A Life of Click Bait

Hey Friends,

Good morning to everyone who reads their own email. For those relying on AI summaries, you're on your own.

I'd also like to say good morning to Kash Patel, here in about 5 hours, when he finally wakes up at his desk, where he passed out last night, after getting drunk on blue Kool-Aid and Vodka in a water bottle. The Atlantic says this is normal for him.

On to today's article.

Click Heads

I've complained for years about how the internet has shaped us in negative ways. Now, with AI tools that can use the internet for us, there are countless emails and blogs from people who didn't write them, sent to people who won't read them. Meanwhile, the people getting credit are entranced in a TikTok feed, drooling as they watch 18-second videos, one after the other.

When people joined the internet, they did so to access a canonical list of every book in the Library of Congress, study the Ancient River Civilizations of Mesopotamia, or find out how to calculate loan interest. But eventually, everyone is watching a video compilation of people face-planting.

What you search for is not the same as what you click. As a human animal, I can say this: humans are basically animals. If I throw a ball, my dog will run, whether he wants to or not. Throw a warm pastry with cinnamon sugar on it, and I'd probably do the same.

This week, Virginia voted to advance a gerrymandering plan that gives Democrats an advantage that might win them 10 seats, under the message of "fairness". Democrats are known for criticizing gerrymandering, and along with them, most Americans say it is unfair and should be illegal.

Everyone is against gerrymandering until they want more seats in Congress. The noble pursuit of letting voters pick their representatives may be what Democrats are searching for, but if you're enticed with the opportunity to win big, it's easy to click on. For now, a Virginia judge has blocked the maps a day after they passed.

To get back to the internet, consider AI executives. Elon Musk famously pontificates that in the future, no one will have to work, and AI will create a world of abundance. While his prediction sounds utopian, it's far-fetched to think that he'll be distributing his wealth soon. When the "money bags" image pops up, he always clicks it.

AI executives insist that their new technology will be disruptive, that it could destroy the world, or at least make free porn, and that it should be regulated. As AI companies grow, many of them are investing in creating AI safety programs, with at minimum the appearance of concern for the potential negative outcomes. But as potential policies are being debated, AI companies' spending on lobbying is exploding with the goal of stopping any regulation that holds them back. The Search is for safety. The click is for cash.

If I were able to go back in time, I would find the guy who invented the snooze button, kill him, and then take his identity and all the credit for the most powerful button since the spacebar, and with the proceeds I get from monetizing it, I'd create a dynasty that would give my descendants enormous wealth for generations. The snooze button is so successful because it is easier than making the bed. It's like a pair of boobs sitting right there on top of a clock.

Apparently, the same is true everywhere. We'll only be able to fix it if we start noticing.

That's it for this week.

Remember: The Lorem Ipsum is not an alcoholic, as it believes it can stop anytime. But, yet, it shows up here each week.

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Have a great weekend!