1,135 tacks
People are avoiding the news more but not because they don't care
Young people feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of negative news and feel powerless to change the world. The article also suggests that setting boundaries with news consumption and prioritizing activities that bring joy can help young people cope with the negative impact of news.
Did a human write this?
What happens when the majority of content on the internet tips over into AI slop? On this episode of Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel talks to Max Spero, a co-founder of Pangram, an AI-detection company. They discuss how AI-detection tools work and how effective they can be at identifying what’s made by humans and what comes from a chatbot. They explore the cultural concerns around authenticity in the large-language-model era, and whether detection can keep up as models improve.
Why Rich People Post Differently
Is your Instagram "low class"? While we like to think of the internet as a universal playground, a new digital class war is emerging. From the way you use filters to the number of emojis in your bio, your digital habits are increasingly signaling your socioeconomic status to the world. In this episode of Power User, Taylor Lorenz sit down with etymologist and cultural commentator Adam Aleksic to decode the hidden semiotics of "Low Class Instagram."
Why becoming a YouTuber is not what you think
In this essay, Andres Acevedo examines why YouTube’s dominance, and the power of its parent company Google, is a problem for viewers, creators, and the open internet. YouTube is the world’s second most visited website and perhaps the closest thing the world has ever had to a global broadcaster. But it exists inside one of the most powerful corporate empires ever built: one that has systematically crushed competitors, exploited users, and now faces antitrust proceedings on both sides of the Atlantic. The essay features Acevedo’s interview with Nicholas Shaxson, investigative journalist, Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and co-author of Google’s Hidden Empire.
Why Spotify has no button to filter out AI music
Spotify has no AI-music filter because labelling is technically, ethically and commercially difficult. AI use exists on a spectrum, detection risks false positives, and industry standards remain unsettled. Critics argue Spotify is avoiding transparency to protect growth and recommendation systems. Deezer already labels and limits AI tracks, while Apple and Spotify are testing disclosure features. Listeners increasingly want clearer labels, especially as AI-generated music floods streaming platforms.
‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence
Zine creators are concerned about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in their traditionally handmade art form. While some see AI as a tool to enhance creativity and accessibility, others argue that it undermines the essence of zines, which is their scrappy, handmade nature. The debate centres around whether AI can coexist with the grassroots, DIY ethos of zine culture.
The one change that worked: I swapped doomscrolling for reading comic books
Joel Harley swapped doomscrolling for reading comic books after realising the negative impact of phone use. Rediscovering his childhood love for comics improved sleep, creativity, and overall well-being. This change provided a healthier form of escapism and a sense of accomplishment, boosting their mood and outlook on life.
You’re Not Watching the Show. You’re Watching the Clips.
In this episode of “Galaxy Brain,” Charlie Warzel talks with business writer Ed Elson about the rise of the “clip economy”—the idea that short video clips pulled from podcasts, livestreams, and other long-form content have become the dominant unit of online media, not just a promotional tool. Elson explains how figures like Andrew Tate pioneered armies of paid clippers to flood social platforms with content and how the viewership numbers on clips often perform better than the original shows. Warzel and Elson discuss what this means for legacy media organizations, as well as the broader societal costs of phone-driven attention erosion.
To be human is to live with friction. That’s something AI boosters will never understand | Alexander Hurst
AI’s pursuit of frictionlessness impoverishes the human experience, collapsing the space between what we say and what we know. This pursuit, driven by Silicon Valley’s vision of a seamless world, leads to a spiritual crisis and a devaluation of human labour. The author finds optimism in the growing backlash against AI’s dominance, believing it will lead to a resurgence of humanism
Iran's meme factory is using 'the weapons of their enemy' to embarrass Trump
Iran is using AI-generated memes and videos, particularly in the style of the Lego Movie, to criticise the US and Israel in the ongoing conflict. These videos, often mocking Donald Trump, are quickly produced and widely shared, influencing public opinion and setting the narrative of Iran as the underdog. While the US also engages in propaganda, its approach is criticised for lacking coherence and trivialising the war.
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