Tom Goldsmith

"But Virginia Dignum, a professor of responsible artificial intelligence at Umeå University, said AI was not capable of giving a meaningful opinion on political ideas, and that it simply reflects the views of those who built it."

"Machines are only ever what we build them to be - human-made artifacts that are mirrors of our current world - and shaping that mirror towards uplifting the marginalized is the key challenge." 💯

I love this provocation by @abeba.bsky.social:

"We need active resistance and refusal of unreliable and harmful AI systems; clearly laid out regulation and enforcement; and shepherding of the AI industry towards transparency and accountability of responsible bodies."

bsky.app/profile/sues...

This kind of finding makes me worry about what is going to be done for renters. Landlords have very little incentive to invest in electrification.

Elon Musk is a symbol of American collapse in many ways, but one of the big ones is how for years he has constantly engaged in multi-billion-dollar securities and consumer fraud, and the "consequence" has been him making billions more, including from the federal government paying him directly.

If you had "radioactive wasp nests" on your 2025 bingo card you can tick it off.

CNBC Lora Kolodny article: Tesla must pay portion of $329 million in damages after fatal Autopilot crash, jury says Key Points A jury in Florida determined that Tesla should be held partly liable for a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash. The company must pay a portion of $329 million in damages to victims and a survivor, including compensatory and punitive damages. Tesla had argued that the driver’s behavior was to blame for the fatal crash, while plaintiffs claimed Tesla’s Autopilot technology was flawed and deceptively marketed.

Elon tweet: "Teslas can drive themselves!"

Two days ago: Tesla has to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for deceptively marketing Autopilot in a way that falsely made people think it could drive the car by itself.

Today: Elon Musk "Teslas can drive themselves!"

We're dealing with a Fascist America. When are we going to understand that? If it walks like a fascist, talks like a fascist, and acts like a fascist, then chances are it’s a fascist.

... and the myriad of costs that would come from extricating ourselves from US dominance. If there is this kind of overwhelming willingness to do that when it comes to tariffs, then it seems like there might be an opening for a leader to make a broader case.

orbitpolicy.substack.com/p/were-deali...

I'm interested in whether this willingness of to financially suffer to stand up to the US extends beyond the tariff conversation. I wrote a few weeks ago about the need for an honest conversation about what sacrifices we might be willing to make in light of a fascist US /1

Sigh.

The replies to this post, even on here, even moreso on X, are so depressing to me. We live in a world where cities have never been safer and a minority of people are denying themselves a lot of delightful experiences because they’ve gone mad online.

Friday Reading Roundup #13 Reflections on countering neoliberalism through solidarity.

We need a new solidarity, to join our fights to the fights of others open.substack.com/pub/orbitpol...

We can't afford to repeat the mistakes of 1995 in 2025, yet that is the path the federal government is taking. And the wider geopolitical and economic headwinds are far worse today than they were then.

Remembering Paul Martin’s disastrous 1995 federal budget - CCPA A few short years ago, we were talking about how to “build back better” from the devastation of the pandemic. Today, in the midst of a new economic crisis, the talk of prosperity and security now cent...

"Canadians also deserve a strong and capable federal government—with needed resources in hand—willing and able to take action in our collective interests. The private market won’t save Canada. That’s on us."

@kjscott.bsky.social nails it. www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Friday Reading Roundup #13 Reflections on countering neoliberalism through solidarity.

I’m back from the cottage and today’s post reflects on two books I read while there: @astra.bsky.social's & @lhh.bsky.social's "Solidarity" and @alexhim.bsky.social's "Breaking Free of Neoliberalism." Both emphasize the urgent need for transformative solidarity. ✊
open.substack.com/pub/orbitpol...

A sunny view of a river with Lilly pads and Reed's.

Much needed time at a cottage. And breathe.

See you in a week.

i’m not at all surprised to see our governments are this spineless in the face of an active genocide

I feel the left in Canada and especially the UK could do with absorbing this message too. Labour is an utter disgrace right now.

And I don't mean tinker around the edges reform. We genuinely need root and branch changes to bring 20th century bureaucracies into 2025 and make them fit for the challenges we face. However, cuts in the name of "efficiency" or "productivity" are not the way to do that.

There is so much wrong with how the public service works and the outcomes it produces. But assuming cutting jobs will make any of that better is like setting fire to your house when you're feeling cold. Really fucking stupid.

We need public service reform. Not arson.

A *third* of the Commons has called on the PM to recognise Palestine as a state. Never seen anything quite like this.

Veep (2025) #veep #trump #fed #jeromepowell #fyp #julialouisdreyfus #selinameyer TikTok video by colin

For people who've watched Veep:

www.tiktok.com/@anyataylord...

What a joke. Aid is sitting in trucks just outside Gaza waiting to be let in.

Dozens of kids and adults in Gaza have starved to death in July as hunger surges Health workers and aid groups fear hunger that has been building in Gaza for months under Israel's blockade is now reaching a tipping point into accelerating death.

The world must act. apnews.com/article/gaza...

Mark Carney has done the absolute bare minimum in the face of an attempt to starve children to death at an industrial scale. His statement last night was unacceptable.

I'm calling my Liberal MP today again & looking at ways to do more.

We must say to politicians that this is a crime. It must stop.

Stand Against Starvation. Stand In Solidarity Warning: disturbing images.

I am beyond outraged at Canada’s inaction over Gaza. We must recognize that we can’t build a better Canada without doing our part to create a better world.

We must stand against starvation. We must stand in solidarity.

open.substack.com/pub/orbitpol...

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: 9780593804148 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 PALESTINE BOOK AWARDS • From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485...

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: 9780593804148 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 PALESTINE BOOK AWARDS • From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485...