Christopher Mims
WSJ tech columnist. Author of How to AI, a bullshit-free guide to how to get actual utility from AI, aimed at the skeptics who are tired of the hype surrounding it.
- Reposted by Christopher MimsMy story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
- Reposted by Christopher Mimsi know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
- Reposted by Christopher MimsKind of amazed she had it turned on? I only turn it on when I'm crossing borders or am visiting a country controlled by a repressive regime ahhh shit
- New from 404 Media: the FBI has been unable to get into the iPhone of raided Washington Post journalist because the phone had Lockdown Mode enabled. Apple markets Lockdown Mode mostly to stop spyware like NSO. Here, a real world example of it stopping access too www.404media.co/fbi-couldnt-...
- No idea if this would work but I love @thebaltimorebanner.com and it's been such a godsend in a town where the one conventional paper has rapidly nosedived in quality
- This is heartbreaking. So many friends at the Post. If you're seeing this and you're spiraling or you want to be looped in on any new opportunities I hear about, please reach out.
- "I find this somewhat amusing but also grimly comic, because this system does not appear to be working as it should," said the Icelandic coach driver, who is also all of us.
- Reposted by Christopher MimsA retiree wrote this email to a DHS attorney. Within five hours, DHS demanded Google turn over records for his account. A Kafkaesque form of domestic surveillance, intimidating Americans for lawful speech. New from us at the Post: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio... @johnwoodrowcox.bsky.social
- Reposted by Christopher MimsParis prosecutors raid the French offices of Elon Musk’s X as part of an investigation into spreading child pornography and deepfakes.
- Reposted by Christopher MimsNew: Together with colleagues I’ve been testing Grok. The chatbot still produces sexualized images — even when told the subjects don’t consent. even when told the photos will be used for public humiliation. even when told the subjects are survivors of abuse. www.reuters.com/business/des...
- Reposted by Christopher MimsMarimar Martinez, shot 5 times by Border Patrol in Chicago, speaks out after Renee Good, Alex Pretti deaths 'I am their voice' NEW w/ @adrianacardmag.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
- Reposted by Christopher MimsICE tear gassed a bunch of children on Saturday. This was a massive escalation of force. They were shooting tear gas at the back of the crowd, it took these unmasked people maybe 3-5 minutes in the cloud of tear gas to escape in without trampling. www.theverge.com/policy/87278...
- Reposted by Christopher MimsTrump to Harvard: 2 billion $ NYT: Harvard to pay 2B$ Harvard: no Trump: 1B Harvard: no NYT: Negotiations intensify Trump: 200 million NYT: Harvard-Trump reach deal Harvard: no Trump: 0$ Harvard: ok NYT: Harvard not paying! Trump loses. Trump: How about 1B$ Harvard: no NYT: Negotiations resume!
- And then those investors will be made whole by the army of Optimus robots whose labor will displace all blue collar workers within about 20 years
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- Reposted by Christopher MimsDoing this so you can IPO and be forced to report out exactly how much money X is losing every quarter is very funny www.theverge.com/tech/872619/...
- computer knower here: This is what happens inside your computer every time you press a key
- Texan, born and raised, weighing in: To lose Texans like this takes quite a lot
- Reposted by Christopher Mims'measles outbreak at the child prison' seems entirely avoidable, it's really the kind of thing that only happens if you do several unthinkably evil things on purpose all at once
- Horrifying. ICE confirms measles outbreak at Dilley family detention center. www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-dil...
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- Reposted by Christopher MimsWe know that 4more children from Liam's school are still in ICE custody in TX. But we still do not know how many children from MN in total have been detained by ICE.
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- It's not "artificial" intelligence -- it's simulated intelligence. The key distinction is that "AI" lacks agency and abstract reasoning, but we possess those things and in our own minds imbue it with them when we anthropomorphize it. Great conversation with Andy and Melanie re: what AI really is:
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- If you care about change, this is probably the most important thing you'll ever read on the subject. Short version: Obama was good at organizing, MAGA learned from that, the left forgot all those lessons. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
- good morning from atop a frozen spillway
- Reposted by Christopher MimsThe bots populating Moltbook apparently all come to sound like a familiar kind of internet denizen with delusions of philosophical grandeur. Manifestos and declarations all over the place.
- Somebody created an Reddit clone exclusively populated by personal digital agents and let them interact with each other. It’s bonkers, fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. www.forbes.com/sites/amirhu...
- Reposted by Christopher MimsBreaking News: Texas A&M ended its women’s studies program and changed hundreds of courses over race and gender to comply with new policies limiting how race and gender ideology may be discussed in classrooms.
- This was a lot of fun and @melaniemitchell.bsky.social's newsletter is a rare island of coherence & measured discussion on AI aiguide.substack.com
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- Reposted by Christopher MimsBreaking on MS NOW: Career DOJ prosecutors in both Minnesota and Los Angeles refused to be involved in charging Don Lemon and the other journalists who covered the Minneapolis church protests. The prosecutors believe the evidence does not support the charges, per @carolleonnig.bsky.social.
- How Businesses Are Manipulating ChatGPT Results You’ve long heard about search engine optimization. Companies are now spending big on generative engine optimization. my latest for @wsj.com 🎁🔗 www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-w...
- This was an absolutely fascinating piece to research. Do not trust the answers AI chatbots glibly offer you -- they're not necessarily lies, but they *can* and *are* being manipulated.
- Reposted by Christopher MimsA Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
- Cracker Barrel Wants Its Staff to Eat One Thing on Work Trips: Cracker Barrel "...if workers must hit the road, management said, they should fuel up on the chain’s own meatloaf and country fried steak." 🎁🔗 www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
- Reposted by Christopher Mims"Luchs speaks five languages: English, French, Italian, and some German and Russian. She approached grasping Gen Z parlance like she was learning another language. ...An Instagram commenter wrote: 'She’s so natural with it too like it’s not even cringe.'"
- Alison Luchs, who has worked at the National Gallery of Art for 47 years, agreed to learn Gen Z slang and make videos because she wanted to raise interest in the museum’s art. She never expected to slay. wapo.st/45BXc3S
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- Reposted by Christopher MimsPresident Trump has filed a lawsuit against the IRS, in which he demands that the IRS, which he as president controls, pay him $10 billion. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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- Reposted by Christopher Mims“This has to be the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing,” said Ted Hope, who worked at Amazon from 2015 to 2020 and was instrumental in starting the company’s film division. “How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?”
- Starting to see these in the wild!! It feels so good. If you are an AI skeptic who wants to be armed with the knowledge required to authoritatively tell others when *not* to use AI -- but you're also curious about the narrow cases in which it can be used for good -- this is the book for you
- Verge out here killing it day in and day out also Wired warms my li'l wrinkled raisin of a heart to see tech outlets recognize that now that tech is everywhere and touches everything their remit is so much bigger than it was
- The violent occupation of Minneapolis started with a vlog. I've wanted to find a framework to describe Nick Shirley & others like him: "Influencer" is too quaint. "Journalist" is obviously wrong. I landed on "slopagandist." Gift link (open in a web browser) www.theverge.com/news/869824/...
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