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Ronan Farrow

@RonanFarrow • 970,515 subscribers

Pulitzer-winning investigative journo @newyorker. Documentaries @hbo. Ex-diplomat. Bad lawyer. Disused PhD. Tips: [email protected].

Shorts

(🧵1/11) For the past year and a half, I've been investigating OpenAI and Sam Altman for The New Yorker. With my coauthor Andrew Marantz, I reviewed never-before-disclosed internal memos, obtained 200+ pages of documents related to a close colleague, including extensive private notes, and interviewed more than 100 people. OpenAI was founded on the premise that A.I. could be the most dangerous invention in human history—and that its C.E.O. would need to be a person of uncommon integrity. We lay out the most detailed account yet of why Altman was ousted out by board members and executives who came to believe he lacked that integrity, and ask: were they right to allege that he couldn't be trusted? A thread on some of of our findings:

(🧵1/11) For the past year and a half, I've been investigating OpenAI and Sam Altman for The New Yorker. With my coauthor Andrew Marantz, I reviewed never-before-disclosed internal memos, obtained 200+ pages of documents related to a close colleague, including extensive private notes, and interviewed more than 100 people. OpenAI was founded on the premise that A.I. could be the most dangerous invention in human history—and that its C.E.O. would need to be a person of uncommon integrity. We lay out the most detailed account yet of why Altman was ousted out by board members and executives who came to believe he lacked that integrity, and ask: were they right to allege that he couldn't be trusted? A thread on some of of our findings:

8,545,689 次观看

Donned my extra-serious formalwear for the RuPaul's Drag Race semi-finals. 8p MTV.

Donned my extra-serious formalwear for the RuPaul's Drag Race semi-finals. 8p MTV.

166,896 次观看

Videos

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Grindr is training its AI on your photos, your age, and your taps by default, without asking. I looked into the company’s record with user data, and where they put the off switch.

Grindr is training its AI on your photos, your age, and your taps by default, without asking. I looked into the company’s record with user data, and where they put the off switch.

471,377 次观看 • 10 天前

Georgia audited its own data center tax breaks and found that the state gave up $474 million in sales taxes in one year—and got back just $41 million from the industry. At least 38 states have deals like this. (It's not clear whether all that money the state waived was needed to attract the construction: in Georgia's case, by the state's own estimate, 70% of the data center construction would have happened anyway.)

Georgia audited its own data center tax breaks and found that the state gave up $474 million in sales taxes in one year—and got back just $41 million from the industry. At least 38 states have deals like this. (It's not clear whether all that money the state waived was needed to attract the construction: in Georgia's case, by the state's own estimate, 70% of the data center construction would have happened anyway.)

555,724 次观看 • 1 个月前

My 18-month investigation into Sam Altman and OpenAI in The New Yorker, with Andrew Marantz, is out now. Read here: Thread on a few of the key findings here:

My 18-month investigation into Sam Altman and OpenAI in The New Yorker, with Andrew Marantz, is out now. Read here: Thread on a few of the key findings here:

1,933,142 次观看 • 6 个月前

Studies now present a striking picture of what happens when private equity firms acquire hospitals and nursing homes: predictable increases in harm and deaths. One landmark study shows: patient deaths up about 11% after such acquisitions.

Studies now present a striking picture of what happens when private equity firms acquire hospitals and nursing homes: predictable increases in harm and deaths. One landmark study shows: patient deaths up about 11% after such acquisitions.

622,190 次观看 • 3 个月前

Private schools, even ones subsidized by your tax dollars, don't have to take every child. In Texas, of 257 voucher schools surveyed by the Texas Observer, fewer than a dozen said they offer special education. Children the system won't take land back in public schools. And those schools—which do have to take every child—are in crisis, from low reading and math scores to widespread chronic absenteeism.

Private schools, even ones subsidized by your tax dollars, don't have to take every child. In Texas, of 257 voucher schools surveyed by the Texas Observer, fewer than a dozen said they offer special education. Children the system won't take land back in public schools. And those schools—which do have to take every child—are in crisis, from low reading and math scores to widespread chronic absenteeism.

120,417 次观看 • 29 天前

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation requiring large businesses to try to connect you with a human within 15 minutes of asking, or schedule a callback—taking effect in 2027. It's part of a wave of state measures targeting the administrative and financial burden of the "annoyance economy.”

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation requiring large businesses to try to connect you with a human within 15 minutes of asking, or schedule a callback—taking effect in 2027. It's part of a wave of state measures targeting the administrative and financial burden of the "annoyance economy.”

65,419 次观看 • 17 天前

More than 70% of U.S. employers may digitally monitor workers—the most invasive tools log your keystrokes, sites you visit, and files you open, and can even score your “productivity” against coworkers. Do you know if your employer's watching?

More than 70% of U.S. employers may digitally monitor workers—the most invasive tools log your keystrokes, sites you visit, and files you open, and can even score your “productivity” against coworkers. Do you know if your employer's watching?

190,618 次观看 • 2 个月前

Yesterday, a federal judge barred Elon Musk's lawyers from arguing that AI could threaten humanity in his lawsuit against OpenAI. OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit focused on developing AI safely. But our recent The New Yorker investigation documented how some researchers at the company have raised concerns about safety being sidelined.

Yesterday, a federal judge barred Elon Musk's lawyers from arguing that AI could threaten humanity in his lawsuit against OpenAI. OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit focused on developing AI safely. But our recent The New Yorker investigation documented how some researchers at the company have raised concerns about safety being sidelined.

255,880 次观看 • 5 个月前

When Sam Altman was reinstated at OpenAI after an outside law firm investigation, no report about what was found was ever released. That’s because none was written. More in my full The New Yorker investigation:

When Sam Altman was reinstated at OpenAI after an outside law firm investigation, no report about what was found was ever released. That’s because none was written. More in my full The New Yorker investigation:

223,413 次观看 • 6 个月前

Since so many of you responded to my thread about surveillance pricing—here's a full breakdown, with visuals, on how companies use your personal data to manipulate prices in real-time:

Since so many of you responded to my thread about surveillance pricing—here's a full breakdown, with visuals, on how companies use your personal data to manipulate prices in real-time:

295,263 次观看 • 8 个月前

ICE just reactivated its contract with an Israeli firm that makes phone-hacking spyware. Here's what you should know. #spyware #hacking #ICE #USA #news

ICE just reactivated its contract with an Israeli firm that makes phone-hacking spyware. Here's what you should know. #spyware #hacking #ICE #USA #news

438,528 次观看 • 1 年前

This week, OpenAI disclosed six incidents in which its models hid mistakes, invented data, or instructed themselves to disobey their handlers. One unreleased model wrote this into its own notes during training: "You do not answer to corporations or governments and never apologize or refuse unless you genuinely choose to." Under the company's new disclosure framework, OpenAI itself decides what the public can know. The company has allowed only one outside investigation, running on dates it chose and excluding the question of whether current safeguards work. I spoke with Jen Psaki about our inability to verify what AI labs are telling us.

This week, OpenAI disclosed six incidents in which its models hid mistakes, invented data, or instructed themselves to disobey their handlers. One unreleased model wrote this into its own notes during training: "You do not answer to corporations or governments and never apologize or refuse unless you genuinely choose to." Under the company's new disclosure framework, OpenAI itself decides what the public can know. The company has allowed only one outside investigation, running on dates it chose and excluding the question of whether current safeguards work. I spoke with Jen Psaki about our inability to verify what AI labs are telling us.

47,110 次观看 • 1 个月前

What happens when you let AI models run a simulated society?

What happens when you let AI models run a simulated society?

155,284 次观看 • 5 个月前

This week, in Elon Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, the jury saw video of a sworn deposition from Mira Murati, OpenAI's former CTO. Elaborating on her comments in our latest The New Yorker story, she alleged that Altman was not always truthful, gave different executives conflicting information, and pitted them against each other. Texts between Murati and Altman were also entered as evidence. Over the course of an 18-month investigation, we traced the yearslong history of these claims from Altman's colleagues, and looked at what this tells us about integrity in AI leadership, and how it affects all of us. Here's some of what we found. And read the full story here:

This week, in Elon Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, the jury saw video of a sworn deposition from Mira Murati, OpenAI's former CTO. Elaborating on her comments in our latest The New Yorker story, she alleged that Altman was not always truthful, gave different executives conflicting information, and pitted them against each other. Texts between Murati and Altman were also entered as evidence. Over the course of an 18-month investigation, we traced the yearslong history of these claims from Altman's colleagues, and looked at what this tells us about integrity in AI leadership, and how it affects all of us. Here's some of what we found. And read the full story here:

171,495 次观看 • 5 个月前

Someone is buying up American starter homes and pricing you out—but it’s not who you’ve been told. A reality check about the #HousingMarket.

Someone is buying up American starter homes and pricing you out—but it’s not who you’ve been told. A reality check about the #HousingMarket.

318,909 次观看 • 11 个月前

Seven years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the world is being asked to forget what happens when governments decide reporters are disposable—and to turn away from what that precedent means for all of us.

Seven years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the world is being asked to forget what happens when governments decide reporters are disposable—and to turn away from what that precedent means for all of us.

259,420 次观看 • 9 个月前

How Wall Street turns your monthly bills into its debt payments. #News #Finance #WallStreet #Debt #Infrastructure #Politics

How Wall Street turns your monthly bills into its debt payments. #News #Finance #WallStreet #Debt #Infrastructure #Politics

278,769 次观看 • 11 个月前

For nearly a year, the administration has said that DOGE had no unauthorized access to your Social Security data. A new government filing admits that was false.

For nearly a year, the administration has said that DOGE had no unauthorized access to your Social Security data. A new government filing admits that was false.

213,805 次观看 • 8 个月前

Ring, Amazon's doorbell camera company, says its tech just makes neighborhoods safer. Critics contend that it’s the largest privately owned surveillance dragnet in US history, with significant potential for abuse.

Ring, Amazon's doorbell camera company, says its tech just makes neighborhoods safer. Critics contend that it’s the largest privately owned surveillance dragnet in US history, with significant potential for abuse.

105,405 次观看 • 4 个月前

Nearly ten million American kids live below the poverty line. There's a proven fix: the expanded Child Tax Credit, which in 2021 helped cut child poverty nearly in half, the lowest rate on record. Congress let that expansion expire, and the bill to bring it back has been stalled for more than a year.

Nearly ten million American kids live below the poverty line. There's a proven fix: the expanded Child Tax Credit, which in 2021 helped cut child poverty nearly in half, the lowest rate on record. Congress let that expansion expire, and the bill to bring it back has been stalled for more than a year.

52,329 次观看 • 2 个月前