Mastodawn

There's sooo much competition for the title of "Most Brazenly and Publicly Unethical AI-related Thing in Tech" - Grammarly is giving a good run at it though! @caseynewton has an epic takedown of its "Expert Review" feature. https://www.platformer.news/grammarly-expert-review-reviewed/

Grammarly turned me into an AI editor against my will and I hate it

The company tells Platformer it will let experts opt out of the controversial feature — but how different is it than what every other AI company is doing?

Platformer

Casey Newton Mar 11

I wrote about Bluesky's CEO switch. Jay Graber deserves lasting credit for building a big and bustling community. But the challenges ahead of the company are significant: https://www.platformer.news/bluesky-ceo-change-graber/

Casey Newton Mar 10

NEWS: Grammarly tells me it will let "experts" like me opt out of having their names used against their will and for no compensation as part of its "expert review" feature https://www.platformer.news/grammarly-expert-review-reviewed/

Casey Newton Mar 6

In which Ella Markianos attends a protest at OpenAI and finds an anti-movement gradually gathering steam. A fun story, given the stakes https://www.platformer.news/openai-protest-military-ai-movement/

Casey Newton Mar 3

Sam Altman's deal with the Pentagon seems too good to be true. So what happens when the truth inevitably comes out? https://www.platformer.news/openai-pentagon-surveillance-drones-backlash/

Casey Newton Feb 27

When there are no laws meaningfully regulating military AI use, the Pentagon’s promise to use AI “lawfully” mean almost nothing. The authoritarian AI crisis has arrived https://www.platformer.news/anthropic-pentagon-authoritarian-ai/

The authoritarian AI crisis has arrived

AI safety researchers have long worried that a government would seek to use AI for domestic surveillance and autonomous killing. The Pentagon’s fight with Anthropic threatens to make it a reality

Platformer

Casey Newton Feb 18

The possibility that Meta might build facial recognition again has to be considered against the backdrop of a fast-growing surveillance state in the US — and deepening ties between the tech industry and the military https://www.platformer.news/meta-facial-recognition-return/

Casey Newton Feb 11

NEW: OpenAI has disbanded its Mission Alignment team and transferred employees to other teams. Joshua Achiam, a leading voice on safety issues at the company, will become its chief futurist https://www.platformer.news/openai-mission-alignment-team-joshua-achiam/

Exclusive: OpenAI disbanded its mission alignment team

Joshua Achiam will become the company's chief futurist

Platformer

Casey Newton Feb 11

Exclusive: OpenAI disbanded its mission alignment team

Joshua Achiam will become the company's chief futurist

Platformer

Casey Newton Feb 10

The walls are closing in on infinite-scroll feeds and other addictive design mechanics. I wrote about how lawyers and regulators may have finally found a way around Section 230 https://www.platformer.news/social-media-addiction-trial-eu-tiktok-investigation/