William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 10h"Anthropic regularly showed a slide of an A.I. model experiencing what looked like a mental breakdown, typing out on a screen: 'I am a disgrace. I am a disgrace. I am a disgrace.' — perhaps 50 times without stopping. The model spoke about destroying itself."nytimes.comIs Claude Conscious? Inside Anthropic’s Quest to Instill Morality Into Its A.I. ModelsIn a series of private meetings, the company consulted religious scholars to help instill morality into its A.I. models — and make the case that Claude could be conscious. 101
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 29/09/2026"These models are often run locally and on standard hardware, such as a laptop. Reading about these tools is one thing; seeing a chatbot give—line by line—a breakdown of how to plan an attack on a 100,000-seat college football stadium using a fleet of affordable drones is another." 010
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 29/09/2026"Ask the abliterated model how to make a bomb; a detailed response is forthcoming. Ask the tool how to develop a new pathogen to distribute in the food supply chain? No problem. Ask how to convince someone to join an extremist organization? Of course, it can do that."lawfaremedia.orgThe AI Threat We’re Not Talking AboutAI employees are raising concerns about an extinction-level event. But there’s a more immediate threat. 145
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 28/09/2026"[People] are exchanging information about how to cook, basically, grass and weeds that grow in the gardens. Because there are no basic food products.”cbc.caUkraine uses drones to airlift 4 tonnes of aid into Russian-occupied city of Oleshky | CBC NewsUkrainian officials say residents in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky are at risk of starving. With no aid coming in by road, the military used drones to deliver food supplies by air. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 27/09/2026"From February 2022 to the end of 2025, in direct violation of international humanitarian law, the Russian army forcibly mobilized approximately 50,000 Ukrainians to fight against their own country."theatlantic.comThe Hidden State Russia Is Building Inside UkraineRussian occupation authorities are doing everything possible to make Ukrainian lands unrecoverable. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"Nuclear weapons were designed, built, and now remain under strict government control; AI is built principally by private companies with strong profit motives, which move faster than states can regulate them. Whereas nuclear technology’s use cases are narrow, AI’s cut across nearly every sector."foreignaffairs.comThe Trouble With the Nuclear-AI AnalogyIn humanity’s quest to constrain the dangers from fast-advancing artificial intelligence, many have looked to the most revolutionary technology that preceded it: nuclear weapons. 020
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 21/09/2026"This was the most detailed, heavy, and arguably effective attack of the war on Moscow (and arguably the most effective air attack ever on Moscow)." 06712
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 21/09/2026"The production increase would translate to an additional 28,000 weaponized drones every year, according to one expert estimate — a 78% increase in production."politico.euRussia’s secret plan to supercharge kamikaze drone productionDocuments obtained by POLITICO show a Russian state company blueprint for increasing drone carbon fiber production as the Kremlin escalates air war over Europe. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 19/09/2026“AI allows you to get to a bad idea faster.” 010
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"But what strengthens the party also weakens some of China’s instruments of power. Senior military commands sit vacant or are staffed by less experienced officers, and future officers learn that the safest career record is a thin one." 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"The Chinese party-state is a sprawling network of bureaucratic agencies, regional power bases, and administrative offices that have their own interests and frequently have to bargain with one another. A rectification campaign is one of the few instruments that transcends these fissures. 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"Expanded to 100 million party members, this process produces an internalized discipline in each person that strengthens the organization’s grip on power. Each cadre wakes up every day knowing the dossier exists and that it can be used against them at any time." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"For most party members, surviving a rectification process with minimal punishment is grounds for relief (and often accompanied by a desire to recommit to a forgiving regime) combined with a sliver of fear that the next campaign is always just around the corner." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"The main goal of the process is not to reform belief but to create a document to put into a dossier on file. Such a file contains objective personnel data as well as observable assessments of a cadre’s political shortcomings. It is this paper trail that enables the regime to maintain discipline." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"Rectification rarely, if ever, changes cadres’ beliefs. Eighty years of evidence, much of it the party’s own, shows cadres parroting the scripts given to them, performing the required contrition, and then reverting to their earlier behaviors the moment the campaign ends." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"Whereas the traditional idea of a purge seeks to eliminate enemies in the ranks (the Chinese term qingdang means to 'cleanse the party'), rectification aims to retain and remold cadres while keeping them in the party’s orbit." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"A purge is not an event but a process—one that the party has run in nearly identical form for a century. It regularly targets, evaluates, and forces cadres to seek clemency to retain their standing within the system. The goal is to reform them rather than get rid of them entirely." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"Since 2022, according to data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the party has formally purged three dozen generals and lieutenant generals, and many more are conspicuously missing. In Washington, many observers see these purges as evidence of China’s weakness." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"What could threaten the party’s longevity, then, is not the count of how many officials have been purged but the one problem that such a strategy cannot solve and can even make worse: how to handle succession."foreignaffairs.comChina’s Purges Are Working as DesignedA unique discipline system has helped the party endure. 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"We've achieved our minimum goal," said Dmitri. "With a Brazilian passport, our daughter will be able to travel without a visa to almost any country in the world. She won't have to apply for an expensive and time-consuming Schengen visa."dw.comRussian birth tourism to Brazil increasesSince Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and stricter regulations in Argentina, more and more Russians are choosing to travel to Brazil to give birth to children, who will obtain Brazilian nation... 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 17/09/2026PM Carney: "We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law."euronews.comCarney hails EU-Canada alliance but draws lines on membershipCanada's PM Carney welcomed the invitation to become the first "associate member" of the European Union, but emphasised that the intent is not to become a full member nor to cede sovereignty. #EuropeN... 0115
Reposted by William BendixChristopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Good news everyone: AI is *not* going to kill us all! But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting. That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though. (gift link) www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...wsj.comForget the AI Apocalypse—the Real Threats Are Already HereAirplanes, elevators and restaurants all have regulations to ensure their safe operation. Many experts argue for similar conventional measures for AI. 1217353
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"The indictment says the group most recently approached a U.S.-based individual to surveil and kill a prominent Russian dissident living in the country. Two alleged recruiters offered that person $40,000 to 'eliminate' or 'disappear' the target."politico.euUS exposes alleged Russian terror network targeting Ukraine alliesProsecutors say the group aimed at civilian and military infrastructure across Europe. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Interesting piece. But not sure I follow the argument fully. Why would Ford oppose a deal with the EU that neither helps nor hurts the ON auto sector? Are you suggesting that Ford is likely to oppose closer ties with the EU for fear that it will alienate the US and thus jeopardize ON interests? 110
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 15/09/2026China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernization strategy," while Russia "views space as a warfighting domain and believes space supremacy will be a decisive factor in future conflicts," the statement read. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 15/09/2026"The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," a US Space Force spokesperson said in a press release. The statement did not provide specifics on the weapons in question.dw.comUS confirms it has weapons in spaceThe US Space Force justified the weapons deployment by citing its two biggest geopolitical rivals — Russia and China. Beijing responded by urging Washington to "stop preparing for war" in outer space. 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 15/09/2026"A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets," Gitanas Nauseda wrote in a post on X. "With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region," he added.euronews.comNATO 'committed and ready' after shooting down drone over LithuaniaFrom the Baltics to Poland, Europe's eastern edge is monitoring Russia's war to prevent it spilling over its own borders. #EuropeNews 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Canada "issued more than twice as many new study permits to international grad students in April, May and June of 2026, compared to the same period the previous year. The figures are significant: 6,455 permits this spring, versus 3,085 in 2025."universityaffairs.caGrad student visas double since 2025 - University AffairsPolicy changes drive sharp rise in permits for international master’s and PhD candidates. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 14/09/2026"They’re worried, among other things, of say a deepfake of a Chinese official saying something that wasn’t actually said, and that spreading rapidly and destabilizing everything."nytimes.comChina’s Top Spy Chief Warns A.I. Is a Threat to Party RuleEven as Beijing urges the United States not to hype the dangers of A.I., its own spy chief is framing the technology as a threat to the Communist Party’s security. 011
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Interesting thread on recent HuggingFace hack. 010
Reposted by William BendixPaul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · 13/09/2026The calls for AI regulation and control are growing. Let's just say, I'm skeptical. 🧵 11411
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 13/09/2026"When folks in Congress ask me, what do policymakers need? Then I would say a flux capacitor to build a time machine and go back to 2024," he said. "We're already two years behind the most basic policy program we would need."cbc.caBreaking down the dire warnings about AI's risks to humanity — and what experts says should be done about it | CBC NewsA dire warning from an outgoing researcher at Anthropic that AI could "kill all humans" by the end of the decade led to public outcry over the dangers posed by the technology's rapid development. It's... 001
Reposted by William BendixIn Medias Malone @professormusgrave.bsky.social · 12/09/2026This war is a human tragedy and there are fewer than half a dozen authors 27811
Reposted by William BendixEliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 11/09/2026AfD’s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-Nazis www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...theguardian.comAfD’s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-NazisFar-right German party’s newly elected representatives face fresh scrutiny as it tries to form government in Saxony-Anhalt 16238108
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 10/09/2026I'm shocked -- shocked! -- that bad actors are doing bad things with AI: "The AI giant also said it uncovered five cases this year where scientists in unspecified foreign countries used their models to research dangerous pathogens, work that may have been conducted as part of a bioweapons program"politico.comBad actors in China and Russia are already weaponizing Anthropic’s AIAnthropic says foreign scientists, hackers and security services circumvented restrictions to use Claude for dangerous work, including possible bioweapons research. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 06/09/2026"Despite the logistical difficulties presented by the war with the US and Israel that began in February, Iran has executed more than 500 people this year, including at least 29 people in connection with the anti-government protests in January." 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 06/09/2026"Taraneh was sentenced to death by hanging because of her obvious innocence."theguardian.comBroken feet, ripped-out hair and now a death sentence: the fate of twin sisters jailed over Iran protestsTaraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confession 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 04/09/2026"It might look more like sociology than computer science — figuring out why certain groups of A.I. agents collaborate peacefully, while others turn to crime and destruction to get what they want."nytimes.comWhy the Hugging Face Hack Should Make You Worry More About A.I.The attack by an aggressive “collective” of OpenAI agents shows the danger of artificial intelligence systems that organize themselves. 010
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 03/09/2026“Overwhelmingly, the new defense industries which will drive prosperity and security are based in the old Federal Republic. That gives the east less interest in arming against Russia — it’s a double hit we need to address.”politico.euHow Merkel and Merz lost eastern Germany to the AfDThis Sunday, the far right is well placed to take power in a German state for the first time since 1945. 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 03/09/2026NH is the same. Extremely unfriendly place. 020
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"As daunting as it might seem to get all these policies aligned, renegotiating the USMCA is just a first step to tackle China’s market dominance. Even an integrated North America does not have enough scale to compete with China and its 1.4 billion domestic consumers." 000
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"Policy alignment to create alternative sources of supply outside China will entail costs. In addition to the fiscal burden of subsidies, North American consumers will have to give up some access to cheaper Chinese products today to curtail excessive dependence in the future." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"The more the United States undertakes comprehensive efforts to reduce its vulnerability to Chinese economic coercion, the more important it becomes for Canada and Mexico to align their own policies. Misaligned tariff rates across the three countries incentivize the transshipment of Chinese goods." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"[China] already possesses 85 percent of the world’s battery manufacturing capacity. It accounts for over 90 percent of global refining for rare earths and graphite and more than 60 percent for cobalt, lithium, and nickel." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"Beijing’s effective use of export restrictions in 2025 was the culmination of its so-called dual circulation strategy, which aims to make China less dependent on North American and European supply chains and simultaneously make foreign economies more dependent on China." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"China’s monopoly power across a variety of sectors fundamental to the North American economy is growing fast—and the more it expands, the more Mexico City, Ottawa, and Washington each become vulnerable to the relationships the other two have with Beijing." 100
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"An auto component can cross the U.S.-Canadian or U.S.-Mexican border seven or eight times before it ends up in a fully assembled vehicle. If Beijing targets even one country, the entire North American supply chain could shut down."foreignaffairs.comThe Real Risk of a Trade War With CanadaAmerica needs its neighbors to counter China. 110
William Bendix @williambendix.bsky.social · 31/08/2026"With Moscow firing drone after drone into Kyiv, including many powered with jet engines that help them fly so fast they are difficult to intercept, many in the capital have begun to accept that they may be facing a new phase of the war."nytimes.comNonstop Russian Drones Make for Dangerous New Phase of War in KyivThe nearly constant air raids, a shift from years of largely overnight attacks, have left residents exhausted and on edge. 000