Austin Smith
@austingreer.bsky.social
Skateboarder
Latest video up on Transworld:
https://www.skateboarding.com/videos/skateboarding-in-melbourne-australia-new-video
Latest video up on Transworld:
https://www.skateboarding.com/videos/skateboarding-in-melbourne-australia-new-video
Pinned
Austin Smith
@austingreer.bsky.social
· Feb 3
It’s my last week living in Australia, and I’m premiering a new video in two days. Excited to share all these memories from the past year
Reposted by Austin Smith
Turns out Just Walk Out was not only fauxtomation but also not a compelling business model.
Amazon's latest pivot: Bye-bye, automated grocery stores
Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery stores and Go convenience stores, the company said Tuesday. It will convert some stores to Whole Foods locations.
www.businessinsider.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Turns out Just Walk Out was not only fauxtomation but also not a compelling business model.
Reposted by Austin Smith
Your unemployed friends at 3 PM on a Tuesday
January 28, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Your unemployed friends at 3 PM on a Tuesday
Reposted by Austin Smith
👀👀👀
jack asked if i would sketch up a poster to tell people in nearby neighborhoods about the partnership between flock and ring, and this is what i came up with. it can be printed on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.
![YOUR RING CAMERA IS AN ICE AGENT
[a drawing of a ring camera with an ice agent dragging a person away in its field of vision]
"In October of 2025, Amazon's Ring announced its partnership with FLOCK, an A.I. surveillance group that freely shares its footage with ICE, the secret service, and the navy. Flock customers can use A.I. tools to sift through footage to assist in all manner of operations (like raids and deportations) without a warrant. Unplug Ring! Melt ICE! Protect your neighbors!
See: https://blog.ring.com/about-ring/ring-expands-community-requests-to-additional-community-safety-partners/
https://www.404media.co/ice-secret-service-navy-all-had-access-to-flocks-nationwide-network-of-cameras/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9MwZkHiMQ
https://www.aclum.org/campaigns-initiatives/get-the-flock-out-resource-guide/](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p2aefnvhb3zmkrazk67dppxw/bafkreic7teyeocg7k5qcqxnc666k7clyiislh2zfi6iopcz6fs3e3lt6xy@jpeg)
January 19, 2026 at 11:05 PM
👀👀👀
Reposted by Austin Smith
It was inevitable.
Amazon's Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, feds, and police | TechCrunch
Agencies that use Flock can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with "evidence collection and investigative work."
techcrunch.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:02 AM
It was inevitable.
Some first try Sunday slop
January 19, 2026 at 7:32 AM
Some first try Sunday slop
Reposted by Austin Smith
"This is how so many will start feeling the climate crisis. Not in abstract charts but in rising insurance renewal notices, with higher excesses and more exclusions. Families will begin agonising over whether they can afford to protect their largest asset."
Cities aren’t safe from the next firestorm
As we face these fires in Victoria, there is deep apprehension among my colleagues in emergency services. We are not just worried about today. Victoria’s most savage fire weather often arrives later i...
www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au
January 19, 2026 at 1:21 AM
"This is how so many will start feeling the climate crisis. Not in abstract charts but in rising insurance renewal notices, with higher excesses and more exclusions. Families will begin agonising over whether they can afford to protect their largest asset."
Reposted by Austin Smith
Thrilled to announce I'm teaming up with Nvidia to create a basket big enough to fit all of humanity's eggs in it
November 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Thrilled to announce I'm teaming up with Nvidia to create a basket big enough to fit all of humanity's eggs in it
Reposted by Austin Smith
Yessssssss
NEW from me: a new report found that national resistance to data centers skyrocketed between March and June of this year—especially in red states like Georgia and Indiana:
The Data Center Resistance Has Arrived
A new report finds that local opposition to data centers skyrocketed in the second quarter of this year.
www.wired.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Yessssssss
Reposted by Austin Smith
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
November 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Reposted by Austin Smith
How is AI *really* impacting jobs?
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
What’s really going on with AI and jobs?
Record-breaking layoff reports, Amazon's mass firings, and a slump in entry level employment. Is AI behind it all?
www.bloodinthemachine.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
How is AI *really* impacting jobs?
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Henley Chiu, the CTO of Revealera, a jobs data analysis firm, analyzed 180 million jobs listings in 2024 and 2025, in an effort to find out. Chiu found an:
-8% drop in all jobs postings
-~30% drop in art, photography, writing jobs
-22% drop in journalism jobs
Dopest thing I’ve ever heard
BREAKING: Former FTC chair Lina Khan to serve as co-chair of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral transition team.
November 5, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Dopest thing I’ve ever heard
Reposted by Austin Smith
“Speaking to Futurism, DAIR director of research Alex Hanna said Amazon’s tech panopticon is ‘central to keeping control” over its workers.’”
Amazon Tells Driver to Keep Delivering Packages Amid Raging Wildfire
Amazon is accused of controlling workers through a surveillance dragnet, while skirting responsibility for their wellbeing.
futurism.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:38 PM
“Speaking to Futurism, DAIR director of research Alex Hanna said Amazon’s tech panopticon is ‘central to keeping control” over its workers.’”
Reposted by Austin Smith
Roomba should have been a warning.
Man Alarmed to Discover His Smart Vacuum Was Broadcasting a Secret Map of His House
One man's robot vacuum was constantly communicating with its manufacturer, sending a detailed 3D map of his house halfway across the world.
futurism.com
October 26, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Roomba should have been a warning.
Reposted by Austin Smith
“…studies show disproportionate targeting when algorithms flag ambiguous matches. Cross-jurisdictional data-sharing also raises fears that local data could be repurposed for abortion or immigration enforcement, even in sanctuary or privacy-protected states.”
Ring’s partnership with Flock raises privacy alarms | Biometric Update
Amazon’s subsidiary Ring is joining forces with Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based maker of automated license-plate readers and networked surveillance cameras.
www.biometricupdate.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:07 PM
“…studies show disproportionate targeting when algorithms flag ambiguous matches. Cross-jurisdictional data-sharing also raises fears that local data could be repurposed for abortion or immigration enforcement, even in sanctuary or privacy-protected states.”
Reposted by Austin Smith
What could go wrong.
Flock’s Gunshot Detection Microphones Will Start Listening for Human Voices
Flock Safety, the police technology company most notable for their extensive network of automated license plate readers spread throughout the United States, is rolling out a new and troubling product ...
www.eff.org
October 2, 2025 at 10:49 PM
What could go wrong.
Reposted by Austin Smith
“Fuck them kids.”
That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
October 3, 2025 at 12:41 AM
“Fuck them kids.”
That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...
Reposted by Austin Smith
“‘We cannot control who sees what, we cannot see what users are doing, and we cannot verify that the software itself is secure,’ the memo says.”
Anduril and Palantir battlefield communication system has deep flaws, Army memo says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The much-needed modernization of the U.S. Army's battlefield communications network being undertaken by Anduril, Palantir and others is rife with "fundamental security" problems ...
www.yahoo.com
October 3, 2025 at 12:05 PM
“‘We cannot control who sees what, we cannot see what users are doing, and we cannot verify that the software itself is secure,’ the memo says.”
Reposted by Austin Smith
Reposted by Austin Smith
The findings “suggest that medical AI tools powered by LLMs have a tendency to not reflect the severity of symptoms among female patients, while also displaying less ‘empathy’ towards Black and Asian ones.”
AI medical tools downplay symptoms in women and ethnic minorities
Large language models reflect biases that can lead to inferior healthcare advice to female, Black and Asian patients
www.ft.com
September 19, 2025 at 1:12 PM
The findings “suggest that medical AI tools powered by LLMs have a tendency to not reflect the severity of symptoms among female patients, while also displaying less ‘empathy’ towards Black and Asian ones.”
Reposted by Austin Smith
Don't worry guys, I have a genius plan to stop political violence.
Step 1: Make elite consensus be that the mild peaceful disapproval be treated as equivalent to violence.
Step 2: Have the government openly violate the law in a manner which proves it nonbinding.
Step 3: Crash the economy.
Step 1: Make elite consensus be that the mild peaceful disapproval be treated as equivalent to violence.
Step 2: Have the government openly violate the law in a manner which proves it nonbinding.
Step 3: Crash the economy.
September 18, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Don't worry guys, I have a genius plan to stop political violence.
Step 1: Make elite consensus be that the mild peaceful disapproval be treated as equivalent to violence.
Step 2: Have the government openly violate the law in a manner which proves it nonbinding.
Step 3: Crash the economy.
Step 1: Make elite consensus be that the mild peaceful disapproval be treated as equivalent to violence.
Step 2: Have the government openly violate the law in a manner which proves it nonbinding.
Step 3: Crash the economy.
Reposted by Austin Smith
"Layered both literally and figuratively on top of the future pathway of the Google internet infrastructure, the sugarcane railway tracks evoke the longevity of colonial infrastructures as well as the ideologies underlying them." – @emmaquilty.bsky.social datasociety.net/points/confr...
September 17, 2025 at 10:43 PM
"Layered both literally and figuratively on top of the future pathway of the Google internet infrastructure, the sugarcane railway tracks evoke the longevity of colonial infrastructures as well as the ideologies underlying them." – @emmaquilty.bsky.social datasociety.net/points/confr...
Reposted by Austin Smith
A Manhattan Project to create exits for venture capital
We’re in a tech race with China– and there’s no area more important to win than on artificial intelligence.
September 12, 2025 at 11:35 PM
A Manhattan Project to create exits for venture capital
Reposted by Austin Smith
oh look at this motherfucker who think he’s too good to be interpolated by state authority
September 12, 2025 at 5:16 AM
oh look at this motherfucker who think he’s too good to be interpolated by state authority
Reposted by Austin Smith
This explains it better than I can
September 10, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This explains it better than I can