James Rosen-Birch
@provisionalidea.bsky.social
founder. orgs. tech. cybernetics. ex-biotech.
We need to talk about the people who still think “AI will just go away”.
Google, Microsoft, and Meta, like Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Bytedance, and High-Flyer, are still going to do LLMs even in the very unlikely event the upstart labs completely fail.
April 15, 2026 at 7:29 PM
We need to talk about the people who still think “AI will just go away”.
Google, Microsoft, and Meta, like Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Bytedance, and High-Flyer, are still going to do LLMs even in the very unlikely event the upstart labs completely fail.
April 15, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Google, Microsoft, and Meta, like Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Bytedance, and High-Flyer, are still going to do LLMs even in the very unlikely event the upstart labs completely fail.
Reposted by James Rosen-Birch
we made being a charlatan a viable career path — TV talking heads, opinion columnists; even journalism proper has become little more or less than industrialized charlatanism
the fact that "giving opinions on topics you don't actually study on TV" is a job, let alone a highly lucrative one, is a travesty
on CNN, former Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien excuses Trump's batshit Easter morning post: "This is the first war fought in this age of social media with this president. I think he does things very differently." (note that Scott Jennings jumps in moments later to mock Iran for their "memes")
April 5, 2026 at 4:54 PM
we made being a charlatan a viable career path — TV talking heads, opinion columnists; even journalism proper has become little more or less than industrialized charlatanism
So the FT has this in-house data guy who makes a lot of shit up and vibe-stats his way to justifying his weird ideological whims
most recently he wrote a piece on how AI would make everyone centrist
I wrote about it, and for you methods nerds, you will never believe it
unherd.com/newsroom/the...
most recently he wrote a piece on how AI would make everyone centrist
I wrote about it, and for you methods nerds, you will never believe it
unherd.com/newsroom/the...
The FT’s AI optimism rests on shaky science
Last weekend, the Financial Times published an article about the broader social impacts of AI. Studying, managing, and mitigating the negative impacts of the technological transition is supremely impo...
unherd.com
April 5, 2026 at 4:41 PM
So the FT has this in-house data guy who makes a lot of shit up and vibe-stats his way to justifying his weird ideological whims
most recently he wrote a piece on how AI would make everyone centrist
I wrote about it, and for you methods nerds, you will never believe it
unherd.com/newsroom/the...
most recently he wrote a piece on how AI would make everyone centrist
I wrote about it, and for you methods nerds, you will never believe it
unherd.com/newsroom/the...
the crypto bubble taught a bunch of people that if they just plug their ears and yell ‘fake’ for long enough, things they don’t like will just go away
(even if those things are still very much still around and the people behind it are funding a superpac of unprecedented size)
(even if those things are still very much still around and the people behind it are funding a superpac of unprecedented size)
December 17, 2025 at 8:11 PM
the crypto bubble taught a bunch of people that if they just plug their ears and yell ‘fake’ for long enough, things they don’t like will just go away
(even if those things are still very much still around and the people behind it are funding a superpac of unprecedented size)
(even if those things are still very much still around and the people behind it are funding a superpac of unprecedented size)
Reposted by James Rosen-Birch
Nature would do well to publish more content like this thoughtful piece from @kevinbaker.bsky.social and fewer Buzzfeed listicles gussied up as career advice "Five productivity hacks for using AI in your scientific workflow"
Context Widows
or, of GPUs, LPUs, and Goal Displacement
artificialbureaucracy.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Nature would do well to publish more content like this thoughtful piece from @kevinbaker.bsky.social and fewer Buzzfeed listicles gussied up as career advice "Five productivity hacks for using AI in your scientific workflow"
Just heard that the main differentiator between the US and Chinese gov’t’s approaches to AI is that
the US (and US defence establishment) want AGI
and China wants AI 100% integrated across their economy by 2035.
big AI’s marketing fantasy will have huge natsec implications
the US (and US defence establishment) want AGI
and China wants AI 100% integrated across their economy by 2035.
big AI’s marketing fantasy will have huge natsec implications
October 30, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Just heard that the main differentiator between the US and Chinese gov’t’s approaches to AI is that
the US (and US defence establishment) want AGI
and China wants AI 100% integrated across their economy by 2035.
big AI’s marketing fantasy will have huge natsec implications
the US (and US defence establishment) want AGI
and China wants AI 100% integrated across their economy by 2035.
big AI’s marketing fantasy will have huge natsec implications
re: AI
we are in a feedback loop where hype is used to attract capital (which is needed to further develop the tech), but each increase in hype raises expectations, growing the delta between current performance and market expectations
we are in a feedback loop where hype is used to attract capital (which is needed to further develop the tech), but each increase in hype raises expectations, growing the delta between current performance and market expectations
August 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
re: AI
we are in a feedback loop where hype is used to attract capital (which is needed to further develop the tech), but each increase in hype raises expectations, growing the delta between current performance and market expectations
we are in a feedback loop where hype is used to attract capital (which is needed to further develop the tech), but each increase in hype raises expectations, growing the delta between current performance and market expectations
the issue here is that AOC’s record on Palestine *does* speak for itself, and it doesn’t say what she wants it to.
My record on Palestine speaks for itself. I’m proud of it. One of the strongest in Congress. I throw down for pro-Palestine candidates. Largely unrecognized work. That’s fine. Disagreements are fine, too. But if you want to toss all that for 1 half assed MTG stunt, be my guest. I know where I stand.
July 21, 2025 at 11:25 PM
the issue here is that AOC’s record on Palestine *does* speak for itself, and it doesn’t say what she wants it to.
In just a few short years, we went from “Facebook for dogs” to “ethnic cleansing on the blockchain”.
July 10, 2025 at 11:13 PM
In just a few short years, we went from “Facebook for dogs” to “ethnic cleansing on the blockchain”.
plus ça change
funny how this part always gets cut out of America’s self-narrative about WW2
“Students at American universities were caught in the middle of academic freedom battles as anti-Nazi faculty were forced off campus and pro-Nazi groups spread hateful propaganda.”
funny how this part always gets cut out of America’s self-narrative about WW2
“Students at American universities were caught in the middle of academic freedom battles as anti-Nazi faculty were forced off campus and pro-Nazi groups spread hateful propaganda.”
June 6, 2025 at 7:58 PM
plus ça change
funny how this part always gets cut out of America’s self-narrative about WW2
“Students at American universities were caught in the middle of academic freedom battles as anti-Nazi faculty were forced off campus and pro-Nazi groups spread hateful propaganda.”
funny how this part always gets cut out of America’s self-narrative about WW2
“Students at American universities were caught in the middle of academic freedom battles as anti-Nazi faculty were forced off campus and pro-Nazi groups spread hateful propaganda.”
someone please tell this dumbass about the literal holocaust
June 3, 2025 at 5:29 AM
someone please tell this dumbass about the literal holocaust
Reposted by James Rosen-Birch
“Prime but with human beings” is trafficking.
Often when people use “tech company but for x” they don’t understand the implications, but they know exactly what they are saying here.
Often when people use “tech company but for x” they don’t understand the implications, but they know exactly what they are saying here.
The leader of ICE said that this is "his dream for the agency":
“We need to get better at treating this like a business,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, explaining he wants to see a deportation process “like (Amazon) Prime, but with human beings.”
michiganadvance.com/2025/04/09/i...
“We need to get better at treating this like a business,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, explaining he wants to see a deportation process “like (Amazon) Prime, but with human beings.”
michiganadvance.com/2025/04/09/i...
ICE director envisions Amazon-like mass deportation system: ‘Prime, but with human beings’ • Michigan Advance
The leader of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that his dream for the agency is squads of trucks rounding up immigrants for deportation the same way that Amazon trucks crisscross American citi...
michiganadvance.com
April 9, 2025 at 4:26 PM
“Prime but with human beings” is trafficking.
Often when people use “tech company but for x” they don’t understand the implications, but they know exactly what they are saying here.
Often when people use “tech company but for x” they don’t understand the implications, but they know exactly what they are saying here.
Dual claims have been made by some analysts that will now be tested:
1) the goal is not to build credibility with the market, but rather to bring it under political control by demanding fealty from businesses in exchange for tariff waivers,
1) the goal is not to build credibility with the market, but rather to bring it under political control by demanding fealty from businesses in exchange for tariff waivers,
April 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Dual claims have been made by some analysts that will now be tested:
1) the goal is not to build credibility with the market, but rather to bring it under political control by demanding fealty from businesses in exchange for tariff waivers,
1) the goal is not to build credibility with the market, but rather to bring it under political control by demanding fealty from businesses in exchange for tariff waivers,
Apparently telling a *literal* fascist group that they’re a shadow of their former selves is what constitutes “hateful conduct” on the other site, in case anyone was wondering.
April 3, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Apparently telling a *literal* fascist group that they’re a shadow of their former selves is what constitutes “hateful conduct” on the other site, in case anyone was wondering.
Kylie is focusing on the wrong thing here: while the government began by using “antisemitism” accusations as the wedge, they are now moving beyond it to banning any and all criticism of the government as “anti government speech”.
March 30, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Kylie is focusing on the wrong thing here: while the government began by using “antisemitism” accusations as the wedge, they are now moving beyond it to banning any and all criticism of the government as “anti government speech”.
Reposted by James Rosen-Birch
The promise of the Friedman revolution was that ‘unchaining’ companies from any and all responsibilities to society would cause unprecedented growth
Thirty years later, it turns out that hypothesis was wrong
The market continued to slow, but stock manipulation masked it
x.com/_timbarker/s...
Thirty years later, it turns out that hypothesis was wrong
The market continued to slow, but stock manipulation masked it
x.com/_timbarker/s...
x.com
March 28, 2025 at 11:37 PM
The promise of the Friedman revolution was that ‘unchaining’ companies from any and all responsibilities to society would cause unprecedented growth
Thirty years later, it turns out that hypothesis was wrong
The market continued to slow, but stock manipulation masked it
x.com/_timbarker/s...
Thirty years later, it turns out that hypothesis was wrong
The market continued to slow, but stock manipulation masked it
x.com/_timbarker/s...
you know, it's kinda crazy that there are well-known and widely-celebrated stories of John Deere invoking kill switches against Russian military users of tractors
but if you suggest the US government has the same capability on American-made weapons, it's denounced as crazy talk
but if you suggest the US government has the same capability on American-made weapons, it's denounced as crazy talk
March 28, 2025 at 12:15 AM
you know, it's kinda crazy that there are well-known and widely-celebrated stories of John Deere invoking kill switches against Russian military users of tractors
but if you suggest the US government has the same capability on American-made weapons, it's denounced as crazy talk
but if you suggest the US government has the same capability on American-made weapons, it's denounced as crazy talk
the feed on the other site is total ghiblidegook
March 27, 2025 at 4:07 AM
the feed on the other site is total ghiblidegook
plane just got sprayed with antifreeze and my brain thought “we’ve been antifrozen”
March 26, 2025 at 4:19 PM
plane just got sprayed with antifreeze and my brain thought “we’ve been antifrozen”
the mRNA vaccine platform started about 30ish years ago as a USG biodefence initiative against novel pathogens; I used to get coached by one of the folks who did early development on it
the deep foresight of US planners amazed me
to see that system dismantled is horrifying
the deep foresight of US planners amazed me
to see that system dismantled is horrifying
March 26, 2025 at 1:11 PM
the mRNA vaccine platform started about 30ish years ago as a USG biodefence initiative against novel pathogens; I used to get coached by one of the folks who did early development on it
the deep foresight of US planners amazed me
to see that system dismantled is horrifying
the deep foresight of US planners amazed me
to see that system dismantled is horrifying
the airport here has ads for uranium deposits in Saskatchewan
March 26, 2025 at 1:10 PM
the airport here has ads for uranium deposits in Saskatchewan
what kind of sign is it when the National Post starts pushing conscription
March 26, 2025 at 10:28 AM
what kind of sign is it when the National Post starts pushing conscription