Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

Quite a few folks - a couple credible developers - trying to convince me that 'AI' code generation is great. They fail to realise that my issue isn't whether it's good at writing working (or 'pretty') code. It could be both (it isn't) but that misses my concern: to me conferring power to those without the understanding to the implications of different uses of that power creates a system inevitably prone to disaster - whether smallish now or colossal later. Another contemporaneous example: 1/2

I'm skeptical to this explanation. AI tools also make it easier to find vulnerabilities in proprietary compiled software. I wonder whether the real reason is that AI tools also make it much easier to "clean room" clone open source software?

#ai #foss

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ai-security-worries-force-company-to-abandon-open-source/

Heartening news from one of America's reddest states: Citizens in a data-center-invaded town tossed out city council members who voted for the disruptive project that was a secret until it was too late to stop.

This issue crosses party lines.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/missouri-city-council-data-center-00867259

I have a weird feeling, as shit gets more and more real, that stuff like our international trade deals will have to be abandoned out of self-preservation (most were entered into to benefit not NZers, but the wealthiest NZers - a form of implicit TrickleDown). I wonder which political party will have steel enough to point it out.

EFF urges Congress to “do the hard & responsible thing & come to the table to put in real protections for Americans,” EFF’s India McKinney told @TheGuardian. “By just doing a straight-up clean extension, you’re abdicating your responsibility to the people that you are elected to represent.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/15/fisa-surveillance-renewal-debate

Listening to RNZ's NineToNoon discussing a study showing how our science sector has been decimated by this Gov't and a call to restore a '2% of GDP' funding target to general science (the average in the OECD is 3%). This is a no brainer. We need better people in Gov't. This current lot are simply neither mature, smart, civically mind enough to be in charge.

Who needs checks and balances when congress has these? https://patreon.com/BrianMcFadden

#introduction

We're a not-for-profit worker #cooperative of technologists, designers, researchers and facilitators, distributed across the UK.

We work directly with #grassroots organisers to help them build power, using our #digital expertise to multiply their impact.

We share a vision of diverse communities rooted in care and reciprocity working together to achieve #climateJustice / #socialJustice.

https://commonknowledge.coop/

#anticapitalism #UKPolitics #design #softwareDevelopment

Get 40% off these select titles with code: WW3. Sale valid until the U.S. stops attacking Iran. Additionally, get a FREE e-Book copy of About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War.
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@agoldst

Thanks. I also like the immediately previous quote:
"...we know (quite spectacularly, from the world of self-driving cars), that it is very very difficult to keep paying attention when you’re monitoring a system that is meant to be A-OK most of the time, but needs you to be constantly aware because it sometimes screws up in a way that requires immediate action."

#LLMs #genAI

Well this is truly bad. US national level OS-level age verification bill. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8250/all-info

The text of it isn't out yet.

Half of all US employees use #AI at work now - and waste almost 8 hours a week doing it - https://www.zdnet.com/article/increasing-use-of-ai-is-causing-structural-workplace-changes-new-gallup-poll-finds/ " Companies on the front lines of AI adoption are also hiring and laying off more employees on average than those that aren't, Gallup found. "

Measles takes a plane to Idaho, which has worst vaccination rate in US - https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/04/airport-measles-case-reported-in-idaho-state-with-lowest-vaccination-rate/ what could possibly go wrong? #antivaxxers

"A war that is increasingly an attack on the living standards of 'Americans' is being funded more and more while public goods for 'Americans' are being funded less and less. 'Americans' are being squeezed by a massive delta force, the cancerous growth of the military-industrial complex against the lowering life-expectancy of the body politic. 'America' is blowing up bridges which Iran can repair while bridges in Baltimore fall over and never recover. And while war might serve as a jobs program, 'America' has technology fetishized war so much that most of the money goes to fake wunderwaffen while the people are left wondering."

https://indi.ca/widening-delta-persian-gulf/

The company behind Snapchat is laying off 1,000 workers (16% of its workforce) citing rapid advancements in AI which will save the company $500M per year.

Jack Dorsey’s layoffs at Block were a new triggering event for tech layoffs similar to Elon’s at Twitter in 2022.

https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-layoffs-ai-read-memo-snapchat-2026-4

400bce - 1930
Patient: I got ghosts
Doctor: And how! Ur gonna die lol

1930 - 2005
Patient: I got ghosts
Doctor: U got the flu and ur gonna die

2005 - 2024
Patient: I got the flu
Doctor: lol right did Google tell u that idiot ur fine

2024 - 2026
Patient: My chatbot says I got bixonimania
Doctor: Ya mine does too sorry but ur gonna die

Last month, the EU Council wanted to push through voluntary scanning. But they failed! 🎉

However, the trilogue discussions on Chat Control 2.0 start this Thursday. But #ChatControl is a Trojan Horse for citizens and businesses in Europe. Interestingly, not everyone should be monitored:

❌ Government

❌ Military

✅ YOU

Make sure your country opposes Chat Control! Learn why: 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/chat-control-criticism

"We can't take care of daycare. We're a big country. We're fighting wars. It's not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these things" - President Donald Trump on April 1, 2026

Here is my open letter to fellow parents. If you're not a parent, I still invite you to read.

In this open letter I discuss matters of privacy and cybersecurity involving children and parenting, and the systemic forces which are having an outsized impact.

https://manchicken.com/2026/04/15/open-letter-to-fellow-parents/