Addisu Demissie

I do politics. Husband to @jehabig & Dad to Nico. Fmr CM @CoryBooker & @GavinNewsom. @ShannonSharpe once called me a heavy hitter. He/him.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

My guy @Jason_Elliott talking sense as always about what our old boss @GavinNewsom is up to out here. If you don’t know/listen to/follow him, you should.

[Elex Michaelson @Elex_Michaelson]

"It's a way to stop out of control AI from doing things you don't want it to do."

@CAgovernor signed an executive order to create a panel of experts to help implement an AI "kill switch" and to independently verify what the companies are doing.

@Jason_Elliott, @GavinNewsom's former deputy chief of staff, says states like California need to step up after the federal government hasn't put forth enough regulations.

Via @CNNTheStoryIs

[Anthony DeAngelo @anthonydeangelo]

Control is the operative word of modern politics. People don’t feel like they’re in control of their lives and futures; you can stand with them in regaining control or stand with the select few that took it from them in the first place.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

Listen to this guy. It’s about control. Humans must be in control.

[Jason Goldman @goldman]

Obama on recursive self improvement and the risks associated with it. When he talks about the urgency for us all to have a say in how this technology evolves and how it is overseen, this is part of the reason why:

“The models are going to get smarter and smarter and better and better at a much faster pace, at an exponential pace.

What are the risks of that? There’s the big science fiction risk, wow, these models get smarter than us, and they decide humans are fine, but not necessary. They start setting their own goals, and the killer robots kill us, or we bow down to them.

I do not want to exaggerate that particular risk, but I will say there is a non-zero risk of non-zero chance of that happening, but that’s not actually the risk that I’m most concerned about, although it’s the risk that gets most attention.

And the reason that’s a risk is not because the computer models are conscious, necessarily. It doesn’t mean that they are necessarily feel malice towards humans. It’s just that if they start setting their own agendas, you may get a misalignment between what they want to do and what we want them to do, and that gap can be dangerous. That’s problem number one.

The more serious problem is these models are getting powerful enough that if they get in the hands of bad humans, they can do bad things. They can be weaponized in certain ways. They can do a lot of mischief.”

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@Bencjacobs I do hate giving wildcard teams equal billing to division champions which is why I’m for five. I’d be fine going back to the play game instead of a three game series.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@ShawnFetta I think the answer is LUR is a federal law basically requiring broadcasters to give campaigns (and now parties) a discount, so it's just regulating an industry. It does feel ripe for a challenge though, though I think it would have to be brought by a broadcaster.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

The value of hard dollars and importance of NRSC v. FEC in one tweet

[Medium Buying @MediumBuying]

MORE: Cost for a single 30-second spot on Houston FOX affiliate KDIV during Commanders-Cowboys --

$35,000 (Candidate Rate)
$125,000 (Issue Rate)

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@AnthonyDabbundo unfortunately, knows ball

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

First Dem-coordinated buy I've personally seen (maybe I missed others!) since SCOTUS opened the floodgates (again) in early September. Good! If these are the rules, glad to see the DCCC playing by them, and to win.

[Medium Buying @MediumBuying]

#OH09: The DCCC and Marcy Kaptur campaign are up on TV with this spot hitting Derek Merrin --

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

Well played @nytimes. Well played. I'll click.

[The New York Times @nytimes]

From @TheAthletic: A crocodile-inhabited river in Australia has been chosen as a venue for rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. https://t.co/GCgp7clZXi

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@MariManoogian @ObamaFoundation who is AMARA tho

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@ammarmufasa Your greatest political achievement

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

A top 5 personal favorite SNL skit, somewhat lost to history

[Ned Middles @NedMiddles1]

This is a great example of how SNL was a cultural monolith. This parody of Sportscenter's Stuart Scott's catchphrases actually led to Sportcenter adopting "Sweet sassy molassy" as a real catchphrase. In '99, if you were into sports, you couldn't avoid it.

Even Scott in his memoir noted after the sketch became a big hit that "Wow, I guess I am this thing called a “celebrity.” He even ran into Ray Romano at a golf tournament who was quick to apologize and exclaim “You know, I didn't write that thing.”

[Trill Withers @TylerIAm]

Song had no business going this hard

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@amandalitman Generative AI is scary. RSI is terrifying. Buy enterprise AI that helps me manage my kid’s calendar is awesome and I wish we could distinguish a bit.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@amandalitman “AI” not unlike social media is almost too big a category. Early days of Facebook, IG and Twitter were all kind of awesome. Then we got the algorithm and the algorithm and the extremes of data farming and…shit went downhill.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@treeaston @KFILE Unfortunately, my opinion of the characters relative strengths and weaknesses is now marred by my extensive experience with MarioKart 8.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

Also worth saying that it's important to have internal policies about AI usage at political organizations (and obviously government ones) and from what I know and guess, Dems have been both slow and hesitant to develop them.

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

I agree. I think some of this is age-related, some is discomfort, some is normative (which I respect but think is a little silly). But I readily admit I didn't fully appreciate AI's promise, possibility, and danger until I started incorporating it into my life and work.

[Rob Flaherty @Rob_Flaherty]

I really do believe that one of the biggest reasons Democrats aren't grappling with the societal impacts of AI is that Dems haven't used it.

It's not just members -- campaigns and staff aren't using it either.

https://t.co/xrMnSu1yGT

[Addisu Demissie @ASDem]

@aseitzwald What I want to know is who is timed mines? And how awkward will the “who is Xenia Onatopp” conversation be?