Sarah Steel
@letstalkaboutsects.bsky.social
Reposted by Sarah Steel
"It should not go unnoticed that whenever the inflation conversation takes hold, profits never enter the chat. The usual suspects are happy to talk further cuts – to services and jobs – but never actually raising funds from those businesses that benefit from our pain." #RBA #inequality #auspol
The RBA media team is becoming known for contacting journalists and media outlets critical of its decisions and decision making process - but the criticism doesn't actually go far enough.
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...
Households in pain – but our budget crisis has an obvious answer
Australia is at a tipping point. Choosing the brave route – taxing gas and raising revenue – would also, in this case, be the right one.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
October 1, 2026 at 10:54 AM
"It should not go unnoticed that whenever the inflation conversation takes hold, profits never enter the chat. The usual suspects are happy to talk further cuts – to services and jobs – but never actually raising funds from those businesses that benefit from our pain." #RBA #inequality #auspol
Reposted by Sarah Steel
Many people don’t realize that many people in the tech industry, especially in its upper echelons, have developed a deeply harmful and delusional worldview they’re trying to impose on everyone else. That’s at the root of their misguided view of where AI is going.
disconnect.blog/the-media-ha...
disconnect.blog/the-media-ha...
September 25, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Many people don’t realize that many people in the tech industry, especially in its upper echelons, have developed a deeply harmful and delusional worldview they’re trying to impose on everyone else. That’s at the root of their misguided view of where AI is going.
disconnect.blog/the-media-ha...
disconnect.blog/the-media-ha...
September 25, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Reposted by Sarah Steel
over the past few weeks several AI evaluation/cybersecurity experts have explained how what's happening is a result of human incompetence rather than "AI going rogue". I'm begging the media to show a shred of journalistic integrity and stop parroting what altman or amodei say
An OpenAI system has gone rogue again – and it is the most panic-inducing yet
An OpenAI system has gone rogue again – and it is the most panic-inducing yet
‘Our models took actions we did not intend,’ ChatGPT maker admits after latest outrage
trib.al
September 24, 2026 at 8:12 PM
over the past few weeks several AI evaluation/cybersecurity experts have explained how what's happening is a result of human incompetence rather than "AI going rogue". I'm begging the media to show a shred of journalistic integrity and stop parroting what altman or amodei say
Reposted by Sarah Steel
If ultimately there's no criminal responsibility for this incident here then FOI just became a lot easier if we ask AI agents to go find those documents for us. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese says OpenAI hacked Medicare and told Australia months later via email to generic inbox
Prime minister says he told Sam Altman he was disappointed it had taken OpenAI ‘way too long’ to disclose breach
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2026 at 12:40 AM
If ultimately there's no criminal responsibility for this incident here then FOI just became a lot easier if we ask AI agents to go find those documents for us. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Sarah Steel
The Jehovah's Witnesses governing body has changed longstanding doctrine to allow followers to choose whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets. There has been relief and anger in the wake of lives lost after transfusions were refused.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Anger over lives lost as Jehovah's Witnesses shift on blood transfusion
The daughter of a Jehovah's Witness who died after refusing a blood transfusion on religious grounds in 2019 has expressed anger after the church altered its longstanding opposition last week.
www.abc.net.au
September 24, 2026 at 12:21 AM
The Jehovah's Witnesses governing body has changed longstanding doctrine to allow followers to choose whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets. There has been relief and anger in the wake of lives lost after transfusions were refused.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Reposted by Sarah Steel
"It is perfectly honest to say, 'I chose a private school because I want the best for my kid, but it is also true that private schools are bad for society and do more to reproduce inequality than to remedy it." Great @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social piece. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/private-sc...
Private Schools Are Bad for Society
The starting point for any honest discussion.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
September 22, 2026 at 2:38 PM
"It is perfectly honest to say, 'I chose a private school because I want the best for my kid, but it is also true that private schools are bad for society and do more to reproduce inequality than to remedy it." Great @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social piece. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/private-sc...
‘Many adherents believe humans must merge with AI to become a new species, or even that sentient AIs should replace humanity altogether. Some want to colonise the universe with “digital beings”.’
cheekmedia.substack.com/p/will-ai-re...
cheekmedia.substack.com/p/will-ai-re...
Will AI really lead to human extinction? An AI researcher unpacks the ideology behind the headlines
By Isabelle Kohout
cheekmedia.substack.com
September 22, 2026 at 8:28 AM
‘Many adherents believe humans must merge with AI to become a new species, or even that sentient AIs should replace humanity altogether. Some want to colonise the universe with “digital beings”.’
cheekmedia.substack.com/p/will-ai-re...
cheekmedia.substack.com/p/will-ai-re...
“Four sources with knowledge of the sect’s secret election influence campaign said Brethren elders had shifted their attention even before the Coalition’s 2025 defeat, with church middlemen reaching out to One Nation and other smaller parties with offers to help.”
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
‘More power to redheads’: Brethren leader backs Hanson, building nuclear bombs
In a speech praising Hanson, the Exclusive Brethren leader also told his flock Australia should use its uranium to “build a few bombs”.
www.smh.com.au
September 22, 2026 at 12:48 AM
“Four sources with knowledge of the sect’s secret election influence campaign said Brethren elders had shifted their attention even before the Coalition’s 2025 defeat, with church middlemen reaching out to One Nation and other smaller parties with offers to help.”
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
Feels like the govt maybe isn’t doing enough to make the public understand that the support of an aging population lies in welcoming immigrants into the workforce
Deaths forecast to outpace births in Australia for first time in Intergenerational Report
Statistic in Intergenerational Report spells challenge for Australia as it ages
Australia is getting much older, and it is getting older faster than previously thought. But the major political parties are currently in a race to cut the greatest source of resilience against that trend: migration.
www.abc.net.au
September 21, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Feels like the govt maybe isn’t doing enough to make the public understand that the support of an aging population lies in welcoming immigrants into the workforce
Reposted by Sarah Steel
“I want to draw your attention to another reality: Right now, the US economy & our financial futures are riding on Silicon Valley's bet that Al will soon be immensely profitable… that bet isn't looking good. The formula for a profitable business isn't complicated: make more than you spend…“
@aoc.bsky.social just put out a great statement on AI. Refreshing to see a major politician on the left nail this.
"Silicon Valley billionaires want us to believe that Al robots will destroy humanity. But the biggest threat to humanity are the tech oligarchs themselves."
🎯
"Silicon Valley billionaires want us to believe that Al robots will destroy humanity. But the biggest threat to humanity are the tech oligarchs themselves."
🎯
September 20, 2026 at 3:13 AM
“I want to draw your attention to another reality: Right now, the US economy & our financial futures are riding on Silicon Valley's bet that Al will soon be immensely profitable… that bet isn't looking good. The formula for a profitable business isn't complicated: make more than you spend…“
Very worth reading this comprehensive overview of a lot of elements of the belief systems behind the hype that are less covered than they should be, in spite of many working to shift this
“Once you understand that the broligarchs are eugenicists who care more about hypothetical, future AI-enhanced lives than about today’s population…a lot of things start making sense.”
What Policymakers and the Public Need to Know About the Cult of AI
Nathalie Maréchal asks, why are we betting the economy and the future of democracy on cult-like beliefs?
techpolicy.press
September 18, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Very worth reading this comprehensive overview of a lot of elements of the belief systems behind the hype that are less covered than they should be, in spite of many working to shift this
I’m hanging out for @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social’s Musk, but Going Clear (and the book, and so much more from survivors) has been available long enough now that it honestly surprises me how many people don’t have any qualms about watching TC films. Saddened that Iñárritu cast him.
1. GQ has chosen to give its cover to Tom Cruise, second in command of Scientology, a brutal, borderless totalitarian state, and who abandoned his daughter Suri because he believes being connected to her will impede Scientology and might lead him to get cancer or some other sort of illness.
September 16, 2026 at 2:52 AM
I’m hanging out for @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social’s Musk, but Going Clear (and the book, and so much more from survivors) has been available long enough now that it honestly surprises me how many people don’t have any qualms about watching TC films. Saddened that Iñárritu cast him.
Reposted by Sarah Steel
It's a Python loop and a chatbot. The people responsible didn't accidentally create god: they created autonomous malicious software and then failed to closely monitor it, resulting in it doing something both foreseeable and bad.
September 12, 2026 at 11:24 AM
It's a Python loop and a chatbot. The people responsible didn't accidentally create god: they created autonomous malicious software and then failed to closely monitor it, resulting in it doing something both foreseeable and bad.
Reposted by Sarah Steel
I wrote down my thoughts about the last several weeks of AI hell.
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Misleading Metaphors, Real Risks
What To Fear from AI Agents and How to Reclaim Our Human Agency
aiguide.substack.com
September 10, 2026 at 8:27 PM
I wrote down my thoughts about the last several weeks of AI hell.
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Reposted by Sarah Steel
Anyway, good piece in the Times here. (It still happens!)
People are starting to talk very weird about AI on this site, and honestly it's kind of distressing seeing people fall into the abyss thinking it's alive. That ain't good.
The rest of us should expect boring bad stuff and guard against it.
People are starting to talk very weird about AI on this site, and honestly it's kind of distressing seeing people fall into the abyss thinking it's alive. That ain't good.
The rest of us should expect boring bad stuff and guard against it.
Opinion | How Scared Should We Be of A.I. Right Now? (Gift Article)
The dark and distressing way that Silicon Valley talks about A.I. can be traced to a philosophy that influenced many tech executives.
www.nytimes.com
September 9, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Anyway, good piece in the Times here. (It still happens!)
People are starting to talk very weird about AI on this site, and honestly it's kind of distressing seeing people fall into the abyss thinking it's alive. That ain't good.
The rest of us should expect boring bad stuff and guard against it.
People are starting to talk very weird about AI on this site, and honestly it's kind of distressing seeing people fall into the abyss thinking it's alive. That ain't good.
The rest of us should expect boring bad stuff and guard against it.
Reposted by Sarah Steel
“Our governments are ramping up suppression of protest instead of tackling the very real threat to Australians’ welfare.”
Yes, they do know something we don’t know. Climate refugees, food and water insecurity, unaffordable insurance and climate ‘permacrisis’ - good word @davemilbo.bsky.social
Yes, they do know something we don’t know. Climate refugees, food and water insecurity, unaffordable insurance and climate ‘permacrisis’ - good word @davemilbo.bsky.social
Here's @lucyham.bsky.social.
"Governments (and their corporate owners) have no safety net plans for our climate permacrisis"
"Governments (and their corporate owners) have no safety net plans for our climate permacrisis"
Governments (and their corporate owners) have no safety net plans for our climate permacrisis - The Shot
Australians are walking a tightrope. Imagine a long line of us traversing a chasm. Some of us – not many...
theshot.net.au
September 9, 2026 at 6:46 AM
“Our governments are ramping up suppression of protest instead of tackling the very real threat to Australians’ welfare.”
Yes, they do know something we don’t know. Climate refugees, food and water insecurity, unaffordable insurance and climate ‘permacrisis’ - good word @davemilbo.bsky.social
Yes, they do know something we don’t know. Climate refugees, food and water insecurity, unaffordable insurance and climate ‘permacrisis’ - good word @davemilbo.bsky.social
Can’t wait for Alex Gibney’s latest “adventurous but methodical movie grounded in the thesis that, as he sees it, a dangerous huckster is stealthily aggregating power to exploit us”
If you want to learn more about "MUSK," I highly recommend this recent piece by The Hollywood Reporter.
My understanding is that Musk's lawyers already tried to intimidated THR over it, showing just how sensitive he is about this film
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
My understanding is that Musk's lawyers already tried to intimidated THR over it, showing just how sensitive he is about this film
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
Elon Musk Unmasked in Alex Gibney Documentary: “Insane a Person This Chaotic Has So Much Power”
He is the richest man on earth. An explosive new film from the Oscar-winning director suggests he also may be among the most dangerous.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
September 9, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Can’t wait for Alex Gibney’s latest “adventurous but methodical movie grounded in the thesis that, as he sees it, a dangerous huckster is stealthily aggregating power to exploit us”
Reposted by Sarah Steel
This thread (and essay) on a chain of AI-first private schools points to the staggering influence of the optimization cult. It reminded me of reading about children of acid cults or EST workshops. Kudos to Ben for digging in and laying this out.
SPECIAL REPORT
Last month, Alpha School invited people to follow student social media accounts "if curious about life in our high schools." I accepted their offer.
What I've found shocks me. Forget the AI and ask instead: Is Alpha Schools a cult?
Follow along for a summary of my findings.
Last month, Alpha School invited people to follow student social media accounts "if curious about life in our high schools." I accepted their offer.
What I've found shocks me. Forget the AI and ask instead: Is Alpha Schools a cult?
Follow along for a summary of my findings.
SPECIAL REPORT: My So-Called Alpha School
What is it like to be a student in Alpha School’s high school boot camp?
buildcognitiveresonance.substack.com
September 8, 2026 at 12:31 PM
This thread (and essay) on a chain of AI-first private schools points to the staggering influence of the optimization cult. It reminded me of reading about children of acid cults or EST workshops. Kudos to Ben for digging in and laying this out.
Reposted by Sarah Steel
I'm currently in the middle of PhD research that is showing unequivocally that this is not even close to a thing. Women are still massively underrepresented in the curriculum and almost every teacher I interviewed raised the manosphere's influence on male students as an explicit blocker.
September 2, 2026 at 5:57 AM
I'm currently in the middle of PhD research that is showing unequivocally that this is not even close to a thing. Women are still massively underrepresented in the curriculum and almost every teacher I interviewed raised the manosphere's influence on male students as an explicit blocker.
“Never in human history have so many people been forced from their homes, by persecution, by violence or climate shocks, by economic instability and political fragility.”
"Even at 20,000, Australia resettles fewer refugees now than it did when Malcolm Fraser’s government was in power.
In 1980-81, Australia accepted 22,545 refugees for resettlement. The population of this country then was less than 15 million."
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
In 1980-81, Australia accepted 22,545 refugees for resettlement. The population of this country then was less than 15 million."
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
In this hour of need, contemplating a cut to Australia’s refugee intake is cruel populism
Confusion and politics aside, Australia can’t pretend to be removed from the world – and the millions of people in need of sanctuary
www.theguardian.com
September 2, 2026 at 7:17 AM
“Never in human history have so many people been forced from their homes, by persecution, by violence or climate shocks, by economic instability and political fragility.”
A good primer on the PBCC and the accusations of election interference on 7am today 7ampodcast.com.au/episodes/the...
The “cult” church accused of paying far-right activists for election stunts
Last year, the Prime Minister was ambushed in his hotel lobby by far-right figures boasting of being fed “private intel” during the last election campaign.
The incident was one of about a dozen stun...
7ampodcast.com.au
August 24, 2026 at 10:46 PM
A good primer on the PBCC and the accusations of election interference on 7am today 7ampodcast.com.au/episodes/the...
Reposted by Sarah Steel
A Times Reporter went undercover at Scientology’s Edinburgh headquarters and uncovered labour exploitation including serious exploitation of children podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
Undercover at the Church of Scientology
Podcast Episode · The Story · 13 August · 39min
podcasts.apple.com
August 24, 2026 at 9:12 AM
A Times Reporter went undercover at Scientology’s Edinburgh headquarters and uncovered labour exploitation including serious exploitation of children podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
"Vote Liberal, get Pauline" is going to go gangbusters in the Teal seats
August 5, 2026 at 2:35 AM