My main newsletter, Complex Machinery, includes a section called "In Other News..."  It's where I list one-liners about interesting articles that didn't fit into any segments.

You can think of this list as a version of In Other News, but with a wider remit than Complex Machinery's "risk, AI, and related topics."

My main newsletter, Complex Machinery, includes a section called "In Other News..." It's where I list one-liners about interesting articles that didn't fit into any segments.

You can think of this list as a version of In Other News, but with a wider remit than Complex Machinery's "risk, AI, and related topics."

Above the fold

1. Les Echos ran a series called "Untamable AI" ("Indomptables IA") on how the world is releasing technology that it can't quite control. Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. (Les Echos 🇫🇷)
2. Companies are pulling back on AI-powered tools, slowing sales cycles as they ask lots of questions and evaluate their needs. It's long overdue. (WSJ)
3. The newest case for specialized robots: slicing meat for kebabs. (The Guardian)
4. I've long said that criminals are early and eager adopters of new technology. Generative AI has proven an especially interesting space in this regard. (MIT Technology Review)
5. Misuse of technology has made the world worse for women. (Financial Times)
6. Does it feel like modern technology is being wielded against you? Probably because it is, in the form of "the grift economy." (Your Brain on Money)
7. People are getting legal advice from chatbots, and it's causing a mess in courtrooms. (The Observer)
8. Anthropic and the Pentagon are having a bit of a tiff. Grab popcorn. (The Verge)
9. Not just on TV: between a cancer diagnosis and the treatment, people may find themselves turning to crime. (Science Alert)
10. Some attorneys are demanding hourly rates in excess of $3,000. Perhaps I should have gone to law school. (WSJ)

The rest of the best

• Irony alert: AI company Anthropic is mad because other companies have (allegedly!) harvested its data in order to build their own AI systems. (New York Times)
• Datacenter companies are trying to buy out farmers to get land. When the money doesn't work, they threaten eminent domain. (The Guardian)
• As it turns out, genAI didn't do much for economic growth. (Washington Post)
• Generative AI threatens some jobs and is a force multiplier for others. (New York Times)
• Ring's Super Bowl ad – you remember, the "neighborhood doorbell camera dragnet" clip – did not go over well. The company's founder has been trying to repair the damage but, as far as I can tell, he's just making it worse. (New York Times)
• Wall Street's extraction machine is in high gear. (Delta Fund)
• We've all heard about connected devices going offline when their parent companies shut down. The same could happen with connected cars. (Ars Technica)
• Enterprise software companies are feeling the sting of code generation technology. (Le Monde 🇫🇷)

Did I miss anything?

Have something I should read? Send the link my way.