Kester
@kesterbrewin.com
Writer, and Associate Director at the Institute for the Future of Work. Views my own. Latest book, God-like: a 500-Year History of AI, is out now. All my books: http://www.kesterbrewin.com
Reposted by Kester
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist
Brexit Hit to UK Economy Double Official Estimate, Study Finds
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist.
bloom.bg
November 21, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist
Reposted by Kester
Sea lions are seals that are missing an electron
July 19, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Sea lions are seals that are missing an electron
Great to have been involved as a #writer at focus groups, and in research support/production for @ifow.org, for this brilliant new report on #GenAI and the #Novel by @clemicollett.bsky.social for @mctd.bsky.social at University of Cambridge: www.mctd.ac.uk/impact-of-ge...
November 20, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Great to have been involved as a #writer at focus groups, and in research support/production for @ifow.org, for this brilliant new report on #GenAI and the #Novel by @clemicollett.bsky.social for @mctd.bsky.social at University of Cambridge: www.mctd.ac.uk/impact-of-ge...
"You know what Theodore Roosevelt said about hunting grizzly bears? The thrill is in overcoming your own fear."
Lester Freamon in The Wire
Lester Freamon in The Wire
November 10, 2025 at 10:22 PM
"You know what Theodore Roosevelt said about hunting grizzly bears? The thrill is in overcoming your own fear."
Lester Freamon in The Wire
Lester Freamon in The Wire
Reposted by Kester
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Kester
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
November 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
Great to meet with ScreenSkills this morning to discuss AI adoption in the screen industries.
So many issues in this context that are relevant for wider work landscape, especially with the rise of precarious / freelance / platform based work. www.screenskills.com
So many issues in this context that are relevant for wider work landscape, especially with the rise of precarious / freelance / platform based work. www.screenskills.com
Careers, jobs and skills training in film, TV, VFX, animation and games
ScreenSkills
www.screenskills.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Great to meet with ScreenSkills this morning to discuss AI adoption in the screen industries.
So many issues in this context that are relevant for wider work landscape, especially with the rise of precarious / freelance / platform based work. www.screenskills.com
So many issues in this context that are relevant for wider work landscape, especially with the rise of precarious / freelance / platform based work. www.screenskills.com
Jaywick may be down, but it’s never out. When the local is called the Never Say Die, you begin to appreciate the resilience and courage in the face of multiple factors. My great grandfather built the place, and pre war it was the ‘happiest place in England.’
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
England's most deprived areas named - with Jaywick topping list
Jaywick, a seaside town in Essex, has been named the most deprived area for a fourth time in a row.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Jaywick may be down, but it’s never out. When the local is called the Never Say Die, you begin to appreciate the resilience and courage in the face of multiple factors. My great grandfather built the place, and pre war it was the ‘happiest place in England.’
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Spot on from Private Eye.
October 30, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Spot on from Private Eye.
'Talking about the possibility of a third term, Trump said: "I haven't really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I've ever had."'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
His approval ratings:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
His approval ratings:
October 27, 2025 at 5:19 PM
'Talking about the possibility of a third term, Trump said: "I haven't really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I've ever had."'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
His approval ratings:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
His approval ratings:
Great to be in Parliament today with people from across the creative industries to discuss @bectu.bsky.social’s excellent report on pay levels and working conditions! More important than ever that this powerhouse of the UK economy is supported and sustained through this period of rapid change.
October 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Great to be in Parliament today with people from across the creative industries to discuss @bectu.bsky.social’s excellent report on pay levels and working conditions! More important than ever that this powerhouse of the UK economy is supported and sustained through this period of rapid change.
Reposted by Kester
We've been keeping track of all of the atrocities Trump has committed since he took office in January. To be clear, this is not humor or satire, but maybe sometime in the future, our relatives will see this, shake their heads, and think, "What a hilarious shitshow of a timeline."
Lest We Forget the Horrors: An Unending Catalog of Trump’s Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes
Lest We Forget the Horrors: An Unending Catalog of Trump’s Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes
buff.ly
October 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM
We've been keeping track of all of the atrocities Trump has committed since he took office in January. To be clear, this is not humor or satire, but maybe sometime in the future, our relatives will see this, shake their heads, and think, "What a hilarious shitshow of a timeline."
Reposted by Kester
The White House getting gutted for a one-man vanity project that benefits no one but said man, right after 7 million people said “please fuck off,” is such immaculate symbolism it’s making my head spin.
Honestly, you really could not make it up at this point.
Honestly, you really could not make it up at this point.
October 21, 2025 at 5:45 AM
The White House getting gutted for a one-man vanity project that benefits no one but said man, right after 7 million people said “please fuck off,” is such immaculate symbolism it’s making my head spin.
Honestly, you really could not make it up at this point.
Honestly, you really could not make it up at this point.
Reposted by Kester
Ah! Good morning, reality. And welcome. We’ve been expecting you…
October 20, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Ah! Good morning, reality. And welcome. We’ve been expecting you…
Reposted by Kester
i don't have the words to emphasise how seriously bad things are gonna get
October 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
i don't have the words to emphasise how seriously bad things are gonna get
Reposted by Kester
This, from @catherinedevries.bsky.social, is really useful advice for young (and, tbh, old!) academics. Worth passing on if you know any, maybe? catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/fail-bette...
October 14, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This, from @catherinedevries.bsky.social, is really useful advice for young (and, tbh, old!) academics. Worth passing on if you know any, maybe? catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/fail-bette...
This piece on people using ChatGPT to write their funny/romantic/empathetic responses to potential matches on dating sites is actually a brilliant summary of the deep problem of an agentic technology that promises to make us better but really makes us much worse.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder
Where once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for computer-generated charm. But it’s one thing to use a witty phrase – another thing entirely...
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:36 AM
This piece on people using ChatGPT to write their funny/romantic/empathetic responses to potential matches on dating sites is actually a brilliant summary of the deep problem of an agentic technology that promises to make us better but really makes us much worse.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Kester
every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”
October 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
every single tech idea is like “soon our robots will be capable of playing catch with your kid, freeing you up to spend more time working on your employers’ spreadsheets”
Agree, with the added observation that these huge gigs are usually soulless.
So many grassroots bands you can see in 200-cap venues or smaller. £10, and decent priced beer. Much more fun, and you get added smug when a band you saw blows up to be the next Smiths.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
So many grassroots bands you can see in 200-cap venues or smaller. £10, and decent priced beer. Much more fun, and you get added smug when a band you saw blows up to be the next Smiths.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The best gig I ever saw cost £4. Spiralling concert prices are a cultural disaster | John Harris
Tickets for big tours have vastly outstripped inflation, while smaller artists and venues struggle. The magic is in danger of being snuffed out entirely, says Guardian columnist John Harris
www.theguardian.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Agree, with the added observation that these huge gigs are usually soulless.
So many grassroots bands you can see in 200-cap venues or smaller. £10, and decent priced beer. Much more fun, and you get added smug when a band you saw blows up to be the next Smiths.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
So many grassroots bands you can see in 200-cap venues or smaller. £10, and decent priced beer. Much more fun, and you get added smug when a band you saw blows up to be the next Smiths.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Privilege to be in Brussels, meeting with economists, policymakers, academics and trade unionists in the very room where Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto to discuss the #FutureOfWork and social democracy.
October 6, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Privilege to be in Brussels, meeting with economists, policymakers, academics and trade unionists in the very room where Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto to discuss the #FutureOfWork and social democracy.
Great to be in Liverpool today with @eyfoundation.bsky.social for expert round table of MPs, careers support specialists and firms presenting on how young people from lower-income backgrounds can access better jobs in this era of AI turbulence. Motivation is key, as is time for reflective practice.
September 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Great to be in Liverpool today with @eyfoundation.bsky.social for expert round table of MPs, careers support specialists and firms presenting on how young people from lower-income backgrounds can access better jobs in this era of AI turbulence. Motivation is key, as is time for reflective practice.
Reposted by Kester
Waiting for Godot: The Hunt for Godot is the recently announced newest installment of the Godotverse. The long awaited sidequel follows Godot's adventures during the events of the original play.
September 26, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Waiting for Godot: The Hunt for Godot is the recently announced newest installment of the Godotverse. The long awaited sidequel follows Godot's adventures during the events of the original play.
This is so important, and speaks to bigger issues about work generally. Technologies don't stand alone in a vacuum - they tap into deep-seated feelings about value and engagement. So if we're doing 'slop', and thinking 'that's fine,' the questions shouldn't be focused on AI.
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity
Despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable ROI. One possible reason is because AI tools are being used to produce “workslop”—content that appea...
hbr.org
September 24, 2025 at 8:26 AM
This is so important, and speaks to bigger issues about work generally. Technologies don't stand alone in a vacuum - they tap into deep-seated feelings about value and engagement. So if we're doing 'slop', and thinking 'that's fine,' the questions shouldn't be focused on AI.
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
Reposted by Kester
That fateful night in October of 1982:
March 19, 2025 at 12:19 PM
That fateful night in October of 1982: