Media outlets can't pivot to AI to save themselves. It's not a business strategy and it's not going to work. The only path forward is for journalists to lean into their humanity, to do things AI can't, and to make clear they are writing for people, not algorithms:
404 Media
The Media's Pivot to AI Is Not Real and Not Going to Work
AI is not going to save media companies, and forcing journalists to use AI is not a business model.
In 15 mins we're doing a FOIA FORUM about how we reported a story about cops using AI-powered sockpuppet bots on social media. This is for subscribers only, we'll be taking questions about FOIA, showing examples of our requests, etc. Come hang out!
404 Media
Our New FOIA Forum! 6/18, 1PM ET
Come learn how we got records all about an AI company working with cops.
Scoop: GitHub code shows Trump administration is building a platform to "accelerate" AI across the government called ai.gov that is supposedly going to launch on the Fourth of July
404 Media
GitHub is Leaking Trump’s Plans to 'Accelerate' AI Across Government
A new website and API called AI.gov is set to launch on the Fourth of July.
Airlines sell passenger data to the feds through a separate data broker they spun up and put in the contract that DHS is not allowed to tell anyone that it comes from the airlines:
404 Media
Airlines Don't Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS
A contract obtained by 404 Media shows that an airline-owned data broker forbids the feds from revealing it sold them detailed passenger data.
Extremely interesting story: the Ukraine drones that did this weekend’s massive attack were powered by free open source pilot assistance software
404 Media
Ukraine's Massive Drone Attack Was Powered by Open Source Software
Ukraine used ArduPilot to help it wipe out Russian targets. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.
I talked to 15 teachers/professors about how AI and ChatGPT is ruining their lives:
404 Media
Teachers Are Not OK
AI, ChatGPT, and LLMs "have absolutely blown up what I try to accomplish with my teaching."
Scoop: Texas police used Flock's license plate cameras to search *nationwide* for a woman who had a self-managed abortion. Claim it was "about her safety"
404 Media
A Texas Cop Searched License Plate Cameras Nationwide for a Woman Who Got an Abortion
The sheriff said the woman self-administered the abortion and her family were concerned for her safety, so authorities searched through Flock camer...
SCOOP: ICE, HSI, and DHS are getting side-door access to the nationwide system of Flock license plate cameras by asking local police to perform lookups for them, new public records show. ICE does *not* have a contract to use this surveillance tool itself.
404 Media
ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows
Flock's automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are in more than 5,000 communities around the U.S. Local police are doing lookups in the nati...
FYI: under capitalism your DNA is worth $17
404 Media
23andMe Sale Shows Your Genetic Data Is Worth $17
23andMe sold the genetic data of 15 million people for $256 million to a pharmaceutical company called Regeneron.
NEW: GlobalX, the company doing many deportation flights for ICE, has been hacked. Hackers claim to have stolen flight manifest information and flight details, and have also defaced the website
404 Media
GlobalX, Airline for Trump’s Deportations, Hacked
Hackers say they have obtained what they say are passenger lists for GlobalX flights from January to this month. The data appears to include people...