Mark Hurst

AI is central to this illegal war.

New from me -
https://buttondown.com/creativegood/archive/ai-and-the-illegal-war/

“The oligarchs are now floating the hype that their AI, used in the illegal war, is ‘precise’ and can ‘prioritize targets.’ I invite them to look at the photos of the schoolgirls’ coffins - then tell me again about ‘precision.’”

New from me - AI and the illegal war […]

From my newest Techtonic, with @WFMU station manager Ken Freedman. This after I played the clip of Sam Altman talking about "training human beings."

Please pledge to WFMU to support my (volunteer) show:
https://pledge.wfmu.org/donate/TD

Full episode […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]

There are over 600 comments submitted on Reflect Orbital's filing at the FCC!! That's amazing, especially given how hard the FCC has made the submission process.

If you want to submit your own comment (on this or SpaceX's million sat filing), there's still a few more days to do that, and […]

RE: https://c.im/@mlupica/116142863923930650

This is the way.

A new space race could turn our atmosphere into a ‘crematorium for satellites’ Planned ‘megaconstellations’ of satellites could cause unforeseen harm to the ozone layer and climate systems. Global regulation is needed before it’s too late.

New article out about what a million satellites could do to our atmosphere. It's bad. https://theconversation.com/a-new-space-race-could-turn-our-atmosphere-into-a-crematorium-for-satellites-276366

“Zuck claims that users appreciate his platforms because they’re *valuable*. It’s like the intrinsic value of a slot machine, or a cigarette, or a crack pipe. Addicts the world over are so thankful for the *value* they experience every day.”

New from me […]

Remember when teams tried to make the customer experience *better*?

That was a different time.

"MTA to blast 75-decibel ads in subways in latest disruption for NYC commuters — and agency barely makes money off them" […]

RE: https://mastodon.social/@markhurst/116030766941879660

With the news of AI being jammed into nuclear weapons systems, this unfortunately is looking even more relevant:

Trending / Notifications (with "40" shown) / Lists

Mastodon question: any idea why my notifications are stuck at 40? I've viewed them, scrolled through them, etc. - have logged out and logged back in - yet the number will not change or disappear.

I'm celebrating 400 episodes of Techtonic - with handpicked excerpts of past interviews, featuring @jasonkoebler @writearthur @byrontau & more.

Full episode:
https://techtonic.fm/episodes/2026-02-23-celebrating-400-episodes-of-techtonic/

"Why aren’t we seeing.. calls for Bill Gates to be removed from the Gates Foundation?"

Important piece by @timschwab , who has been warning about Gates for years:
https://timschwab.substack.com/p/the-epstein-files-should-end-bill

3/ thread continues here
https://mastodon.social/@markhurst/116099164278376536

RE: https://mastodon.social/@markhurst/116110699512246549

Sweden already dialed back technology use in school classrooms and apologized to the young generation affected by this in-the-wild experiment. I'm increasingly worried that the introduction of GenAI will have the same effect on […]

Google’s work in schools aims to create a ‘pipeline of future users,’ internal documents say A major lawsuit revealed details of Google's business motivations to get its products into schools. A Google spokesperson said the documents "mischaracterize our work."

@markhurst All according to plan: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/google-schools-aims-pipeline-future-users-internal-documents-rcna255175

Now THAT's a headline.

"The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents"

#edtech #education […]

Remove Your Ring Camera With a Claw Hammer Home and life improvement.

"You want to point a freaking camera at every postal worker and cookie-selling Girl Scout and dinner party attendee that approaches your door? What is this, a house, or a prison?"

This whole piece by Hamilton Nolan is excellent.
https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/remove-your-ring-camera-with-a-claw

P.S. It turns out that people are already beginning to get rid of surveillance cameras, both in Virginia and in San Diego. Excellent coverage by
@brianmerchant
-
https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/across-the-us-people-are-dismantling

Thus my conclusion, and the title of the essay.

**It's time to get rid of networked cameras.**
https://buttondown.com/creativegood/archive/its-time-to-get-rid-of-networked-cameras/

Right now. While Americans are paying attention. And before it's too late.

/EOT

Results:

Anywhere you go will be recorded.

Anything you say will be recorded.

Anyone you’re with will be identified.

All of this will be analyzed and stored indefinitely, and you’ll have no access to it.

If you express any dissent with the authoritarian, your privileges can be revoked.

14/

Similarly, a citywide - or national - system of networked cameras serves Silicon Valley first (with all the surveillance profits) and the regime close behind.

It's no coincidence that the Dept of Homeland Security just signed a $1 billion contract with Palantir […]

Let me put it plainly: **Networked cameras in church serve the regime.** Do I need to spell it out for you, why authoritarians might like to know who’s available for kidnapping on a Sunday morning?

12/

Consider a church/temple/mosque. Someone comes in hoping for a moment of peace & respite - not realizing that they're being recorded and analyzed by a 3-trillion-dollar company.

Really, is there anything more demonic?

11/

The thing about Big Tech cameras is that they send all the footage to the tech company *first*, before anyone else gets access. That way the tech co can conduct analysis, then sell premium subscription access to the footage, or just delete it and claim "privacy." But the tech co got its data.

10/

A key concept here is that the problem is **networked** cameras. There's nothing wrong with a security camera, if a shop or a school or whatever wants to get footage of a break-in - the footage just needs to be accessible *only* by the organization itself.

9/

Surveillance cameras are also being sold to organizations for use on their premises, so that tech companies can get data on residents - shoppers - even worshippers at religious services. (More on that in a minute.)

Point is that surveillance cameras aren't just on individual homeowners' doors.

8/

All of Big Tech is getting in on this. Amazon has Ring, Google has nest, and Apple - in addition to its Watch (surveillance) and iPhone (surveillance) devices - is reportedly working on its own doorbell camera, using FaceID to identify anyone in view.

But that's not all.

7/

Specifically, the business model is to:
- spy on people in their day-to-day lives
- analyze the data & draw conclusions
- monetize that knowledge by selling access to advertisers & authoritarians
- promote a culture of fear and suspicion in society, so as to increase dependence on surveillance

6/

The actual problem, of course, is that **people don't want to live in a surveillance state**. Yet that is Ring's business model (and Amazon's) - encouraging people to install surveillance devices in their homes, on their bodies, etc. for the benefit of the Big Tech company that owns the devices.

5/

The NYT interviewed the Ring founder today about the ad. He said that “maybe people were ‘triggered’ by an image in the ad that showed blue rings radiating out from suburban homes.”

As Chris Gilliard says: right, the MAP is the problem.

Gift link […]