Geoffrey A. Fowler
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
š¤ 12938
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Tech Columnist at The Washington Post.
[email protected]
reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
evacide
6 days ago
Meta thinks now is a great time to launch facial recognition surveillance tech in their creepy glasses because EFF will be too distracted by fascism to notice. We noticed.
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
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Seven Billion Reasons for Facebook to Abandon its Face Recognition Plans
Metaās analysis that it can avoid scrutiny by releasing a privacy invasive product during a time of political crisis is craven and morally bankrupt. It is also dead wrong.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/seven-billion-reasons-facebook-abandon-its-face-recognition-plans
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Wow: Meta has been working on plans to add facial recognition technology to its AI smart glasses.
nyti.ms/3Os1oxf
And this was the companyās cynical view on when, and how, to do it:
6 days ago
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NEW by me: ChatGPT thinks the South has stupider people. It thinks sub-Saharan Africa has the worst-quality food on earth. And it thinks the whiter your neighborhood, the more attractive the people. New research lets you see ChatGPT's hidden biases about YOUR community. š§µ
bit.ly/4asLD0x
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ChatGPT thinks your state is dumb. Or lazy. Or ugly. See for yourself.
Making ChatGPTās bias visible ā and personal ā is powerful.
https://geoffreyfowler.substack.com/p/chatgpt-bias
7 days ago
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A must-read about the bait and switch of ads on ChatGPT from someone who quit OpenAI over them:
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/o...
If you start seeing any ads in your chats, please take a screenshot and let me know.
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Opinion | OpenAI Is Making the Mistakes Facebook Made. I Quit.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/opinion/openai-ads-chatgpt.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
8 days ago
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For 8 years my stories had to include: "Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, but I review all technology with the same critical eye." Not anymore. My first Substack is about what it was like covering Amazon while Bezos paid my salaryāand why tech accountability matters more than ever
bit.ly/4rAmcRn
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The truth about covering tech at Bezosās Washington Post
And why āWe the usersā matters more than ever
https://bit.ly/4rAmcRn
10 days ago
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After 8 years writing the tech column
@washingtonpost.com
, I am among folks who were laid off today. Iām grateful for the stories I got to tell and the impact we made on privacy, sustainability & AI. You can keep following my work on my new (free) Substack
geoffreyafowler.substack.com
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Geoffrey's Substack | Geoffrey Fowler | Substack
My personal Substack. Click to read Geoffrey's Substack, by Geoffrey Fowler, a Substack publication. Launched 16 hours ago.
https://geoffreyafowler.substack.com
15 days ago
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You can now connect ChatGPT to an Apple Watch. So I imported 29 mil steps & 6 mil heartbeats into the new ChatGPT Health. It graded my heart health an F. āļø Cardiologist
@erictopol.bsky.social
called it ābaseless.ā Any bot claiming to give health insights shouldnāt be this clueless. Even in beta. š§µ
24 days ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Eric Topol
24 days ago
The performance of the newly released ChatGPT Health, via a thorough assessment by
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
with his health data, is very disappointing gift link
wapo.st/49GEASP
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Column | I let ChatGPT analyze a decade of my Apple Watch data. Then I called my doctor.
I gave the new ChatGPT Health access to 29 million steps and 6 million heartbeat measurements. It drew questionable conclusions that changed each time I asked.
https://wapo.st/49GEASP
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ChatGPT now has a Spotify Wrapped-style "Your Year with ChatGPT." Cute ā until you realize it only works because OpenAI has been logging everything you've been chatting about all year. Could you imagine Google reminding you it knows everything you've searched for?
wapo.st/44LNJXc
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Kevin Schaul
2 months ago
I partnered with
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
to test a bunch of AI editing tools, and something ~very interesting~ happened. We asked Gemini to generate a professional photo of an actor crying at the Oscars. It did ā including a fake copyright notice from a real AP photographer.
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š We tested 5 leading AI image generators
@washingtonpost.com
to see which tool is truly the best at editing & creating visuals. From adding bangs to The Rock to removing people from photos ā the results might surprise you š§µš
2 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Will Oremus
3 months ago
New: AI chatbots can change voters' minds, according to a pair of in-depth studies published just now in Science and Nature. How they do it is interesting ā and concerning. Gift link:
wapo.st/49RSstP
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Votersā minds are hard to change. AI chatbots are surprisingly good at it.
New research suggests AI chatbots can shift peopleās political views more effectively than campaign ads on TV.
https://wapo.st/49RSstP
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Uber charged me $77. Lyft charged $49. Same ride. Same minute. I ran 80 tests
@washingtonpost.com
to find out whyāand discovered a few things that could save you hundreds of $$. Use this link to read it, or buy a Day Pass to The Post:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
3 months ago
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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 ā you're just early." Use this link to read it with a $4 day pass to
@washingtonpost.com
:
bit.ly/47QOjUb
3 months ago
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ChatGPTās new Atlas browser doesnāt just see what you read ā it remembers it.
@eff.org
ās Lena Cohen showed me it even logged āmemoriesā of her looking for *abortion care* and her doctorās name. Out-surveils even Chrome. My
@washingtonpost.com
column:
wapo.st/49bOcVC
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Column | ChatGPT just came out with its own web browser. Use it with caution.
OpenAIās Atlas promises AI-powered convenience. The price? Letting ChatGPT track and store āmemoriesā of what you do online.
https://wapo.st/49bOcVC
4 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Will Oremus
7 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...
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Column | Zuckerberg fired the fact-checkers. We tested their replacement.
Our tech columnist drafted 65 community notes, Metaās 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
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Alexios Mantzarlis
7 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...
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Column | Zuckerberg fired the fact-checkers. We tested their replacement.
Our tech columnist drafted 65 community notes, Metaās 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/
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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 65ādebunking lies ranging from Mr. Rogers to ICE. Spoiler alert: It failed to make a dent. Read š
wapo.st/3IZ1Al1
7 months ago
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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...
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No one likes meetings. Theyāre 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/
8 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Eric Topol
9 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...
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Review | 5 AI bots took our tough reading test. One was smartest ā and it wasnāt 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 ā and some was downright dumb...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/04/ai-summarizers-analysis-test-documents-books/
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
nitasha tiku
9 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...
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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
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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...
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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/
9 months ago
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"the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen" um, ok!
openai.com/sam-and-jony/
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Sam and Jony introduce io
Building a family of AI products for everyone.
https://openai.com/sam-and-jony/
9 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Tom Simonite
9 months ago
Have you Deep Researched it? Try NotebookLM. Itās in Google Search with AI Overviews. Itās literally on AI Mode. Dude just ask Gemini. You can Lens it. Thereās an AI Summary for you.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
via
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
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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. Hereās a guide.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/20/google-ai-mode-search-io/
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At
#googleio
, the scheduled morning vibe lift is ⦠vibe coding
9 months ago
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PSA for parents: Instagram promised it would start protecting kids āby defaultā with special Teen Accounts. So a group of GenZ users
@designitforus.bsky.social
put it to the test. IG filled their feeds with shocking stuffāgraphic samples below. I wrote about it
@washingtonpost.com
wapo.st/4kuae8G
9 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Katie Drummond
10 months ago
Googleās 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...
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āYou Canāt Lick a Badger Twiceā: Google Failures Highlight a Fundamental AI Flaw
Googleās AI Overviews feature credible-sounding explanations for completely made-up idioms.
https://www.wired.com/story/google-ai-overviews-meaning/
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Naomi Nix
10 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
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
ian bremmer
10 months ago
donations to trumpās inauguration from corporations facing federal investigations/lawsuits: $50 million (one third of corporate inauguration donations) -public citizen
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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...
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Analysis | AI tools mostly fumble basic financial tasks, study finds
The Washington Postās essential guide to tech policy news.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/22/ai-tools-mostly-fumble-basic-financial-tasks-study-finds/
10 months ago
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Good grief, Roblox
www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/u...
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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
10 months ago
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I got access to Community NotesāMetaās 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 Postās Fact Checker gave ā4 Pinocchios.ā My Note still hasnāt been cleared to go publicāand might never.
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10 months ago
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Iām super interested to see what new data will come to light about the real ācostā of using Facebook ā like losing ever-more privacy, or being exposed to an ever-higher advertising load
add a skeleton here at some point
10 months ago
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Now phones and computers will be exempt from Trumpās tariffs. Itās a reminder: Tim Cook is good at his job.
www.cnn.com/2025/04/12/t...
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Smartphones and computers are now exempt from Trumpās latest tariffs | CNN Business
Electronics imported to the United States will be exempt from President Donald Trumpās 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
10 months ago
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Public service announcement āĀ em dashes are great!
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
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Some people think AI writing has a tell ā the em dash. Writers disagree.
Em dashes have been derided as the āChatGPT hyphenā ā a punctuation mark overused by artificial intelligence. Thatās not quite true.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/09/ai-em-dash-writing-punctuation-chatgpt/
11 months ago
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Using ChatGPTās new image generator to turn yourself Ghibli (or Muppet)? Donāt forget to protect your privacy ā if not, OpenAI will use your personal photos to train its AI. š Go to ChatGPT, then Settings, then Data controls, then switch āImprove the model for everyoneā to off.
11 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Lisa Laporte
11 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
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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
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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
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11 months ago
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PSA: Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now. It just declared bankruptcy. And Californiaās attorney general has issued an unusual āconsumer alertā about how to protect your privacy. Instructions and details in my
@washingtonpost.com
column:
wapo.st/4kUsBEF
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Column | Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now
The genetic information company declared bankruptcy on Sunday, and Californiaās attorney general has issued a privacy āconsumer alert.ā
https://wapo.st/4kUsBEF
11 months ago
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Amazon has a history of skirting responsibility for the safety of what it sells
add a skeleton here at some point
11 months ago
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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 š§ on
@washingtonpost.com
Try This podcast:
wapo.st/4hurJDM
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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
11 months ago
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Dispatch from todayās Tesla sell-a-thon at the White House Musk: A future Cybertruck wonāt have a steering wheel because Tesla is so confident in self-driving tech. Trump: Iām going to pass on that.
wapo.st/4hqY1PO
11 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
The Washington Post
12 months ago
If you have questions about the American economy, youāre 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
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Rachael Myrow
12 months ago
"Thereās little reason to believe that
#AI
ā impressive as its advances may be ā 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
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Column | The truth about DOGEās AI plans: The tech canāt do that
Thereās an urgent role for automation and AI in government ā but the what DOGE appears to be doing doesnāt add up.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/03/doge-ai-government-automation/
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Lynn Overmann
12 months ago
I recently spoke with
@geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
at
@washingtonpost.com
about DOGEās use of AI as a pretext for dismantling the federal government. Without guardrails, this approach will lead to costly mistakes & even greater inefficiencies. š Read more
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
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Column | The truth about DOGEās AI plans: The tech canāt do that
Thereās an urgent role for automation and AI in government ā but the what DOGE appears to be doing doesnāt add up.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/03/doge-ai-government-automation/
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Center for Democracy & Technology
12 months ago
CDTās 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
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Here's the truth about DOGE's 'AI-first' plans: The tech can't do that. ā Deciding who to fire based on an email ā IDing millions of dead people getting Social Security Government can (and does) use AI. But here's what we know worksāand what fails spectacularly
@washingtonpost.com
:
wapo.st/3XO0VaL
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Column | No, AI canāt decide whom to fire ā or many other DOGE goals
Using AI to identify āmission-criticalā jobs? Spotting dead people on the Social Security rolls? Thereās an urgent role for automation and AI in government -- but the what DOGE appears to be doing doe...
https://wapo.st/3XO0VaL
12 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Caitlin Gilbert
12 months ago
š¬š§Ŗš§¬
@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...
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Are you a scientist who has lost funding or grants in recent weeks? - Formstack
https://thewashingtonpost.formstack.com/forms/scientistfundingloss
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Following Amazonās announcement of Alexa+ this morning and remembering how it announced the same thing back in 2023. And then it didnāt work:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
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Analysis | Amazon unveils a āsmarterā Alexa. Its AI has a lot of work to do.
Amazonās effort to play catch up with ChatGPT is still very much a work in progress ā and that includes proving we can trust it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/09/20/amazon-alexia-generative-ai/
12 months ago
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reposted by
Geoffrey A. Fowler
Rachel Lerman
about 1 year 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...
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Whoās working for Elon Muskās DOGE?
Hereās who is working with Elon Musk at the U.S. DOGE Service ā also known as the Department of Government Efficiency ā to makes changes across the federal government.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/14/doge-employees-list-staff-elon-musk/
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