john_miri

International Expert on Cybersecurity, Resilience, and Technology. President, Electric Grid Cybersecurity Alliance

[john_miri @john_miri]

It all comes together at 3:30 in the morning. ;-)

[Dustin Haisler @dustinhaisler]

Yes, context as part of a good data foundation is key to realizing value from AI...Your Data Agents Need Context | Andreessen Horowitz https://t.co/8i7Gzgt1W1
#govtech #AI

[Dustin Haisler @dustinhaisler]

Great insights from Christian Napier...Avoid 'analysis paralysis': Utah AI director says time-saved is best measure of AI's worth | StateScoop https://t.co/GcScWmVQQn #govtech #AI #govAI

[john_miri @john_miri]

CNBC just vindicated the DeepSeek skeptics (like me) who never believed their hype. It's now publicly known that DeepSeek actually never came up with a cheaper way to train an AI model without massive investments in chips, datacenters, and electricity.

They just copied an existing model.

"DeepSeek did what OpenAI did for $5 million" wasn't true. "DeepSeek copied what OpenAI did for $5 million" is what really happened.

"Distillation" is a friendly euphemism for "reverse engineered" or "copied".

The article is very sweet and frames what DeepSeek did in the nicest, kindest possible way. But the truth is still there, and the damage to DeepSeek's wunderkind reputation is unrecoverable.

I remember back in the 1980s when it was easy to copy software for the emerging PC industry. People would "crack" the copy protection algorithms, make their own copies, and share the formerly-expensive software for free.

We thought that was called "stealing." Evidently, it's just "distillation."

This is the same problem that all makers of new things face: piracy. AI tools are new, and the methods of exploiting them haven't all been worked out yet. Of course, solutions will lag the identification of the problem. But this revelation says a few things that are important:

1. DeepSeek did nothing original.

2. DeepSeek did nothing special.

3. DeepSeek has demonstrated no meaningful proprietary IP.

4. DeepSeek (or other "distillers") can be fast followers, but they can never produce a new and better AI model from scratch.

5. The forecasts for massive demand for AI chips, data centers, and more power plants are all still correct.

The tech world hasn't been this exciting for a while! The AI boom really seems like the PC revolution and the Internet Boom. Let's all strap in for a wild ride.

[john_miri @john_miri]

One of my favorite drinks is the decaf triple espresso. It has no reason to exist, but I love it anyway.

[john_miri @john_miri]

Did you know that the Austin metro area was ranked fifth-highest in the US for wildfire risk in 2024?

And that Austin has the highest wildfire risk in the US outside of California?

As we hope, pray, and support our fellow Americans suffering in Southern California, let's commit to addressing wildfire risk in Central Texas.

There's time to prevent a crisis.

But not much.

How do we fix it?

Reduce fuel load by clearing dead underbrush.

Thin out vegetative cover, especially cedar.

Cut firebreaks in strategic locations.

Start public education campaigns.

Develop a Firewise plan for your community.

Improve firefighting technologies.

Develop better evacuation plans.

But if you do nothing else, educate yourself on this risk.

The map below shows the wildfire risk for Austin and Travis County. Red is bad. There is a lot of red. Chart Source: City of Austin Wildfire Division.

[john_miri @john_miri]

@lindayaX @grok @CommunityNotes I don't always comment, but when I do, it's to defend Nonna! Raisins in meatballs are a rich Sicilian tradition. Mangia! 🇮🇹 🇺🇸

[john_miri @john_miri]

If you missed my television interview on Spectrum News 1 Austin about the CrowdStrike outage, check it out. My main point -- which is relevant to both software companies and their customers -- is that the root cause of this outage is inadequate software quality testing.

[john_miri @john_miri]

I just completed an intense week of closed-door meetings with Members of Congress, their staff, and federal officials on electric grid cybersecurity.

Does Congress care about electric grid cybersecurity or avoiding a government shutdown?

Both.

[john_miri @john_miri]

Do you live in the service territory for Pedernales Electric Cooperative? If so, I'm honored to endorse @EmilyforPEC for re-election to the PEC Board. Emily is the real deal: she brings integrity, intelligence, hard work, and dedication to the members of PEC.

[john_miri @john_miri]

If you were the CEO of an electric company hit with ransomware, would you pay the ransom and why?

[john_miri @john_miri]

American Airline's newest Android app is genius. Elegant, simple, powerful. Four unavoidable (weather related) flight changes handled like a champ. Felt like Jarvis from the Avengers without the voice interface. @AmericanAir, your UX just sold you some more tickets. #loveagreatUI

[Adam Grant @AdamMGrant]

I’m seeing a growing number of students complain: “My grade doesn’t reflect the effort I put into the course.”

Public service announcement: You don’t get an A for effort. You earn it for excellence.

Success is measured by the level of mastery you show, not how hard you work.

[NASA @NASA]

LIVE NOW: The #Artemis era of exploration begins today with @NASAArtemis I, the first integrated test flight of the rocket and spacecraft that will bring humanity to the Moon. Watch @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion embark on their first voyage. https://t.co/Ngak08VFb0

[john_miri @john_miri]

@dustinhaisler @pwtaylor @dcharb10 @dsmckenna @keciaray @CathileaR @LisaAbeyta @ValaAfshar @KareAnderson @billschrier @ResponderVC @dscofield @bsastokas @crisjeschke @whittvmi @skap5 @CivicCIO @77ccampbell @ojwise @rwang0 Back at you, @dustinhaisler ! You are a good man, and we are just getting started!

[Dustin Haisler @dustinhaisler]

Happy New Year! Thanks to all who were a big part of 2017! @pwtaylor @dcharb10 @dsmckenna @keciaray @CathileaR @LisaAbeyta @john_miri @ValaAfshar @KareAnderson @billschrier @ResponderVC @dscofield @bsastokas @crisjeschke @whittvmi @skap5 @CivicCIO @77ccampbell @ojwise @rwang0 +

[Lower Colorado River Authority @LCRA]

Neat story w/ @john_miri about LCRA's Hydromet system from @govtechnews. https://t.co/Z4KHetqFdu

[john_miri @john_miri]

Thanks! Back at 'ya, sir https://t.co/tFE1KnsLf1

[Tony Dale🇺🇸 @TonyDaleTX]

Proud of my friend @john_miri for this recognition. https://t.co/7dtV5pGvV3