The AI hyper scalers will explain that this is a temporary solution until cleaner alternatives are available. They have no plans to actually build these cleaner alternatives themselves.

Robert Reich@rbreich.bsky.social · 9h ago

Dozens of gas-burning power plants are being built across the country, solely to power data centers. These plants could emit as much planet-warming pollution as half of all passenger vehicles in the entire country in a single YEAR. We need a data center moratorium — now.

I was just about to post something to the effect that if the members of the HWA want to make their opinions known, they should vote to remove Sephora Giron from her position as trustee. But it appears that the executive leadership has already done that.

Gabino Iglesias@gabino.bsky.social · 11h ago

"The Executive Leadership and Trustees on the Board of the Horror Writers Association has voted to remove Sephera Giron from her position as Trustee effective immediately.” Good. As an ex-trustee, wish I had the time. The HWA needs more “luddites” who aren’t afraid to speak up.

Write a story about a chronically online person who suddenly, and mysteriously, disappears without a trace. (And if you love what you wrote, submit it! Our call for submissions closes August 15.) #writingprompts www.glossyplanetmag.com/challenge/do...

Doomscroll - August 2026 Writing Challenge | Glossy Planet

Submit flash fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry about social media, algorithms, and how it feels to use a product that uses you back.

glossyplanetmag.com

"I think there may be a little Bitchy in everyone..." Roberta Gregory spoke to Prism Comics about "finding 'hope' in the 'utterly unlikeable' Bitchy"--read more at https://ow.ly/s56250ZvYpq!

Out shopping again today for all the important items I forgot to get yesterday. Need to make a list!

Chaser.

Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫@lookitup.baby · 2d ago

That’s not true. You will also see posts about astrophotography and mushrooms

Shot.

Kevin M. Kruse@kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d ago

If you show up to Bluesky without following anyone, you'll be treated to a series of posts about art, music, and dogs. If you show up to X without following anyone, you'll be bombarded with right-wing conspiracies and white supremacist slop. It's weird which one is seen as a "political bubble"

"You cannot depreciate your way across a metaphysical boundary."

The House of Ellison is on the Brink

Everything the world’s briefly richest man built is failing at once.

notesfromthecircus.com

100% this.

Marie Vibbert@reasie.bsky.social · 2d ago

At the bookstore, I waved over a guy with an astronaut tattoo and a pride necklace. "I'm not your demographic," he said. "My book is about a female biker gang in space rescuing a gay prince," I said. "The sequel is about a sex-positive sexbot." "In space?" "In space." "I AM your demographic!"

"Today is August 4, 2026," said a second voice from the ceiling, "in the city of Allendale, California." It repeated the date three times for memory's sake. —Ray Bradbury "There Will Come Soft Rains"

Amazon is always on top of things, telling me about forthcoming books by my FRIENDS, from whom I have more details than Amazon's "here's a link to buy it". But anyway @caitgauthor.bsky.social, has a new book out on Aug 13, which I've known about for an AGE. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

Hot Wings and Sauciness

Hot Wings and Sauciness - Kindle edition by Gordon, Cait. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

amazon.com

If you can, please buy my first novella. The Hidden Face by M. I. Verras Genre: Metaphysical, allegorical, symbolical fantasy-mystery. Link: www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/... More links are available at the top of my profile.

Hey! Do you want to hear "Laser Eyes Ain't Everything", which is nominated for a Hugo, read by an actual professional reader? Here you go, it's on the awesome Cast of Wonders podcast!

Cast of Wonders@castofwonders.org · 5d ago

Cast of Wonders 692: Laser Eyes Ain't Everything by @effies.bsky.social narrated by Jairus Durnett produced by Andrew Jack CW: ableism www.castofwonders.org/2026/07/cast...

🎵The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle🎵

Color of Seattle@colorofseattle.bsky.social · 5d ago

The color of the sky in Seattle is air superiority blue #8397bd

Local teriyaki place was frantically preparing an Uber Eats order when I came in. Moments later they discovered that the large order they just made was an advance order for Monday. Suddenly they had to get rid of a bunch of food that would otherwise go to waste. Loads of folks got half-price meals.

Apparently a thing I didn’t know is that Social Security doesn’t disburse funds on weekends. Since my usual disbursement is on the weekend this month, my deposit is already in the bank. I’m out shopping right now.

Update: Google just sent me a statement saying it is “rolling back” this AI feature that let anyone make completely bullshit satellite images. Comes after our demos of the tool and those from OSINT researchers. One of the worst AI tools I’ve ever seen bsky.app/profile/jose...

Joseph Cox@josephcox.bsky.social · 6d ago

New from 404 Media: Google Earth has introduced an AI feature that lets anyone fabricate completely bullshit satellite images. In our own tests, we added a “bomb blast and crater” to an area of Los Angeles. This is a misinformation time bomb, will 100% be abused www.404media.co/google-earth...

Any of my friends who have witnessed my mental state as I have gone through edit after edit of this book can attest that every individual letter and punctuation mark has been ripped painfully out of my very own soul 😣

Ann Leckie@annleckie.com · 6d ago

For writers worried that they won't be able to "prove" their work isn't Spicy Autocomplete--worry not. You thought about every choice and will be able to talk about those choices easily and clearly. Folks who used the slop machine didn't make choices and won't have anything to say about why

I mean this is fundamentally one of the big reasons why data centers have no local constituency: they don’t actually create a lot of jobs they’ll employ some folks during construction but the actual day to day operation of a data center really doesn’t need many people, especially given its size

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6d ago

Hassett: "Data centers are very good for towns bc they create so many jobs & bring people in with high incomes that can buy houses & stuff like that. So if you take a sleepy town that hasn't seen much in the last 30 years & put a data center there, there are gonna be a bunch of happy residents."

In light of recent events, what were your favorite Daily Science Fiction stories? Which ones do you remember the most fondly? Which ones messed you up the hardest?

all the fucking people who say "I'm not like those BAD PEOPLE who use AI for writing, I only use it to brainstorm or find sources or organize my notes!" as though the program makes any distinction. It's still thieving from others, and then you're giving OpenAI or whoever your own ideas for free!

Emily PhD 🎓@ejwillingham.bsky.social · 6d ago

Posted in a thread where later the poster says he uses AI 🤔

For a brief moment, I wondered just what Emily Wilson would think about this… yah, I’m not caffeinated enough.

EMILY WILSON@emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · 6d ago

No professional accomplishment has ever made me happier than this. theonion.com/translator-o...

Can someone explain to me in words any five-year-old can understand what this feature is for? Who even asked for this?

Joseph Cox@josephcox.bsky.social · 6d ago

New from 404 Media: Google Earth has introduced an AI feature that lets anyone fabricate completely bullshit satellite images. In our own tests, we added a “bomb blast and crater” to an area of Los Angeles. This is a misinformation time bomb, will 100% be abused www.404media.co/google-earth...

Well, again, that's the real question, and why all of this sucks for newer writers. If I were a newer writer, I would probably say I would be willing to show my development work and sign an affidavit of no "AI" use, and also, I would hate every fucking second of having to do that.

Isaac Dorfman@isaacdorfman.bsky.social · 6d ago

Q: How would you recommend a new writer prove a negative? That is to say that, how would someone who has never and will never use AI in any creative process prove that they haven't done so?

As of this morning the entire website appears to have been taken down.

Brian McNett@bmcnett.bsky.social · 6d ago

I was bummed out when Daily Science Fiction folded and their site went offline. Now someone has pirated all their old content, and is pushing it as their own. None of the writers granted permission, and none of us are being paid.

One of the big arguments of the AI hypsters was that AI would cure cancer. That kinda hinges on the cancer curing AI having funding, which... Google just killed.

David Gerard@davidgerard.circumstances.run.ap.brid.gy · 6d ago

Google kills AlphaFold — so much for AI curing cancer not SAYING that AlphaFold cures cancer, BUT, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuiEVOSTbN4&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA - video […] [Original post on circumstances.run]

I was bummed out when Daily Science Fiction folded and their site went offline. Now someone has pirated all their old content, and is pushing it as their own. None of the writers granted permission, and none of us are being paid.

Beth Cato@bethcato.bsky.social · 7d ago

Hey! If you were published at Daily Science Fiction, be aware that a site called Science Fiction Weekly has stolen the entire story database & posted it on their site. All of my DSF stories are there without my permission. sciencefictionweekly.com

Anyone want to help me write the next hot, addictive smartphone game? I'm calling it "Flappy Route." Network connection is fine until I try to actually *use* it.

There’s only one horse? I would have never guessed! Thank you, stalwart fact-checkers at TikTok.

Ben Collins@bencollins.bsky.social · last wk.

TikTok has incredible moderation team. Our InfoWars video about Multiple Horse Theory — the idea that there are many horses in the world and not just one — has been fully deemed misinformation and lost the formal appeals process. Confirmed by Larry Ellison: There is only one horse on Earth.