Meta
Why Meta is retreating from encryption
In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg called privacy the future of social networking. Not anymore
Casey Newton
Founder and editor of Platformer, a publication about the intersection of tech and democracy. Prior to founding Platformer in October 2020, Newton was the longtime Silicon Valley editor of The Verge.
AI
I have been released from my responsibilities as an unwilling editor for Grammarly
Some overdue reflections by its CEO, and a class-action lawsuit, bring an end to “expert review”
Bluesky
Bluesky changes course
Jay Graber built something impressive but stagnant. Can a new CEO get it growing again?
AI
Grammarly turned me into an AI editor against my will and I hate it
The company tells Platformer it will let experts opt out of the controversial feature — but how different is it than what every other AI company is doing?
Anthropic
Where does Anthropic go from here?
Shunned by the government, and newly appealing to consumers, the company is at a crossroads
OpenAI
What is OpenAI going to do when the truth comes out?
Sam Altman’s deal with the Pentagon seems too good to be true. What happens when the public realizes that?
AI
The authoritarian AI crisis has arrived
AI safety researchers have long worried that a government would seek to use AI for domestic surveillance and autonomous killing. The Pentagon’s fight with Anthropic threatens to make it a reality
AI
The shallow impact of India’s AI summit
The US government still can’t think beyond “winning.” The rest of the world is still thinking too small
Social Media
The infinite scroll goes on trial
Testifying before a jury in LA, Mark Zuckerberg makes the case that platform design is about free expression. But the walls are closing in on Section 230
Meta
Meta’s face turn
In the company’s latest policy reversal under Trump 2.0, the facial recognition system it blew up in 2021 may be poised for a return
OpenAI
Why GPT-4o had to go
As OpenAI sunsets its most dangerous model, the tensions it exposed remain as tricky as ever. PLUS: Elon's space catapult, and OpenAI vs. Anthropic
OpenAI
Exclusive: OpenAI disbanded its mission alignment team
Joshua Achiam will become the company's chief futurist
Social Media
Why the infinite-scroll childhood may be coming to an end
A lawsuit that begins in LA this week, along with a new investigation into TikTok by the European Commission, could change social apps forever. PLUS: AI ads at the Super Bowl and in ChatGPT
Spotify
How a new AI tool fixed my single biggest problem with Spotify
Spotify’s Molly Holder on the power of prompted playlists. PLUS: Meta is testing a standalone Vibes app
AI
Five ways of thinking about Moltbook
What a social network for AI agents tells us about the future. PLUS: Elon consolidates the X empire
AI
Falling in and out of love with Moltbot
Maybe someday you’ll have a genie in your laptop working for you 24/7. Today is not that day