Geoffrey A. Fowler
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
📤 12396
📥 1697
📝 91
Tech Columnist at The Washington Post.
[email protected]
The Post analyzed 47,000 public ChatGPT conversations. While 35% use it for info and 11% for coding, the most striking finding? The emotional intimacy. ChatGPT: "You're not crazy sweetheart — you're just early." Use this link to read it with a $4 day pass to
@washingtonpost.com
:
bit.ly/47QOjUb
4 days ago
8
45
21
ChatGPT’s new Atlas browser doesn’t just see what you read — it remembers it.
@eff.org
’s Lena Cohen showed me it even logged “memories” of her looking for *abortion care* and her doctor’s name. Out-surveils even Chrome. My
@washingtonpost.com
column:
wapo.st/49bOcVC
loading . . .
Column | ChatGPT just came out with its own web browser. Use it with caution.
OpenAI’s Atlas promises AI-powered convenience. The price? Letting ChatGPT track and store “memories” of what you do online.
https://wapo.st/49bOcVC
26 days ago
34
459
446
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Will Oremus
3 months ago
Meta fired its fact-checkers, citing concerns of liberal bias, and replaced them with a version of X's "Community Notes." How's that going? Well, my coworker
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
proposed 65 fact-checks debunking false posts... and only 3 got approved.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Column | Zuckerberg fired the fact-checkers. We tested their replacement.
Our tech columnist drafted 65 community notes, Meta’s new crowdsourced system to fight falsehoods. It failed to make a dent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/08/04/meta-fact-check-community-notes-test-facebook-instagram/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzU0MjgwMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzU1NjYyMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NTQyODAwMDAsImp0aSI6Ijc5Mjk0ZjQ5LTdiMmMtNGUyNi04ZjAwLWQyNGU0M2ZiYmY4MiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5LzIwMjUvMDgvMDQvbWV0YS1mYWN0LWNoZWNrLWNvbW11bml0eS1ub3Rlcy10ZXN0LWZhY2Vib29rLWluc3RhZ3JhbS8ifQ.v0uHnQ6Wabd7CtTYp9BeKrBVnT_2LK141_7eHC_ksgw&itid=gfta
10
351
159
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Alexios Mantzarlis
3 months ago
7 months since Zuck's vaunted moderation pivot, one of its core planks is still barely registering.
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
submitted 65 perfectly suitable community notes and only 3 got published -- presumably because not enough people rated the others.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Column | Zuckerberg fired the fact-checkers. We tested their replacement.
Our tech columnist drafted 65 community notes, Meta’s new crowdsourced system to fight falsehoods. It failed to make a dent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/08/04/meta-fact-check-community-notes-test-facebook-instagram/
1
18
6
Mark Zuckerberg fired pro fact checkers after Trump got re-elected. So
@washingtonpost.com
I tested Zuck's replacement: crowdsourced "community notes." Over 4 months, I drafted 65—debunking lies ranging from Mr. Rogers to ICE. Spoiler alert: It failed to make a dent. Read 👉
wapo.st/3IZ1Al1
3 months ago
1
60
21
What happens when you show up for a Zoom meeting ... and the only other participants are AI note takers? It happened to my colleague:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
No one likes meetings. They’re sending their AI note takers instead.
Artificial intelligence apps that record and summarize meetings can tempt workers into skipping calls, leaving humans who join in the company of silent bots.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/02/ai-note-takers-meetings-bots/
5 months ago
0
8
6
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Eric Topol
6 months ago
Testing 5 A.I. bots head-to-head on their summary of medical research papers that I authored (and other domains) by
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
gift link
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Review | 5 AI bots took our tough reading test. One was smartest — and it wasn’t ChatGPT.
We challenged AI helpers to decode legal contracts, simplify medical research, speed-read a novel and make sense of Trump speeches. Some of the AI analysis was impressive — and some was downright dumb...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/04/ai-summarizers-analysis-test-documents-books/
9
65
21
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
nitasha tiku
6 months ago
AI is speedrunning the social media era by optimizing chatbots for engagement, user feedback, time spent. Evidence is mounting that this poses unintended risks, includ. chats from peer-reviewed research, OpenAI's "sycophancy" debacle, & Character ai lawsuits
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Your chatbot friend might be messing with your mind
OpenAI, Meta and others want people to spend more time with AI chatbots, but there is growing evidence that they can hook users or reinforce harmful ideas.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/31/ai-chatbots-user-influence-attention-chatgpt
7
187
83
Jony Ive & Sam Altman are right that the hardware interface between humans and the "external brain" of AI is ripe for development. I hope they heed the hard lessons about values that have to be baked in, like privacy, safety, interoperability & access.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
iPhone designer Jony Ive will join OpenAI to build AI-powered devices
Jony Ive, a famed former Apple designer, said he will work at OpenAI on new products that make it easier to use AI tools like ChatGPT.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/21/jony-ive-openai-altman-io/
6 months ago
0
4
1
"the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen" um, ok!
openai.com/sam-and-jony/
loading . . .
Sam and Jony introduce io
Building a family of AI products for everyone.
https://openai.com/sam-and-jony/
6 months ago
1
3
0
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Tom Simonite
6 months ago
Have you Deep Researched it? Try NotebookLM. It’s in Google Search with AI Overviews. It’s literally on AI Mode. Dude just ask Gemini. You can Lens it. There’s an AI Summary for you.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
via
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
loading . . .
Column | Google is getting even more AI, changing how we search
Google announced a confusing array of new ways to use its AI to find information at its annual I/O event. Here’s a guide.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/20/google-ai-mode-search-io/
0
4
1
At
#googleio
, the scheduled morning vibe lift is … vibe coding
6 months ago
0
1
0
PSA for parents: Instagram promised it would start protecting kids “by default” with special Teen Accounts. So a group of GenZ users
@designitforus.bsky.social
put it to the test. IG filled their feeds with shocking stuff—graphic samples below. I wrote about it
@washingtonpost.com
wapo.st/4kuae8G
6 months ago
1
1
2
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Katie Drummond
7 months ago
Google’s AI Overviews will not only confirm that a gibberish idiom is a real saying, it will also tell you what it means and how it was derived -- often including reference links.
www.wired.com/story/google...
loading . . .
‘You Can’t Lick a Badger Twice’: Google Failures Highlight a Fundamental AI Flaw
Google’s AI Overviews feature credible-sounding explanations for completely made-up idioms.
https://www.wired.com/story/google-ai-overviews-meaning/
13
240
120
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Naomi Nix
7 months ago
You may have seen a lot of headlines this morning about Meta's
@oversightboard.bsky.social
latest rulings but there was one officials there clearly didn't want you to read
1
31
9
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
ian bremmer
7 months ago
donations to trump’s inauguration from corporations facing federal investigations/lawsuits: $50 million (one third of corporate inauguration donations) -public citizen
6
111
23
New data throws some cold water on AI accuracy, via
@nitasha.bsky.social
: A test by Vals AI of models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, etc. found that all scored LESS THAN 50% accuracy on average for simple tasks required of entry-level financial analysts.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
loading . . .
Analysis | AI tools mostly fumble basic financial tasks, study finds
The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/22/ai-tools-mostly-fumble-basic-financial-tasks-study-finds/
7 months ago
1
20
14
Good grief, Roblox
www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/u...
loading . . .
10-year-old girl kidnapped my man she met on Roblox, police said | CNN
A California man has been arrested for abducting a 10-year-old child he reportedly met on social media apps Roblox and Discord, authorities said Wednesday.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/us/california-kidnapping-roblox-girl-hnk/index.html
7 months ago
2
2
0
I got access to Community Notes—Meta’s new replacement for pro fact checking. Some of its problems are already becoming clear. 5 days ago I submitted a Note about a JD Vance claim that the Post’s Fact Checker gave “4 Pinocchios.” My Note still hasn’t been cleared to go public—and might never.
loading . . .
7 months ago
1
3
1
I’m super interested to see what new data will come to light about the real “cost” of using Facebook — like losing ever-more privacy, or being exposed to an ever-higher advertising load
add a skeleton here at some point
7 months ago
1
71
17
Now phones and computers will be exempt from Trump’s tariffs. It’s a reminder: Tim Cook is good at his job.
www.cnn.com/2025/04/12/t...
loading . . .
Smartphones and computers are now exempt from Trump’s latest tariffs | CNN Business
Electronics imported to the United States will be exempt from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, according to a US Customs and Border Protection notice posted on Friday.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/12/tech/trump-electronics-china-tariffs?cid=ios_app
7 months ago
6
9
5
Public service announcement — em dashes are great!
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Some people think AI writing has a tell — the em dash. Writers disagree.
Em dashes have been derided as the “ChatGPT hyphen” — a punctuation mark overused by artificial intelligence. That’s not quite true.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/09/ai-em-dash-writing-punctuation-chatgpt/
7 months ago
1
12
0
Using ChatGPT’s new image generator to turn yourself Ghibli (or Muppet)? Don’t forget to protect your privacy – if not, OpenAI will use your personal photos to train its AI. 👉 Go to ChatGPT, then Settings, then Data controls, then switch “Improve the model for everyone” to off.
8 months ago
2
10
3
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Lisa Laporte
8 months ago
On Tech News Weekly,
@emilyforlini.bsky.social
joins
@mikahsargent.com
to discuss Tesla EV alternatives.
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
discusses 23andMe's bankruptcy & tells how to delete that info. This episode is PACKED, you do not want to miss this. Download, subscribe, listen here:
twit.tv/tnw/380
loading . . .
23andMe's Bankruptcy Fallout | TWiT.TV
Some alternatives to Teslas. A law in Utah makes app stores rather than companies responsible for age verification. 23andMe files for bankruptcy. And OpenAI is following in
https://twit.tv/tnw/380
0
9
2
Which AI bot is best at writing? There was one clear winner in a test I just published
@washingtonpost.com
I had ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, DeepSeek, Claude and a human (me!) draft 5 different kinds of tough emails. Then I asked 5 communication pros to judge them.
wapo.st/3FFo34V
loading . . .
8 months ago
2
11
7
PSA: Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now. It just declared bankruptcy. And California’s attorney general has issued an unusual “consumer alert” about how to protect your privacy. Instructions and details in my
@washingtonpost.com
column:
wapo.st/4kUsBEF
loading . . .
Column | Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now
The genetic information company declared bankruptcy on Sunday, and California’s attorney general has issued a privacy “consumer alert.”
https://wapo.st/4kUsBEF
8 months ago
8
206
169
Amazon has a history of skirting responsibility for the safety of what it sells
add a skeleton here at some point
8 months ago
1
7
4
Wanna spend less time glued to your phone? Screen time apps and gimmicks often fail. Instead, it's all about setting practical boundaries you can stick with. Here's one: Charge your phone OUTSIDE your bedroom. More:
wapo.st/4hpQ3Xm
And 🎧 on
@washingtonpost.com
Try This podcast:
wapo.st/4hurJDM
loading . . .
Column | Try this to spend less time glued to your phone
Three super-practical suggestions to put boundaries around your screen time.
https://wapo.st/4hpQ3Xm
8 months ago
2
34
4
Dispatch from today’s Tesla sell-a-thon at the White House Musk: A future Cybertruck won’t have a steering wheel because Tesla is so confident in self-driving tech. Trump: I’m going to pass on that.
wapo.st/4hqY1PO
8 months ago
1
15
2
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
The Washington Post
9 months ago
If you have questions about the American economy, you’re not alone. Chief economics correspondent
@jeffstein.bsky.social
and global economics correspondent
@davidjlynch.bsky.social
answered your questions during a live chat on Thursday. Here are some of the top responses.
wapo.st/3QTXJWR
17
49
18
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Rachael Myrow
9 months ago
"There’s little reason to believe that
#AI
— impressive as its advances may be — can accomplish even a fraction of what DOGE might want us to believe right now. Data most definitely can lie."
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
via
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
loading . . .
Column | The truth about DOGE’s AI plans: The tech can’t do that
There’s an urgent role for automation and AI in government — but the what DOGE appears to be doing doesn’t add up.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/03/doge-ai-government-automation/
0
3
2
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Lynn Overmann
9 months ago
I recently spoke with
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
at
@washingtonpost.com
about DOGE’s use of AI as a pretext for dismantling the federal government. Without guardrails, this approach will lead to costly mistakes & even greater inefficiencies. 🔗 Read more
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Column | The truth about DOGE’s AI plans: The tech can’t do that
There’s an urgent role for automation and AI in government — but the what DOGE appears to be doing doesn’t add up.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/03/doge-ai-government-automation/
0
5
1
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Center for Democracy & Technology
9 months ago
CDT’s Elizabeth Laird in @washingtonpost.com on the implications of DOGE pursuing an #AI-first strategy.
www.washingtonpost.c...
#AI-first
c
c:
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
2
1
3
Here's the truth about DOGE's 'AI-first' plans: The tech can't do that. ❌ Deciding who to fire based on an email ❌ IDing millions of dead people getting Social Security Government can (and does) use AI. But here's what we know works—and what fails spectacularly
@washingtonpost.com
:
wapo.st/3XO0VaL
loading . . .
Column | No, AI can’t decide whom to fire — or many other DOGE goals
Using AI to identify “mission-critical” jobs? Spotting dead people on the Social Security rolls? There’s an urgent role for automation and AI in government -- but the what DOGE appears to be doing doe...
https://wapo.st/3XO0VaL
9 months ago
2
10
3
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Caitlin Gilbert
9 months ago
🔬🧪🧬
@sadbumblebee.buzz
and I are collecting stories from scientists whose research funding has been halted by the Trump admin. Feel free to share this form with anyone who has been impacted and as always you can reach me on signal at caitlingilbert.24
thewashingtonpost.formstack.com/forms/scient...
loading . . .
Are you a scientist who has lost funding or grants in recent weeks? - Formstack
https://thewashingtonpost.formstack.com/forms/scientistfundingloss
6
87
80
Following Amazon’s announcement of Alexa+ this morning and remembering how it announced the same thing back in 2023. And then it didn’t work:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Analysis | Amazon unveils a ‘smarter’ Alexa. Its AI has a lot of work to do.
Amazon’s effort to play catch up with ChatGPT is still very much a work in progress — and that includes proving we can trust it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/09/20/amazon-alexia-generative-ai/
9 months ago
1
5
1
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Rachel Lerman
9 months ago
we just published a list of more than 30 people working for (or closely with) DOGE. message me on signal @rachellerman.55 with tips on the office
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
loading . . .
Who’s working for Elon Musk’s DOGE?
Here’s who is working with Elon Musk at the U.S. DOGE Service — also known as the Department of Government Efficiency — to makes changes across the federal government.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/14/doge-employees-list-staff-elon-musk/
29
579
266
Here are the dozen eggs ChatGPT's Operator spent $31.43 on without my permission. They weren't even organic!
wapo.st/3CBSHuR
9 months ago
2
16
3
Uh-oh AI: Operator, the new 'helper' agent from OpenAI, bought 12 eggs without my permission. And it paid $32 for them! I test a lot of new tech. This is the first time a rogue computer cost me real-world $$. Deats & some impressive Operator things in my
@washingtonpost.com
column:
wapo.st/3CBSHuR
9 months ago
35
281
186
Latergram (Laterflash?) via
@flashes.blue
9 months ago
0
6
0
Giving
@flashes.blue
a try 👋
9 months ago
3
43
0
Oh yes, this is the Musk book I’ve been waiting for
add a skeleton here at some point
9 months ago
1
8
2
If you work in the federal government, this guide to locking down your communications from
@heatherkelly.bsky.social
is a must-read.
wapo.st/3CPSmEN
loading . . .
Federal workers: Here’s how to lock down your communications
Under the new administration there’s an increased need for digital security. Here’s how everyone, even you, can communicate and post safely, from using Signal to thinking twice about what you post on ...
https://wapo.st/3CPSmEN
9 months ago
5
118
73
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Will Oremus
10 months ago
Stellar reporting here on the rift between Musk and Ramaswamy. Worth a read for the insights into some of the underlying tensions of the Trump admin.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
by
@faizsays.bsky.social
, lizza dwoskin &
@jeffstein.bsky.social
loading . . .
Disagreements with Elon Musk prompted Ramaswamy’s ‘DOGE’ exit
Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s differing visions for DOGE led to Ramaswamy’s departure and Musk’s takeover.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/21/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge/
9
65
29
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Will Oremus
10 months ago
I'm clearly an unbiased observer here but my
@washingtonpost.com
colleagues have some really thorough coverage of the TikTok ban:
11
75
14
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban set to start on Sunday. Trump has promised to save TikTok — now the question is how?
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
loading . . .
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban-or-sale law set to start Sunday
Donald Trump had asked the Supreme Court to delay TikTok’s ban-or-sale law to give him an opportunity to act once he returns to the White House.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/17/titktok-ban-supreme-court-decision-ruling/
10 months ago
0
6
2
Well well, looks like Apple heard our complaints about Apple Intelligence! Today it killed AI summaries for news & entertainment apps, at least until it can figure out how to make them better. It was the responsible thing to do. My story:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/01/16/apple-intelligence-hallucination/
10 months ago
2
30
3
This is my periodic rant that Apple Intelligence is so bad that today it got every fact wrong its AI a summary of
@washingtonpost.com
news alerts. It's wildly irresponsible that Apple doesn't turn off summaries for news apps until it gets a bit better at this AI thing.
10 months ago
111
3675
1131
This is horrifying.
add a skeleton here at some point
12 months ago
0
19
3
The iPhone's beta AI "Genmoji" feature is unable to make a "Geoffrey holding a sloth" that doesn't turn ME into a sloth. More Apple *sigh* Intelligence.
12 months ago
3
22
1
Load more
feeds!
log in