Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers.
Union growth
AI and the future of work
GPT-5 and irrational exuberance
“What’s happening now is that people are wildly overattributing an intelligence to GPT-4 that isn’t there, and then scaling up that further into something that is some kind of total fantasy about GPT-5.”
Video Brutally Takes Down the AI Hype Wave
“See, tech companies are powered by hype. It’s not enough to be profitable.”
“That fear is a tech bro fantasy, designed to distract you from the real risk of AI: that a bunch of dumb companies are lying about what their broken tech can do so they can trick you into using a worse version of things we already have, all while stealing the work of real people to do it.”
“That fear is a tech bro fantasy, designed to distract you from the real risk of AI: that a bunch of dumb companies are lying about what their broken tech can do so they can trick you into using a worse version of things we already have, all while stealing the work of real people to do it.”
Using the DoNotPay ChatGPT Plugin to cancel my gym membership.
In the future, generative AI will be used to resign from unions. (More here: donotpay.com)
Campaigning, organising and digital/social media
Trump is no longer the social media king
Why the former president’s arrest was a whimper, not a roar, on Twitter, a platform designed for these moments.
2022 Political Tech Landscape Report
“The political tech ecosystem has reached a maturation point that brings an increasing need for improvements in data infrastructure and talent management. “
Biden’s digital strategy: an army of influencers
President Biden’s not-yet-official bid for re-election will lean on hundreds of social media “influencers” who will tout Biden’s record — and soon may have their own briefing room at the White House.
UK workers exposed to risks of AI revolution, warns TUC
The UK government is failing to protect workers against the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence systems that will increasingly determine hiring and firing, pay and promotion, the Trades Union Congress warned.
2020 The Sequel: Dark Brandon Rises
The President starts his re-election bid with a digital campaign machine that makes his opponents look amateur (includes a paywall)
Early use cases for AI in politics & campaigns – Higher Ground Labs
Early uses cases for artificial intelligence in politics and campaigns.
How campaigns are working with creators & influencers
Paid partnerships on Instagram and TikTok are growing in politics and advocacy. Here’s how they work
Saudi Arabia Owns Stake in Firm That Bought Democratic Party’s Campaign Tech
The Saudis had also invested in the private equity firm that sold off the tech companies that power Democratic campaigns.
Media, news and culture
Secrets, lies, and extremism
The big story that popped overnight was the Washington Post’s exclusive interview with a teenager who helped share the Pentagon’s top-secret briefing documents in a right-wing gun-worshiping chatroom on Discord, an internet platform regularly used by gamers. The following phrase, describing the memb…