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Evan Engel

@evanengel.bsky.social
713 followers 562 following 1.1K posts

Here to learn & help. Currently producing podcasts for @theatlantic.com. Probably listening to someone rock out on a B3. linktr.ee/evanengel

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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
god bless clickhole
clickhole.com
Big Relief: The Way You Use AI Is Merely Supplemental To Your Already Incredible Intelligence And General Capabilities, Which Is Far Different From The Feeble-Minded Who Use It Slightly More Than You ...
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
On top of (or perhaps lurking beneath) all the things AI does/could do to our politics, businesses, and national security, there's a risk that feels closer to home: What's it doing to our relationships? I got to read Sherry Turkle's new book in prep for this interview, and it's great
youtube.com
Why Chatbots Shouldn't Be Your Friends - With Sherry Turkle
YouTube video by Nicholas Thompson
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Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.blacksky.app · 18/09/2026
Remember folks, take notes here: ✅ When your company hacking another one helps with marketing, its "OMG rogue models gone wild hacking other companies." 😱 ❌ When a hacking incident doesn't raise your valuation but shows you to be massive thieves, it's an internal "ah nice"


Matt Stoller
@matthewstoller
OpenAI's President Greg Brockman, when told his company had hacked the NYT paywall to scrape the site, responded with "ah nice."

That's a straightforward criminal violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. OpenAI executives in jail.

quote tweeting Jason Kint @jason_kint



Jason Kint
@jason_kint
·
8h
woah. Court just unsealed Summary Judgment motions in New York Times v OpenAI / Microsoft. 
Easy to see why the AI companies had so many redactions (pink). Their own people wrote the lede for NYT, the "largest theft of labor in human history"... "more and more substitutive..." /1
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Jason Kint
@jason_kint
·
8h
Straight from OpenAI's Brockman and Microsoft's Nadella - 'doom loop' for the entire web [as they vacuum up and substitute the work of journalism and threaten their economic foundations]. /2
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Jason Kint
@jason_kint
·
7h
Not good, OpenAI. "Read this NYTimes" article.. "Summarize" this NYTimes article... (NYT content in red). /3
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Jason Kint
@jason_kint
Blood boiling. Not a good look for OpenAI or Greg Brockman here:
 "ah nice" in response to "a hack to get around nytimes paywall" in his efforts "to scrape" The Times website. After many points on his bragging about OpenAI's substitution for news. /4

Screenshot 
mil
The character of Defendants' conduct weighs further against fair use.
The transgressive and deceptive nature of Defendants' efforts to acquire Plaintiffs' content confirms that their purpose in doing so was fundamentally to avoid the cost of acquiring lawful
copies. OpenAI employees devised and implemented strategies to circumvent paywalls without
detection when scraping websites. For example, when Nick Ryder informed Mr. Brockman about
, hack to get around nytimes paywall" to help with Mr. Brockman's efforts to "scrape[]" The
Times's site, Mr. Brockman responded "ah nice." SF791. OpenAI's corporate representative on
the subject was unaware of any "method for detecting paywalled content" in its da…
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Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
“why are all the ai ceos all of a sudden saying this weird thing?” burning man was last week and this may actually just be the explanation
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Rude1 Haunted Badness. ⁂ @rude1.blacksky.team · 12/09/2026
Come help me build a new kind of internet that puts communities at the center. #ATHiring blackskyweb.xyz/about/jobs/f...
blackskyweb.xyz
Founding Engineer
Systems, protocol, infrastructure and product About Blacksky Blacksky helps communities create virtual third places where members democratically govern the recommender algorithms and moderation policies that shape their space and soon will also pool funds as groups and send money peer-to-peer. Our behind-the-scenes infrastructure, built on the AT Protocol (the open protocol behind Bluesky), lets those […]
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
An interesting discrepancy w/ Ox Alpha: Is it running on chips in China or the US?
Via Bloomberg: 
GLM-5.3-Flash ran entirely on made-in-China AI chips during its Ox Alpha testing phase, Z.ai said in a blog post. Z.ai has completed construction of a major data center with only domestic chips that is designed to train and run its models. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-26/china-s-z-ai-made-ox-alpha-stealth-model-that-rivals-deepseekvia @niklasdev on X:
OX Alpha is hosted in America!! 🇺🇸

I sent 49 identical one-token requests from 7 Cloudflare regions, rotated the order to control for load and matched every response to OpenRouter’s per-generation server timing. 

This isolated the geographic network floor:
ATL: 57 ms
DFW: 76 ms
Europe: 125–132 ms
Asia: 202–340 ms
Australia: 279 ms

A robust 6-of-7 fit converged at 43°N, 73°W, with the plausible band covering the US East Coast into southeastern Canada.

Best interpretation: OX Alpha’s serving path is anchored in eastern North America, most likely US East. 

The only potential remaining caveat: this could be @OpenRouter backend handoff rather than the physical GPU rack.

I tested three unrelated OpenRouter models. They didn’t reproduce OX Alpha’s US-East curve: Cohere and GPT-OSS were nearly flat globally, while AtlasCloud showed a different pattern. So this isn’t a universal OpenRouter backend signature; OX’s route appears provider-specific.

https://x.com/niklasdev/status/2090782305488892273
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Nov. 2024 headline
Trump Says ‘I Don’t Mind’ if the Media Gets Shot
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
someone made a data center noise simulator and it's actually kinda fun datacenter.fm
datacenter.fm
DataCenter.FM 🤖🔊 The sound of AI
Experience the real-world sounds of AI with this interactive audio generator.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
You'll never see a movie this lovely: THE TREE (2027)
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
just checking in w the ol' AI beat
The Verge headline: Ford had to hire back former engineers to fix mistakes made by its automated systems  //Business Insider headline: Software engineers are facing an 'identity crisis bordering on depression,' Menlo Ventures partner saysHaystackNews poll: Majority Express Concerns Over Potential AI Industry Bubble 

[Chart shows 54.93% of American are "Very Concerned" about a bubble in the AI industry]Futurism headline:
DuckDuckGo’s AI Feature Is Telling Users That Trump Died of Rabies Earlier This Month
"The infection was linked to a sequence of events involving Vice President JD Vance, who passed away shortly before Trump."
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Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
the trump official — who led the siege & occupation of Minneapolis — admitting to having an ongoing dialogue/rapport with Martin Sellner, a straight-up Nazi who influenced the Christchurch shooter, while speaking at a conference about remigration (read: ethnic cleansing) is a pretty big deal!
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U.S. Press Freedom Tracker @pressfreedomtracker.us · 30/05/2026
Journalists covering Delaney Hall protests: We want to hear from you! Our team has already identified 19 apparent DHS aggressions against press in Newark, NJ, this week. Contact us if you can provide insights or evidence, including photos and videos at: tips@pressfreedomtracker.us
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
I remember a conversation I had with a co-worker back in the 2010s, when they noticed I had put a piece of tape over my webcam— which, back then, was uncommon. "What's the point?" they asked.
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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Scene from Twilight Zone episode, How to Serve Man, which shows a bigheaded alien at the bottom of a set of stairs to a spaceship. A man is screaming and trying to get down.
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Jeffrey Sens @jeffreysens.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
FB friend passed this Ai tidbit to me. No "Manual connection" for the wife on LinkedIn.
I built an automation in one night because I was tired of staring at my wife across the breakfast table at 7am trying to come up with "feelings."
Here's what happened:
Last Tuesday, I sat down with coffee trying to write an anniversary card. 45 minutes later, I had three words ("Happy anniversary, Susan") and a migraine. That's when it hit me - why am I loving my spouse manually?

By Wednesday morning, 1 had a complete romance pipeline running.

Every day at 8am, ChatGPT generates three
"spontaneous" compliments based on my communication style and are texted to my wife automatically.

Total build time? One evening.

This is the exact system running the household right now.

The "thinking of you, beautiful" text she read today was approved from my phone while I was crushing a deadlift.

Here's what I learned: Most husbands are grinding on emotional labor that could be automated in a night. We're so busy working IN the marriage that we forget we can build systems to work FOR the marriage.

You don't need to be a couples counselor. You don't need a massive emotional budget. You just need to stop accepting "manual human connection" as an answer.

What's one relationship milestone you're experiencing manually right now that you could automate this week?
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
The team at Atlantic Re:think & I prepped for this Sam Altman interview *a lot* and I was still surprised by a few things. 1) He tones it down. Gone are the warnings of AI-caused extinction and the promises of UBI. Altman's going more moderate when it comes to AI's future. Why? Well...
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
not news, but a gorgeous short film about the winter solstice by my friend Matthew Farrell, who consistenly puts out some of the best designed films. This one rocks.
youtube.com
WINTER SOLSTICE (Part 1)
YouTube video by Unlearned Eye
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Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Extremely accurate rip on mid YouTubers youtu.be/6LalpPLuzo4?...
youtu.be
Every Shitty Video Essay Ever
YouTube video by School Zone
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
"it was harder and harder to justify using a platform owned by such a reprehensible man while he was actively using it to try to shape the public discourse."
disconnect.blog
It’s time to stop posting on X
There aren’t any good arguments left to stay on Elon Musk’s platform
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Update: they won a WGA award for this!! Congrats!!!
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Loving this new publication, Charting NYC, using open data to fill in the gaps from our receding local press. Great work from @seenigel.xyz !! www.charting.nyc/map-when-was...
charting.nyc
Map: when was your street last cleaned?
Parking rules have been suspended since January's snow storm, meaning some streets haven't been swept in almost a month.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
every day, XTwitter users ask Grok, "Is this tweet true?" This tool shows the tweets they ask about the most
indicator.media
Grok-is-this-True Tracker | Indicator
Indicator is your essential guide to understanding and investigating digital deception. Sign up for free
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
I am once again asking everyone to read the incredibly predictive essay "Is Everything Wrestling?" by @jeremygordon.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/m...
nytimes.com
Is Everything Wrestling? - The New York Times
The fake “reality” of professional wrestling has become the new norm — from entertainment to politics, and everywhere in between.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
The 2026 Super Bowl starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
There should be a prize for the website that most succinctly and directly answers the question "what time is the Superbowl"
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
I'm perpetually on the hunt for a better screenwriting app, and this seems pretty tough to beat
porcupine.oli.digital
Porcupine — the free screenwriting app
Porcupine is the free screenwriting app designed for everyone. No sign-ups, no downloads.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
An April 2025 post from @taggart-tech.com reads "We are all about to get really good at maintaining old computer equipment."
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
this came our earlier this year but 1. it's still VERY true 2. the web design is SO good here. View this on desktop www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...
abc.net.au
Is your PIN code among the first ones hackers are likely to try?
The ABC analysed 29 million stolen codes to help you avoid using an insecure one.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
free startup idea: airport coat check, so if you're flying from cold climate to somewhere warmer, you don't have to haul your winter coat with you. Saves the airlines $ on fuel. Throw in dry cleaning for an upcharge
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Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
They're using the confinement box, one of the most horrific methods of CIA torture in the post-9/11 black sites, against migrants now. This is the direct result of the lack of consequences for the architects of the torture program. Either there will be criminal penalties for this or it will expand.
forever-wars.com
Torture Techniques from CIA Black Sites Were Used at Alligator Alcatraz
Amnesty International, interviewing migrant detainees, identifies use of the confinement box. There can be no denying it is a torture prison
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jeff @reyturner.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
The whole legacy media apparatus is just goes, "That doesn't make sense to me... but... you are very rich..."
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Satire is wasted on the shameless. (I explicitly mentioned Judge Dredd in this essay from last year about this problem) medium.com/@evanengel/m...
medium.com
Make Fascists Unf*ckable Again
Filmmakers skewer fascism with satire and tragic heroes. But what happens when audiences miss the point?
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
This should be an ad for Reign of Terror @attackerman.bsky.social
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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
As you’re preparing for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the skilled work it took to get that food to your grocery store. Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
A NYT newsletter headline: An Economist Asked, How Much Should We Spend to Avoid the A.I. Apocalypse?A virgin/Chad meme: the virgin "AGI existential risk" vs the Chad Global Warming.

TL;DR Climate change is real and documented; AGI existential risk is a cooperative sci-fi written by a bunch of guys looking to retroactively justify their wealth
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
I support Brian Orce for senate
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
I know I'm posting this on Bluesky but I *really* want my journalist friends to consider the effects of staying on Twitter, both for their readers and for themselves
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
hey does anyone know if DC Comics is a company with lawyers, or...?
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Eric Reinhart: If this is what ICE agents do when they're being recorded and confronting an elected official in a public place, just imagine what they do to vulnerable children and adults when no on is there to see.
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Finally got this signed last night, thanks @attackerman.bsky.social !
A hardcover copy of Reign of Terror by Spencer AckermanThe title page of RoT signed by the author
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
"what do you want for dinner?" The most unhinged part of Weapons:
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Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Every Democratic mayor and governor should say this. Should have been said for months. ICE AGENTS will be held ACCOUNTABLE.
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Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
No one commissioned a Cheney obit from me except a friend who subsequently left his outlet. If you’re an editor and you pay more than $1.50/word, reach out. If I hate your outlet, be prepared to pay more. If these terms are not acceptable, my book works as a Cheney obituary:
bookshop.org
Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump
How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
"Capital allocation should be done by those best at doing so" - Elon Musk
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
A Bluesky post from September: "When was Joe Biden president?" remains the most difficult question in politics
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
This is a great statement and should be issued collectively by DAs & AGs around the country, and endorsed by Congressional Dems
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Cool idea: if AI companies & their data centers need energy so badly, they should pay to upgrade residential homes to energy efficient appliances and free up the GW they (claim to) need
linkedin.com
Homegrown Energy: A big idea to meet energy demands and benefit households.
Rewiring America CEO and co-founder Ari Matusiak shares key takeaways from our new report. I’ve spent the past month traveling coast to coast to talk about our new report, Homegrown Energy: How househ...
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Evan Engel @evanengel.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
love you guys but this is not hard
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 22/10/2025
if Elon's proved anything it's that a critical mass of journalists, podcasters, and Republican officials and staffers will not ever, ever quit that fucking app no matter what he does to it. it could electrocute you and send your banking info directly to the dark web and they'd still be scrolling
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