How to burst the AI bubble: Strike at its roots
Last year we featured a lengthy interview with tech journalist/science fiction author Cory Doctorow about his book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It. The prolific Doctorow is back with a provocative new book that serves as a follow-up of sorts, focusing on AI and related issues: The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI. Doctorow doesn't actually enjoy talking about AI, but he's constantly being asked to comment on it. "I made the tactical error of b
Tech journalist Cory Doctorow argues in his new book that the AI industry is built on hype and unsustainable spending rather than practical applications, comparing it to previous tech bubbles but on a much larger scale. He distinguishes between using AI as a helpful tool, which he supports, and replacing workers with AI systems while maintaining human accountability for errors, which he views as creating exploitative arrangements. Doctorow contends that major tech firms are heavily invested in promoting AI narratives to appear as growth stocks rather than mature companies, and that this bubble will eventually collapse when investors realize the economics do not support the current spending levels. The book serves as a follow-up to his previous work on how firms without constraints tend toward harmful outcomes, applying similar logic to understand why powerful people find AI appealing despite its practical limitations.
One short email a day with the stories that matter. Free. Unsubscribe with one click.
Want to go deeper than the news? Explore live, cohort-based AI courses taught by practitioners.
Browse AI courses on Maven
Nvidia is reportedly preparing to fire Jensen Huang
Nvidia's board is preparing to dismiss CEO Jensen Huang following a report from the New York Times about a second alleged extramarital affair, just days after he admitted to a separate affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy, The Wall Street Journal reports. The second alleged affair was with an executive who reports to him, Nvidia's vice president of health care, Kimberly Powell, according to the Times, saying the two may have been captured on video "being affectionate
Also reported by TechCrunch
The unfolding Jensen Huang scandal: a timeline
The affair could have ramifications for national security as the U.S. and China race to develop the most advanced AI infrastructure.
Jensen Huang accused of having another affair, with an Nvidia exec
Jensen Huang, who has come under fire for admitting to an affair with a woman accused of being a Chinese intelligence agent, has been accused of having a separate affair with an Nvidia subordinate.
Congress to call Jensen Huang in to answer for alleged Chinese spy affair
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has until the end of the day Wednesday to answer a call from House Republicans for a closed-door briefing on his affair with alleged Chinese spy.
A 13-Year-Old Asked AI About Suicide on Her School Laptop. It Didn’t Get Flagged for Weeks
The young girl’s parents allege that she used Gemini via her school Chromebook to plan her suicide, but the school’s monitoring systems didn’t know until it was almost too late.
Nvidia is investigating Jensen Huang’s relationship with a Chinese spy
Nvidia has announced that it is opening an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang and his relationship with Megaspeed executive Alice Huang, who was reportedly recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to spy on the company. A statement posted by the board of directors reads: The NVIDIA Board is initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. A committee of independe
Also reported by TechCrunch, Wired AI and Data Center Knowledge