- Future Fatigue: How Hype has Replaced Hope in the 21st Century – The text discusses how AI hype has overshadowed critical thinking and political imagination in the 21st century. It emphasizes the need for collaborative oversight and regulation of AI technologies to prevent power consolidation and societal division. The author warns against blindly believing in AI’s transformative potential and advocates for a more thoughtful and democratic approach to its development and implementation.
- The business of Erewhon – Erewhon, a Los Angeles grocery, has been mentioned at least twice on Follow the Rabbit. This piece from Vogue Business provides an excellent description of what’s behind the buzz.
- The “experts” of that AI 2027 scenario – Timnit Gebru points out that some of the experts consulted for that AI 2027 scenario going around have a strong affiliation with the TESCREAL circles. She and her colleagues at DAIR are also hosting a virtual workshop next Friday (11th): DAIR Presents: Imagining Possible Futures.
Pessimism is a cop-out
But “if we can recognise that change and uncertainty are basic principles,” as the futurist and environmentalist Hazel Henderson put it, “we can greet the future… with the understanding that we do not know enough to be pessimistic.”
– via Oliver Burkeman’s The Imperfectionist: Three ideas for turbulent times
Links for 13/2025
- Your Simple Guide To Every AI Tool in 9 Minutes – Tyler Cowen on the models and LLM products he uses
- In conversation with Alexi Gunner – Alexi Gunner, a strategist and writer, discussing culture, trends, and brand-building. Alexi shares insights on sustainable fashion, cyberpunk novels, and ways to incorporate play into daily life. He also touches on the influence of trends on brand-building efforts and the importance of understanding cultural undercurrents.
- Everyone’s a Part-Timer: An interview with Cam Diamond of ITM – Cam Diamond is a designer exploring fragmented identities and taste in the modern era, leading to the creation of ITM, a CRM platform for brands. He emphasizes the importance of design in creating meaningful products and experiences, advocating for better design education and collaboration between design and engineering. Cam shares his taste in music, cars, favorite hangout spots, and current reading material, offering insights into his personal preferences and inspirations.
Subtleties of Service
I’ve been posting stuff from Jeff Staple for almost twenty years. Here he’s brought together a great group of people from different fields to have a discussion about, what I would call, a mindset of service. Some are in the hospitality industry, others are from streetwear, and even coaching.
Dave Karpf on the Networked State
The Nerd Reich Podcast: The Network State with Brooke Harrington and Dave Karpf
This podcast episode delves into the alarming rise of “network states,” a concept promoted by some tech billionaires aiming to replace traditional governance with tech-driven systems. The discussion features economic sociologist Brooke Harrington and internet politics expert Dave Karpf, who dissect the motivations and potential consequences of this movement.
Also read Dave Karpf’s essay ‘The Tech Barons have a blueprint drawn in crayon. They have not thought any of this through.’, in which he demolishes Balaji Srinivasan’s 2022 book, The Network State.