Jonathan Koomey

I continue to think that Matty coming out against birthright citizenship a few months ago should have been taken as a major warning sign that the group chats have already decided to surrender on this.

Also: bsky.app/profile/jgko...

So no, there is no urgency to build the kinds of AI the technology industry is most focused on, and we as a society shouldn't abandon climate goals because of this false sense of urgency.

Machine learning in scientific and engineering domains is a good thing and we should do more of it. But that doesn't require the kinds of infrastructure commitments the tech industry says they need. The chatbots do, but they are thus far not living up to the hype.

Talking With Paul Kedrosky So, about this AI thing ...

Anyone who has the wrong idea that these chatbots are like the computer from star trek should reevaluate their priors and read this interview: paulkrugman.substack.com/p/talking-wi...

China is focusing (correctly in my view) on the use of machine learning in scientific and engineering domains. The US is focusing on chatbots in the vain and foolish hope that they can create some kind of super intelligence that will replace many workers.

This is why acquiescing to the tech industry's "urgency" arguments is a huge mistake. They have chosen a costly and energy intensive path, but it may not be the best path. Further, there's no reason why we as a society should pay for what is in my view likely to be a dead end path.

this is at best an unproven hypothesis for the future. It's also one that virtually all the tech folks seem to believe. There are many ways to improve Ai performance, and Deepseek, Z.ai, and others have shown other paths that have orders of magnitude less cost and energy use

You just created a straw man. Nobody is arguing for "abandonment/deceleration of AI research". The problem is DEPLOYMENT OF AI assuming that the only/best way improve AI performance is w/scale (bigger datasets and bigger models). That has been the way these models have improved historically, but...

take the time

Switching to electric stoves can dramatically cut indoor air pollution A new study links gas and propane stove emissions to asthma and other health risks. Transitioning to electric could reduce exposure by over 50%.

Are you one of the 38% of U.S. households with a gas or propane stove? If so, spend the $50 needed to get an induction stove! New study: "if you use a gas stove, you’re often breathing as much nitrogen dioxide pollution indoors from your stove as you are from all outdoor sources combined.”

Minneapolis police chief warns officers: Stop unlawful force by ICE or lose your job Chief Brian O’Hara says he’ll fire city police officers if they don’t intervene when immigration agents use unlawful force.

Minneapolis stands up to ICE

Minneapolis police chief warns officers: Stop unlawful force by ICE or lose your job

Chief Brian O’Hara says he’ll fire city police officers if they don’t intervene when immigration agents use unlawful force.
www.ms.now/news/minneap...

Complications and Clarity in Birthright Citizenship The conventional wisdom is right.

There are many constitutional questions that are complicated. There are many questions around the Citizenship Clause that are complicated. The citizenship of the children of unlawful entrants and temporary visitors to the US is not complicated.

blog.dividedargument.com/p/complicati...

The lives vaccines have saved in the US, in one chart Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters expl...

This is all-hands on deck. RFK Jr. wants to destroy vaccination in the US. COVID and HBV vaccination were the first step. These diseases WILL come back. And your personal vaccination status is important, but so is the coverage in your community. So up your game and fight. www.vox.com/2015/3/25/82...

They already done that tho….

Washington, Oregon, and California have created this with each other anyway…

With vaccines it’s totally clear cut, though. They should start with that.

There are some things that are easy to say are medically accurate, and then there are complex ones. Would the Democrats come out and say that most people don’t need to drink milk, for example? Would they issue their own exercise standards?

Giving the gift of independent journalism: a guide The Handbasket has subscription suggestions for almost everyone on your list.

NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!

My guide:

On data centers and load growth: Koomey, Jonathan, Zachary Schmidt, and Tanya Das. 2025. Electricity Demand Growth and Data Centers: A Guide for the Perplexed. Washington, DC: Bipartisan Policy Center. February. [https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/electricity-demand-growth-and-data-centers/]

Climate is an emergency, and we need to start acting like it. Koomey, Jonathan, and Ian Monroe. 2022. Solving climate change: A guide for learners and leaders. Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing. [http://www.solveclimate.org]

The claim that there is urgency to build AI is a normative argument. It is also incorrect. And there is no reason to abandon climate commitments just because some companies think that it's in their interest to build as much infrastructure as possible.

There is no societal urgency to build AI. These companies should be required to build enough solar/wind/batteries to cover their loads.

Not if the replacement techs are better than what they replace. And they are.

Jared Polis is a billionaire, Libertarian Conservative. What we need to ask is has the Colorado electorate gotten wiser since making him governor.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberta...

There’s your problem: expecting any sort of “good faith” on this. This is trading on non-public information, also known as insider trading. There is no “good faith” argument to allow any sort of insider trading. Ever.

(Not really a "coherent, good-faith argument," but it's what they've got)

Pelosi defends lawmaker stock trades, citing 'free market' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is defending lawmakers' right to trade stocks. The practice has come under scrutiny because it offers members of Congress the potential to profit off of insider information ...

It’s not coherent but they basically say it would be unfair to restrict members of Congress from engaging with the free market based on a presumption of impropriety. apnews.com/article/busi...

There is none.

Fossil fuels are no longer economic from society’s perspective. A zero emissions world will be better, full stop. Cheaper. Safer. Healthier.

I totally get your sentiment, and was relevant 10 years ago, but in many areas the tide is shifting to new options being cheaper and less risky, eg solar and storage in China.

At some point your analogy is more about protecting the arms dealers.