Researchers discover that ChatGPT prefers repeating 25 jokes over and over
“When tested, "Over 90% of 1,008 generated jokes were the same 25 jokes.”” We have a lot in common. #AI [Link]
Ben Werdmuller
Ben Werdmuller helps leaders at newsrooms, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations to navigate their biggest technology challenges.
Europe: Is compulsory military service coming back?
“After the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War in Europe, many countries abolished compulsory military service. But in the wake of the war in Ukraine, several are considering bringing it back.” #Democracy [Link]
The Risks of Staying Put
“I have to remember that my health is more important than my job. And the pain that you’re used to is still a pain you should run away from.” #Labor [Link]
Is GitHub Copilot Any Good?
“The code generated by Copilot is often wrong, but always subtly so, which means that when I let it fill in any non-trivial suggestion for me, I spend a considerable amount of time doing ‘code review’ on the code it emits.” #Technology [Link]
All this unmobilized love
“Even most of the emergent gestures in our interfaces are tweaks on tech-first features—@ symbols push Twitter to implement threading, hyperlinks eventually get automated into retweets, quote-tweets go on TikTok and become duets. “Swipe left to discard a person” is one of a handful of new gestures, and
Democrats work to protect abortion, trans rights with combined laws
“Each of us has the freedom to determine our path in life, each of us has the right to make decisions about our medical care and our bodies without government interference.” #Democracy [Link]
The Horror
“100% of trans people who seek access to gender affirming care as children and are denied go through the horror. 100% of trans children who never know that gender affirming care exists go through the horror. And for what?” #Health [Link]
America’s Suburbs Are Breeding Grounds for Fascism
“Without a massive reorganization of American life—away from privatization, car-centrism, and hyper-individualism—it’s likely the suburban ideology will remain popular, and even grow.” #Society [Link]
How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers
“Great Britain has eaten the Australian kangaroo and likes him, horseflesh is a staple in continental Europe, and the people of Central America eat the lizard. Why cannot Americans absorb the hippopotamus?” #Society [Link]
Instagram’s upcoming Twitter competitor shown in leaked screenshots
“Cox said the company already has celebrities committed to using the app, including DJ Slime.” I am old. #Technology [Link]
Google Gets Stricter About Employees’ Time in Office
“Google will consider office attendance records in performance reviews and send reminders to employees with frequent absences, becoming the latest company to urge a return to in-person collaboration following an embrace of remote work during the pandemic.” This is wretched. #Labor [Link]
Apollo will close down on June 30th.
“Reddit’s recent decisions and actions have unfortunately made it impossible for Apollo to continue.” At this point, developers shouldn’t build their apps against commercial APIs. Open standards or nothing; the risk is too great. #Technology [Link]