For the past week, a global controversy has surrounded Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence platform Grok (featured on X), as the app has been happily providing nonconsensual, AI-generated nude and sexual images of real people, including children. For an example of how nefarious this garbage has become, Grok deepfaked Renee Nicole Good slumped over in her car, in a bikini. After Grok created the image, the account that made the request typed, “Never. Deleting. This. App.’” To which Grok replied: “Glad you approve! What other wardrobe malfunctions can I fix for you? ... ‘Nah man. You got this.’ the account replied, to which Grok wrote: ‘Thanks, bro. Fist bump accepted. If you need more magic, just holler.’” X has responded to international outcry by making its perversion available exclusively to paying customers (the abuse still exists, but at least it’s monetized). Of course, it’s unlikely that Musk and his minions will pay a price for any of this. After all, Musk remains the world’s richest person, his AI platform just raised $20 billion, his relationship with Trump and the US government virtually assures that X and Grok will face no domestic punishment, and so far, neither Apple nor Google have taken any steps to remove the offending apps from their stores, even though, as a recent letter from a few senators makes clear, “All X’s changes do is make some of its users pay for the privilege of producing horrific images on the X app, while Musk profits from the abuse of children.” It turns out that the only thing more artificial than the intelligence is the rules and restrictions that were supposedly going to be put in place to protect users. You can holler all you want. More “magic” is on the way. If this were all just about naked images, it would be bad enough. But the naked truth is that it’s about all information in the age of AI-powered chatbots: who controls the tools that provide the answers to your questions, who decides what’s real and what’s fake. As I explained earlier this week, I was worried about the AI machines taking over the world until I considered the alternative: Humans remaining in charge. Specifically, certain humans. Q and A-holes. 2What Lies Ahead“The Trump administration’s false narrative about this week’s shooting, and the demonization of the victim, are only part of a bigger lie. It wants the American public to believe that ICE’s heavily militarized crackdown across this country is an effort to keep cities like Minneapolis safe. It is not. It is about vilifying not just immigrants, but all who welcome them and their contributions to our communities. By defending the lie about this clearly avoidable shooting in Minneapolis and refusing to allow Minnesota officials to investigate the crime, the administration is sending a message to the entire country: If you show up for your immigrant neighbors, or even are simply present when those neighbors are taken, your rights will not be protected by the law and your life will be at risk.” NYT (Gift Article): I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You. (I’m the managing editor of the internet, and I concur.) 3Dancing with DeathLet’s take a detour from reporting on destruction and death and focus on something more positive. Well, a little more, anyway. Near death. Jessica Grose in the NYT (Gift Article): What I Saw When I Peeked Over the Edge of Consciousness. “Near-death experiencers are the best dancers. I could identify which attendees at the annual conference of the International Association for Near-Death Studies have been to the brink, because they moved their bodies with un-self-conscious abandon, ripping up the floor of a tent on the grounds of a suburban Chicago Hilton.” 4Weekend WhatsWhat to Watch: Fans of The Night Manager with Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman have had to wait nearly a decade for the second season, which drops this weekend. So, if you haven’t watched the first season, now is the perfect time to binge. 5Extra, ExtraChanged Regime: “The internet shutdown came a day after the heads of Iran’s judiciary and its security services said they would take tough measures against anyone protesting. But the threats did not deter demonstrators.” Iran Is Cut Off From Internet as Protests Calling for Regime Change Intensify. The country’s supreme leader lashed out at demonstrators, dismissing them as ‘a bunch of vandals’ trying to ‘please’ US President Donald Trump.” (This is about currency, the economy, and water scarcity. But it’s also about a regime dramatically weakened and exposed by recent military embarrassments.) 6Feel Good FridayWhen does getting a bear to leave your house qualify as feel good news? When it’s been living there for weeks! 550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal. Pro tip for those who find themselves with as a bear as an unwanted roommate: Call the experts from Tahoe. It took them a few minutes to solve the problem. |
Friday, January 9, 2026
The Naked Truth
January 8, 2026
Listen now (14 mins) |
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