Nate Sanford
@sanfordnate.bsky.social
Seattle. Reporter for KNKX and Cascade PBS. Covering political power and policy in Washington, often with an emphasis on young adults.
https://www.knkx.org/people/nate-sanford
https://www.knkx.org/people/nate-sanford
First ballot drop shows Harrell ahead of Wilson 53% to 46%.
Wilson says it’s within the range of what her team expected, and she’s hopeful they’ll catch up as more ballots are counted.
Wilson says it’s within the range of what her team expected, and she’s hopeful they’ll catch up as more ballots are counted.
November 5, 2025 at 4:50 AM
First ballot drop shows Harrell ahead of Wilson 53% to 46%.
Wilson says it’s within the range of what her team expected, and she’s hopeful they’ll catch up as more ballots are counted.
Wilson says it’s within the range of what her team expected, and she’s hopeful they’ll catch up as more ballots are counted.
Packed house at Katie Wilson’s election watch party:
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Packed house at Katie Wilson’s election watch party:
Yeah it's just the thumbnails. The content itself is just a guy playing news clips and reading articles while doing standard talk show style commentary.
September 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Yeah it's just the thumbnails. The content itself is just a guy playing news clips and reading articles while doing standard talk show style commentary.
The AI did a bit better with Mayor Harrell. Maybe because there are more photos of him in the training data?
September 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The AI did a bit better with Mayor Harrell. Maybe because there are more photos of him in the training data?
Cursed Katie Wilson AI YouTube slop thumbnail:
September 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Cursed Katie Wilson AI YouTube slop thumbnail:
Seattle Mayor Harrell is announcing a new "plan to use AI to improve service to residents while protecting privacy and security" today.
That includes an updated city AI policy and a "new employee training and upskilling program, and responsible use toolkit."
That includes an updated city AI policy and a "new employee training and upskilling program, and responsible use toolkit."
September 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Seattle Mayor Harrell is announcing a new "plan to use AI to improve service to residents while protecting privacy and security" today.
That includes an updated city AI policy and a "new employee training and upskilling program, and responsible use toolkit."
That includes an updated city AI policy and a "new employee training and upskilling program, and responsible use toolkit."
Here’s what one constituent said when I told them the city had used ChatGPT to respond to their email:
August 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Here’s what one constituent said when I told them the city had used ChatGPT to respond to their email:
Anecdotally, I can report that journalists are also increasingly receiving emails that were clearly written with LLMs:
![Screenshot of part of an email that says "Allow me to introduce myself---my name is [Your Name],"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jrlypwn7dmorseegbkn7ve6e/bafkreidw5sjn5t4rrr5nmcpw27buhj4yvitxtqwafwev62gr2bsafjsc44@jpeg)
August 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Anecdotally, I can report that journalists are also increasingly receiving emails that were clearly written with LLMs:
I thought it was interesting that records showed police in both Bellingham and Everett using ChatGPT for help researching Flock:
August 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I thought it was interesting that records showed police in both Bellingham and Everett using ChatGPT for help researching Flock:
I interviewed a constituent who unknowingly received a ChatGPT-generated response to an email they sent to the city with concerns about snowplows.
They were not happy to hear about it.
www.knkx.org/government/2...
They were not happy to hear about it.
www.knkx.org/government/2...
August 27, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I interviewed a constituent who unknowingly received a ChatGPT-generated response to an email they sent to the city with concerns about snowplows.
They were not happy to hear about it.
www.knkx.org/government/2...
They were not happy to hear about it.
www.knkx.org/government/2...
GovGPT Part Two:
As public officials experiment with generative AI, policies are still being written — sometimes with help from ChatGPT
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
As public officials experiment with generative AI, policies are still being written — sometimes with help from ChatGPT
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
August 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
GovGPT Part Two:
As public officials experiment with generative AI, policies are still being written — sometimes with help from ChatGPT
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
As public officials experiment with generative AI, policies are still being written — sometimes with help from ChatGPT
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
When a senior citizen in Bellingham emailed about not being able to afford utilities, a city official fed his email into ChatGPT and said “write a sympathetic response.”
“Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns so clearly and thoughtfully,” their reply read. “I hear your frustration.”
“Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns so clearly and thoughtfully,” their reply read. “I hear your frustration.”
August 26, 2025 at 10:39 PM
When a senior citizen in Bellingham emailed about not being able to afford utilities, a city official fed his email into ChatGPT and said “write a sympathetic response.”
“Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns so clearly and thoughtfully,” their reply read. “I hear your frustration.”
“Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns so clearly and thoughtfully,” their reply read. “I hear your frustration.”
This spring, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin sent a letter to Congressman Rick Larsen, urging him to cosponsor legislation making it easier to buy drones for police.
The letter didn't mention that it was entirely generated by ChatGPT:
The letter didn't mention that it was entirely generated by ChatGPT:
August 26, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This spring, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin sent a letter to Congressman Rick Larsen, urging him to cosponsor legislation making it easier to buy drones for police.
The letter didn't mention that it was entirely generated by ChatGPT:
The letter didn't mention that it was entirely generated by ChatGPT:
The donkey is cute, and a big hit with passersby outside Neumos
July 25, 2025 at 2:20 AM
The donkey is cute, and a big hit with passersby outside Neumos
Seattle City Council candidate Jamie Fackler (Shrek) has brought a donkey to the Stranger’s Candidate Survivor at Neumos in Cap Hill
July 25, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Seattle City Council candidate Jamie Fackler (Shrek) has brought a donkey to the Stranger’s Candidate Survivor at Neumos in Cap Hill
Things are chill at Seattle center. Massive trans pride flag:
June 14, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Things are chill at Seattle center. Massive trans pride flag:
Massive crowd moving through Seattle. The front of the march has reached Seattle Center. Meanwhile, people are still pouring out of Cal Anderson
June 14, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Massive crowd moving through Seattle. The front of the march has reached Seattle Center. Meanwhile, people are still pouring out of Cal Anderson
Crowd is still leaving Cal Anderson
June 14, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Crowd is still leaving Cal Anderson
Crowd starting to march:
June 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Crowd starting to march:
People are still showing up nearly an hour in to Seattle’s No Kings protest. Light rail is slammed shoulder to shoulder
June 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
People are still showing up nearly an hour in to Seattle’s No Kings protest. Light rail is slammed shoulder to shoulder
A few cars approached with turn signals on and then veered away when they saw the signs. I saw one confused tourist bus get turned away:
April 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
A few cars approached with turn signals on and then veered away when they saw the signs. I saw one confused tourist bus get turned away:
After years of debate, today is the first day of Pike Place Market’s pilot car ban.
The streets are quiet:
The streets are quiet:
April 23, 2025 at 5:11 PM
After years of debate, today is the first day of Pike Place Market’s pilot car ban.
The streets are quiet:
The streets are quiet:
Thousands of people gathering at Seattle Center as part of nationwide protests against Trump and Musk:
April 5, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Thousands of people gathering at Seattle Center as part of nationwide protests against Trump and Musk: