Christopher Mims
@mims.bsky.social
WSJ tech columnist. Dog person. Author of How to AI, a no-nonsense, bullshit-free guide to how to get actual utility from AI, aimed at the skeptics who are tired of the hype surrounding it.
truly, who among us
November 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
truly, who among us
this is like one of those online quizzes where 90% of people on earth will come away saying "yep, that's me"
November 21, 2025 at 3:21 PM
this is like one of those online quizzes where 90% of people on earth will come away saying "yep, that's me"
whenever I get caught up in the hullabaloo, I find it helps to remind myself that nearly every atom in my body was born in the death throes of one of the most violent explosions in the history of the universe -- yet somehow, I am here
(image: Cornelis van Zuilen's capture of a supernova remnant)
(image: Cornelis van Zuilen's capture of a supernova remnant)
November 20, 2025 at 2:08 PM
whenever I get caught up in the hullabaloo, I find it helps to remind myself that nearly every atom in my body was born in the death throes of one of the most violent explosions in the history of the universe -- yet somehow, I am here
(image: Cornelis van Zuilen's capture of a supernova remnant)
(image: Cornelis van Zuilen's capture of a supernova remnant)
[nervous laughter]
November 18, 2025 at 11:49 PM
[nervous laughter]
this is a good book
November 16, 2025 at 11:35 PM
this is a good book
Why is this happening?
Big tech co's AI revenue *is* growing rapidly. It's a game of chicken where none can afford to blink, because they don't want to get left behind.
But is that revenue enough to support projections this rosy? Analysts say, not likely.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/when...
Big tech co's AI revenue *is* growing rapidly. It's a game of chicken where none can afford to blink, because they don't want to get left behind.
But is that revenue enough to support projections this rosy? Analysts say, not likely.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/when...
November 16, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Why is this happening?
Big tech co's AI revenue *is* growing rapidly. It's a game of chicken where none can afford to blink, because they don't want to get left behind.
But is that revenue enough to support projections this rosy? Analysts say, not likely.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/when...
Big tech co's AI revenue *is* growing rapidly. It's a game of chicken where none can afford to blink, because they don't want to get left behind.
But is that revenue enough to support projections this rosy? Analysts say, not likely.
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/when...
3. This one's a doozy.
The world already has about 71 GW of data center capacity.
That's more electricity than the entire UK uses every moment of every day, on average.
By the end of 2027 it's projected to increase *by half*
The world already has about 71 GW of data center capacity.
That's more electricity than the entire UK uses every moment of every day, on average.
By the end of 2027 it's projected to increase *by half*
November 16, 2025 at 2:48 PM
3. This one's a doozy.
The world already has about 71 GW of data center capacity.
That's more electricity than the entire UK uses every moment of every day, on average.
By the end of 2027 it's projected to increase *by half*
The world already has about 71 GW of data center capacity.
That's more electricity than the entire UK uses every moment of every day, on average.
By the end of 2027 it's projected to increase *by half*
2. Data center build out as a share of big tech company revenue. A lot of this is exotic things like private debt. Nothing to see here.
November 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
2. Data center build out as a share of big tech company revenue. A lot of this is exotic things like private debt. Nothing to see here.
My latest on the AI bubble in finance: 6 charts that tell the story in ways that are hard to put into words.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
November 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
My latest on the AI bubble in finance: 6 charts that tell the story in ways that are hard to put into words.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
1. U.S. data-center build-out. Notice the explosion in 2025. That's the permitting gold rush happening now. Would be shocking if 1 in 20 of these get built, but they factor into projections.
the mundane made sublime through elimination and focus
November 9, 2025 at 1:04 PM
the mundane made sublime through elimination and focus
There's a free iOS app called BitCam which only takes pictures like this, and I absolutely love it.
Takes me back to my earliest days with the first Mac I ever owned, a Mac Plus.
Takes me back to my earliest days with the first Mac I ever owned, a Mac Plus.
November 9, 2025 at 12:57 PM
There's a free iOS app called BitCam which only takes pictures like this, and I absolutely love it.
Takes me back to my earliest days with the first Mac I ever owned, a Mac Plus.
Takes me back to my earliest days with the first Mac I ever owned, a Mac Plus.
easy to miss in the punditry about Musk's pay package:
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
![graphic: Tesla proposed a $1 trillion pay package with 12 tranches [now passed by shareholders] and for Musk to get the first tranche, Tesla must achieve:
* $2 trillion in market capitalization PLUS any one of
* $50 billion Ebitda (a measure of earnings)
* 20 million cars delivered
* 1 million robots sold
* 1 million robotaxis in operation
* 10 million Full Self Driving subscriptions](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fwks525g7gw5wc7ul2wg4wj5/bafkreie4ria67kwkysdoelkwmh2ol4kphfem6umc4oakwtfhvt25jxskcm@jpeg)
November 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
easy to miss in the punditry about Musk's pay package:
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
I don't think many of us appreciate just how much things like the president canceling trade talks with Canada because he's mad that some Canadians reminded the world that Reagan didn't like tariffs is alienating the "fiscal conservative" wing of the base
October 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I don't think many of us appreciate just how much things like the president canceling trade talks with Canada because he's mad that some Canadians reminded the world that Reagan didn't like tariffs is alienating the "fiscal conservative" wing of the base
Carl Pei created Nothing because he got "bored" with Apple products.
Now he's making phones and wearables that compete directly with Apple's -- and, against all odds, succeeding.
Fascinating interviewee this week on our Bold Names podcast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpeV...
Now he's making phones and wearables that compete directly with Apple's -- and, against all odds, succeeding.
Fascinating interviewee this week on our Bold Names podcast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpeV...
October 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Carl Pei created Nothing because he got "bored" with Apple products.
Now he's making phones and wearables that compete directly with Apple's -- and, against all odds, succeeding.
Fascinating interviewee this week on our Bold Names podcast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpeV...
Now he's making phones and wearables that compete directly with Apple's -- and, against all odds, succeeding.
Fascinating interviewee this week on our Bold Names podcast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpeV...
good reminder of how much things can change in just 5 years:
in October 2020, wearing stuff like this all the time in public was completely plausible
in October 2020, wearing stuff like this all the time in public was completely plausible
October 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
good reminder of how much things can change in just 5 years:
in October 2020, wearing stuff like this all the time in public was completely plausible
in October 2020, wearing stuff like this all the time in public was completely plausible
forgot the two most important ones
October 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM
forgot the two most important ones
If the economy could be represented by a giant dashboard of lights, they'd all be flashing red
October 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
If the economy could be represented by a giant dashboard of lights, they'd all be flashing red
In an obscure corner of Kazakhstan, the remains of an ocean millions of years old have created probably the most surreal landscape on earth -- as captured by photographer Daniel Kordan
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
October 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
In an obscure corner of Kazakhstan, the remains of an ocean millions of years old have created probably the most surreal landscape on earth -- as captured by photographer Daniel Kordan
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
is it the future or is it this
October 3, 2025 at 1:21 AM
is it the future or is it this
feels like the next 10 years are going to be people who think AI isn't useful for anything re-discovering over and over again that it's already huge for writing code that we all depend on
October 1, 2025 at 4:10 PM
feels like the next 10 years are going to be people who think AI isn't useful for anything re-discovering over and over again that it's already huge for writing code that we all depend on