Niall Murphy
@niallm.bsky.social
CEO Stanza Systems. Speaking in personal capacity. Author/instigator SRE books, Reliable Machine Learning, History of the Irish Internet. Photography at http://www.edge-cases.photos
Reposted by Niall Murphy
We're currently in the biggest game of the Dollar Auction ever created. Each new frontier model represents a bid, whose cost is paid for at the time that it is trained. But the AI market is a most-capable winner-take-most game.
new post by @talor.computer ft me: taloranderson.com/blog/ai-valu...
new post by @talor.computer ft me: taloranderson.com/blog/ai-valu...
OpenAI's inflated valuation, as I understand it - Talor Anderson
Blog post: OpenAI's inflated valuation, as I understand it
taloranderson.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:29 PM
We're currently in the biggest game of the Dollar Auction ever created. Each new frontier model represents a bid, whose cost is paid for at the time that it is trained. But the AI market is a most-capable winner-take-most game.
new post by @talor.computer ft me: taloranderson.com/blog/ai-valu...
new post by @talor.computer ft me: taloranderson.com/blog/ai-valu...
Reposted by Niall Murphy
I am calling upon the people of Ireland to immediately begin construction of a thread on this site about how you or someone you know was roasted for a fashion choice. We need it.
All roasts must have come from Irish people *only*. Please respect this important rule, it makes a difference.
Tanks
All roasts must have come from Irish people *only*. Please respect this important rule, it makes a difference.
Tanks
November 12, 2025 at 5:45 AM
I am calling upon the people of Ireland to immediately begin construction of a thread on this site about how you or someone you know was roasted for a fashion choice. We need it.
All roasts must have come from Irish people *only*. Please respect this important rule, it makes a difference.
Tanks
All roasts must have come from Irish people *only*. Please respect this important rule, it makes a difference.
Tanks
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Michael D Higgins leaving office this evening to make way for his successor, Michael E Higgins
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Michael D Higgins leaving office this evening to make way for his successor, Michael E Higgins
for the comment "look on my twerks, ye mighty"
At last we’re building the ozymandias statue from the visionary sonnet “don’t build the ozymandias statue”
giant statues typically take about eight years to build, a timeframe that I simply do not believe these men are capable of working on.
November 6, 2025 at 8:50 PM
for the comment "look on my twerks, ye mighty"
Reposted by Niall Murphy
I'm a bit of a nerd about this - but it's hard to quantify just how popular Local Link buses have been in 'rural Ireland' - new one will link villages from Cork to Kerry that haven't had a bus service since the 1960s... www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-n...
New Local Link rural bus link from North Cork to Kerry
Six buses a day - seven days a week
www.corkbeo.ie
November 6, 2025 at 9:51 AM
I'm a bit of a nerd about this - but it's hard to quantify just how popular Local Link buses have been in 'rural Ireland' - new one will link villages from Cork to Kerry that haven't had a bus service since the 1960s... www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-n...
My default position is that I'm wrong, and whaddya know, often I'm right
November 6, 2025 at 11:33 AM
My default position is that I'm wrong, and whaddya know, often I'm right
Reposted by Niall Murphy
It's understandable. The onus on people to have to fact check and verify every single piece of information we encounter leads to a lot of cognitive overload. AI slop equates to digital microplastics - everywhere in the information ecosystem, and nobody is immune.
November 6, 2025 at 10:56 AM
It's understandable. The onus on people to have to fact check and verify every single piece of information we encounter leads to a lot of cognitive overload. AI slop equates to digital microplastics - everywhere in the information ecosystem, and nobody is immune.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Would you like to work on LinkedIn? InfoSec is hiring! We have both manager and IC roles -- and more coming.
I'm here because I want to help protect people and not work with jerks. If that's what you like, then I hope you'll join us.
Jobs in 🧵
I'm here because I want to help protect people and not work with jerks. If that's what you like, then I hope you'll join us.
Jobs in 🧵
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Would you like to work on LinkedIn? InfoSec is hiring! We have both manager and IC roles -- and more coming.
I'm here because I want to help protect people and not work with jerks. If that's what you like, then I hope you'll join us.
Jobs in 🧵
I'm here because I want to help protect people and not work with jerks. If that's what you like, then I hope you'll join us.
Jobs in 🧵
It is important to realise that, despite everything, we are not quite there yet
November 3, 2025 at 11:42 PM
It is important to realise that, despite everything, we are not quite there yet
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Started a thread in the other place and bringing it over here - I really think we should be more vocal about the opportunities that lay at the intersection of these two options!
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
Life situations are bleak right now for a lot of people. In tech, the "Venn Diagram" of (1) positive work and (2) making enough money to support your family is increasingly non-overlapping. We all do what we can.
This image has been living in my mind rent-free for months.
This image has been living in my mind rent-free for months.
October 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Started a thread in the other place and bringing it over here - I really think we should be more vocal about the opportunities that lay at the intersection of these two options!
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
The enemy's gate is down: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Ukrainian computer game-style drone attack system goes ‘viral’
System rewards soldiers who achieve strikes with points that can be used to buy more weapons in an online store
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The enemy's gate is down: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Human sacrifice is quite a harsh term. We prefer ablative employee retention programs.
October 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Human sacrifice is quite a harsh term. We prefer ablative employee retention programs.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Hey can y'all do me a favor? If you run across any post-incident write-ups from companies affected by the AWS outage, could you send those to me?Feel free to leave a link in the comments, or you can drop them here:
www.thevoid.community/submit-incid...
Thanks!
www.thevoid.community/submit-incid...
Thanks!
Submit an Incident Report
The VOID is a community-contributed collection of software-related incident reports.
www.thevoid.community
October 24, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Hey can y'all do me a favor? If you run across any post-incident write-ups from companies affected by the AWS outage, could you send those to me?Feel free to leave a link in the comments, or you can drop them here:
www.thevoid.community/submit-incid...
Thanks!
www.thevoid.community/submit-incid...
Thanks!
Reposted by Niall Murphy
REM was wrong. I do not feel fine.
October 24, 2025 at 11:37 PM
REM was wrong. I do not feel fine.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
First rule of distributed systems: don’t build a distributed system if you can avoid it
Second rule of distributed systems: you probably can’t avoid it
Second rule of distributed systems: you probably can’t avoid it
August 6, 2025 at 1:22 AM
First rule of distributed systems: don’t build a distributed system if you can avoid it
Second rule of distributed systems: you probably can’t avoid it
Second rule of distributed systems: you probably can’t avoid it
Reposted by Niall Murphy
You're absolutely right — starting a land war in Asia wasn't just a bad call, it's 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. Thank you for calling me out on that — really. I'll be extra-strategic from now on.
Would you like me to get cracking on those 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?
Would you like me to get cracking on those 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?
dawg we are gonna lose a war because ChatGPT has this guy mobilizing divisions that don't exist and tasking real troops with holding mountain passes and ports an LLM hallucinated
October 17, 2025 at 5:55 AM
You're absolutely right — starting a land war in Asia wasn't just a bad call, it's 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. Thank you for calling me out on that — really. I'll be extra-strategic from now on.
Would you like me to get cracking on those 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?
Would you like me to get cracking on those 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?
'I want my celebrities to say things like “What is death?” before uploading to the data centre that’s melting the world’s last iceberg.'
www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-r...
(h/t the unforgettable @patrickfreyne.bsky.social)
www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-r...
(h/t the unforgettable @patrickfreyne.bsky.social)
Patrick Freyne: I don’t want to see Victoria Beckham chatting over coffee. I want to see her in a rocket to space
There’s definitely a fascinating documentary to be made about the Beckham family. Maybe next time
www.irishtimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:51 PM
'I want my celebrities to say things like “What is death?” before uploading to the data centre that’s melting the world’s last iceberg.'
www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-r...
(h/t the unforgettable @patrickfreyne.bsky.social)
www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-r...
(h/t the unforgettable @patrickfreyne.bsky.social)
Reposted by Niall Murphy
(7) will LLMs always hallucinate?
yes. this is a probabilistic technology. it will guess wrong. in fact, everything useful which an LLM does is driven by the same factors which lead it to hallucinate.
yes. this is a probabilistic technology. it will guess wrong. in fact, everything useful which an LLM does is driven by the same factors which lead it to hallucinate.
October 13, 2025 at 8:44 PM
(7) will LLMs always hallucinate?
yes. this is a probabilistic technology. it will guess wrong. in fact, everything useful which an LLM does is driven by the same factors which lead it to hallucinate.
yes. this is a probabilistic technology. it will guess wrong. in fact, everything useful which an LLM does is driven by the same factors which lead it to hallucinate.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
(1) is a LLM "fancy autocomplete."
if i said "no," i would be wrong because "autocomplete" is the objective function.
if i said "yes," i would be deceptive because even autocomplete has a representation space which encodes properties of language which you would not expect.
if i said "no," i would be wrong because "autocomplete" is the objective function.
if i said "yes," i would be deceptive because even autocomplete has a representation space which encodes properties of language which you would not expect.
October 13, 2025 at 7:54 PM
(1) is a LLM "fancy autocomplete."
if i said "no," i would be wrong because "autocomplete" is the objective function.
if i said "yes," i would be deceptive because even autocomplete has a representation space which encodes properties of language which you would not expect.
if i said "no," i would be wrong because "autocomplete" is the objective function.
if i said "yes," i would be deceptive because even autocomplete has a representation space which encodes properties of language which you would not expect.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
this is going to get me yelled at so I will preemptively say "this is not the thread to reply with 'but I just don't like AI and think it's bad'"
but I do think that "LLMs are glorified autocorrect" as a meme is actively hindering people's understanding of how this tech works at this point
but I do think that "LLMs are glorified autocorrect" as a meme is actively hindering people's understanding of how this tech works at this point
October 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
this is going to get me yelled at so I will preemptively say "this is not the thread to reply with 'but I just don't like AI and think it's bad'"
but I do think that "LLMs are glorified autocorrect" as a meme is actively hindering people's understanding of how this tech works at this point
but I do think that "LLMs are glorified autocorrect" as a meme is actively hindering people's understanding of how this tech works at this point
Reposted by Niall Murphy
I have to recomend this movie too, I think you'll like it!
October 11, 2025 at 7:21 AM
I have to recomend this movie too, I think you'll like it!
Reposted by Niall Murphy
lets work on revognising the personhood of humans first, aye?
It’s time to prepare for AI personhood | Jacy Reese Anthis
It’s time to prepare for AI personhood | Jacy Reese Anthis
Technological advances will bring social upheaval. How will we treat digital minds, and how will they treat us?
www.theguardian.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:07 PM
lets work on revognising the personhood of humans first, aye?
Reposted by Niall Murphy
Many AI researchers draw inspiration from neuroscience. Naomi Saphra favors a different analogy. Interpretability, in her view, should take a cue from evolutionary biology.
To Understand AI, Watch How It Evolves | Quanta Magazine
Naomi Saphra thinks that most research into language models focuses too much on the finished product. She’s mining the history of their training for insights into why these systems work the way they…
www.quantamagazine.org
September 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Many AI researchers draw inspiration from neuroscience. Naomi Saphra favors a different analogy. Interpretability, in her view, should take a cue from evolutionary biology.
Reposted by Niall Murphy
The real generational divide is people who refuse to watch a video if it could be an article versus people who refuse to read an article if it could be a video
September 29, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The real generational divide is people who refuse to watch a video if it could be an article versus people who refuse to read an article if it could be a video
New scheme designed in the centre presents some difficulties for the periphery, as per usual.
I mean, every Irish citizen can live and work in the UK without restriction. People often live in the Republic but travel over the border for work. Are all Irish citizens going to be issued a mandatory UK ID card, now?!
September 26, 2025 at 10:01 AM
New scheme designed in the centre presents some difficulties for the periphery, as per usual.