There's no way that this new AI image generation feature in Google Earth, one of the most reliable sources of visual evidence for journalists and researchers, could possibly be abused to spread misinformation online and damage trust in satellite images. Absolutely no cause for concern here at all.

Eliot Higgins@eliothiggins.bsky.social · 6d ago

Google Earth, a tool often used as a source of satellite imagery to verify photos and videos, has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI, for reasons. blog.google/products-and...

New analysis by Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter.bsky.social): AI-generated content flagged on X has surged to record highs since the Iran conflict began. The data point to a coordinated effort to use AI as a tool of information warfare—eroding public support and sowing confusion at scale.

Generative AI as a weapon of war in Iran | Brookings

The Iran conflict demonstrates the concrete value of content moderation. Such moderation should flag source reliability in crisis conditions.

brook.gs

To mark the anniversary of DOGE, I explore how some of its early activities may have inadvertently undermined efforts to adopt AI into the federal government, despite a goal to use it “to deliver the highly responsive government the American people expect & deserve” www.brookings.edu/articles/how...

How DOGE’s modernization mission may have inadvertently undermined federal AI adoption | Brookings

Valerie Wirtschafter discusses how the Trump administration's goal to increase AI in the federal government through DOGE may have backfired.

brookings.edu

I'm already seeing people on here use AI face tools to try to identify the masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. It's a truly terrible idea and here's why

Compiling a document with links to high quality generative AI use trainings and other resources. Do you know of any good ones that should be included? Please share them here!

I am hoping to talk to technologists in (or previously in) & around the federal gov for a project. If that sounds like you & you'd be willing to chat with me about what the federal government gets right & what it can do better, reach out at vwirtschafter@brookings.edu or send me a message here!

A first sighting in the wild. I guess we’re all rolling with the name Community Notes! Any ideas as to whether this data will be available?

Since the viral Gemini image incident, I've wondered how long it would take for genAI to become politicized. It’s become increasingly clear that moment has arrived—much like it did for social media platforms. Read more from my new @brookings.edu research here: www.brookings.edu/articles/is-...

Is the politicization of generative AI inevitable? | Brookings

As generative AI systems become further embedded into everyday life, efforts to minimize their explicit politicization will be critical.

brookings.edu

Since the viral Gemini image incident, I've wondered how long it would take for genAI to become politicized. It’s become increasingly clear that moment has arrived—much like it did for social media platforms. Read more from my new @brookings.edu research here: www.brookings.edu/articles/is-...

Is the politicization of generative AI inevitable? | Brookings

As generative AI systems become further embedded into everyday life, efforts to minimize their explicit politicization will be critical.

brookings.edu

X is wild because you can post a link to a NYT feature story on this and no one will see it, but cuntycakes123 can make a post summarizing the main bullet points with no attribution and it will go viral and everyone will be like "OMG why isn't the media covering this?!?"

The amount rumors & conspiracies online right now is truly stunning & a clear illustration of the info supply & demand problem during breaking news periods and tragedies, made much worse by major platforms effectively abandoning content moderation & mainstream outlets running with unverified claims.

The problem with this (or goal all along!) is that @anthropic.com’s UI makes it so difficult to know which toggle is on and which is off! www.theverge.com/anthropic/76...

Anthropic will start training its AI models on chat transcripts

You can choose to opt out.

theverge.com

Maybe now they’ll definitely pass….oh nevermind www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

A Marco Rubio impostor is using AI voice to call high-level officials

An imposter using AI to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress, according to a State Department cable.

washingtonpost.com

Come intern with my team and me in the AI and emerging tech initiative @brookings.edu! interns-brookings.icims.com/jobs/3690/fa...

So obviously AI slop with more than 32k likes on Threads…

A peak inside what the federal government is planning for AI adoption (GitHub link included) www.theregister.com/2025/06/10/t...

Trump team leaks AI plans in public GitHub repository

Updated: The AI.gov repository and staging site vanished when we asked questions, but don't worry – we captured backups

theregister.com

The effect of this is so much bigger than Google’s advertising revenue and extends to companies that rely on Google search to drive traffic…which is most of the internet? www.wsj.com/tech/ai/goog...

Opening a significant Senate hearing on AI policy at which Sam Altman will testify, Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calls for a hands-off approach: "To lead in AI, the United States cannot allow regulation, even the supposedly benign kind, to choke innovation." Live: www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/5/winni...

Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Streng...

commerce.senate.gov

Meanwhile, over on X, a fake "Polish reporter" with an AI avatar has convinced thousands of people that Sen. Gillibrand is campaigning for Cuomo. Every day a new little experiment in how easily people fall for bullshit they can react to.

Apple with the brutal AI summary

Ending rather than expanding this program should tell you all you need to know about the desire to use technology to improve how government functions apnews.com/article/irs-...

Trump administration plans to end the IRS Direct File program for free tax filing, AP sources say

The Trump administration plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program. That's the electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free.

apnews.com

What a great way to communicate with voters. I wish more people with policy expertise would do this type of outreach www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/s/Vrj...

From the IAmA community on Reddit: I’m a former CIA officer, National Security Council staffer, and diplomat – AMA about Signalgate

Explore this post and more from the IAmA community

reddit.com

Love to see my alma mater @bowdoin-college.bsky.social tackling some of these big questions www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/t...

Netflix’s Reed Hastings Gives $50 Million to Bowdoin for A.I. Program (Gift Article)

The Netflix co-founder said he wanted his alma mater to become a leader in studying the consequences, and guiding beneficial uses, of artificial intelligence.

nytimes.com

"Effective policymaking relies on accurate and timely data," says Caren Grown. Listen to a new episode of The Current, on the purge of data and information from U.S. government websites.

The US government data purge is a loss for policymaking and research

In its first two months, the Trump administration has not only laid off thousands of federal workers and shuttered agencies, but it has also purged taxpayer-funded data sets from a swathe of governmen...

brookings.edu

One of my favorite assignments I’ve seen is for students to pick a relevant topic or idea on Wikipedia lacking in information and do research to fill it in! www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This type of error may seem minor but is really detrimental toward lowering the political temperature and working toward some common conception of “truth”

Jacqueline Sweet@jsweetli.bsky.social · last yr.

You can see here on the Internet Archive the Dropkick Murphy's account was suspended back to June 2024. I am again begging staff reporters to learn basic X tech literacy stuff. Did anyone reach out to the band? Unverified online rumors are not a good news source. web.archive.org/web/20240617...

They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.

Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow

As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy

freedom.press

We’re hiring a program assistant on the AI and Emerging Tech team @brookings.edu ! Please share with your networks and apply soon if this sounds like a good fit for you! careers-brookings.icims.com/jobs/3616/pr...

How can researchers identify covert state propaganda campaigns in China? My co-authors Yin Yuan, Molly Roberts, Brandon Stewart @bstewart.bsky.social and myself are excited to share our new article in PNAS (@PNAS): doi.org/10.1073/pnas... Thread below.

The decade-long growth of government-authored news media in China under Xi Jinping | PNAS

Autocratic governments around the world use clandestine propaganda campaigns to influence the media. We document a decade-long trend in China towar...

doi.org

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team is reportedly using artificial intelligence to guide its cost-cutting decisions, a tactic AI experts say could cause security breaches, biased firing choices and cuts of highly qualified, essential government staffers.

Why those reports of DOGE using AI have experts worried about ‘massive risk’ | CNN Business

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team is reportedly using artificial intelligence to guide its cost-cutting decisions, a tactic AI experts say could cause security breaches, biased firi...

cnn.com