Samantha Cole

Samantha Cole

Sam Cole is writing from the far reaches of the internet, about sexuality, the adult industry, online culture, and AI. She's the author of How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex.
485 posts
Behind the Blog: Freaking Out
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Freaking Out

This week, we discuss inbox slop, Claude cults, and more.
'Everything but censorship'
Newsletters

'Everything but censorship'

A look at the state of student journalism in light of the Cornell sexual assault case, and much more.
Lawyer Cites ChatGPT-Invented Fake Witnesses in Murder Appeal
AI

Lawyer Cites ChatGPT-Invented Fake Witnesses in Murder Appeal

"Do you watch the news? Do you listen to the radio? Do you read anything about what's going on in the world?” one of the judges asked the lawyer, who submitted false testimony and witnesses after using ChatGPT.
Internet Infrastructure Services Empower Deepfake Abuse, New Study Finds
Deepfakes

Internet Infrastructure Services Empower Deepfake Abuse, New Study Finds

Cloudflare, Google, and Proton were among the "dominant" infrastructure providers to sites dedicated to hosting abusive content, the study found.
Behind the Blog: Did you notice?
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Did you notice?

This week, we discuss some small changes, an AI song, and internet soup.
Flipping the double birds
daily newsletter

Flipping the double birds

Fat bears, flipping off city council, and more in today's daily newsletter.
How AI Chatbots Are 'Deskilling' Human Empathy
podcasts

How AI Chatbots Are 'Deskilling' Human Empathy

Sherry Turkle's latest book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, comes out on September 29.
Behind the Blog: Eating the Internet
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Eating the Internet

This week, we discuss just doing it, machines that eat the internet, and an eavesdropping watch.
Contest to Open for Ed Sheeran Flooded With Free Palestine Videos and Fart Memes
ed sheeran

Contest to Open for Ed Sheeran Flooded With Free Palestine Videos and Fart Memes

Guitar Center's 'Open for Legends' contest page was seemingly unmoderated for hours on Wednesday.
New York Seizes 12 Celebrity Deepfake Websites
Deepfakes

New York Seizes 12 Celebrity Deepfake Websites

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a press conference on Monday that the sites included 1,200 people’s likenesses in “hyper-realistic” sexual imagery.
Behind the Blog: How to Talk About AI Doom
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: How to Talk About AI Doom

We discuss AI doomers, 9/11 posting, and Barbie.
Automattic’s Matt Mullenweg Claims He’s Back 'In Control'
wordpress

Automattic’s Matt Mullenweg Claims He’s Back 'In Control'

Workers at Automattic, which owns WordPress.com and several other platforms, have said the company has endured years of chaotic leadership decisions.