OpenAI faces 7 lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues.

Six people died from tampered Tylenol and the company pulled 30 million bottles off the market. ChatGPT is accused of urging seven people towards suicide, and OpenAI just assures us they’re still working out the kinks. Billions in investment, zero accountability.

Periodically, this @pftompkins.bsky.social bit about the quality clientele he would encounter during his time working at a novelty hat shop will bubble up in my brain and then, having delighted me once again, will recede into the depths to await its next surprise visit...

James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.

Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."

Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫

This is what oligarchy looks like:

If you're Elon Musk, the richest man alive, Tesla gives you a $1 trillion pay package & Trump gives you a huge tax break.

If you're a poor kid on SNAP, Trump appeals a court decision that would have prevented you from going hungry.

Obscene.

This is only for people who need to hear it. If you can't think of anything you want for Christmas, chances are you probably don't need anything. Let's normalize not putting pressure on ourselves to consume for no reason, especially in this economy.

Prices since Trump took office:

-Groceries: ⬆️ 2.7%
-Utilities: ⬆️ 11%
-ACA premiums: ⬆️ 26%
-Overall consumer prices: ⬆️ 3%

Trump: “I don't want to hear about the affordability.”

Bill pay transaction fees are ridiculous.
Why do I have to pay you to pay you?! 🤨

it doesn’t get any clearer that america’s betrothal to fossil fuels is about letting energy companies pick our pockets to prop up their obsolete industry

Want to know why population is declining? Because capitalism is a death cult. So jot that one down.

When you see Mamdani looking all normal doing normal person things—petting bodega cats, riding public transport—you realize just how bizarre and estranged our average candidate for public office is. Rich martians in flesh suits

Normalize this reaction
#art #artists

Last chance to turn it off.

On Monday, November 3rd, Microsoft will start using your LinkedIn data for AI training. And remember, you're opted in by default.

To toggle it off 👉 Account - Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement.

Libraries Scramble for Books After Giant Distributor Shuts Down Why it might have been and may continue to be harder to get new releases from your local library.

Private equity destroys 200-year-old book distribution company that libraries around the country rely on and now libraries are having trouble getting new books:

www.404media.co/libraries-sc...

succinctly put

The Walton family (who own Walmart) are worth over $400 billion, yet many of their employees are on SNAP.

Bezos is worth over $400 billion, many Amazon employees require SNAP.

The people who need help are not the problem.

It’s corporate greed. It’s an unwillingness to pay a living wage.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, activist since Stonewall, has died The LGBTQ+ community — and particularly the transgender community — has lost an iconic activist.

Rest in power, Miss Major.

www.advocate.com/news/miss-ma...

D'Angelo Dead at 51 Grammy-winning R&B soul singer D'Angelo is dead from pancreatic cancer ... TMZ has learned.

D'Angelo has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his former manager says. He was 51

Drew Struzan, the King of the Movie Poster, Has Died The beloved artist, who illustrated iconic posters for 'Star Wars', 'Indiana Jones', 'Back to the Future', and more, was 78.

Drew Struzan, the King of the Movie Poster, Has Died

Not that anybody comes to me for Maine politics, but the fact that the Democrats successfully convinced a 77yo Governor to primary the 41yo progressive, is today's example of why the Democrats fucking stay failing.

Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!

“No, Speaker Johnson — the No Kings rally on October 18 is not a hate America rally. In fact, it’s quite the contrary: It’s a love America rally.” #NoKings

A photograph from the 1988 ACT UP demonstration outside the FDA. Many people are participating in a die-in on the front steps, holding mock tombstones with messages like "RIP - killed by the FDA" and "Dead from lack of drugs." A line of police officers (some with classic 80s mustaches) wearing riot helmets stands between them and the building; one cop wearing white gloves is walking through the demonstrators. Affixed to the 2nd story windows of the building is a series of posters and a large blank banner reading Silence = Death.

This week in 1988: 1,000+ ACT UP demonstrators shut down the FDA headquarters, demanding (and eventually winning) action on developing HIV/AIDS treatments. ACT UP's militant and creative actions always included powerful visual artwork, and paved the way for movements in the decades to come.

Just a reminder that Wikipedia is the only remaining reliable source of information that right wing billionaires can't control. (Although they'll never stop trying.)

Please donate to them whenever you can. Even a little bit helps.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

How to Remove AI From Your Google Chrome Experience - Opus Follow these steps to resist the AI-pocalypse in your everyday web browsing.

so Google just added a bunch (more) AI bullshit to Chrome

Go through these steps to disable it:

opus.ing/posts/how-to...

#chrome #aibullshit

I wrote about this a bit in my last book but it really shakes me that a defining feature of this catastrophic era is that we just keep going to work. We work through pandemics, we work through natural disasters, we work through economic calamity, we work through coups, we work, we work, we work.

CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. Seriously, all hands on deck, this is going nowhere good and is going to be a stain on our country forever. Call, please!

The Very Smart People advising the Democratic Party are telling them to sacrifice trans people to That Orange Bastard.

Everyone needs to call their representatives and let them know this is a red line they’d better not cross.

If trans rights get taken away then that opens the door for them to take away others’ rights also. Saying trans rights are human rights is not hyperbole or an exaggeration because you know it’s not so don’t leave anything to chance. especially when dealing with legitimately gleefully evil people.

Look I try not to doomsay or spread panic but this shit is truly and deeply Very Bad for every single trans person in America and unless everyone makes it their mission in life over the next few days to make sure that their reps know that shutting down the government is the correct option here.