Aram Sinnreich
@aramsinn.bsky.social
Writer of books, player of music, professor of media, tech & democracy
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
Now that I’m settling in at Tulane, I’d like to do more Ipse Dixit interviews. If you’ve got a new paper or book you’d like to discuss, lmk.
September 17, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Now that I’m settling in at Tulane, I’d like to do more Ipse Dixit interviews. If you’ve got a new paper or book you’d like to discuss, lmk.
The gap between the Discourse about "AI" and the expert perspective on the tech widens every day. I had a massive fight with one of my best friends yesterday over exactly this. It's exhausting.
the tech industry and their media stooges have done an expert job misleading the public and distracting them from the real threats posed by generative AI.
it’s not going to destroy humanity, but it’s sure causing a lot of social and environmental harm right now.
it’s not going to destroy humanity, but it’s sure causing a lot of social and environmental harm right now.
Supermajorities on both the left and the right now think AI is advancing too quickly and could "destroy humanity" someday.
September 18, 2026 at 2:35 PM
The gap between the Discourse about "AI" and the expert perspective on the tech widens every day. I had a massive fight with one of my best friends yesterday over exactly this. It's exhausting.
Sure, everything sucks really bad but at least we can still listen to Eddie Palmieri
Vámonos Pa'l Monte by Eddie Palmieri on Apple Music
Album · 1986 · 6 Songs
music.apple.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Sure, everything sucks really bad but at least we can still listen to Eddie Palmieri
Am I enjoying the privilege of paying to park at my place of business by using a surveillance app? No. No, I am not.
September 18, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Am I enjoying the privilege of paying to park at my place of business by using a surveillance app? No. No, I am not.
Same thing happened to me and @jesgilbert.bsky.social. Right before "The Secret Life of Data" came out, at least three slop books by the same or similar title appeared on major booksellers' websites.
Oh no!
Bookshop.org is doing you dirty, just like Amazon.
It has this slop knockoff, with a suspiciously similar “author”, right next to your book on the virtual shelf. 🤦🏻♂️
It has this slop knockoff, with a suspiciously similar “author”, right next to your book on the virtual shelf. 🤦🏻♂️
September 18, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Same thing happened to me and @jesgilbert.bsky.social. Right before "The Secret Life of Data" came out, at least three slop books by the same or similar title appeared on major booksellers' websites.
I've been wanting a tool like this from Google for years. Can't believe they actually created it.
Exploring the context of online images with Backstory
New experimental AI tool helps people explore the context and origin of images seen online.
deepmind.google
September 18, 2026 at 11:31 AM
I've been wanting a tool like this from Google for years. Can't believe they actually created it.
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
For nearly 40 hours, residents in Frederick watched an ICE operation unfold in their neighborhood — one that turned violent and included attempts to intimidate those who spoke up.
Marylanders care about their neighbors. There is no place for ICE's cruelty in our communities.
Marylanders care about their neighbors. There is no place for ICE's cruelty in our communities.
September 17, 2026 at 10:11 PM
For nearly 40 hours, residents in Frederick watched an ICE operation unfold in their neighborhood — one that turned violent and included attempts to intimidate those who spoke up.
Marylanders care about their neighbors. There is no place for ICE's cruelty in our communities.
Marylanders care about their neighbors. There is no place for ICE's cruelty in our communities.
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
HaJ3FgupAm8RrDJW3MHgT9X7Ft27eVaD
What is that? That's a hard-coded API token that Flock cameras use to identify themselves and get OAuth credentials, which can then be used to talk to Flock's production servers. Like, anyone on the internet can probably do this right now.
What is that? That's a hard-coded API token that Flock cameras use to identify themselves and get OAuth credentials, which can then be used to talk to Flock's production servers. Like, anyone on the internet can probably do this right now.
September 16, 2026 at 9:09 PM
HaJ3FgupAm8RrDJW3MHgT9X7Ft27eVaD
What is that? That's a hard-coded API token that Flock cameras use to identify themselves and get OAuth credentials, which can then be used to talk to Flock's production servers. Like, anyone on the internet can probably do this right now.
What is that? That's a hard-coded API token that Flock cameras use to identify themselves and get OAuth credentials, which can then be used to talk to Flock's production servers. Like, anyone on the internet can probably do this right now.
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
If anyone wants a closer look at this beautiful art of Indiana Jones obliterating the world's lamest Nazi, here ya go. It's an objectively glorious shirt.
September 16, 2026 at 9:15 PM
If anyone wants a closer look at this beautiful art of Indiana Jones obliterating the world's lamest Nazi, here ya go. It's an objectively glorious shirt.
If you've got kids in the #DC area, come check out this free musical event at @dcpubliclibrary.bsky.social on Saturday morning, featuring the amazing @duniabest.bsky.social, with me and @ladyhatchet.bsky.social supporting her:
DCPL: Southeast Library- “Across the Street, Around the World” with Dunia and Friends - Story Tapestries
“Across the Street, Around the World” with Dunia and FriendsTravel all around the world and beyond the moon without leaving your neighborhood! Dunia Best, Aram […]
storytapestries.org
September 16, 2026 at 7:24 PM
If you've got kids in the #DC area, come check out this free musical event at @dcpubliclibrary.bsky.social on Saturday morning, featuring the amazing @duniabest.bsky.social, with me and @ladyhatchet.bsky.social supporting her:
An opinion nobody wants:
Ed Sheeran is a tone-deaf, derivative, boring corporate product
Macklemore is a talentless, posturing, one-hit hack opportunist
Netanyahu is a genocidal war criminal
Hamas is the terrorism arm of the energy industry
Palestinians and Israelis are the same
We're all the same
Ed Sheeran is a tone-deaf, derivative, boring corporate product
Macklemore is a talentless, posturing, one-hit hack opportunist
Netanyahu is a genocidal war criminal
Hamas is the terrorism arm of the energy industry
Palestinians and Israelis are the same
We're all the same
September 16, 2026 at 6:55 PM
An opinion nobody wants:
Ed Sheeran is a tone-deaf, derivative, boring corporate product
Macklemore is a talentless, posturing, one-hit hack opportunist
Netanyahu is a genocidal war criminal
Hamas is the terrorism arm of the energy industry
Palestinians and Israelis are the same
We're all the same
Ed Sheeran is a tone-deaf, derivative, boring corporate product
Macklemore is a talentless, posturing, one-hit hack opportunist
Netanyahu is a genocidal war criminal
Hamas is the terrorism arm of the energy industry
Palestinians and Israelis are the same
We're all the same
Got the news this morning. Absolutely fucking tragic. Tim built something beautiful that changed countless lives, brought joy to thousands, and valorized the legacy of major artists overlooked by big media.
A staggering loss for the ska music community. It was an honor to know and work with him. 💔
A staggering loss for the ska music community. It was an honor to know and work with him. 💔
September 16, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Got the news this morning. Absolutely fucking tragic. Tim built something beautiful that changed countless lives, brought joy to thousands, and valorized the legacy of major artists overlooked by big media.
A staggering loss for the ska music community. It was an honor to know and work with him. 💔
A staggering loss for the ska music community. It was an honor to know and work with him. 💔
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
The Senate Commerce Committee today passed the bipartisan JAWBONE Act, which the Knight Institute endorsed. The bill would create new safeguards against government coercion of private speech intermediaries, including social media platforms, broadcasters, and AI providers.
Read more:
Read more:
Senate Committee Passes Bi-Partisan Bill to Protect Against Government Jawboning
knightcolumbia.org
September 16, 2026 at 4:40 PM
The Senate Commerce Committee today passed the bipartisan JAWBONE Act, which the Knight Institute endorsed. The bill would create new safeguards against government coercion of private speech intermediaries, including social media platforms, broadcasters, and AI providers.
Read more:
Read more:
As usual, @karlbode.com is spot-on in his analysis of the latest media freakout over #AI 's ostensibly existential threat. Read the whole thing, especially if you're in the habit of amplifying the freakout.
Over at the newsletter I wrote about the completely insane last few weeks of AI doomsday rhetoric and media coverage
AI Doomsday Panic Is Completely Out Of Control
The press obsession with software-powered doomsday is a misdirection overshadowing a much deadlier reality: our public interest regulators no longer function.
karlbode.com
September 16, 2026 at 4:24 PM
As usual, @karlbode.com is spot-on in his analysis of the latest media freakout over #AI 's ostensibly existential threat. Read the whole thing, especially if you're in the habit of amplifying the freakout.
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
I didn’t want to bring it up because of all the “well actually’s” it was gonna draw but I’ve been waiting to see if anyone was gonna say something or if you were all just gonna memory hole this.
September 16, 2026 at 12:19 AM
I didn’t want to bring it up because of all the “well actually’s” it was gonna draw but I’ve been waiting to see if anyone was gonna say something or if you were all just gonna memory hole this.
Fun fact: in the 1980s there was a car commercial on national TV that boasted about "inbred American knowhow" and it's been so memoryholed the phrase has zero hits on Google.
September 16, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Fun fact: in the 1980s there was a car commercial on national TV that boasted about "inbred American knowhow" and it's been so memoryholed the phrase has zero hits on Google.
Just found out some racist creep hung a noose from a tree outside my kid's HS this morning. 🙃
This is the same public HS in a "blue" county where my kid routinely gets called the n-word, the f-word, and is afraid to confess to being Jewish for fear of getting beaten up.
This is the same public HS in a "blue" county where my kid routinely gets called the n-word, the f-word, and is afraid to confess to being Jewish for fear of getting beaten up.
September 15, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Just found out some racist creep hung a noose from a tree outside my kid's HS this morning. 🙃
This is the same public HS in a "blue" county where my kid routinely gets called the n-word, the f-word, and is afraid to confess to being Jewish for fear of getting beaten up.
This is the same public HS in a "blue" county where my kid routinely gets called the n-word, the f-word, and is afraid to confess to being Jewish for fear of getting beaten up.
All this time, I'd assumed he was against Reconstruction.
How not surprising that a president who acts like a petty mob boss is holding one of our nation’s treasured institutions hostage until we meet his conditions—that is, putting his stupid name on the building. I say we just put it in mothballs until he is gone.
September 15, 2026 at 8:36 PM
All this time, I'd assumed he was against Reconstruction.
Just interviewed @relindsey.bsky.social of @climate.us for my new book with @jesgilbert.bsky.social. Absolutely fascinating conversation. Can't wait to write it up.
September 15, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Just interviewed @relindsey.bsky.social of @climate.us for my new book with @jesgilbert.bsky.social. Absolutely fascinating conversation. Can't wait to write it up.
Reposted by Aram Sinnreich
The Secret Life of Data, Appliance Aggression Edition
September 15, 2026 at 5:46 PM
The Secret Life of Data, Appliance Aggression Edition
My Roomba just tried and failed to assassinate my PS5.
It's happening.
It's happening.
September 15, 2026 at 5:17 PM
My Roomba just tried and failed to assassinate my PS5.
It's happening.
It's happening.
"defending"
US confirms weapons deployed in space for the first time
US confirms weapons deployed in space for the first time
'The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,' a US Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that did not provide specifics on the weapons.
www.lemonde.fr
September 15, 2026 at 3:33 PM
"defending"
Rereading Barbrook & Cameron's "The Californian Ideology" (1995) before I teach it this week, and boy, oh, boy does it hit hard in 2026.
Required reading for anyone #onhere.
monoskop.org/images/d/dc/...
Required reading for anyone #onhere.
monoskop.org/images/d/dc/...
monoskop.org
September 15, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Rereading Barbrook & Cameron's "The Californian Ideology" (1995) before I teach it this week, and boy, oh, boy does it hit hard in 2026.
Required reading for anyone #onhere.
monoskop.org/images/d/dc/...
Required reading for anyone #onhere.
monoskop.org/images/d/dc/...
No soap radio
Name an 80s/90s one liner.
September 15, 2026 at 1:12 AM
No soap radio
Nice academic #job in my school:
Assistant Professor / Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods
Assistant Professor / Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods
Assistant Professor / Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods
American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meani...
american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Nice academic #job in my school:
Assistant Professor / Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods
Assistant Professor / Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods