For forty years the answer was “how will you pay for it.” Then $4 trillion appeared for three companies that lose money—no vote, no debate. Here’s the receipt.
Bernie Sanders has an interesting proposal. The large AI companies have built systems that are founded on a vast amount of human knowledge used to train ChatGPT, Claude, etc. WE built the vital foundation without which AI LLMs could not exist. Since they rely on the total output of humanity, 50% of each of these companies should belong to the people.
Hiro Protagonist--I love this idea! This idea, and taxing API calls would be a great way to ensure that the prosperity--if there's prosperity--gets shared widely. As with all things in this era of the new Robber Baron Predator Class, THEY don't want to share--but we should demand it.
So glad you can publish this totally true assessment. We have been money managed for a long time. Remember when illness was not measured in cost per individual? Before it was monetized by "Healthcare" for profit companies and 'Big pharma' ? "The Matrix" movie is a brilliant analog to our future.. and present.
I agree, DisplayL. We're forgetting to put humans at the center of things, and have for a long time. We need to get back to human-centric, and start calling out all of the "anti-human" decisions being made for us, and about us.
Mother of God. This is ugly as sin. Thank you for this eye-opening essay and a heads up about the coming additional nightmare. I would support you but I am on a small SSDR check.
Thank you, Elizabeth! We appreciate that, but your comment here, and a like and a restack are great, free ways to support our work. We're grateful you're here and reading!
Lola, because you're wise, and connecting the dots to past history! It seems so clear, doesn't it? I don't understand how people can look at this and NOT see how there are historical examples of how this all goes wrong.
About half way through, I had to stop reading this post so I could puke my guts out, pound my head against a wall, and stab myself in the eye with a fork.
Yes, indeed -
“You may ask yourself: where does $4 trillion come from?”
“You may ask yourself: how did we get here?”
Oddly, and metaphorically, it all sounds, feels, tastes, smells a bit too much like the international Epstein sex-trafficking, money-laundering cabal. And who sits at the center…? Hmmmmmm
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
different story, same story…
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
Look, just say it. Trump is turning America into a fascist kleptocracy faster than you can shake a stick at it. He won’t leave office either voluntarily or procedurally. Trump will have to be forcibly removed by the outcry of the American public With any luck we can cart them all off to jail.
John, exactly. This is my long-winded way of saying exactly that. And I agree, jail and our own version of the Nuremberg Trials once we’re done with this…
I wrote elsewhere that I find their timing fascinating. The “real world” is about to reflect a 10% to 15% loss of carbon-based energy, attenuated until a few days from now by releases from Petroleum Reserves. The unmitigated impacts of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should be peaking around November/December of 2026. Can they continue building data centers apace while the rest of the economy shrinks?
A few days ago, I asked AI if it was stupid or biased. This was its response…
“I don’t have feelings or human consciousness, so I can't be "stupid" or "biased" in the way a person is. Instead, AI systems process vast amounts of data using complex algorithms. How users and developers perceive this often comes down to the model's limitations and its training data.”
“The "Stupid" Factor
I don’t truly "understand" the world; I process language and predict patterns based on billions of examples of human writing. Because I lack common sense and general intelligence, this can lead to:
• Hallucinations: I might confidently state things that are completely factually incorrect.
• Lack of Originality: My responses are based on previously generated human knowledge, meaning I often synthesize existing data rather than creating genuine new insights.
“The Bias Factor
AI systems learn from the internet and historical texts, which inevitably contain human biases, stereotypes, and inaccuracies. This introduces a few types of bias:
• Data Bias: If my training data over-represents certain demographics or cultural perspectives, my answers will skew that way.
• Algorithmic Bias: The rules and preferences built by developers to ensure the AI is helpful and safe can inadvertently favor certain types of viewpoints or answers over others.”
Merry, exactly. I've said time and again, that AI is NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME. There is no other product in history pushed so hard upon the general populace that is this un-baked and not ready to be used in so many serious ways.
Bernie Sanders has an interesting proposal. The large AI companies have built systems that are founded on a vast amount of human knowledge used to train ChatGPT, Claude, etc. WE built the vital foundation without which AI LLMs could not exist. Since they rely on the total output of humanity, 50% of each of these companies should belong to the people.
Hiro Protagonist--I love this idea! This idea, and taxing API calls would be a great way to ensure that the prosperity--if there's prosperity--gets shared widely. As with all things in this era of the new Robber Baron Predator Class, THEY don't want to share--but we should demand it.
So glad you can publish this totally true assessment. We have been money managed for a long time. Remember when illness was not measured in cost per individual? Before it was monetized by "Healthcare" for profit companies and 'Big pharma' ? "The Matrix" movie is a brilliant analog to our future.. and present.
I agree, DisplayL. We're forgetting to put humans at the center of things, and have for a long time. We need to get back to human-centric, and start calling out all of the "anti-human" decisions being made for us, and about us.
Mother of God. This is ugly as sin. Thank you for this eye-opening essay and a heads up about the coming additional nightmare. I would support you but I am on a small SSDR check.
Thank you, Elizabeth! We appreciate that, but your comment here, and a like and a restack are great, free ways to support our work. We're grateful you're here and reading!
Why do terms like South Sea Bubble and Tulip Mania come to mind?
Lola, because you're wise, and connecting the dots to past history! It seems so clear, doesn't it? I don't understand how people can look at this and NOT see how there are historical examples of how this all goes wrong.
About half way through, I had to stop reading this post so I could puke my guts out, pound my head against a wall, and stab myself in the eye with a fork.
Yes, indeed -
“You may ask yourself: where does $4 trillion come from?”
“You may ask yourself: how did we get here?”
Oddly, and metaphorically, it all sounds, feels, tastes, smells a bit too much like the international Epstein sex-trafficking, money-laundering cabal. And who sits at the center…? Hmmmmmm
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
different story, same story…
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
(Withdrawing into a fetal position now)
Church of the Almighty Dollar rears its ugly head again!
And, at the continued, and growing, expense of humanity.
The greedy cunts abound.
SAD, but it aint never changin.
Will only get worse, as the Oligarchs and their henchmen further entrench their planetary control.
Where's the "Omega Man" when you need him?!?
AI systems are as greedy as their human creators. Ask Gemini if Grok is biased, then do the same in reverse.
Look, just say it. Trump is turning America into a fascist kleptocracy faster than you can shake a stick at it. He won’t leave office either voluntarily or procedurally. Trump will have to be forcibly removed by the outcry of the American public With any luck we can cart them all off to jail.
John, exactly. This is my long-winded way of saying exactly that. And I agree, jail and our own version of the Nuremberg Trials once we’re done with this…
I wrote elsewhere that I find their timing fascinating. The “real world” is about to reflect a 10% to 15% loss of carbon-based energy, attenuated until a few days from now by releases from Petroleum Reserves. The unmitigated impacts of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should be peaking around November/December of 2026. Can they continue building data centers apace while the rest of the economy shrinks?
A few days ago, I asked AI if it was stupid or biased. This was its response…
“I don’t have feelings or human consciousness, so I can't be "stupid" or "biased" in the way a person is. Instead, AI systems process vast amounts of data using complex algorithms. How users and developers perceive this often comes down to the model's limitations and its training data.”
“The "Stupid" Factor
I don’t truly "understand" the world; I process language and predict patterns based on billions of examples of human writing. Because I lack common sense and general intelligence, this can lead to:
• Hallucinations: I might confidently state things that are completely factually incorrect.
• Lack of Originality: My responses are based on previously generated human knowledge, meaning I often synthesize existing data rather than creating genuine new insights.
“The Bias Factor
AI systems learn from the internet and historical texts, which inevitably contain human biases, stereotypes, and inaccuracies. This introduces a few types of bias:
• Data Bias: If my training data over-represents certain demographics or cultural perspectives, my answers will skew that way.
• Algorithmic Bias: The rules and preferences built by developers to ensure the AI is helpful and safe can inadvertently favor certain types of viewpoints or answers over others.”
And here we are.
Merry, exactly. I've said time and again, that AI is NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME. There is no other product in history pushed so hard upon the general populace that is this un-baked and not ready to be used in so many serious ways.