It's like drowning in a sea of masks that all wear the same face.
One of the producers on Guilty Gear Strive said it was basically impossible to source player feedback on balance changes online because nobody had original opinions and would just parrot what the most popular content creators said and so they had to rely on data and I think about that every day.
November 23, 2025 at 5:49 AM
This has been bothering me a lot lately, but on a broader scope. People are afraid to be original. Critiques are all the same, jokes are copy/pasted, opinions use a handful of buzzwords that don't actually describe anything. It's like drowning in a sea of masks that all wear the same face.
"We have chili??" is not exactly what you want to hear when you order chili.
November 13, 2025 at 11:02 PM
"We have chili??" is not exactly what you want to hear when you order chili.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Once you start thinking of AI as a war on humanity, on human thought, on human inquiry, on human labor, on nuance and critical thinking, it slots in pretty seamlessly with the right wing ideological project, oligarchical political projects, big tech's political projects, etc
November 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Once you start thinking of AI as a war on humanity, on human thought, on human inquiry, on human labor, on nuance and critical thinking, it slots in pretty seamlessly with the right wing ideological project, oligarchical political projects, big tech's political projects, etc
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Oh my god end in-game interviews
November 2, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Oh my god end in-game interviews
Reposted by Ted Johnson
i will note again that there is a really unhealthy, unpleasant and strong current of consumerism that runs through the left in a way that genuinely didn’t used to be true
The responses this post is getting, combined with the animating grievances of large swathes of politics, has convinced me we need a kind of society wide PSA about how Buying Things Is Optional.
You don’t think video games should cost $100? Don’t buy the videogame. Buying Things Is Optional.
You don’t think video games should cost $100? Don’t buy the videogame. Buying Things Is Optional.
AAA video games should cost $100 on launch. this would still be extremely cheap for the amount of time and enjoyment you get out of them! But an audience of whiny babies has kept them literally at the same price for *two decades* despite both general inflation *and* sector-specific costs rising
October 23, 2025 at 7:21 PM
i will note again that there is a really unhealthy, unpleasant and strong current of consumerism that runs through the left in a way that genuinely didn’t used to be true
Reposted by Ted Johnson
These are murders, pure and simple. There is no other way to conceive of them morally or legally. It's no different than if he had 27 people brought into a room, handed a machine gun to a subordinate, and ordered that they be shot down in front of him.
October 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
These are murders, pure and simple. There is no other way to conceive of them morally or legally. It's no different than if he had 27 people brought into a room, handed a machine gun to a subordinate, and ordered that they be shot down in front of him.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
That (NPR!) journalists think AI is a creative engine that can finesse iconic productions is not just context for the crap quality of writing in media but alarmingly the inability among a class of supposedly professional scrutinizers to distinguish between art and slop, good and bad, truth and lie
October 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
That (NPR!) journalists think AI is a creative engine that can finesse iconic productions is not just context for the crap quality of writing in media but alarmingly the inability among a class of supposedly professional scrutinizers to distinguish between art and slop, good and bad, truth and lie
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Want 2 free tickets to see Prince protégé Judith Hill this Sunday at the Dakota? Hit repost for a chance to win!
October 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Want 2 free tickets to see Prince protégé Judith Hill this Sunday at the Dakota? Hit repost for a chance to win!
Reposted by Ted Johnson
I hope they talk about this guy's very patriotic efforts.
September 19, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I hope they talk about this guy's very patriotic efforts.
Physical media, now and forever.
September 18, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Physical media, now and forever.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
This is asbestos and lead pipes for society. Flagrantly unsafe and evading licensing requirements. Not to mention such use will compound the overwork that is being used to justify its use.
www.govtech.com/education/k-...
www.govtech.com/education/k-...
August 24, 2025 at 1:57 PM
This is asbestos and lead pipes for society. Flagrantly unsafe and evading licensing requirements. Not to mention such use will compound the overwork that is being used to justify its use.
www.govtech.com/education/k-...
www.govtech.com/education/k-...
Reposted by Ted Johnson
I guess on a very basic level we need to tell people over and over that watching cable news is not something a smart person does it’s the opposite of that. You can feel free to watch Top Chef or baseball or Mario 64 speedruns, none of them, genuinely, will make you as ignorant as CNN shouty bullshit
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 AM
I guess on a very basic level we need to tell people over and over that watching cable news is not something a smart person does it’s the opposite of that. You can feel free to watch Top Chef or baseball or Mario 64 speedruns, none of them, genuinely, will make you as ignorant as CNN shouty bullshit
Reposted by Ted Johnson
Whenever power is reclaimed from these fascists, vandals, and thieves, the punishment for their many crimes against our society, culture, and history must be equally or more severe than if done by a foreign enemy. Nothing less is justice, nothing less will deter them from doing it again.
Buried in the regime's political takeover letter of the Smithsonian is the worst bit. Unlike exhibits, which are non-destructive towards primary materials, temporary in nature, and reversible, the foundational collections are irreplacable. They want to be able to throw stuff out.
August 13, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Whenever power is reclaimed from these fascists, vandals, and thieves, the punishment for their many crimes against our society, culture, and history must be equally or more severe than if done by a foreign enemy. Nothing less is justice, nothing less will deter them from doing it again.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
In the last two weeks, the Prince estate has published bogus, sourceless, “inspirational” quotes to its social feeds. As someone who counts him a top three foundational musician and did a lot of research on behalf of the label that now controls most of his recorded work, I am unspeakably embarrassed
August 11, 2025 at 9:05 PM
In the last two weeks, the Prince estate has published bogus, sourceless, “inspirational” quotes to its social feeds. As someone who counts him a top three foundational musician and did a lot of research on behalf of the label that now controls most of his recorded work, I am unspeakably embarrassed
Reposted by Ted Johnson
If you're using AI to write essays, eulogies, a text to your wife, I do think less of you as a person. Ceding your mental and creative abilities to a machine is an embarrassing thing and people should be ashamed to admit doing it in public.
![[quoting a tweet by fractalcounty that reads, “today I learned that there are actual people irl who get genuinely upset if they catch you using chatgpt. like they view it as a serious moral failing in certain circles”]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hppum4l25hcczzffastsicpq/bafkreihjvnz2ttxl7z4a2b3a4kylubobgvqxmjhwz6yuetuztzoc4g2s4y@jpeg)
August 2, 2025 at 6:19 PM
If you're using AI to write essays, eulogies, a text to your wife, I do think less of you as a person. Ceding your mental and creative abilities to a machine is an embarrassing thing and people should be ashamed to admit doing it in public.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
All the dire implications notwithstanding it is hilarious how evil this technology is. Billions of dollars spent on this greasy lying stupid thing that was literally built to replace people, and everyone that uses it gets weaker, lazier, dumber, and sadder for having done so. Well done all around.
“On Tuesday afternoon, ChatGPT encouraged me to cut my wrists.” @lilashroff.bsky.social reports on how the chatbot was easily prompted to offer instructions for murder, self-mutilation, and devil worship: https://theatln.tc/Up7Ycoli
July 27, 2025 at 4:17 AM
All the dire implications notwithstanding it is hilarious how evil this technology is. Billions of dollars spent on this greasy lying stupid thing that was literally built to replace people, and everyone that uses it gets weaker, lazier, dumber, and sadder for having done so. Well done all around.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
There is simply a huge audience among the youth for critiques of the state of Israel, given what young people see the state doing to the children of Gaza. This critique can come from someone like Zohran Mamdani, or it can come from Candace Owens or Tucker Carlson interviewing a Holocaust denier.
July 24, 2025 at 12:41 AM
There is simply a huge audience among the youth for critiques of the state of Israel, given what young people see the state doing to the children of Gaza. This critique can come from someone like Zohran Mamdani, or it can come from Candace Owens or Tucker Carlson interviewing a Holocaust denier.
Reposted by Ted Johnson
The distance between what is in happening Gaza, fully backed with US dollars and political support, and the reaction of American politicians who by and large just don’t seem to care or support it is just completely brain-breaking.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/w...
Aid Groups Blame Israel’s Gaza Restrictions for ‘Mass Starvation’
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The distance between what is in happening Gaza, fully backed with US dollars and political support, and the reaction of American politicians who by and large just don’t seem to care or support it is just completely brain-breaking.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/w...