Tyler Dukes
@mtdukes.bsky.social
Lead editor, AI innovation in journalism at McClatchy. Former News & Observer I-team. Duke University adjunct. 2017 Nieman Fellow. Powered by gas station coffee and eastern NC barbecue.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Kudos to @newsobserver.com for sustaining (even with depleted resources) a traditional community connection that has become rare in 2026: election endorsements.
We no longer take for granted this vital service, which lately has been abandoned by newspapers from @nytimes.com to @indyweek.bsky.social.
We no longer take for granted this vital service, which lately has been abandoned by newspapers from @nytimes.com to @indyweek.bsky.social.
N&O endorsements: Our choices in Wake County’s state House and Senate primaries
In blue Wake County, GOP primary candidates seek to take on Democratic incumbents
www.newsobserver.com
February 14, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Kudos to @newsobserver.com for sustaining (even with depleted resources) a traditional community connection that has become rare in 2026: election endorsements.
We no longer take for granted this vital service, which lately has been abandoned by newspapers from @nytimes.com to @indyweek.bsky.social.
We no longer take for granted this vital service, which lately has been abandoned by newspapers from @nytimes.com to @indyweek.bsky.social.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
I had some fun pulling OpenAI's mission statement out of their IRS tax filings from 2016 to 2024, loading them into a git repo with fake commit dates and then taking a look at the diffs simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/13/...
The evolution of OpenAI’s mission statement
As a USA 501(c)(3) the OpenAI non-profit has to file a tax return each year with the IRS. One of the required fields on that tax return is to “Briefly …
simonwillison.net
February 13, 2026 at 11:40 PM
I had some fun pulling OpenAI's mission statement out of their IRS tax filings from 2016 to 2024, loading them into a git repo with fake commit dates and then taking a look at the diffs simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/13/...
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
In 2021, I reported on an internal meeting at Facebook about discussions to put facial recognition on new smartglasses. One of their execs complained about the coverage and said the co would have a "very public discussion" about the tech.
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:21 PM
In 2021, I reported on an internal meeting at Facebook about discussions to put facial recognition on new smartglasses. One of their execs complained about the coverage and said the co would have a "very public discussion" about the tech.
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
They never did. And now: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
I was part of a round table on how NYT is covering the Epstein files, with new tech and old-school reporting. Our work is far from over:
How The Times Is Digging Into Millions of Pages of Epstein Files
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I was part of a round table on how NYT is covering the Epstein files, with new tech and old-school reporting. Our work is far from over:
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
SAVE Tool Keeps Mistakenly Flagging Voters as Noncitizens, Sparking Confusion for States
www.propublica.org/article/save...
www.propublica.org/article/save...
“Not Ready for Prime Time.” A Federal Tool to Check Voter Citizenship Keeps Making Mistakes.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed out the revamped tool while it was still adding data. That led to widespread misidentification, particularly for citizens born outside the U.S.
www.propublica.org
February 13, 2026 at 12:24 PM
SAVE Tool Keeps Mistakenly Flagging Voters as Noncitizens, Sparking Confusion for States
www.propublica.org/article/save...
www.propublica.org/article/save...
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash www.theverge.com/news/878447/...
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash
Flock off
www.theverge.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash www.theverge.com/news/878447/...
Lordy.
One of the matplotlib maintainers published his own blog post about the whole incident.
An AI Agent Published a Hit Piece on Me
Summary: An AI agent of unknown ownership autonomously wrote and published a personalized hit piece about me after I rejected its code, attempting to damage my reputation and shame me into acceptin…
theshamblog.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Lordy.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Apple News is an enormous driver of traffic for many publishers that have seen link referrals crater with the rise of AI Overviews/LLMs. If Apple News responds to this by promoting a fever swamp of far-right partisan outlets, many news sites are gonna get utterly walloped
February 12, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Apple News is an enormous driver of traffic for many publishers that have seen link referrals crater with the rise of AI Overviews/LLMs. If Apple News responds to this by promoting a fever swamp of far-right partisan outlets, many news sites are gonna get utterly walloped
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
I'm going to become the joker www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/most...
February 11, 2026 at 7:28 PM
I'm going to become the joker www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/most...
How The New York Times uses a custom AI tool to track the “manosphere” www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/how-...
How The New York Times uses a custom AI tool to track the “manosphere”
The daily podcast round-up is just one way the Times is adopting in-house AI transcription and summarization tools.
www.niemanlab.org
February 11, 2026 at 8:58 PM
How The New York Times uses a custom AI tool to track the “manosphere” www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/how-...
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
The now-demoted Border Patrol commander personally authorized agents to chase a U.S. citizen who was taking photos of them in Charlotte.
Border Patrol’s Bovino could come back to Charlotte - this time on witness stand
The now-demoted Border Patrol commander personally authorized agents to chase a U.S. citizen who was taking photos of them in Charlotte.
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 8:20 PM
The now-demoted Border Patrol commander personally authorized agents to chase a U.S. citizen who was taking photos of them in Charlotte.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
CBP Signs Clearview AI Deal to Use Face Recognition for ‘Tactical Targeting’
US Border Patrol intelligence units will gain access to a face recognition tool built on billions of images scraped from the internet.
www.wired.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:37 PM
NEW: CBP signs a new deal with Clearview AI to access its scraped image database for "tactical targeting," including efforts to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle” networks of people labeled security threats.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Everyone's been quoting the FTA about Charlotte's transit system having higher crime rates than the national average. But what does that really mean? And what's the source? I broke it down for you. @charlotteobserver.com www.charlotteobserver.com/article31463...
New, key things to know about crime risks on CATS transit in Charlotte
Including raw numbers and comparing crime rates on Charlotte Area Transit System property to elsewhere puts crime risk into sharper focus.
www.charlotteobserver.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Everyone's been quoting the FTA about Charlotte's transit system having higher crime rates than the national average. But what does that really mean? And what's the source? I broke it down for you. @charlotteobserver.com www.charlotteobserver.com/article31463...
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
basically no-one is using Sora.
fwiw 9.6m downloads is fewer than Zombies, Run! my lovely geek-fitness game has
Sora got *noise*, as much awareness as an app can get, but it was 5 mins of fun, not lasting quality.
useful analysis from theankler.com/p/how-hollyw... via @labuzamovies.com
fwiw 9.6m downloads is fewer than Zombies, Run! my lovely geek-fitness game has
Sora got *noise*, as much awareness as an app can get, but it was 5 mins of fun, not lasting quality.
useful analysis from theankler.com/p/how-hollyw... via @labuzamovies.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:35 AM
basically no-one is using Sora.
fwiw 9.6m downloads is fewer than Zombies, Run! my lovely geek-fitness game has
Sora got *noise*, as much awareness as an app can get, but it was 5 mins of fun, not lasting quality.
useful analysis from theankler.com/p/how-hollyw... via @labuzamovies.com
fwiw 9.6m downloads is fewer than Zombies, Run! my lovely geek-fitness game has
Sora got *noise*, as much awareness as an app can get, but it was 5 mins of fun, not lasting quality.
useful analysis from theankler.com/p/how-hollyw... via @labuzamovies.com
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
The FDA declined to review Moderna’s application for the first mRNA-based flu vaccine, a decision that shocked the company and that comes as the agency plans to tighten federal vaccine approvals. https://wapo.st/4cj94f5
FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine
The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The FDA declined to review Moderna’s application for the first mRNA-based flu vaccine, a decision that shocked the company and that comes as the agency plans to tighten federal vaccine approvals. https://wapo.st/4cj94f5
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020 and the wrongdoing includes patterns of violence, sexual abuse and corruption, a review by The Associated Press found.
As ICE expands, an AP review of crimes committed by agents shows how their powers can be abused
Investigators say one immigration official abused his girlfriend for years. Another admitted he sexually abused a woman in his custody.
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 11:15 AM
At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020 and the wrongdoing includes patterns of violence, sexual abuse and corruption, a review by The Associated Press found.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
The FAA is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport, for “special security reasons."
The FAA's notice did not provide additional details.
The FAA's notice did not provide additional details.
FAA closes airspace around El Paso, Texas, for 10 days, grounding all flights
The Federal Aviation Administration is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport.
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 10:57 AM
The FAA is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport, for “special security reasons."
The FAA's notice did not provide additional details.
The FAA's notice did not provide additional details.
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
A short note on questionable AI studies or why friends don’t let friends make %-claims based on small-n qualitative research interview reports
New week, new AI newsletter from Marina and myself here at RISJ: buff.ly/ckaUSn9
New week, new AI newsletter from Marina and myself here at RISJ: buff.ly/ckaUSn9
February 11, 2026 at 10:06 AM
A short note on questionable AI studies or why friends don’t let friends make %-claims based on small-n qualitative research interview reports
New week, new AI newsletter from Marina and myself here at RISJ: buff.ly/ckaUSn9
New week, new AI newsletter from Marina and myself here at RISJ: buff.ly/ckaUSn9
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
OpenAI fired a VP who opposed their erotica rollout (and had started a company-wide peer mentorship program for women), allegedly telling her it was because she discriminated against a man 🤔 www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
Exclusive | OpenAI Executive Who Opposed ‘Adult Mode’ Fired for Sexual Discrimination
Ryan Beiermeister, who served as the vice president leading OpenAI’s product policy team, had raised concerns about the upcoming launch of erotic content.
www.wsj.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:03 PM
OpenAI fired a VP who opposed their erotica rollout (and had started a company-wide peer mentorship program for women), allegedly telling her it was because she discriminated against a man 🤔 www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
My first byline for a news app at @propublica.org, and it still manages to be kind of about Texas (as in, guess the top state!).
NEW: The Trump administration’s push for mass deportations has resulted in more than 18,000 challenges in federal court from immigrants claiming their detention is illegal.
We are tracking the increase in these cases 👇
We are tracking the increase in these cases 👇
Tracking the Historic Rise of Habeas Cases Filed by Detained Immigrants
ProPublica is tracking the historic rise in challenges filed by immigrants claiming their detention is illegal.
projects.propublica.org
February 10, 2026 at 10:01 PM
My first byline for a news app at @propublica.org, and it still manages to be kind of about Texas (as in, guess the top state!).
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
a society losing the plot in real time
February 10, 2026 at 9:11 PM
a society losing the plot in real time
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
🗞️ Nieman Lab republished the piece Scott Klein and I put together analyzing the decline of open-source news.
If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another chance.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/journalism-lost-its-culture-of-sharing-heres-how-we-rebuild-it/
If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another chance.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/journalism-lost-its-culture-of-sharing-heres-how-we-rebuild-it/
Journalism lost its culture of sharing. Here’s how we rebuild it
The data are clear: The open-source culture that defined an earlier era of online journalism has collapsed.
www.niemanlab.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:49 AM
🗞️ Nieman Lab republished the piece Scott Klein and I put together analyzing the decline of open-source news.
If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another chance.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/journalism-lost-its-culture-of-sharing-heres-how-we-rebuild-it/
If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another chance.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/journalism-lost-its-culture-of-sharing-heres-how-we-rebuild-it/
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Reposted by Tyler Dukes
Bad Bunny made it clear at the Super Bowl that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest U.S. stage, AP's Maria Sherman writes in her review of the halftime show.
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg
February 9, 2026 at 2:21 AM
Bad Bunny made it clear at the Super Bowl that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest U.S. stage, AP's Maria Sherman writes in her review of the halftime show.
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg
#APPhotos by Matt Slocum and Charlie Riedel
bit.ly/4tqcdjg