iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

What can the US ask of China when it comes to AI? Not much, until we turn our instincts about dominance around, as I told @billpress.bsky.social on his show. bit.ly/Click-2-Listen

bit.ly

Bill Press Pods

With tech journo Jacob Ward and Mother Jones' David Corn.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Meta tried to have today’s witness barred from testifying...and no wonder. Former safety researcher Arturo Bejar told the world today that Meta is built for adult revenue, not child well-being. Here’s what I heard in the courtroom, including this headline. www.theripcurrent.com/p/you-just-c...

theripcurrent.com

“You Just Cannot Trust Mark Zuckerberg with Kids”

Meta tried to have today’s witness barred from court...and no wonder. Former safety researcher Arturo Bejar told the world today that Meta is built for adult revenue, not child well-being.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I'm only just beginning to take Bluesky seriously. Here's who I recommend right out of the gate. (And if anyone on this list cares to recommend me, feel free!) go.bsky.app/Rq4fEdM

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Arturo Bejar — Meta's former Instagram wellbeing lead — spent this afternoon on the stand. This is sworn testimony, not an opening statement. Here's what he told the jury: 🧵

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Here in Oakland, Meta's opening statement is underway — attorney Paul Schmidt is presenting the company's defense to the same jury that heard the state's case this morning. This thread covers only his argument (and I missed chunks of it for a CNN TV hit). Here's what he told them: 🧵

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The Meta Trial: I'm in the Oakland courthouse for opening statements — CA Deputy AG Megan O'Neill is walking the jury through Meta's own internal numbers. This is the state's opening argument, not a verdict. (And we haven’t heard from Meta’s attorneys yet.) Here's what they say the evidence shows. 🧵

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Magnifica Humanitas is more technically literate than any AI law Congress has passed. The real test is whether accountability researchers and civil rights litigators use it the way labor organizers used Rerum Novarum in 1891. www.theripcurrent.com/p/the-vatican…

theripcurrent.com

The Vatican's Indictment of AI

Magnifica Humanitas is more technically literate than any law Congress has passed. Whether it becomes the moral foundation of an AI New Deal depends entirely on who picks it up.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical names what Congress won't: algorithmic control over credit and employment, data colonialism, hidden labor, autonomous weapons with no accountability. The Vatican out-legislated the U.S. government. www.theripcurrent.com/p/the-vatican…

theripcurrent.com

The Vatican's Indictment of AI

Magnifica Humanitas is more technically literate than any law Congress has passed. Whether it becomes the moral foundation of an AI New Deal depends entirely on who picks it up.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

The safety work got quietly dismantled in a reorg. The believer kept building. Sutskever's testimony in Musk v. Altman is a map of how an industry convinces itself the incentives and the mission are the same thing. TheRipCurrent.com

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Ilya Sutskever, under oath: the systems his company Safe Superintelligence is racing to build "don't exist" and nobody knows how to build them. Here’s why that makes all the difference in the Musk v Altman case. TheRipCurrent.com

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

I have the job, but as anyone in this business can tell you you don’t really have the job until you’ve met the people. #cnn #ripcurrent #journalism Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

I have one of 30 public seats inside the courtroom for Musk v Altman. After a break — in which I washed my hands next to Sam Altman, I love courthouses — we’re back, with Musk on the stand being cross-examined by OpenAI’s lawyer.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Day 2 of Musk's testimony, and he's on the stand. I got here at 5:30am to join the line of reporters in the dark, and am seated in the courtroom. Here's what's happening...

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Yesterday Musk told the jury he thought of OpenAI, named it, hired the first people. Today he gets cross-examined. Meanwhile the journalists are being very polite and orderly. Good job everyone. #musk #samaltman #openai #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

The secret to finding good lunch and quick vibes in an unfamiliar city. This has worked for me in Vegas, Detroit, Tulsa, Dallas, and dozens of other new places, and today it paid off again in Omaha. #citylife #urbanexplorer #shoppinghacks #travelhack #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

The deepfake era isn't just about technology — it's about who gets legal protection and who doesn't. Famous actors can trademark their likeness. Unknown performers have zero rights. Classic Hollywood power play dressed up as innovation. www.theripcurrent.com/p/the-dead-an…

theripcurrent.com

The Famous and The Dead

A.I. is resurrecting Val Kilmer, enriching the powerful, and strip-mining talent in Hollywood. In an A.I. future, will anyone be able to make it in movies who hasn't done so already?

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

The pattern is predictable: new technology emerges, industry promises self-regulation, then lobbies for laws that look like oversight but preserve the status quo. We're watching it happen with AI in real time.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

DHS runs 238 AI surveillance programs with almost zero oversight. Facial recognition on every agent's phone. Predictive policing from your 911 calls. This is the architecture of the surveillance state, built in plain sight. theripcurrent.substack.com/p/the-ai…

theripcurrent.substack.com

The AI Surveillance Shopping Spree

Hacktivists breached DHS and published the agency's AI surveillance shopping list. Every American should read it.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

The AI resurrection debate misses the real issue: McConaughey can trademark his voice and likeness. Background actors can't. This isn't about technology — it's about who gets to own themselves in the digital age. www.theripcurrent.com/p/the-dead-an…

theripcurrent.com

The Famous and The Dead

A.I. is resurrecting Val Kilmer, enriching the powerful, and strip-mining talent in Hollywood. In an A.I. future, will anyone be able to make it in movies who hasn't done so already?

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

The real story isn't the hack — it's that DHS operates 238 AI surveillance programs with virtually no oversight. Congress has been asleep while an entire digital panopticon got built with taxpayer money. theripcurrent.substack.com/p/the-ai…

theripcurrent.substack.com

The AI Surveillance Shopping Spree

Hacktivists breached DHS and published the agency's AI surveillance shopping list. Every American should read it.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

It’s creators and brands and media and impact and earned media and core competencies and thrashgrass and brisket and alcoholism and… #sxsw #austin #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

But no really I’m not that guy. Not yet. #sxsw #austin #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Come say hi at The Belmont (which turns out not to be a hotel, my bad, but it doesn’t change anything) in Austin for SXSW this weekend. I’ll be there midmorning to midafternoon. Come talk surveillance, AI war, and corporate accountability with me! #sxsw #ripcurrent #austin Full episodes and

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

The majority of adults want to slow down AI development, even if it means falling behind other countries. But it doesn't matter to the White House, it seems, nor to the folks making the money off it. #AI #Technology #Future #Debate #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

If you're going to be in Austin for SXSW and you want to talk about surveillance tech, AI weapons, or corporate power — I'm holding what I'm calling The Lobby at The Belmont Hotel, March 13 through 15. Walk up, or book a 30-minute slot at jacobward.com/sxsw2026. Come find me. #SXSW2026 #SXSW

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Decisions shaping our lives are made by unseen people, using unknown tools, in closed rooms. Let's go, democracy. #ripcurrent #FutureTech #Transparency #Democracy #TechPolicy Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Pentagon's Jetson tech spots individuals 200m away using infrared laser to read unique cardiac signatures. Heartbeat ID is more stable than facial recognition. #Tech #Innovation #FutureTech #Biometrics #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

No wonder the Pentagon is buzzing about wanting no guardrails! WiFi sees through walls, lasers read heartbeats, cameras know you by your walk. It's all here, right now. #Pentagon #Tech #Innovation #FutureTech #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I'm going to SXSW and I'm not doing panels. I'm doing The Lobby — a daily open hangout March 13-15 at The Belmont in Austin where anyone can show up and have a real conversation about surveillance, corporate power, and AI weapons. No badge. No ticket. Just come find me. jacobward.com/sxsw2026🎙️

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Israel built AI targeting systems in Gaza — approved kills in 20 seconds, 10% error rate accepted. Now those same systems are running over Iran and being exported all over the world. I’m calling this “lethal beta,” and there’s an arms industry IPO-ing off the back of it. Full breakdown at

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

I don’t want to trigger the designers here, but this is the phrase that has always worked for me. #collaboration #creative #relationships #ripcurrent Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

The President banned an AI company from the entire government because it wouldn't let the Pentagon use it for mass surveillance. But Anthropic walked into this. They partnered with Palantir to get into classified systems. They took the $200M contract. And now every other AI company has to decide if

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

The Pentagon just tried to bully an AI company into removing its safety guardrails. So I looked into what those guardrails are actually holding back. Seven real, documented, sourced AI capabilities that most people have no idea exist yet. The full piece is for paid subscribers. TheRipCurrent.com

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

In 1964, Nikolai Kardashev thought he'd discovered alien life. What he actually found changed how we think about humanity's place in the universe — and makes clear that we're wasting our one shot at existence. The closest potentially habitable planet is 200,000 years away. We're already living on

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Don’t believe the hype. NO TWO HUMANS CAN AGREE on shared values. #ai #artificialintelligence #ethics #ripcurrent #tech Full episodes and analysis → YT

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Thank you Scholar for having me! See you tonight, Monday, Jan 12, at Mad Oak in Oakland at 6:30pm!

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Every oil empire says this time will be different. History says: absolutely not. From Iraq to Suez to Algeria to Nigeria — oil doesn’t make empires rich. It bankrupts them. Venezuela won’t be the exception. Read and watch the whole thing on my channel and at TheRipCurrent.com. #OilPolitics

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

It’s a preview of what’s to come, folks. What happened at the Kolkata stadium wasn’t really about soccer. It was about expectation, exclusion, and betrayal. People paid real money to be promised proximity — to something global, elite, and Western — and then watched it vanish behind velvet ropes.

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

One episode of Graham Norton Show would have convinced Paul to steer clear of Joshua #boxing #jakepaul Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter for free at TheRipCurrent.com!

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

A new paper at the top AI conference shows that all the big AI models — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, the whole gang — collapse our ideas into the same narrow middle lane. Different models. Same answers. That’s not “assistive.” That’s a hive mind. No, really: The paper is entitled “Artificial Hive Mind:

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

“Emotional connection” is the strategy of any product company, but never has an industry been able to generate a distortion field around its products like the AI industry. Catch the whole thing on YT! #OpenAI #ChatGPT #SamAltman #GoogleGemini #AI Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter for free at

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

OpenAI just declared CODE RED 🚨 Sam Altman told employees to drop everything — advertising, AI agents, a personal assistant called Pulse — ALL of it paused. The mission? Make ChatGPT feel more PERSONAL. Smarter, sure. Faster, yes. But more personal, definitely. Google Gemini went from 450M to 650M

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Seafood! Pork ribs! But not the dry bird. Why eat something no one has any practice at making? #turkey #thanksgiving Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter for free at TheRipCurrent.com!

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

👀 Trump’s leaked plan to kill state A.I. laws is quietly being pushed into a must-pass defense bill. The FTC lost its big antitrust case against Meta. TSMC is talking about moving more chipmaking outside Taiwan. And the A.I. priesthood is gathering at

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Jacob Ward @byjacobward.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

People are treating AIs like gurus, soulmates, even therapists — and the fallout is getting dark. Teen bans. Lawsuits. Delusions. Even OpenAI’s own data shows millions of users showing signs of suicidal intent, emotional dependence, or psychosis every week. We’re entering a new era where our

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