Thanks for the courage, Brian! Just signed up for the year and will share. I am a tech entrepreneur who believes tech should serve humans and society at large, and a lot needs to change for that to happen.
Thank YOU, and I think *most* tech workers and entrepreneurs feel that way; we must stop the ship from being commandeered by a handful of (admittedly ultra powerful) men who don't.
I'm an artist and I was first introduced to your work in a Facebook group called Artists Against Generative AI. That led me to your book. I borrowed Blood In the Machine from my local library and have started reading it. I never thought a book would unite my growing interest in resisting Big Tech and Georgian England, but you wrote it, so thank you!
My hope is that companies like OpenAI, Meta and Google cozying up to Trump will lead to people and companies boycotting their genAI products.
This is awesome—I’m going to leave the company where I’ve been painstakingly climbing the corporate ladder for 20 years to become an art therapist specifically for the folks who’ve lost their careers and jobs due to AI and offshoring (just like at the company I’m leaving where over a third of the specialists took a severance package this past year).
EVERYONE I explain this next career pivot to loves this idea. They recognize the 4 alarm fire we are watching storm through society, the repercussions of which are unprecedented but immediate nonetheless.
To be held hostage by both a government AND a work sector by the same group of techbros that are raping the same system that feeds their greed is a problem no one was prepared for. Yet here we are.
The visionaries saw it coming. But since conspiracy theories and magical thinking have been the bane of social media for over a decade, so they were shunted aside as shrill ingrates and out of touch crazies.
The next few years will make or break us as a powerful force in the world. If we have that long.
This was a compelling piece. even though I'm in NZ and we get an insane amount of U.S. news and commentary already, too much tbf, I believe in what you're doing, that you have a unique set of skills & experience to actually do it well and that it's important work that needs to happen- now, more than ever. Subscribed (annual) -- you'll already know this, but some/most tech companies reimburse their tech workers subscriptions for tech-related educational material, I know my company does.
I'm sorry to hear that you haven’t been sleeping much, but at the same time it's confirmation that this is all very serious. I've been experiencing a gnawing anxiety of a quality I've never experienced before. I guess I'm saying it's reassuring to know it's just not me, and that I'm not crazy. Thanks for your important work here!
Congratulations and best of luck in this full-time job, Brian. I admire your writing and values.
If it’s helpful, I’d be glad to feature any of these folks in my “AI, Software, and Wetware” interview series - one of my key goals is to elevate the voices and share the stories of those being affected by AI:
“I got a bunch of queries—from phD students, translators and writers whose livelihoods have been hollowed out by AI, an artist who maintains a repository of information for other artists concerned about AI, an environmentalist, even a farmer in Southeast Asia.”
I applaud this, and promise I’ll be a subscriber if my current job situation (ie. lack of one) changes, but I’ll have to be a free rider until then. My industry, video games, is going through an unprecedented number of layoffs, and the current landscape is grim. The accelerated development of massive plagiarism machines designed to replace creative labor is certainly not going to improve things. The work you’re doing is super important right now.
Your work has never been more important, in an age where very many only see the red of their party, and are blinded to the blood that is their machine.
Subscribed annually! I'm a SWE currently working at AI drug discovery startup, but been looking into getting further involved in community building and developing tech "better" (wrote my own post on participatory methods in AI not too long ago, was very fun to research). Excited to see more of your work!
Subscribed! Important work, keep going!
Thanks so much – hammers up!
Thanks for the courage, Brian! Just signed up for the year and will share. I am a tech entrepreneur who believes tech should serve humans and society at large, and a lot needs to change for that to happen.
Thank YOU, and I think *most* tech workers and entrepreneurs feel that way; we must stop the ship from being commandeered by a handful of (admittedly ultra powerful) men who don't.
I'm an artist and I was first introduced to your work in a Facebook group called Artists Against Generative AI. That led me to your book. I borrowed Blood In the Machine from my local library and have started reading it. I never thought a book would unite my growing interest in resisting Big Tech and Georgian England, but you wrote it, so thank you!
My hope is that companies like OpenAI, Meta and Google cozying up to Trump will lead to people and companies boycotting their genAI products.
Keep up the good work and God bless!
This is what I love to hear! And I hope so too — thanks so much Jasmine, let's see what we can do. 🤖🔨❤️
This is awesome—I’m going to leave the company where I’ve been painstakingly climbing the corporate ladder for 20 years to become an art therapist specifically for the folks who’ve lost their careers and jobs due to AI and offshoring (just like at the company I’m leaving where over a third of the specialists took a severance package this past year).
EVERYONE I explain this next career pivot to loves this idea. They recognize the 4 alarm fire we are watching storm through society, the repercussions of which are unprecedented but immediate nonetheless.
To be held hostage by both a government AND a work sector by the same group of techbros that are raping the same system that feeds their greed is a problem no one was prepared for. Yet here we are.
The visionaries saw it coming. But since conspiracy theories and magical thinking have been the bane of social media for over a decade, so they were shunted aside as shrill ingrates and out of touch crazies.
The next few years will make or break us as a powerful force in the world. If we have that long.
Thank you for taking this on. <3
Well I love this — best of luck, and keep us posted how it goes, and keep fighting the good fight.
Subscribed for a monthly subscription! Looking forward to the upcoming content .
Many thanks. Oh it's coming....
This was a compelling piece. even though I'm in NZ and we get an insane amount of U.S. news and commentary already, too much tbf, I believe in what you're doing, that you have a unique set of skills & experience to actually do it well and that it's important work that needs to happen- now, more than ever. Subscribed (annual) -- you'll already know this, but some/most tech companies reimburse their tech workers subscriptions for tech-related educational material, I know my company does.
Thanks so much Ron — and that's great, I should point that out too. All the best, here we go
I'm sorry to hear that you haven’t been sleeping much, but at the same time it's confirmation that this is all very serious. I've been experiencing a gnawing anxiety of a quality I've never experienced before. I guess I'm saying it's reassuring to know it's just not me, and that I'm not crazy. Thanks for your important work here!
I think we are far from alone on that count, alas! Hang in, and thanks for the kind words!
Take my money!
There's no vote of confidence like the one from an old newspaperman — I look forward to many fruitful days of yelling at Google together
Congratulations and best of luck in this full-time job, Brian. I admire your writing and values.
If it’s helpful, I’d be glad to feature any of these folks in my “AI, Software, and Wetware” interview series - one of my key goals is to elevate the voices and share the stories of those being affected by AI:
“I got a bunch of queries—from phD students, translators and writers whose livelihoods have been hollowed out by AI, an artist who maintains a repository of information for other artists concerned about AI, an environmentalist, even a farmer in Southeast Asia.”
Ah thanks so much Karen — indeed, appreciate it.
I don't know if they'd want me sharing their info but if they see this comment perhaps they'll get in touch!
That would be perfect :)
I applaud this, and promise I’ll be a subscriber if my current job situation (ie. lack of one) changes, but I’ll have to be a free rider until then. My industry, video games, is going through an unprecedented number of layoffs, and the current landscape is grim. The accelerated development of massive plagiarism machines designed to replace creative labor is certainly not going to improve things. The work you’re doing is super important right now.
It's rough out there, tell me about it. Thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence; we're all doing what we can here — hammers up.
I’d love to support in another way, which doesn’t give Substack any money. Is there a way to fund you outside of here?
You can support my podcast with Paris, System Crash, on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/systemcrashpod
Drop a line if you do, I have some gift subs
I’m grateful for your reporting. Thanks!
Subscribed. Hammers up
Many thanks — onwards and upwards!
Your work has never been more important, in an age where very many only see the red of their party, and are blinded to the blood that is their machine.
Thanks Roman — so very much appreciated.
Subscribed annually! I'm a SWE currently working at AI drug discovery startup, but been looking into getting further involved in community building and developing tech "better" (wrote my own post on participatory methods in AI not too long ago, was very fun to research). Excited to see more of your work!
Let's do this 🔥🔥🔥
Hell yeah — hammers up.