Tag: tech

Inside Silicon Valley’s Growing Obsession With Having Smarter Babies

That means as a single cell embryo, it is alive. Or that cluster/clump of cells they are afraid to call a baby and want to remove because of an unwanted pregnancy. I wonder what the abortion people are going to say when they find this out?

There are more ramifications here than just a bunch of smart kids, or an Arnold Schwarzenegger who will kill AI.

It may be behind a paywall, but here you go:

Tech execs are paying tens of thousands to find brilliant dates or select high-IQ embryos. ‘They want to raise high-performing children.’

Illustration of a brain and an embryo, overlaid on a DNA sequence.

Illustration: Daisy Korpics/WSJ, iStock, Getty (2)

By Zusha Elinson

Aug. 12, 2025 8:00 pm ET

BERKELEY, Calif.—Tsvi Benson-Tilsen, a mathematician, spent seven years researching how to keep an advanced form of artificial intelligence from destroying humanity before he concluded that stopping it wasn’t possible—at least anytime soon.

Now, he’s turned his considerable brainpower to promoting cutting-edge technology to create smarter humans who will be up to the task of saving us all.

“My intuition is it’s one of our best hopes,” said Benson-Tilsen, co-founder of the Berkeley Genomics Project, a nonprofit supporting the new field.

This isn’t science fiction. It is Silicon Valley, where interest in breeding smarter babies is peaking.

Parents here are paying up to $50,000 for new genetic-testing services that include promises to screen embryos for IQ. Tech futurists such as Elon Musk are urging the intellectually gifted to multiply, while professional matchmakers are setting up tech execs with brilliant partners partly to get brilliant offspring.

“Right now I have one, two, three tech CEOs and all of them prefer Ivy League,” said Jennifer Donnelly, a high-end matchmaker who charges up to $500,000.

The fascination with what some call “genetic optimization” reflects deeper Silicon Valley beliefs about merit and success. “I think they have a perception that they are smart and they are accomplished, and they deserve to be where they are because they have ‘good genes,’” said Sasha Gusev, a statistical geneticist at Harvard Medical School. “Now they have a tool where they think that they can do the same thing in their kids as well, right?”

story

Democrats And Tech Titans Coming Over To Trump

Yes, because they see through the bullshit of a wafer-thin candidate that will further destroy the country. I guess the MSM can’t make up enough stuff and the dem’s hiding like Biden did to avoid being caught driving stupid on the campaign trail (a scripted CNN interview that will be edited is not a press conference).

and this:

A shocking partisan switch is underway in the stratosphere of the tech titans: The industry known for its wokeness is betting big bucks on a Republican.

Last week former President Donald Trump gave a thumbs up to the notion of teaming up with billionaire innovator Elon Musk if he wins in November. Hours later, Musk posted a message on X: “I am willing to serve.”

Investor and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban called the phenomenon of tech bosses boosting Trump “insane.”

Not really: While Democrats strove mightily last week to push “freedom” as the theme of their convention, tech leaders are betting that freedom of speech, freedom to innovate and freedom from crushing government regulations and confiscatory taxes are more likely in a Trump reign than in a Kamala Harris administration.

Among those Silicon Valley heavyweights is Nicole Shanahan, who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate.

“I would say that I trust the future of this country more under the leadership of Trump … than I do of the Harrises,” Shanahan said last week as Kennedy weighed his decision to back Trump in the race.

Harris’ economic plans, Shanahan warned – “particularly her flawed ideas about price caps on food” – echo “the very policies that caused the famine my family suffered through in Mao’s Communist China.”

By July, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the investment firm’s principals, had changed sides and endorsed Trump, saying the Republican will reduce regulation and lower taxes.

When Trump chose running mate J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist with Silicon Valley experience, tech entrepreneurs applauded.

PayPal founder David Sacks is throwing his support to Trump and even spoke at the Republican National Convention. Palantir Technologies cofounder Joe Lonsdale and cryptocurrency kings Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are donating to Musk’s America PAC to back Trump.

more

And this:

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are seeking to gain high-profile endorsements from their opponent’s party in the presidential race, with the former receiving more than the latter.

As Trump has received endorsements from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Harris has struggled to receive as many major endorsements from Republicans.

During his speech on Monday at a National Guard Association conference in Detroit, Trump said, “This fight is no longer between Democrats and Republicans. This is a fight between communism and freedom, very serious fight.

“That’s why millions of traditional Democrats, including FDR Democrats, JFK Democrats, independents and old fashioned liberals are joining our movement. Our poll numbers are great. We’re uniting forces to end the endless foreign wars, stop the censorship, end weaponization of our government, defend our borders, rebuild our middle class, protect the health of our children, and, above all, restore our republic.”

source

Tech Companies Going For Nuclear Powered AI

Now there will be less electricity for cars and other things that shouldn’t be electrified. For the rest of us, we’ll just get a bigger power bill for our houses.

Tech companies are increasingly looking to nuclear energy to meet their evolving power needs, potentially at the expense of grid reliability and ordinary American ratepayers, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The owners of about one in every three American nuclear plants are negotiating with technology firms to reach deals in which the plants would sell tech companies nuclear-generated electricity to operate their power-hungry data centers, key infrastructure that the tech firms need to support the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, according to the WSJ. The trend could divert reliable energy generation away from the rest of the power grid at a time when grid watchdogs are warning of longer-term reliability problems as electricity demand is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years due to the proliferation of data centers, electric vehicles (EVs), advanced manufacturing facilities and more.

For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is close to reaching an agreement with Constellation Energy to buy electricity from an East Coast nuclear plant, and AWS also spent $650 million on a nuclear-powered data center in Pennsylvania earlier this year, according to the WSJ. The Pennsylvania data center can receive enough electricity to keep the lights on in hundreds of thousands of households, and its purchase spurred tech sector interest in similar deals that allow companies to buy power directly from plants without needing to spend much on additional grid infrastructure to access that electricity.

Data centers may end up accounting for as much as 9% of all power consumption in America by 2030, according to the WSJ, and some officials — such as Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate Patrick Cicero — are concerned that the tech sector’s union with nuclear energy could hurt ordinary consumers by driving up prices and commanding a large share of the nation’s reliable carbon-free power.

7 things you should never ask Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa

Better yet, don’t use any of them to spy on you, especially Google. The article says it can be used against you if you are in trouble with the law, but nevertheless, here it is:

1. Play doctor

You’re better off not asking Siri, Google or Alexa for any medical advice — not just lifesaving advice. Trusting those smart assistants might just make things worse. It’s always best to call or book a telehealth appointment with your doctor.

2. How to hurt someone

Don’t ask your smart assistant about harming someone, even if you’re just venting. Those chats with Siri or Google Assistant could come back to bite you if you end up on the wrong side of the law. Keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself.

3. Anything that ends up with your mug shot

Don’t ask Alexa where to buy drugs, where to hide a body or anything else suspicious. Like asking your smart assistant how to hurt someone, these types of questions could be used against you.

4. Be your telephone operator

If you need to call your closest Home Depot to see if they have something in stock, find the number yourself. The same goes for asking that assistant to call emergency services. Dialing 911 takes two seconds.

5. Deal with your money

Although voice assistants can connect to your financial apps, there are many security issues with voice data. Savvy cybercriminals can hack into your phone, steal your voice and use it to drain your accounts. Just log into your bank’s website or mobile app and call it a day.

6. “Will I die if I eat this?”

If you’re on a hike wondering if the berries you found would make a good snack, voice assistants aren’t reliable sources. There’s conflicting information online about poisonous foods and plants, and taking their advice could land you a trip to the hospital.

7. “Get rid of this.”

Don’t ask Alexa or Siri to clear your search history, delete an app or remove photos. I’ve had a few mishaps where a simple misunderstanding led to something important getting wiped out. Trust me, it’s worth the extra minute to do it manually.

story

Once Again, Google Lied

Google admits that a Gemini AI demo video was staged

There was no voice interaction, nor was the demo happening in real time.

Google is counting on its very own GPT-4 competitor, Gemini, so much that it staged parts of a recent demo video. In an opinion piece, Bloomberg says Google admits that for its video titled “Hands-on with Gemini: Interacting with multimodal AI,” not only was it edited to speed up the outputs (which was declared in the video description), but the implied voice interaction between the human user and the AI was actually non-existent.

Instead, the actual demo was made by “using still image frames from the footage, and prompting via text,” rather than having Gemini respond to — or even predict — a drawing or change of objects on the table in real time. This is far less impressive than the video wants to mislead us into thinking, and worse yet, the lack of disclaimer about the actual input method makes Gemini’s readiness rather questionable.

Story here

When I worked in Tech, I crossed paths with Google from time to time. Their CEO at the time told me a lot of what they say is not true, like do no evil. They do a lot of evil. Stay away from them as much as you can. They are like a Hydra.

Another Reason Why You Shouldn’t Trust Google

Not everyone has had the opportunity to speak with their executives. I did while working in the tech industry and have known since before 2010 that they are evil and are both spying and censoring everything they touch.

It means if you use their search engine, you get their results, not correct results.

There are plenty of alternative search engines out there. If you are reading this, I recommend you switch to one. Your results will at least be less biased and you will be less tracked.

Here is more evidence with a link to go find out for yourself. Don’t let the headline about the election fool you. They did it on Covid, DEI, and just about every other morally significant topic where they could influence your thinking.

Google has announced that it will ban independent media outlets like National File from its search results in just the latest attack by Big Tech on the free flow and exchange of information online and just ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election in which 45th President Trump and the American People appear poised to once again go toe-to-toe with the globalist power structure.

Earlier this month, Google announced that it is partnering with fellow globalists at the World Health Organization and the United Nations to seize control of the online flow of information and push their hand-selected viewpoints to the very top of the Google search engine while suppressing independent voices.

Among other things, Google’s algorithm will work to “delete websites” that question or criticize the COVID-19 narrative, international banking, FBI crime statistics, and globalism.

Google’s censorship campaign will also look to protect massive global corporations from criticism and scrutiny. Reportedly, included in Google’s list of forbidden topics is the massive amount of waste produced by pro-trans beer brewer Anheuser-Busch.

As has become the trend in recent years, Google is presenting its massive censorship effort as a form of “fact-checking.” Google appears to have released a long list of media “partners” from all over the world who will be promoted in the search results, as they espouse Google, WHO, and UN-approved talking points.

Google’s push to squash independent media outlets plugs right into other efforts by the Big Tech corporation and its partners to stifle the free flow of information online and corral the world’s population, specifically Americans and other Westerners, into a globalist echo chamber.

As National File previously reported, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations have entered into a partnership with Google and other Big Tech firms to crush independent research and advance the climate change hoax, plus the agenda for complete and total control that goes along with it.

Melissa Fleming, the United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications and an advisor to the World Economic Forum, claimed in an interview that globalist organizations “own the science” on so-called climate change and have “partnered with Google” to crush independent research and dissenting viewpoints.

“For example, if you Google ‘climate change,’ you will, at the top of your search, you will get all kinds of UN resources,” said Fleming last fall.

“We’re becoming much more proactive,” said Fleming. “You know, we own the science and we think that the world should know it.”

At least they are consistent, Why Is Google Protecting Harvard Defenders of Hamas Terrorism? Consistent at always being on the wrong side of the issues. It’s still censorship no matter how you spin it.

Phrases You Don’t Say Anymore

“Roll down the window.” Cars have had automatic windows for ages, making the manual rolling down of windows a thing of the past. I still say this, though, in my 1964 Mustang.

“Check the answering machine.” Voicemail on cellphones has obliterated the need for a physical answering machine. I think it’s super interesting Apple’s iOS 17 lets you listen while someone leaves a voicemail so you can decide to pick up. New? Hardly.

“Dial 411.” My mother designed the 411 directory system for Bell Labs. Now, just look someone up online and you have their digits.

“Beep me.” Pagers were all the rage once upon a time. Today, they’re used almost exclusively in healthcare or other specific industries.

“I’ll tape it.” You no longer “tape” shows with DVR and streaming services. You just hit “Record” on your device or catch it later on demand.

“Rewind” or “Fast-forward.” These phrases made perfect sense for cassettes and VHS tapes, and, yes, we still use them metaphorically, but you’re not actually winding anything.

“I need to find a payphone.” My dad used to make me carry a quarter just in case I needed to make a call. With a cellphone in nearly everyone’s pocket, payphones have become an urban relic.

“Get the film developed” or “Don’t waste the film.” Oh, the good old days of waiting to see a picture you looked horrible in. Digital cameras and smartphones have done away with this.

“Look it up in the White (or Yellow) Pages.” Online directories have replaced those hefty books.

“I’ll fax it to you.” Fax machines are just about dead. Warren Buffett once told me that’s the only way he’ll do contracts. Why? No one can hack a fax machine, unlike email.

Hat tip Kim Komando

My Favorite Twitter Meme, So Far

(got it from Woosterman)

Everyone is laying off in Tech land. That means they kept the good employees. The Twidiots who quit over ideological differences with Musk are in for a nice Sunday surprise.

I’m glad to have left this cesspool of Social Media behind. I hope Musk can make free speech a possibility again, but I doubt it. If he can just kill the hate and one sided discussion it will be enough to call it a success.

It won’t be enough for me to go back on. It’s a waste of time.

Here’s how I look at it. No one really cares about my opinion. I extend them the same courtesy.

Not my favorite, but still funny.

The Government vs. Big Tech In 2020 (Regular Users Are the Losers)

I’m interrupting humor and sarcasm to note a trend. If you read my about, I notice trends and patterns as facts begin to fall into place over time.

As always, the human race seems to come down to power (and other forms like sex and money). Not everyone wants it, but those addicted to it can’t get enough.

In 2020, Big Tech financed a lot of the election, probably on both sides but they seem to favor one side over the other. I’m not going to get into being political but both sides of the spectrum don’t serve us as well as they should. It seems that they serve themselves in terms of granting more power and control. On the other side of power is……

BIG TECH HAS BIG MONEY AND BIG INFLUENCE.

At some point, they tell you to follow the money. No one has more money (ergo influence) than Big Tech right now. I’ll give you that the government has more, they get it from taxpayers and the tech companies. They don’t have to earn it so it is less valuable and more widely wasted.

It’s not just about money though because money buys power and influence. Tech will likely sit their people in positions in the new cabinet, as currently elected but is not the big issue. It is trivial compared to the war.

The war is who controls the message.

GOVERNMENT IS GETTING GENERIC AND TECH RUNS RINGS AROUND THEM

After watching the tech hearings over the last couple of years, Congress is filled with mostly idiots when it comes to tech. They asked Facebook and Google simpleton questions I’d be embarrassed to ask my grandparents. Of course, the CEO’s ran circles around the questioners and frankly made them look like the emperor with no clothes . They didn’t even have to lie (although it looks like they bent the truth pretty heavily) because the questions were so elementary.

The result is that Tech (mostly the FAANGS) control the message that congress had a stranglehold on and the fight is on for said power. On the big tech side is the money and on the government side is regulation.

AMERICANS ARE WAKING UP TO THIS POWER STRUGGLE (AS IS THE REST OF THE WORLD)

I’m not the only one noticing this. This study (linked below) surveyed Americans, but users around the world are the same:

A majority of Americans across the political spectrum believe tech companies have too much power and do more harm than good, and most people have deep concerns about how companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google use their personal data, accordingto a new poll released today by Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The wide-ranging report, “Techlash? America’s Growing Concern with Major Technology Companies,” provides findings on how Americans view the roles internet and technology companies play in their lives and in society. Major findings include the following:

  • Americans believe internet and tech companies have a negative impact on American life: People think the companies do more to divide society (60%) than to unite it (11%); misinform the public about the news (47%) rather than make people more informed (19%); and create more problems than they solve (47%), rather than solve more problems than they create (15%).
  • Misinformation, hate speech and data privacy are top concerns: Americans are overwhelmingly concerned about misinformation on the internet (74%), the privacy of their personal data (68%), and they are very concerned about hate speech and other abusive or threatening language online (56%).
  • A bipartisan majority believes internet and tech companies have too much power: While 77% of Americans hold this opinion, Americans are equally divided on whether the government should intervene to break up these companies. Republicans tend to be more critical of internet and tech companies than Democrats and independents.
  • Americans say leaders are not paying enough attention: Fifty-nine percent say elected officials and political candidates are paying too little attention to technology issues, including 67% of young adults (aged 18-34) and 71% of Democrats, versus 43% of Republicans and 57% of independents.
  • People don’t trust tech companies to police content on their platforms, but they trust the government even less: A majority of Americans don’t trust internet and tech companies much (44%) or at all (40%) to make the right decisions about what content is allowed on online platforms. But 55% of people still prefer that the companies make those decisions, rather than the government (44%). 

We can’t count on the tech companies to do anything other than to seek power:

Self-regulation has failed. One of Silicon Valley’s most valuable assets until now has been the cultural permission to try new things. The public has put up with arrogant rhetoric and a lax attitude toward the law in exchange for innovative ideas that meaningfully improved upon the status quo. But it was a Faustian bargain, with untrammeled innovation raising the specter of uncontrolled growth. When we learn about Airbnb endangering neighbors, Twitter failing to stop rampant harassment, or YouTube radicalizing its viewers with an algorithm that recommends extremist content, we see the destructive harm technology companies can do and their unwillingness to rein in their greed. The narrative has shifted from a question of whether there will be regulation at all to the fight over who should make the rules—and how tough those rules should be.

WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES?

Usually no one wins or the Government uses it’s tentacles to overwhelm companies with regulations. Tech has the power of the message and as much money. Further, with their hands in the pockets of the politicians and the ineptness of Congress, it let’s me think that Tech will have the early upper hand. Congress can pass laws, but tech is usually steps ahead and there is no telling what has been embedded in the future technology. It takes 5 years or so to bring a new product to market. The 2025 tech is already being tested in labs somewhere.

Sure, they might have to pay fines, but they are rounding errors at the rate tech is making money.

So I’m predicting this. It will be a standoff and both sides will struggle for power. In the meantime, users will suffer from regulation or invasion of privacy from both parties.

Congress will get more money out of the tech companies in the form of lobbying or the people they place in high positions. The relationship becomes incestuous.

Again, we are the losers.

Update: It’s already started with Amazon getting their hooks in first:

Amazon, the trillion-dollar tech company, has hired lobbyist Jeff Ricchetti, whose brother will be the top White House counselor to Joe Biden.

Jeff Ricchetti’s firm, which he founded in 2001 with his brother Steve Ricchetti, the incoming Biden adviser, registered as a lobbyist for Amazon on Nov. 13.