kb

@ainowinstitute she/her

[Open Markets Institute @openmarkets]

Kate Brennan (@Kabakab) from the @AINowInstitute on how we need to fundamentally change the way we talk about AI 👇

[kb @Kabakab]

the great AI grift from @AINowInstitute this week in The Nation

[The Nation @thenation]

The billionaires selling us on AI would have us believe that they’re self-made innovators who’ve built the most promising industry of our time based solely on their brilliance. Here, @ambaonadventure, @sarahbmyers and Susanna Glickman dismantle the myth.
https://t.co/zAOJLXZ1ZN

[AI Now Institute @AINowInstitute]

We're launching our interactive North Star Data Center Policy Toolkit to stop, slow, and restrict the rapid expansion of US AI data centers. The toolkit and training series lay out affirmative local, state, and federal policies to protect communities: https://t.co/3j6UFmBrST 🧵

[kb @Kabakab]

huge day for those of us in the friend group who are the go-to on bachelorette franchise discourse

[Amba Kak @ambaonadventure]

See also:
https://t.co/zVMFVZeMjs
@Kabakab @sarahbmyers

[kb @Kabakab]

AI really is the most convenient excuse for making rich people richer

[jack @jack]

we're making @blocks smaller today. here's my note to the company.

####

today we're making one of the hardest decisions in the history of our company: we're reducing our organization by nearly half, from over 10,000 people to just under 6,000. that means over 4,000 of you are being asked to leave or entering into consultation. i'll be straight about what's happening, why, and what it means for everyone.

first off, if you're one of the people affected, you'll receive your salary for 20 weeks + 1 week per year of tenure, equity vested through the end of may, 6 months of health care, your corporate devices, and $5,000 to put toward whatever you need to help you in this transition (if you’re outside the U.S. you’ll receive similar support but exact details are going to vary based on local requirements). i want you to know that before anything else. everyone will be notified today, whether you're being asked to leave, entering consultation, or asked to stay.

we're not making this decision because we're in trouble. our business is strong. gross profit continues to grow, we continue to serve more and more customers, and profitability is improving. but something has changed. we're already seeing that the intelligence tools we’re creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company. and that's accelerating rapidly.

i had two options: cut gradually over months or years as this shift plays out, or be honest about where we are and act on it now. i chose the latter. repeated rounds of cuts are destructive to morale, to focus, and to the trust that customers and shareholders place in our ability to lead. i'd rather take a hard, clear action now and build from a position we believe in than manage a slow reduction of people toward the same outcome. a smaller company also gives us the space to grow our business the right way, on our own terms, instead of constantly reacting to market pressures.

a decision at this scale carries risk. but so does standing still. we've done a full review to determine the roles and people we require to reliably grow the business from here, and we've pressure-tested those decisions from multiple angles. i accept that we may have gotten some of them wrong, and we've built in flexibility to account for that, and do the right thing for our customers.

we're not going to just disappear people from slack and email and pretend they were never here. communication channels will stay open through thursday evening (pacific) so everyone can say goodbye properly, and share whatever you wish. i'll also be hosting a live video session to thank everyone at 3:35pm pacific. i know doing it this way might feel awkward. i'd rather it feel awkward and human than efficient and cold.

to those of you leaving…i’m grateful for you, and i’m sorry to put you through this. you built what this company is today. that's a fact that i'll honor forever. this decision is not a reflection of what you contributed. you will be a great contributor to any organization going forward.

to those staying…i made this decision, and i'll own it. what i'm asking of you is to build with me. we're going to build this company with intelligence at the core of everything we do. how we work, how we create, how we serve our customers. our customers will feel this shift too, and we're going to help them navigate it: towards a future where they can build their own features directly, composed of our capabilities and served through our interfaces. that's what i'm focused on now. expect a note from me tomorrow.

jack

[kb @Kabakab]

i <3 nj!!

[Ben Dziobek @BenDziobek]

A data center in New Brunswick was canceled tonight when hundreds of residents showed up. When fight big tech and private equity we win.

[kb @Kabakab]

googlers are the best part of google https://t.co/QXljSYcCwB

[kb @Kabakab]

in both pieces of news today (whether it's google shopping ads in search or enabling a competitor's search assistant (!!!!), we see the idea that generative AI will somehow unseat google's search dominance is proving to be completely false.

[kb @Kabakab]

in the wake of us v. google, i wrote how generative AI is not going to magically unseat a dominant firm like google: it's going to enable it to become even more dominant. news in the past 24-hours shows exactly this (see thread!) https://t.co/TrgdxF5gdO

[News from Google @NewsFromGoogle]

Joint Statement: Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.

After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards.

[kb @Kabakab]

re: google shopping agent news: given their extraordinary investment in AI, AI firms need to monetize their investment as quickly as possible. this means a tried & true playbook for big tech: 1) leverage existing customer base, 2) gain access to more of their data, 3) run ads!

[Amazon Employees For Climate Justice @AMZNforClimate]

1/ It’s time to get real about Amazon and AI. Amazon coworkers: sign our open letter below to tell Amazon leadership that we need a more responsible rollout of AI. Everyone else: Send our letter to anyone who works at Amazon or even in the tech industry.
https://t.co/cyTpG6ZhYk

[kb @Kabakab]

my latest on the US v. Google antitrust case and just how badly the court missed the opportunity to contend with Google’s power in the genAI market. genAI won’t magically unseat Google’s market dominance, as the court suggests, it will only deepen it https://t.co/dPSyZTMu5C

[kb @Kabakab]

Lofty claims to “innovation” should not put people at risk, and AI firms should not be given a get-out-of-jail free card. We wrote how weak regulation is just as bad as none at all, and today we are seeing the fruits of this develop: https://t.co/r122bJzll5

[kb @Kabakab]

In today’s Senate Commerce Hearing the White House endorsed support for federal preemption of state AI laws. The fight against preemption did not disappear with the moratorium—in fact, Sen. Cruz introduced a framework and bill today putting us directly on the path to preemption🧵

[kb @Kabakab]

the proposed moratorium on state AI regulation is dangerous. a welcome chorus (with unlikely allies!) is rising against the ban. our latest in @techpolicypress argues we must use this momentum to demand more accountability from AI firms in the long run https://t.co/r122bJzll5

[kb @Kabakab]

4/ Speaking of the risks, they are narrowly defined. Companies are not required to mention high-impact risks that many people face from the deployment of AI systems, including rising prices, depreciating wages, discrimination, or privacy violations.

[kb @Kabakab]

5/ Shockingly, people can apply to the sandbox before they even have an incorporated business. This means that a firm with no clear understanding of its product risks can effectively claim that the benefits of their hypothetical product outweigh the risks and receive immunity.