Tom Simonite
@simonite.bsky.social
š¤ 4202
š„ 919
š 70
Tech companies editor
@washingtonpost.com
//
[email protected]
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Shira Ovide
4 days ago
Look at the crumbling support among Virginians (America's first data center hot spot) for data centers: Q: Would you be comfortable or uncomfortable if a new data center were built in your community? 2023: 69% comfortable 2026: 35% comfortable
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
1
5
7
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Drew Harwell
8 days ago
Anthropic researchers met with Christian leaders to discuss AI's "spiritual value" and how it should respond to its own demise. "They are creating a creature to whom they owe some kind of moral duty"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
@nitasha.bsky.social
@gerritd.bsky.social
loading . . .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/11/anthropic-christians-claude-morals/
5
28
16
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Shira Ovide
23 days ago
@shaneisland.bsky.social
& I figured out what happened!
wapo.st/40Yjlqs
loading . . .
Post reporters called the White House. Some saw āEpstein Islandā on the screen.
Washington Post journalists who called the White House switchboard using Google Pixel Android phones saw āEpstein Islandā on their screens Thursday.
https://wapo.st/40Yjlqs
1
59
17
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Shira Ovide
23 days ago
So this happened when we called the White House switchboard yesterday.
9
348
104
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Scott Nover
30 days ago
BREAKING: Pentagon press policy ruled unconstitutional in case brought by N.Y. Times
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
loading . . .
Pentagon press policy ruled unconstitutional in case brought by N.Y. Times
A federal judge struck down the Defense Departmentās new press policy that triggered an exodus of reporters from the Pentagon, calling it unconstitutional.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/20/pentagon-press-policy-unconstitutional-nyt/
2
40
16
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Jack Iwashyna
about 1 month ago
The NIHās budget is less than $50b
add a skeleton here at some point
6
118
46
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Andrew Couts
about 1 month ago
Huge thank you to all *checks notes* 200,000 of you who subscribed in the last year! Extremely proud of my colleagues and to be part of Team
@wired.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/b...
loading . . .
Wiredās New Editor Doesnāt Care if the Tech Bros Are Mad
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/business/media/wired-editor-katie-drummond-tech-politics.html
2
102
12
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Will Oremus
about 1 month ago
A journalist filed a brief live blog entry on an apparent Iranian missile strike that hit no one and caused no serious damage. Next thing he knew, angry Polymarket users were demanding he change the storyāand threatening his life and family if he refused. My story:
wapo.st/4lI6Pon
(gift link)
loading . . .
A journalist reported a missile strike. Then came the death threats.
An Israeli war reporter says online gamblers demanded he change a published story so they could win a payout on prediction market Polymarket.
https://wapo.st/4lI6Pon
15
421
213
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Kevin Schaul
about 1 month ago
New: AI job exposure is important, but thereās more to the picture. Hereās what the research says on adaptability. Find your job here š
wapo.st/4cP2ZHM
1
0
4
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Joseph Menn
about 1 month ago
Come say hi and grab a signed copy of the newly updated book!
#RSAC
add a skeleton here at some point
3
14
5
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Faiz Siddiqui
about 1 month ago
NEW: Three teens allege xAI and Grok were used to generate nude underage images. Photos from homecoming, yearbook, beach outings were turned into CSAM and distributed on Discord and Telegram + some were bartered for other child abuse imagery, a lawsuit alleges.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Teens allege Muskās Grok chatbot made sexual images of them as minors
Three teenaged plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Monday accuse xAI of distribution, possession and production with intent to distribute child pornography.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/16/teens-sue-musk-xai-grok/
5
107
83
Three Tennessee teens sue Elon Musk's xAI, alleging its chatbot Grok made sexual images of them as minors -- appears to be first major legal consequence of Grok's sexualised image spree via
@faizsays.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Teens allege Muskās Grok chatbot made sexual images of them as minors
Three teenaged plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Monday accuse xAI of distribution, possession and production with intent to distribute child pornography.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/16/teens-sue-musk-xai-grok/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzczNjMzNjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzc1MDE1OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NzM2MzM2MDAsImp0aSI6IjZjY2M2OTRlLWJhZjQtNDdmNC1hNTk1LTFlNjE2ZmZiNGE0MSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5LzIwMjYvMDMvMTYvdGVlbnMtc3VlLW11c2steGFpLWdyb2svIn0.JsYlxeGe4PNv6Dbr60d8WWRRhIe8dFsPcfFq_J3KVoA&itid=gfta
about 1 month ago
0
3
1
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Scott Nover
about 1 month ago
Thank you to everyone who read and commented on our story about the Pentagon shutting out photographers for publishing āunflatteringā photos of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth. As always, Iām reachable on Signal at scottnover.99 if thereās anything you think I should know.
loading . . .
Pentagon bars press photographers over āunflatteringā Hegseth photos
Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethās staff took issue with photos taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out press photographers from two subsequent news conferences.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/11/hegseth-press-briefings-photos-iran/
0
6
2
Whistleblower alleges that a DOGE employee told people he took a copy of the Social Security Adminstration's "Master Death File" with him when he left the government
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
loading . . .
Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job
The Social Security inspector generalās office is investigating allegations that the former DOGE engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, said people familia...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/10/social-security-data-breach-doge/
about 1 month ago
0
4
2
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Scott Nover
about 1 month ago
It's been nearly one year since Trump issued an order to dismantle USAGM and Kari Lake placed employees on leave and fired contractors. Today, a judge found she's been running the agency illegally and found her decisions, including a RIF, null and void.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
loading . . .
Judge rules Kari Lake unlawfully ran U.S. media agency, voiding layoffs
Sweeping layoffs at Voice of America made by Trump appointee Kari Lake were declared void by a federal judge, who said she served unlawfully.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/07/kari-lake-unlawful-voice-of-america-ruling/
3
120
43
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Faiz Siddiqui
about 1 month ago
Elon Musk emailed Jeffrey Epstein on consecutive Christmases 2012: "Do you have any parties planned? ... I really want to ... let loose." 2013: "When should we head to your island on the 2nd?" My piece looking at his fraught effort to position himself as a voice for victims now
wapo.st/4b9kYWV
loading . . .
Musk asked Epstein for āthe wildest party.ā Now he claims to stand up for victims.
The billionaire Tesla CEO has called for accountability for figures named in the Epstein files ā despite appearing in them himself.
https://wapo.st/4b9kYWV
5
209
84
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Drew Harwell
about 1 month ago
New: The White House is transforming the Iran strikes into a meme war. An "aesthetic of bloodlust" that gives Americans the empathy-free, Hollywood, video-game version of deadly combat
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
The White House is transforming the Iran strikes into a meme war
The White House is using memes that make light of violent combat in Iran, mixing footage of real missile strikes with clips from action films and video games.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/06/iran-strikes-meme-war/
10
132
65
No one told Xi Jinping about the AI productivity bump? "Beijing set an economic growth target of 4.5 percent to 5 percent for 2026 ā down from 5 percent last year and its lowest in almost 35 years"
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
loading . . .
China lowers growth forecast, boosts military, citing āgraveā environment
Beijing kicked off its top annual political gathering, pledging to further insulate its economy from Trumpās tariffs and accelerate efforts to supercharge its military.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/05/china-xi-economy-military-planning/
about 1 month ago
0
2
0
Less than 24 hours after the Pentagon declared Claude a threat to national security, Anthropic's chatbot was helping identify targets as the U.S. launched strikes on Iran
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Anthropicās AI tool Claude central to U.S. campaign in Iran, amid a bitter feud
Anthropicās AI tool Claude is playing a key role in the U.S. militaryās campaign in Iran, amid a bitter fight with the Pentagon over the terms of its use in war.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/04/anthropic-ai-iran-campaign/
about 2 months ago
0
1
3
Surprising to see OpenAI claim: "We donāt know why Anthropic could not reach this deal." Dario Amodei said last week that surveillance law "has not yet caught up with the rapidly growing capabilities of AI." OpenAI's deal says it will work on domestic surveillance as permitted under current law.
about 2 months ago
0
2
0
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Will Oremus
about 2 months ago
New: Trump allies claim āVICTORYā as the Ellisons expand their empire to include CNN, HBO and much more. Laura Loomer told me sheās taking credit after the president picked up on her campaign to paint Netflix as Obama-coded. Our story today w/ fresh details on how it all went down:
wapo.st/4qVDnMx
loading . . .
Trump allies claim victory as the Ellisons expand their media empire
Paramountās Warner Bros. deal is seen by many as a win for conservatives seeking greater sway over the media ā and raises new scrutiny over President Trumpās role in it.
https://wapo.st/4qVDnMx
2
29
15
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Aarian Marshall
about 2 months ago
On the plight of Fisker Ocean owners, who discovered when the EV manufacturer that made their software-stuffed cars went bankrupt that they maybe never owned them at all Now a group of very dedicated owners are fighting to take their EVs back
www.wired.com/story/the-ri...
loading . . .
The Righteous EV Owners Who Wonāt Let Their Broken Cars Die
Fisker went out of business in 2024, but its biggest fans want to bring the āright to repairā to the masses.
https://www.wired.com/story/the-righteous-ev-owners-who-wont-let-their-broken-cars-die/
4
80
25
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Scott Clement
about 2 months ago
7 in 10 Americans believe that āless than halfā or āhardly anyā of the immigrants deported since January 2025 were violent criminals
www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
0
18
8
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Katie Moussouris (she/her/she-hulk/she-ra)š»
about 2 months ago
A national treasure of a journalist & especially fine human just posted some of his work for free ā¬ļø
add a skeleton here at some point
0
15
7
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Drew Harwell
about 2 months ago
New: A comedian set up a fake ICE tip line as a joke. Then 100 calls flooded in: neighbors ratting on neighbors, a teacher reporting a kindergartener. Fans say the viral TikToks revealed deportation's "banality of evil." Conservatives say he should be in prison
wapo.st/4kM4qbF
loading . . .
A fake ICE tip line reveals neighbors reporting neighbors
A Nashville comedianās deportation hotline, set up as a joke, has gone viral among viewers who say it shows the ābanality of evil personifiedā in the U.S. immigration crackdown.
https://wapo.st/4kM4qbF
273
8029
3609
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Kate Knibbs
2 months ago
Hey Bluesky! I'm a senior writer at WIRED and I'm shifting beats to cover the tech I'm most obsessed with right nowāPREDICTION MARKETS. Eager to hear tips on the industry at
[email protected]
34
339
84
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Naomi Nix
2 months ago
After almost four years at The Washington Post, my role was eliminated this week along with hundreds of other talented journalists. Itās a cliche to say but this job was a dream come true. Thanks to my brilliant reporter friends and talented editors who made the stories stronger and banter funnier.
3
45
9
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Joseph Menn
2 months ago
Tatum is way ahead of the curve on internet culture and has been for years.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
26
7
reposted by
Tom Simonite
nitasha tiku
2 months ago
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's
@washingtonpost.com
. Iām also among 100ās of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valleyās political power
160
6650
2241
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Joseph Menn
2 months ago
I cannot count the number of insanely talented colleagues that were ousted today, but Heather is a brilliant writer on tech and absolutely hilarious as a bonus.
add a skeleton here at some point
2
114
18
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Joseph Menn
2 months ago
Most of the Washington Postās tech reporters were laid off today, including me. I have loved my time at the paper, which is where I wanted to work from age 15. I take some consolation in not being among the survivors who will have to work harder with less for fewer readers. On to better things.
209
5504
811
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Mike Madden
2 months ago
For what itās worth,
@washingtonpost.com
broke this story
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
add a skeleton here at some point
4
70
41
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Joseph Menn
2 months ago
New territory. Must read story from a colleague.
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
loading . . .
Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon
Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has weaponized administrative subpoenasĀ to attack free speech, according to privacy and civil rights groups.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/02/03/homeland-security-administrative-subpoena/
7
121
65
reposted by
Tom Simonite
nitasha tiku
3 months ago
some of my favorite snippets from newly released court docs in the Anthropic copyright book case. eye-opening stuff on Project Panama, their plan to "destructively scan all the books in the world" in order to train AI
5
71
53
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Will Oremus
3 months ago
New: Unsealed court docs detail Big Techās yearslong, secret race to ingest the collective works of humanity, including Anthropicās project to ādestructively scan all the books in the world.ā Gift link:
wapo.st/4rjXAMQ
loading . . .
How Silicon Valley built AI: Buying, scanning and destroying millions of books
Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.
https://wapo.st/4rjXAMQ
8
298
179
reposted by
Tom Simonite
JLRay
3 months ago
"Sir, r/catbongos has fallen"
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
4
417
90
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Hannah Natanson
3 months ago
"I need my devices back to do my job."
wapo.st/4jUxQEe
loading . . .
Judge blocks government from searching data seized from Post reporter
The Post demanded in a court filing Wednesday that federal law enforcement officials return electronic devices the government seized from a staff reporterās home.
https://wapo.st/4jUxQEe
9
232
98
2015: "Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return." 2026: "We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when thereās a relevant sponsored product or service"
3 months ago
0
16
4
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Tatum Hunter
3 months ago
X says Grok account will stop undressing women. I just tested the standalone Grok app, which immediately complied with my request to undress a photo of me. This is illegal, according to the legal experts I spoke with.
61
3233
879
September: Judge in Google's antitrust trial says AI made search more competitive: "there is a genuine prospect that a product could emerge that will present a meaningful challenge to Googleā January: Google signs deal with Apple to power Siri
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
Apple taps Google to power a new Siri and future AI tools
Googleās technology provides the āmost capable foundationā for Appleās future in AI, the companies said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/01/12/apple-google-gemini-ai-siri/
3 months ago
1
2
0
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Department of Journalism, City St George's University of London
3 months ago
Early-career journalist in the UK? Interested in spending 3 months at The Washington Post? What if we drop in another month of travel across the US in this mid-term election year? You can now apply to become our 45th Stern-Bryan Fellow! Details:
lnkd.in/eXuhPH_Y
Trust us, you don't want to miss it!
loading . . .
Stern-Bryan Fellowship | City St George's, University of London
Every year, a British journalist gets the chance to spend three months at the Washington Post.
https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-students/finance/funding/stern-bryan-fellowship
1
4
7
reposted by
Tom Simonite
The Washington Post
3 months ago
E-waste can be transformed into essentials if youāre willing to think outside the box. Hereās some unserious inspiration for how to give your abandoned electronics new life in 2026.
loading . . .
How (not) to recycle those old gadgets
E-waste can be transformed into essentials if youāre willing to think outside the box.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/01/06/recycle-old-gadgets-comic/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
1
14
8
reposted by
Tom Simonite
The Washington Post
4 months ago
Adam Raineās life hurtled toward tragedy soon after he began talking with ChatGPT about homework. Analysis of his ChatGPT account shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
loading . . .
74 suicide warnings and 243 mentions of hanging: What ChatGPT said to a suicidal teen
Analysis of high-schooler Adam Raineās ChatGPT account by attorneys for his parents shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/27/chatgpt-suicide-openai-raine/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
40
637
418
reposted by
Tom Simonite
evy kwong
4 months ago
for privacy 404 media is blurring videos shared to the story but there was a clip we had of a flock condor camera following a man so closely we could see exactly what he was looking at on his phone a must read scoop:
add a skeleton here at some point
2
146
73
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Geoffrey A. Fowler
4 months ago
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
19
13
13
reposted by
Tom Simonite
nitasha tiku
4 months ago
The first lawsuit against OpenAI that claims ChatGPT led to a murder
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
loading . . .
ChatGPT spurred a 56-year-old man to kill his mother, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit against OpenAI alleges that ChatGPT encouraged a manās delusional thinking, leading him to kill his 83-year-old mother and take his own life.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/11/chatgpt-murder-suicide-soelberg-lawsuit/
3
88
57
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Kevin Schaul
4 months ago
How interesting that OpenAI did not have to train a new video model to start generating Disney characters ... :|
https://openai.com/index/disney-sora-agreement/
0
5
3
reposted by
Tom Simonite
The Washington Post
5 months ago
New research suggests AI chatbots can shift peopleās political views more effectively than campaign ads on TV. However, researchers are concerned AI companies could āset the models up to push for one side or another.ā
loading . . .
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://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/04/ai-chatbot-election-campaign/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
11
47
31
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Shira Ovide
5 months ago
I'm just a girl. Again standing in front of a megacap tech company. Asking them to stop using the word "factory" for things that are not factories.
www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-...
loading . . .
Amazon unveils āfrontier agents,ā new chips and private āAI factoriesā in AWS re:Invent rollout
LAS VEGAS ā Amazon is pitching a future where AI works while humans sleep, announcing a collection of what it calls "frontier agents" capable of handling complex, multi-day projects without needing a ...
https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-unveils-frontier-agents-new-chips-and-private-ai-factories-in-aws-reinvent-rollout/
2
18
6
reposted by
Tom Simonite
Karen Attiah
5 months ago
I will never forget having to edit Jamalās final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered. He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
loading . . .
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/jamal-khashoggi-what-the-arab-world-needs-most-is-free-expression/2018/10/17/adfc8c44-d21d-11e8-8c22-fa2ef74bd6d6_story.html
304
24067
9483
Load more
feeds!
log in