Christopher Mims
@mims.bsky.social
WSJ tech columnist. Author of How to AI, a bullshit-free guide to how to get actual utility from AI, aimed at the skeptics who are tired of the hype surrounding it.
Pinned
Feels strange to be promoting a book when things are the way they are but, here goes --
January 27, How To AI, my guide to AI for the rest of us -- including skeptics who want to better understand its limitations -- drops.
Pre-orders: sites.prh.com/how-to-ai
January 27, How To AI, my guide to AI for the rest of us -- including skeptics who want to better understand its limitations -- drops.
Pre-orders: sites.prh.com/how-to-ai
One of the reasons I wrote a book about generative AI was precisely so people can know what its limitations are and when to tell their bosses "nope, not appropriate for my role"
The cognitive dissonance of constantly reading that I need to spend some time mastering generative AI while not knowing a single person in my industry who uses it to do good work 🤙
January 21, 2026 at 4:41 PM
One of the reasons I wrote a book about generative AI was precisely so people can know what its limitations are and when to tell their bosses "nope, not appropriate for my role"
Texas is the wind capital of America and also has the second fastest growing economy of any state
(the only state that beat it was North Dakota which generated 40% of all its electricity from wind in 2025)
(the only state that beat it was North Dakota which generated 40% of all its electricity from wind in 2025)
Trump: "There are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills all over the place. And they are losers. One thing I've noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses, and the worse that country is doing. I haven't been able to find any wind farms in China."
January 21, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Texas is the wind capital of America and also has the second fastest growing economy of any state
(the only state that beat it was North Dakota which generated 40% of all its electricity from wind in 2025)
(the only state that beat it was North Dakota which generated 40% of all its electricity from wind in 2025)
less than 5 minutes until Trump addresses Davos
good time to log off
good time to log off
January 21, 2026 at 1:26 PM
less than 5 minutes until Trump addresses Davos
good time to log off
good time to log off
Reposted by Christopher Mims
Canada starts preparing for guerilla warfare, just in case
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Military models Canadian response to hypothetical American invasion
Armed Forces envision insurgency tactics like those used by Afghan mujahedeen, sources say. But officials and experts stress a U.S. operation is unlikely, and the scenarios are conceptual
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:29 AM
Canada starts preparing for guerilla warfare, just in case
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Reposted by Christopher Mims
Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul has until Wednesday to turn over employment records to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a surprise audit launched Friday, just hours after one of the shop's owners criticized ICE agents during a television interview. bit.ly/4r5AFol
January 21, 2026 at 3:35 AM
Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul has until Wednesday to turn over employment records to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a surprise audit launched Friday, just hours after one of the shop's owners criticized ICE agents during a television interview. bit.ly/4r5AFol
off to learn about de-dollarization
January 20, 2026 at 6:46 PM
off to learn about de-dollarization
China is building the post fossil-fuel world that everyone else (except I guess the U.S.) aspires to. Canada has vast resources to realize that aspiration. Then there's climate change.
Not hard to imagine what the new world order could look like in a century.
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Not hard to imagine what the new world order could look like in a century.
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Canada's Carney aims to lead new global trading order less reliant on US
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to foster a new global trading order by working more closely with China and inking smaller trade deals, but faces constraints from Canada's still overwhel...
www.reuters.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:45 PM
China is building the post fossil-fuel world that everyone else (except I guess the U.S.) aspires to. Canada has vast resources to realize that aspiration. Then there's climate change.
Not hard to imagine what the new world order could look like in a century.
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Not hard to imagine what the new world order could look like in a century.
www.reuters.com/world/china/...
The thing to know about the PM of Canada is he just signed a trade deal with China. He is as serious as a heart attack about this.
"You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination."
"Hegemons cannot continuously monetize their relationships. Allies will diversify..."
In an ocean of platitudes, a real speech emerges.
www.youtube.com/live/JtF630g...
"Hegemons cannot continuously monetize their relationships. Allies will diversify..."
In an ocean of platitudes, a real speech emerges.
www.youtube.com/live/JtF630g...
LIVE: PM Carney delivers special address at World Economic Forum
YouTube video by CTV News
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:43 PM
The thing to know about the PM of Canada is he just signed a trade deal with China. He is as serious as a heart attack about this.
I guess I should have expected this crossover of ideologies and yet still, somehow, I am surprised
At the WEF in Davos, Palantir CEO Alex Karp says that AI-driven job displacement will "make it hard to imagine why we should have large-scale immigration" (Shona Ghosh/Bloomberg)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
January 20, 2026 at 6:30 PM
I guess I should have expected this crossover of ideologies and yet still, somehow, I am surprised
Reposted by Christopher Mims
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is educate normal people on complex subjects in ways that are engaging and digestible.
January 20, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is educate normal people on complex subjects in ways that are engaging and digestible.
Reposted by Christopher Mims
An FBI agent conducted an initial review of the Renee Good killing and determined sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe into the actions of the ICE officer who shot her. Justice Department says no inquiry is warranted. @perrystein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
FBI opened probe on Minneapolis shooting; none exists now, Justice Dept. says
After the death of Renée Good in Minneapolis, FBI agents launched a civil rights probe into the shooting. The Justice Department says no such case now exists.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:59 PM
An FBI agent conducted an initial review of the Renee Good killing and determined sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe into the actions of the ICE officer who shot her. Justice Department says no inquiry is warranted. @perrystein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
totally random journalist request:
Are you someone who talks to your computer and/or other devices a lot more than you did in the past? Could be talking to a chatbot, dictating notes instead of typing them, hands-free texting thru your car, doesn't matter. Would love to talk to you.
Are you someone who talks to your computer and/or other devices a lot more than you did in the past? Could be talking to a chatbot, dictating notes instead of typing them, hands-free texting thru your car, doesn't matter. Would love to talk to you.
January 19, 2026 at 6:39 PM
totally random journalist request:
Are you someone who talks to your computer and/or other devices a lot more than you did in the past? Could be talking to a chatbot, dictating notes instead of typing them, hands-free texting thru your car, doesn't matter. Would love to talk to you.
Are you someone who talks to your computer and/or other devices a lot more than you did in the past? Could be talking to a chatbot, dictating notes instead of typing them, hands-free texting thru your car, doesn't matter. Would love to talk to you.
"...the limitations of coding agents lead me to believe that veteran software developers probably shouldn’t fear losing their jobs to these tools any time soon. In fact, they may become busier than ever."
After making dozens of prototypes with AI coding agents, here's what I think: human developers are still essential
In fact, instead of taking jobs, this new class of software tools may make workers busier than ever. I wrote about my experience for Ars Technica:
arstechnica.com/information-...
In fact, instead of taking jobs, this new class of software tools may make workers busier than ever. I wrote about my experience for Ars Technica:
arstechnica.com/information-...
10 things I learned from burning myself out with AI coding agents
Opinion: As software power tools, AI agents may make people busier than ever before.
arstechnica.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:26 PM
"...the limitations of coding agents lead me to believe that veteran software developers probably shouldn’t fear losing their jobs to these tools any time soon. In fact, they may become busier than ever."
Reposted by Christopher Mims
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 2:31 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
August 2023: 81% 👍 to 3% 👎
the 13 point drop in people who say MLK was good for the country between 2011 and 2023 kinda says it all
the 13 point drop in people who say MLK was good for the country between 2011 and 2023 kinda says it all
Martin Luther King, Jr.
National favorable rating via Gallup:
AUGUST 1966: 33% 👍 to 63% 👎
AUGUST 2011: 94% 👍 to 4% 👎
National favorable rating via Gallup:
AUGUST 1966: 33% 👍 to 63% 👎
AUGUST 2011: 94% 👍 to 4% 👎
January 19, 2026 at 5:58 PM
August 2023: 81% 👍 to 3% 👎
the 13 point drop in people who say MLK was good for the country between 2011 and 2023 kinda says it all
the 13 point drop in people who say MLK was good for the country between 2011 and 2023 kinda says it all
Reposted by Christopher Mims
Gary Larson: In my cartoon I invented Cow Tools as a cautionary tale
Cows: At long last, we have created the Cow Tools from classic newspaper comic Cow Tools
Cows: At long last, we have created the Cow Tools from classic newspaper comic Cow Tools
January 19, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Gary Larson: In my cartoon I invented Cow Tools as a cautionary tale
Cows: At long last, we have created the Cow Tools from classic newspaper comic Cow Tools
Cows: At long last, we have created the Cow Tools from classic newspaper comic Cow Tools
by the time this is all over I'm going to be following so many people in the Twin Cities
no complaints, turns out they're rad
no complaints, turns out they're rad
January 19, 2026 at 5:54 PM
by the time this is all over I'm going to be following so many people in the Twin Cities
no complaints, turns out they're rad
no complaints, turns out they're rad
Reposted by Christopher Mims
What it’s like to be banned from the US for fighting online hate www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/19/1...
What it’s like to be banned from the US for fighting online hate
How did the two directors of the German digital rights nonprofit HateAid become targets of the Trump administration? Here’s how they’re continuing their mission.
www.technologyreview.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:16 PM
What it’s like to be banned from the US for fighting online hate www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/19/1...
What Europe's trade "bazooka" would do if activated in response to Trump's threats:
* Import and export restrictions on goods and services
* Limit American companies' access to public procurement contracts
* A major target could be American tech giants
www.france24.com/en/europe/20...
* Import and export restrictions on goods and services
* Limit American companies' access to public procurement contracts
* A major target could be American tech giants
www.france24.com/en/europe/20...
What is the EU anti-coercion 'bazooka' it could use against the US over Greenland?
The EU's anti-coercion instrument, which French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday mentioned activating after US President Donald Trump's tariffs threats regarding Greenland, is a trade tool that the...
www.france24.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:12 PM
What Europe's trade "bazooka" would do if activated in response to Trump's threats:
* Import and export restrictions on goods and services
* Limit American companies' access to public procurement contracts
* A major target could be American tech giants
www.france24.com/en/europe/20...
* Import and export restrictions on goods and services
* Limit American companies' access to public procurement contracts
* A major target could be American tech giants
www.france24.com/en/europe/20...
I have a flight that connects in London in March and I'm sitting here honestly wondering whether transatlantic flights are going to be a problem by then
unreal
unreal
January 19, 2026 at 1:06 PM
I have a flight that connects in London in March and I'm sitting here honestly wondering whether transatlantic flights are going to be a problem by then
unreal
unreal
Reposted by Christopher Mims
The incredibly lukewarm Democratic response on Greenland is being noticed in Europe, incidentally.
Chuck Schumer not finding a stronger word than “quixotic” for Trump’s plan to seize Greenland has been name checked to me more than once.
Chuck Schumer not finding a stronger word than “quixotic” for Trump’s plan to seize Greenland has been name checked to me more than once.
But Americans who want to save the alliance with Europe must have no illusions about how bad a condition this transatlantic partnership is in.
January 18, 2026 at 10:05 PM
The incredibly lukewarm Democratic response on Greenland is being noticed in Europe, incidentally.
Chuck Schumer not finding a stronger word than “quixotic” for Trump’s plan to seize Greenland has been name checked to me more than once.
Chuck Schumer not finding a stronger word than “quixotic” for Trump’s plan to seize Greenland has been name checked to me more than once.
One thing I appreciate about Bluesky at moments like this is it's gotten pretty good at surfacing credible reports from careful journalists who do their homework.
That Bluesky remains relatively small seems a dire commentary on how much the world values careful reporting
That Bluesky remains relatively small seems a dire commentary on how much the world values careful reporting
January 19, 2026 at 1:04 PM
One thing I appreciate about Bluesky at moments like this is it's gotten pretty good at surfacing credible reports from careful journalists who do their homework.
That Bluesky remains relatively small seems a dire commentary on how much the world values careful reporting
That Bluesky remains relatively small seems a dire commentary on how much the world values careful reporting
Reposted by Christopher Mims
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.
Not the sort of letter committed to paper by a well man. "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
January 19, 2026 at 7:32 AM
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.