Meta is now using AI-generated profiles to drive up “engagement” on Facebook and Instagram.

Now why would they do this?

Well, for one thing, organic engagement on both those platforms is dead—and it’s been dead for awhile. And now they’re stuck in a loop where influencers aren’t talking to people—they’re talking to algorithms.

So what about the 98% of users who aren’t influencers? Well, most of their content gets stuck in a void with no engagement. And this drives down satisfaction. Why post your breakfast to Instagram if no one sees it?

Therefore, Meta needs to build the illusion of engagement to satiate that need for connection. And Zuckerberg assumes most people will be satisfied with bot interaction.

But what I suspect is that this will lead to a diminishment of trust on those platforms.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/meta-ai-users-facebook-instagram-1235221430/

Corporate profits have now reached record highs, yet the price hikes won’t stop.

Why?

Well, in 75% of US industries, fewer companies control more of the business compared to twenty years ago.

Minimal competition means maximized price-gouging.

"We're on pace for $10 billion+ in political ads on the 2024 election, an all-time high.

State political ad buys ahead of the Iowa caucuses broke records.

Outside groups have already dumped ~$318 million into the elections.

Folks, we need to overturn Citizens United."

Penn Jillette has renounced libertarianism, having apparently been pushed over the edge by anti-maskers

https://www.cracked.com/article_40871_penn-jillette-wants-to-talk-it-all-out.html

> Many times when I identified as Libertarian, people said to me, “It’s just rich white guys that don’t want to be told what to do,” and I had a zillion answers to that — and now that seems 100 percent accurate.
> [...]
> I’m going to vote Democrat, maybe that’s all you need to know. I will not vote for a third-party candidate.