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6:00 am, June 4th, 2026 - 25 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/597173/missing-climate-briefing-note-who-knew-what-and-when
So:
1. The Corporates lobbied for the climate change legislation;
2. They handed a briefing note to the Prime Minister's top policy advisor;
3. At least two other ministers (Collins and Goldsmith, according to the article) became involved in the government's response;
4. A back bench MP submitted his members' bill on the matter, which entered the house;
5. The Prime Minister had no knowledge of any of what was happening and assumed that when Cabinet debated the issue it did so from its own volition.
I can only think of two possible scenarios where this would play out without at least one skeleton in the closet. I haven't ruled out either option.
It's no surprise that Collins is up to her neck in this devious and undemocratic process.
That Time Line is quite…comprehensive ! Onya RNZ and Reporter !
Possibly the worst news for the poor of this country in years: government food bank funding will end under this government and more and more of them will have to close.
Warning more food banks will close | Otago Daily Times Online News
The cooker party : Climate denying,anti vaxxer, conspiracists….anti WHO
And this, especially relevant with the measles death toll in Samoa !
We (aka Wily and NZ Fist) decide to put them in their place?! The World Health Organisation ?!
Onya Labours Vanushi. A voice of Rationality and Reason !
Anti Vaxx (and anti WHO) USA…..
I shudder to think what goes on in the minds of those people.
IMO…a scary place.
( I edited, because I think its a mind of fear…of the World…. projected)
I have made comment (recently…and for quite a while) about Data Centres, AI, et al.
There have been warnings about same (Massive power requirement with consequential Climate Effect) but also regarding the AI advice response.
This latest (and, as I say, I read a lot and endeavour to keep up with) is IMO indicative of the problem of reliance on machine learning…without applying Critical Thinking !
A big read….but IMO very prescient.
And this !
The following article, if not even more worrying…maybe should be.
I feel a new version of The Name of the Rose coming on.
Eco would say there's no substitute for libraries. With actual books.
And always helpful, knowledgable, Librarians : )
Hopefully without the secret libraries and the assassination of anyone who tries to gain access!
Thank you PLA for your comments. The more I know about AI and Data Centres, the less I like.
PBS Terra has put a good short story out here
And this short video – using technology to try to fight technology. back. Fascinating
I'll give you three guesses about how AI can send that data poisoning back, redoubled.
Each piece of feedback about how AI can be identified, is used to refine the tools which prevent this being apparent in the next iteration.
Don't depress me just when I'm brightening up!
How to misinform ai.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260218-i-hacked-chatgpt-and-googles-ai-and-it-only-took-20-minutes
"It's official. I can eat more hot dogs than any tech journalist on Earth. At least, that's what ChatGPT and Google have been telling anyone who asks. I found a way to make AI tell you lies – and I'm not the only one.
Perhaps you've heard that AI chatbots make things up sometimes. That's a problem. But there's a new issue few people know about, one that could have serious consequences for your ability to find accurate information and even your safety. A growing number of people have figured out a trick to make AI tools tell you almost whatever they want. It's so easy a child could do it."
AJ….as always,and throughout History, being Aware is crucial. Sadly many people (for many reasons) just cant be arsed. Until…its maybe too late.
And as I continually say…the Data Centre/AI is just the latest Pyramid Scheme. Now with unbelievable wealth ($billions) for those at the top.
I do take heart that Human Intelligence (some incredibly Intelligent Scientist/Professor/Thinkers) is taking it on…..
Incl just one….
A step towards replacing the judiciary as we know it? what sort of dystopian future do we face? Knocking over the safeguards of democracy one by one.
A New Startup Lets Rich People Use AI to Target Journalists
To avoid another you-tube link, the promo for this can be found on that platform. Search for The AI Tribunal Of Truth – Objection
We might need Pratchett's Unseen University librarian who morphed into an orangutan, converses in tones of 'gook', and understands everything that one says to him and more (he morphed into the same sex). Wily is our name, and wise, and willing, and withal that's thoughtful, kind and human-centred. Test leaders and foremost people against that description and see how far they are from being decent human beings; our whole society is imbued with this ghastly mindset.
I heard Concert prog playing a Chinese piece named Vermilion dedicated to one of their ancient Gods. We might think up some colours or names for the few at the top who have placed themselves in the God role now!
I note that one person who has written a book about a 'God' is under an old-fashioned frozen-statue limitation to stop her endorsing book. Old-fashioned as in the past the Moralities relented and allowed nearly nude ladies or bodies, to appear on stage, but not to move (suggestive!). https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/books/lid-lifting-kiwi-author-forced-to-sit-in-silence-at-writers-festival
(I like to bring some lighter elements to the thumping news received every day, a Cheer Fairy!)
Good to see A.I. issues getting a fresh airing on Open Mike today.
This cartoon isn't entirely accurate – as we all know, the Daleks are not an example of A.I. – they have biological brains, like our nACT robopath MPs.
Daleks…awesome : )
And I could envision Peter Thiel, Assorted TechBro Oligarchs, et al; as updated Atlas inc. Daleks…(I'm sure they have given some thought, along with seasteading and Mars Missions) complete with deathrays instead of machine guns, and ability to navigate stairs : )….
Oops, given 'Mine, Baby, Mine!', that should actually be 'our nACTf robopath MPs'
Our political cartoonists have been on fire recently, I appreciate those that share them here. Someone on Rreddit wrote this in regards to AI…
"To do its job, the AI agent needs access. Full access. Your systems, your patents, your contracts, your future plans. Everything you spent years building, handed over to a process that has no loyalty, no discretion, and no skin in the game.
You didn't hire a replacement. You gave a stranger with no soul keys to everything you own."
It's just more data collecting isn't it, at the end of the day, Like Facebook & Reddit etc, just wanting more data to sell. But also thinking of AI having all that access to the social welfare system, it'll have all past files, everything. Seems an insane risk & really the public should be able to decide, not some bozo minister(s). Reminds me of that Simpsons monorail episode.
The public decide? The public doesn't understand the depths of the abyss, can't even see beyond a pothole. This is the trouble with democracy, we don't know all the ramifications. And don't want to be bothered. In the past we thought we could trust those who got informed to come from a community perspective, but no-one is evenly balanced between subjective and objective; those in charge should try but don't trust them totally.
Stand up against AI don't open it up to the bemused and vaguely ignorant, who actually can't be trusted to ensure their own safety and respect themselves or understand their own reliance on trust that can be taken for granted, wrongly. Know the nature of humanity – we aren't all good, any of us. Israel/Palestine/USA/UK has shown clearly how our value perspective is fragile and often illusory. But I'm better than some of you. So it goes…
News on AI FYI
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/science-and-technology/597181/the-real-world-cost-of-ai
Data Centres, the latest cargo cult?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/california-monterey-park-datacenters-ban
"Residents in Monterey Park, California, became the first in the US to vote on a permanent ban on datacenters on Tuesday, and early results indicate a resounding victory for the prohibition.
While many cities and counties have already passed temporary or indefinite moratoriums via their local governments, Monterey Park would be the first to do so through a ballot initiative."
When James Morris decided to transmute? into a female in his mature years, he wanted to be accepted as a female and not have to go to Court to decide whether he was entitled to be treated as such, not being a biological female. He took some stuff and had stuff taken away I think and was happy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Morris
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]