Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Marathon and the Metaverse
This week, we discuss unfortunately checking Twitter for news, the closure of the metaverse, and being vulnerable in Marathon.
Meta
RIP Metaverse, an $80 Billion Dumpster Fire Nobody Wanted
Who could have possibly predicted this, besides everyone?
podcasts
Mapping Google's Unmappable City
How filmmaker Chris Parr put North Oaks, Minnesota on the map.
AI
AI Job Loss Research Ignores How AI Is Utterly Destroying the Internet
Widely cited AI labor research ignores the most important thing AI is doing: Killing the human internet.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: DOGE Bros and Data Labelers
This week, we discuss traveling for reporting and watching way too much DOGE testimony.
AI
'AI Is African Intelligence': The Workers Who Train AI Are Fighting Back
Kenyan workers are still the underpaid labor behind AI training, moderation, and sex chatbots. The Data Labelers Association is fighting back.
Flock
From Flock to ICE, Here’s a Breakdown of How You’re Being Watched
To better understand what exactly we’re looking at in this dystopian surveillance hellscape, 404 Media’s Jason Koebler and Joseph Cox joined Reddit's r/technology for an Ask Me Anything session.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: An AI Army Foot Fetish
This week, we discuss a PC repair battle, a revealing comment from an FBI official, and a dangerous narrative.
Cybersecurity
ICE Phishing: Scammers Are Sending 'Support ICE' Emails to Steal Credentials
"As part of our commitment to supporting ICE, we will be adding a ‘Support ICE’ donation button to the footer of every email sent through our platform."
Polymarket
With Iran War, Kalshi and Polymarket Bet That the Depravity Economy Has No Bottom
Gambling markets have conveniently found a stance that allows them to continue to profit from death and war.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Using Your Brain
This week, we discuss wishes made for better privacy, god complexes, and the point of it all.
Court Watch
FBI Got Grok to Hand Over Prompts Used to Create Nonconsensual Porn
The FBI obtained prompts used to make more than 200 sexual videos of a woman in a harassment case.