Matthew Chalmers
@matthewchalmers.bsky.social
Computer scientist into Ubicomp, HCI, theory and (a long time ago) data visualisation. Also kind of keen on mountain things, fine food things, and fine food in the mountains.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
The disconnect between management and employee on AI usage is big. At the same time, CEOs are reporting they aren't seeing any revenue growth from AI.
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story.
How much time workers say the technology saves them on the job is vastly different from what executives report.
www.wsj.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:07 PM
The disconnect between management and employee on AI usage is big. At the same time, CEOs are reporting they aren't seeing any revenue growth from AI.
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
"European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions"
We in the climate space have been warning against this for years now. The Adults In The Room all kept insisting we had to switch gas providers for "energy security". Well, look
We in the climate space have been warning against this for years now. The Adults In The Room all kept insisting we had to switch gas providers for "energy security". Well, look
Trump has growing stranglehold over EU and UK energy supply, study shows
European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions
www.theguardian.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:35 AM
"European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions"
We in the climate space have been warning against this for years now. The Adults In The Room all kept insisting we had to switch gas providers for "energy security". Well, look
We in the climate space have been warning against this for years now. The Adults In The Room all kept insisting we had to switch gas providers for "energy security". Well, look
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Think you got this one right, @bobbyllew.bsky.social
January 21, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Think you got this one right, @bobbyllew.bsky.social
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Tips For Using AI https://theonion.com/tips-for-using-ai/
January 20, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Tips For Using AI https://theonion.com/tips-for-using-ai/
Good thing there is no new form of tech development that uses LOTS of water, eh? No, wait…
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says
Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse, says expert
www.theguardian.com
January 21, 2026 at 9:58 AM
Good thing there is no new form of tech development that uses LOTS of water, eh? No, wait…
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
To the council: away and boil yer heid
NEW: Glasgow City Council has just approved a massive AI-generated mural to be painted in the city centre.
The illustration of Scottish elements inexplicably contains a bald eagle.
The planner says those upset about it are "keyboard warriors" who should "calm down"
The illustration of Scottish elements inexplicably contains a bald eagle.
The planner says those upset about it are "keyboard warriors" who should "calm down"
January 20, 2026 at 4:23 PM
To the council: away and boil yer heid
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Majority of CEOs report zero payoff from AI splurge
Majority of CEOs report zero payoff from AI splurge
PwC survey finds more than half of 4,500+ biz leaders see no revenue growth nor cost savings
More than half of CEOs report seeing neither increased revenue nor decreased costs from AI, despite massive investments in the technology, according to a PwC survey of 4,454 business leaders.…
dlvr.it
January 20, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Majority of CEOs report zero payoff from AI splurge
Arf.
OpenAI is still figuring out how to make money, but wants you to believe in it
OpenAI is still figuring out how to make money, but wants you to believe in it
And the world economy might depend on it finding an answer
This week, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar took to the internet to make a bold pitch for the company's future, which she claims is bright, despite what the current numbers say.…
dlvr.it
January 20, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Arf.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
SCOOP: In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said the app's results are a “definitive” determination of someone's immigration status.
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 2:56 PM
SCOOP: In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said the app's results are a “definitive” determination of someone's immigration status.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village
January 19, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Was honored to get the call to be one of The Guardian’s Big Interviews in G2. A thorough and thoughtful piece that digs into the real fundaments of the AI bubble narrative.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Ed Zitron on big tech, backlash, boom and bust: ‘AI has taught us that people are excited to replace human beings’
His blunt, brash scepticism has made the podcaster and writer something of a cult figure. But as concern over large language models builds, he’s no longer the outsider he once was
www.theguardian.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Was honored to get the call to be one of The Guardian’s Big Interviews in G2. A thorough and thoughtful piece that digs into the real fundaments of the AI bubble narrative.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
For all those involved in drafting so-called AI guidelines, but being overwhelmed with nonsense, this is a lifesaver. Great work by Dagmar and Ariel!
Resisting Enchantment and Determinism: How to critically engage with AI university guidelines. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Resisting Enchantment and Determinism: How to critically engage with AI university guidelines. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
January 18, 2026 at 6:47 AM
For all those involved in drafting so-called AI guidelines, but being overwhelmed with nonsense, this is a lifesaver. Great work by Dagmar and Ariel!
Resisting Enchantment and Determinism: How to critically engage with AI university guidelines. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Resisting Enchantment and Determinism: How to critically engage with AI university guidelines. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
January 17, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
So all of the info on Wikipedia is shared under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. Does this mean that MSFT, Meta and Amazon will be making their models freely available?
I wonder how Wikipedia editors and contributors feel about this.
Wikipedia signs AI training deals with Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon
Wikimedia Enterprise signs Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral AI to paid deals.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/...
Wikipedia signs AI training deals with Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon
Wikimedia Enterprise signs Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral AI to paid deals.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/...
Wikipedia will share content with AI firms in new licensing deals
Wikimedia Enterprise signs Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral AI to paid deals.
arstechnica.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:37 PM
So all of the info on Wikipedia is shared under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. Does this mean that MSFT, Meta and Amazon will be making their models freely available?
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
AI may be everywhere, but it's nowhere in recent productivity statistics
AI may be everywhere, but it's nowhere in recent productivity statistics
Forrester principal analyst JP Gownder says jobs eaten by bots don't come back
Interview Analyst firm Forrester’s vice president and principal analyst J. P. Gownder remains unconvinced that AI will revolutionize productivity.…
dlvr.it
January 15, 2026 at 1:19 AM
AI may be everywhere, but it's nowhere in recent productivity statistics
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Let’s check out what hsbc has said in the past!
January 14, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Let’s check out what hsbc has said in the past!
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
“If we conflate the richness of biological brains & human experience with the information-processing machinations of deepfake-boosted chatbots, or whatever the latest AI wizardry is, we do our minds, brains & bodies a grave injustice.”
— @anilseth.bsky.social, winner of @berggruen.org Essay Prize
— @anilseth.bsky.social, winner of @berggruen.org Essay Prize
The Mythology Of Conscious AI | NOEMA
Why consciousness is more likely a property of life than of computation and why creating conscious, or even conscious-seeming AI, is a bad idea.
www.noemamag.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:45 PM
“If we conflate the richness of biological brains & human experience with the information-processing machinations of deepfake-boosted chatbots, or whatever the latest AI wizardry is, we do our minds, brains & bodies a grave injustice.”
— @anilseth.bsky.social, winner of @berggruen.org Essay Prize
— @anilseth.bsky.social, winner of @berggruen.org Essay Prize
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Ignore rosy datacenter expansion projections – there isn't enough power
Ignore rosy datacenter expansion projections – there isn't enough power
Grid and generation capacity are not being added fast enough to support the scale of growth many forecasts assume
A looming shortage of electrical power is set to constrain datacenter expansion, potentially leaving many industry growth forecasts looking overly optimistic.…
dlvr.it
January 14, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Ignore rosy datacenter expansion projections – there isn't enough power
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
New paper by @jessicasilbey.bsky.social & @hartzog.bsky.social: How AI Destroys Institutions. AI systems erode expertise and short-circuit decisions, undermining the transparency and accountability that civic institutions need to survive. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
How AI Destroys Institutions
Civic institutions—the rule of law, universities, and a free press—are the backbone of democratic life. They are the mechanisms through which complex societies
papers.ssrn.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:42 PM
New paper by @jessicasilbey.bsky.social & @hartzog.bsky.social: How AI Destroys Institutions. AI systems erode expertise and short-circuit decisions, undermining the transparency and accountability that civic institutions need to survive. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Bill Watterson is my favorite cartoonist. I adored the relationship btw Calvin and Hobbes as a child. But as I've gotten older, these strips feel even more tender and insightful. My respect for him grew when I learned of his stance against merchandising. Such principles are almost unheard of today.
![Excerpt from Wikipedia reads: "Fight against merchandising his characters
For years, Watterson battled against pressure from publishers to merchandise his work, something that he felt would cheapen his comic through compromising the act of creation or reading.[21][22]
He refused to merchandise his creations on the grounds that displaying Calvin and Hobbes images on commercially sold mugs, stickers, and T-shirts would devalue the characters and their personalities. Watterson said that Universal kept putting pressure on him and that he had signed his contract without fully perusing it because, as a new artist, he was happy just to find a syndicate willing to give him a chance (two other syndicates had previously turned him down). He added that the contract was so one-sided that, if Universal really wanted to, they could license his characters against his will, and could even fire him and continue Calvin and Hobbes with a new artist. Watterson's position eventually won out, and he was able to renegotiate his contract so that he would receive all rights to his work. Later he said that the licensing fight exhausted him and contributed to the need for a nine-month sabbatical in 1991.[23]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ks3gpa6ftoyaq7hmf6c4qx4c/bafkreihmgl3sxrmb5t6edpjnixyanj2rvcf43zdv46mbifhl7hdtmz5u6y@jpeg)
January 14, 2026 at 6:18 AM
Bill Watterson is my favorite cartoonist. I adored the relationship btw Calvin and Hobbes as a child. But as I've gotten older, these strips feel even more tender and insightful. My respect for him grew when I learned of his stance against merchandising. Such principles are almost unheard of today.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Bill Watterson predicted a hell of a lot about today's society and he didn't like any of it which is why he's so reclusive.
January 14, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Bill Watterson predicted a hell of a lot about today's society and he didn't like any of it which is why he's so reclusive.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
Just so we're clear: @economist.com has maintained a special account (which they pay thousands of dollars to Musk for a gold tick) on the sexual abuse software they're describing in their article
They have 25.7 million followers: nearly every post from the last 24hrs has 0-5 RTs.
They have 25.7 million followers: nearly every post from the last 24hrs has 0-5 RTs.
January 14, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Just so we're clear: @economist.com has maintained a special account (which they pay thousands of dollars to Musk for a gold tick) on the sexual abuse software they're describing in their article
They have 25.7 million followers: nearly every post from the last 24hrs has 0-5 RTs.
They have 25.7 million followers: nearly every post from the last 24hrs has 0-5 RTs.
Reposted by Matthew Chalmers
New analysis out today from Rhodium Group showing data centres were one of the major drivers of the first rise in total economy-wide emissions in the US in years
Uncontrolled growth of demand has helped boost coal growth, in conjunction with the LNG export boom ->
rhg.com/research/us-...
Uncontrolled growth of demand has helped boost coal growth, in conjunction with the LNG export boom ->
rhg.com/research/us-...
January 13, 2026 at 3:32 PM
New analysis out today from Rhodium Group showing data centres were one of the major drivers of the first rise in total economy-wide emissions in the US in years
Uncontrolled growth of demand has helped boost coal growth, in conjunction with the LNG export boom ->
rhg.com/research/us-...
Uncontrolled growth of demand has helped boost coal growth, in conjunction with the LNG export boom ->
rhg.com/research/us-...
Let’s go
January 13, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Let’s go