betsy masiello

knows a little about a lot
policy wonk
currently @ proteus strategies

[Derek Slater @derekslater]

this was a lot of fun and hope more people dig into the importance of supporting libraries, memory institutions, and book digitization, including for AI.

(*IANAL actually, despite title card. As the only saying goes, on the Internet nobody knows you're a....)

[Derek Slater @derekslater]

those interested in OSS and AI may want to help fix this bug in California legislation: https://t.co/Wka5CVALKo

[Air Katakana @airkatakana]

we used to see people (reality)

then we saw images of real people (newspapers, early tv)

then we saw unusually attractive real people (hollywood)

then we saw computer-distorted images of regular people (photoshop, filters)

and now we’ve forgotten what humans even look like

[Hoover Institution @HooverInst]

In December 2025, former US Senator @BenSasse announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That's the primary topic for this @UncKnowledge conversation about mortality, faith, and what truly matters when time is short.

Talking to host @P_M_Robinson, Sasse reflects on "redeeming the time"—holding ambition lightly, loving family more deliberately, and resisting the urge to make politics or professional success the center of life.

The discussion also covers Sasse's thoughts on the failures of Congress; the dangers of a fragmented, attention-starved republic; the crisis of higher education; and the moral challenges of technological abundance.

He speaks candidly and movingly about regret, forgiveness, prayer, and suffering—arguing that while death is a real enemy, it does not get the final word. Watch the full conversation on X:

[Ilhan Omar @IlhanMN]

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."-Elie Wiesel

[Anders Sandberg @anderssandberg]

This is a nice atlas of theories of consciousness. Relative to your own view, there will be some weird ones. https://t.co/h8XcdsUxIx

[Derek Slater @derekslater]

drawing on works from @superwuster @xiyin_tang @doctorow and more, hope this is a useful reference point in debates about (c) and AI

[betsy masiello @betsymas]

"Make it legal to have a masculine office culture again."

"...again."

Uh huh, right.

[Helen Andrews @herandrews]

How I came to see the “Great Feminization” as the most significant event of our century—and a potential threat to civilization. https://t.co/6R9wwGvUVh

[Derek Slater @derekslater]

New from me and @aram - What History Can Teach Us About Copyright, AI, and ‘Market Floods’ - link below

[Earl K. Miller @MillerLabMIT]

Big Think special issue on consciousness: The Mystery of Being You. Scientists are rethinking how we perceive ourselves — and the world.
https://t.co/2DVqMvjc8x
#neuroscience

[Beckley Psytech @BeckleyPsytech]

Breaking: Positive topline data from our Phase 2b study of BPL-003 in treatment-resistant depression.

A key step toward Phase 3 and our mission to deliver faster, longer-lasting psychedelic treatments to those who need them most.

https://t.co/P3P2SBithc

[MLCommons @MLCommons]

Companies are deploying AI tools that haven't been pressure-tested, and it's already backfiring.

In her new op-ed, our President, Rebecca Weiss, discusses how industry-led AI reliability standards can help executives avoid costly, high-profile failures.

📖 More: https://t.co/w2Lx89A5Mi

@FastCompany

[The Atlantic @TheAtlantic]

“The logic of revolution often traps revolutionaries: They start out thinking that the task will be swift and easy," @AnneApplebaum writes. But "at each obstacle, after each catastrophe, the turn to violence becomes that much swifter, the harsh decisions that much easier." https://t.co/GZjapXG0bK

[matdryhurst @matdryhurst]

"The licensing mirage" by @derekslater nails it

Licensing AI data won't protect artists from AI. Numbers don't add up.

Tax AI business, increase arts funding, remove sunk costs of education and fund participation with the arts IRL

Platform economy is the problem, not AI

[Derek Slater @derekslater]

Read this analysis alongside @CenDemTech @AiPolicy excellent FAQ / rebuttal on the similar Colorado law, and you'll have a decent intro to a debate you'll hear all year 🎇🧨

[Templeton Prize @TempletonPrize]

Know that there is no power in the universe greater than love, and no act more important than loving.

[MLCommons @MLCommons]

Announcing the release of AILuminate, a first-of-its kind benchmark to measure the safety of LLMs. The AILuminate v1.0 benchmark offers a comprehensive set of safety grades for today's most prevalent #LLMs. https://t.co/yD7Loek8pq
(1/4)

[WIRED Science @WIREDScience]

MLCommons provides benchmarks that test the abilities of AI systems. It wants to measure the bad side of AI next. https://t.co/1Pgh0QBqQK

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC]

Women know that men don’t scheme to “dress like girls” to assault them.

They do it every day in broad daylight. And the ones in power protect each other to keep it quiet.

Just ask the House Ethics Committee. Or the President-elect of the United States.

Leave women alone.

[David @DavidSHolz]

you don't get to choose between change and safety: things are gonna change - no matter what. if you don't apply any energy, or try to keep things fixed, then you're choosing decay. transformation is mandatory - all we get to choose is how we want to be different