Author | Lightnews

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 4h

In my latest story for Inc., I wrote why marketers are increasingly testing "AI personas" and some recent research about LLMs' ability (and inability) to mimic real consumer traits.

I spoke with experts about how they work, where they're being used and what to know about the risks & limitations.

Businesses Are Using AI-Created 'Customers' to Unlock Growth

Brands are finding benefits from connecting with fake customers with AI personas. Here's why this strategy is working.

www.inc.com

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 20h

Trump has been obsessed with nuclear weapons for decades. As Tom says, none of what Trump claims below is accurate. No nation except North Korea has tested nuclear weapons since the 1990s (the last US test was 1992). Russia and China will likely see renewed US nuclear weapons testing as escalatory.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 21h

None of this is correct. Good thing we have a steady hand on "nuclear"

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 6d

This is not only a fun and quick story about the phenomenon of the Louvre heist, but also a smart analysis of how generative AI is altering our default perception of reality —both individually & collectively.

As the piece points out, real photographers will be even more important in the AI era.

Is This Dapper Man Going to Crack the Louvre Heist Case?

www.nytimes.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 10d

Check out my latest story for @fastcompany.com!

I wrote about In Formation, a satirical tech mag that just published its first issue in 25 years. It’s meticulously designed, smartly written and sneakily profound.

Founded in 1998, it's 150 pages of articles, essays, comics and fake ads.

Does Silicon Valley have a sense of humor?

In its new iteration, the satirical magazine In Formation looks to skewer everything from bioethics to AI.

www.fastcompany.com

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Jocelyn Leitzinger @jocelynl.bsky.social · 13d

ChatGPT gave a significant portion of my students the wrong answer to an easy quiz question that everyone used to always get right

I had two groups of students turn in annotated bibliographies that were ChatGPT generated - not a single citation actually existed

This is fine dog meme

Am orangish brown dog sits on a red chair wearing a hat that matches his fur color. A circular table in front of him has a coffee cup on it. Around him, flames roar and smoke covers the ceiling. His speech bubble says "this is fine"

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 16d

Reminds me of the same kind of government-platform communication that Republicans argued against in last year's dual SCOTUS cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton.

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 16d

It's worth reading this interview with the Rutgers prof who studies fascism that was just forced to flee the U.S.

"I think that we can see a lot of the Trump administration’s policies fitting into that kind of theory. So it’s too late for preventative antifascism. I think we’re in a new era."

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 16d

WPP and Google just announced an "expanded partnership" that includes WPP committing to spend $400 million with Google over the next five years.

A blog post about the news gives more details about the partnership. I couldn't help noticing it uses the phrase "bespoke AI" three different times.

WPP and Google forge groundbreaking partnership to redefine marketing with AI | WPP

Five-year partnership expansion will empower brands to create hyper-relevant campaigns in days, not months, magnifying proven results across the integrated marketing and commerce journey

www.wpp.com

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 16d

Just started this Uzbek novel about a French psychologist-poet-technologist who creates what's essentially his own large language model— in the 1980s.

I randomly came across the book a month ago and neat to see it’s now a National Book Award finalist!

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 16d

It’s amazing how all the reporting is just memory-holing this part

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 20d

Another journalist has been illegally arrested. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/10/w...

WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

www.chicagotribune.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 21d

Ironically, people used to think I was irrational pre-pandemic when I explained working in coffee shops has often been better for me than working in an ultra-quiet an office.

Full circle: I've enjoyed WFH flexibility freelancing, but I'm actually prioritizing IRL for my next FT job.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 21d

Seems like too much of the overall narrative about the RTO vs WFH has been around CEOs wanting people back in the office and employees wanting to work remotely.

I think the debate ignores people who actually wish they had an office but don't have one when their company is 100% remote.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 21d

I know I'm an outlier, but I’ve truly missed having an office the past five years.

Instead of seeing commuting as a burden, I see it as a healthy buffer for creating a work-life balance and spending more time around people vs being home alone all day as an extrovert.

How Much Pay Will Workers Sacrifice for Remote Work?

A new study of tech workers offers an answer: quite a lot.

www.wsj.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 21d

Glad to hear some people still believe in the first amendment.

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 21d

A federal judge in Illinois has ordered the Trump administration to stop beating, shooting at, and generally using violence against journalists and peaceful protesters. trib.al/4ZfMWqA

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · 21d

New AI policy scoop from me:

I dug through lobbying disclosures and online ad-spending to see which tech groups are trying to get NY's governor to veto an AI safety bill.

I also interviewed the RAISE Act's co-sponsors for their POV on the bill's urgency & their thoughts on heavy tech opposition.

An intense battle over the RAISE Act is entering its final stretch

New York State's AI bill is more ambitious than California’s SB 53 — and is facing opposition from Andreessen Horowitz and other tech groups

www.transformernews.ai

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · Sep 26

U.S. intelligence officials have published a document every four years that predicts what challenges the country and the world will face. Past editions warned of threats that came to pass, including the risk of a pandemic. Tulsi Gabbard’s office is eliminating the group that compiles the report.

Gabbard Ends Intelligence Report on Future Threats to U.S.

Some issues in the document, which is issued every four years, had become politically inconvenient, former officials said.

nyti.ms

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 26

My latest story for Inc. looks at why Insulet and Pantone created a custom yellow-orange for the Omnipod insulin pump.

The pivot to “Omnipod Mango” aims to stand out in a sea of blue med tech brands. It's also to shift how people with diabetes are seen in pop culture — and how they see themselves.

Want to Change How People Think About Your Product? Pick the Right Color

Medical device maker Insulet's new collaboration with Pantone aims to shift sentiment. Here's why it may work.

www.inc.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 26

Love this idea! A native Minnesotan now in NYC, it'd be awesome to pitch an idea for this I still lived in my home state.

Excited to read what you publish for the project!

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 22

Google and the DOJ are back in court today to begin the remedies phase of the ad tech antitrust trial.

For today's @nytimes.com Dealbook, I wrote a preview of the case, what's at stake, and the various private lawsuits recently filed by Google's ad tech rivals. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/b...

H-1B Visa Upheaval Roils Companies and Geopolitics

www.nytimes.com

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Joshua Erlich @joshuaerlich.bsky.social · Sep 19

this is absolutely wild

the court *sua sponte* dismisses the case for violating Rule 8(a)

so that means the court, all on its own, looked at the complaint and said it's too long, too scattershot, too arbitrary to even count as a complaint. *never* seen this happen to a private party with counsel.

This complaint stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements of Rule 8. This action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner. The complaint is STRUCK with leave to amend within twenty-eight days. The amended complaint must not exceed forty pages, excluding only the caption, the signature, and any attachment.

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 19

“Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr built his brand in part by warning against government meddling in ‘free speech’ — now it appears he’s using his office to do just that.”

www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/p...

FCC Chair Carr’s calls for Kimmel punishment undercuts years of defending | CNN Politics

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr built his brand in part by warning against government meddling in “free speech” — now it appears he’s using his office to do just that. he’s accuse...

www.cnn.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 12

How did this story not mention CBS a single time or anything that’s happened at the network the past few months????

In other words, if this deal goes through, CNN and CBS would be owned by the same parent company. www.wsj.com/business/med...

Exclusive | Paramount Skydance Prepares Ellison-Backed Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

The bid will be for the entire company, including its cable networks and movie studio, according to people familiar with the situation.

www.wsj.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 10

Weinstein has no experience overseeing news coverage and is the former chief exec of a right-leaning policy think tank.

“Installing an ombudsman at CBS News was one of Skydance’s commitments to the Trump administration this year when the company sought approval for its merger with Paramount.”

CBS Taps Conservative Policy Veteran for New Ombudsman Role

www.nytimes.com

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Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 9

ICYMI: Here's my first article for Inc., which looks at the ups & downs one startup went through on the road to creating a new agentic marketing tech platform.

Marty Swant @martyswant.bsky.social · Sep 8

Excited to share my first freelance story Inc Magazine!

Today’s digital feature is about how the marketing tech startup Knotch rebuilt its platform with AI agents — and why the startup chose to disrupt its own business model in the process.

www.inc.com/marty-swant/...

This Startup’s First AI Agent Tool Flopped. Its Second One Has Zoom and Zillow Swooning

While most companies overpromise on AI, Knotch’s journey shows how startups can create genuinely useful tools that deliver real value.

www.inc.com