1,149 tacks
Your brain explained: Why it’s getting harder to pay attention
Attention is a complex brain function involving three networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. Constant distractions, particularly from digital devices, impair our ability to focus and multitask, leaving us vulnerable to misinformation. The monetisation of attention by tech companies, coupled with the rise of AI-generated content, further complicates our ability to discern truth from fiction.
Student warns against 'shying away' from AI in schools
A NSW Office for Youth poll found 70% of young people use AI regularly for studies and personal life. While AI boosts productivity and creativity, concerns remain about over-reliance, job impact, and environmental concerns. The NSW Advocate for Children and Young People emphasises the need for government and education sector support to address these concerns.
Why I’m embracing the latest uncool thing in gaming
The term “unc” (short for uncle) is used by Gen Z to describe older gamers who prefer slower-paced shooters and narrative games. Keys MacDonald argues that the gaming industry should cater to all generations, including the wealthier, time-poor “unc” demographic. With the average gamer age increasing, the author suggests that it’s okay to create games specifically for older players.
Inside The Rage Machine
Whistleblowers from the social media giants reveal how their companies deliberately built a business model powered by outrage and division, paving the way for radicalisation, real-world violence and fractured societies.
Looksmaxxing: Inside the dangerous trend taking over the feeds of young men | 60 Minutes
Impressionable young men under the spell of a dangerous phenomenon called looksmaxxing.
‘Enshittification’: how we got the internet no one asked for – podcast
Do you ever get the feeling that the internet isn’t what it used to be? Well, tech critic Cory Doctorow thinks you’re right – and he has a term to describe it too: ‘enshittification’. He lays out his three-step theory to Nosheen Iqbal, explaining why sites from Amazon to Google to Instagram seem to offer a worsening experience … and what can be done to stop it.
Is AI the greatest art heist in history?
Generative AI, trained on billions of images scraped from the internet without consent, is seen as a threat to artists and creative industries. The author, an artist, recounts how AI-generated images, resembling their work, began appearing online, leading to job losses and the devaluation of human creativity. The author argues that this is not inevitable progress but a power grab by the tech elite, who view human interaction and creativity as obstacles.
‘It has your name on it, but I don’t think it’s you’: how AI is impersonating musicians on Spotify
Musicians are facing a growing problem of AI-generated impersonation on streaming platforms like Spotify. This issue, which has affected artists across various genres, involves fake albums being uploaded under their names, often with unrelated music. While Spotify acknowledges the problem and is working on solutions, the onus currently falls on artists to monitor and remove these fraudulent tracks.
The Downfall of Skibidi Toilet
Taylor Lorenz examines the growing backlash surrounding Skibidi Toilet after its shift from an internet-native phenomenon into a studio-managed franchise. She explains how DaFuqBoom’s surreal viral series became a massive cultural hit, then lost fan confidence once Invisible Narratives took control and launched Emergence. The video explores the leaked call that deepened the controversy, the #BringBackBoom movement, and the broader tension between online creator culture and Hollywood ownership.
AI influencers are here. Can you spot them?
On this week’s “Galaxy Brain” episode, Charlie Warzel is joined by New York Times technology reporter Tiffany Hsu to discuss the rise of AI influencers—synthetic avatars, often indistinguishable from real people, that are flooding social-media feeds to sell supplements and promote brands. Hsu unpacks her reporting on the combination of forces converging around it, including the wellness industry, a historically fertile ground for scammers. The pair discuss how the volume of synthetic content online is producing a new kind of epistemic exhaustion: a fatigue so deep that many people have simply stopped caring whether what they're seeing is real. So is authenticity already beside the point? And is an audience’s emotional response—rather than the truth behind the image—the only currency that matters?
Showing 121 to 130 of 1149 results