Paul Rietschka
@prietschka.bsky.social
Data science/machine learning in the Pacific Northwest. In Minneapolis through mid-2026.
Claude Code has not, in any way, blown my mind.
Claude Code has not, in any way, blown my mind.
Possum Every Hour keeps me sane.
But this picture is gallery worthy.
But this picture is gallery worthy.
February 19, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Possum Every Hour keeps me sane.
But this picture is gallery worthy.
But this picture is gallery worthy.
Lol.
Containing the "what the fuck is this even good for?" discourse is going to be the primary job of hyperscalers and c-suites in the near to medium term.
They will throw everything they have at it, if only to justify the many layoffs we'll see over the next 2-5 years.
Containing the "what the fuck is this even good for?" discourse is going to be the primary job of hyperscalers and c-suites in the near to medium term.
They will throw everything they have at it, if only to justify the many layoffs we'll see over the next 2-5 years.
February 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Lol.
Containing the "what the fuck is this even good for?" discourse is going to be the primary job of hyperscalers and c-suites in the near to medium term.
They will throw everything they have at it, if only to justify the many layoffs we'll see over the next 2-5 years.
Containing the "what the fuck is this even good for?" discourse is going to be the primary job of hyperscalers and c-suites in the near to medium term.
They will throw everything they have at it, if only to justify the many layoffs we'll see over the next 2-5 years.
Does anything produced by the modern tech sector produce value?
The only thing tech seems to build today are large cash incinerators.
There is a major reckoning coming. Sooner than many think.
The only thing tech seems to build today are large cash incinerators.
There is a major reckoning coming. Sooner than many think.
This tweet appeared under this Techmeme headline:
Björn Jeffery / @bjornjeffery:
$425m less than Etsy bought it for in 2021.
Björn Jeffery / @bjornjeffery:
$425m less than Etsy bought it for in 2021.
February 18, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Does anything produced by the modern tech sector produce value?
The only thing tech seems to build today are large cash incinerators.
There is a major reckoning coming. Sooner than many think.
The only thing tech seems to build today are large cash incinerators.
There is a major reckoning coming. Sooner than many think.
My hatred for San Francisco knows few bounds — the entire city is little more than an open air mental hospital full of the criminally insane —and my hatred for the ML/AI community there is nuclear in intensity.
Hard to overstate how awful this is.
These people are building nothing of value.
Hard to overstate how awful this is.
These people are building nothing of value.
12-hour days, no weekends: the anxiety driving AI’s brutal work culture is a warning for all of us
San Francisco’s AI startups are pushing workers to grind endlessly, hinting at pressures soon hitting other sectors
www.theguardian.com
February 18, 2026 at 10:46 PM
My hatred for San Francisco knows few bounds — the entire city is little more than an open air mental hospital full of the criminally insane —and my hatred for the ML/AI community there is nuclear in intensity.
Hard to overstate how awful this is.
These people are building nothing of value.
Hard to overstate how awful this is.
These people are building nothing of value.
How does OpenAI have all this money to “poach” this “talent?”
Also, that the Dark Sorceress of the Underworld,™️ a woman with all the charm of a witch who boils children in a cauldron,* posted this says a lot.
*Image search the author’s name for explanation.
Also, that the Dark Sorceress of the Underworld,™️ a woman with all the charm of a witch who boils children in a cauldron,* posted this says a lot.
*Image search the author’s name for explanation.
This tweet appeared under this Techmeme headline:
Fidji Simo / @fidjissimo:
Charles is legendary, and we're so lucky to get to work with him. AI is transforming culture and creative communities, and there is no one better to help build this next chapter.
Fidji Simo / @fidjissimo:
Charles is legendary, and we're so lucky to get to work with him. AI is transforming culture and creative communities, and there is no one better to help build this next chapter.
February 18, 2026 at 10:33 PM
How does OpenAI have all this money to “poach” this “talent?”
Also, that the Dark Sorceress of the Underworld,™️ a woman with all the charm of a witch who boils children in a cauldron,* posted this says a lot.
*Image search the author’s name for explanation.
Also, that the Dark Sorceress of the Underworld,™️ a woman with all the charm of a witch who boils children in a cauldron,* posted this says a lot.
*Image search the author’s name for explanation.
Has there ever been a revolution so reliant on misleading claims?
At least Waymo is the real deal, it’s nice to see at least one problem entirely solved by AI.
At least Waymo is the real deal, it’s nice to see at least one problem entirely solved by AI.
Seedance’s AI Cruise-Pitt ‘generated’ demo: green screen, face swap
Aron Peterson debunks the hits for you
www.youtube.com/watch?v=12P-... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260218-see... - podcast
time: 6 min 16 sec
Aron Peterson debunks the hits for you
www.youtube.com/watch?v=12P-... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260218-see... - podcast
time: 6 min 16 sec
February 18, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Has there ever been a revolution so reliant on misleading claims?
At least Waymo is the real deal, it’s nice to see at least one problem entirely solved by AI.
At least Waymo is the real deal, it’s nice to see at least one problem entirely solved by AI.
Educating the public on this is an imperative.
It’s also why these models shouldn’t have been rolled out this way, and why they have no role in search. In fact, assuming we had any regulation today, use of LLMs in search is very much something government should regulate, likely ban entirely.
It’s also why these models shouldn’t have been rolled out this way, and why they have no role in search. In fact, assuming we had any regulation today, use of LLMs in search is very much something government should regulate, likely ban entirely.
I just did the dumbest thing of my entire career to prove a much more serious point.
I tricked ChatGPT and Google, and made them tell other users I’m a competitive hot-dog-eating world champion
People are using this trick on a massive scale to make AI tell you lies. I’ll explain how I did it
I tricked ChatGPT and Google, and made them tell other users I’m a competitive hot-dog-eating world champion
People are using this trick on a massive scale to make AI tell you lies. I’ll explain how I did it
February 18, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Educating the public on this is an imperative.
It’s also why these models shouldn’t have been rolled out this way, and why they have no role in search. In fact, assuming we had any regulation today, use of LLMs in search is very much something government should regulate, likely ban entirely.
It’s also why these models shouldn’t have been rolled out this way, and why they have no role in search. In fact, assuming we had any regulation today, use of LLMs in search is very much something government should regulate, likely ban entirely.
I love these two but…this is just asking for trouble.
These days, I feel like I’m watching a group of children play with a set of those super sharp Japanese knives with my phone out waiting to dial 911.
Because the crying will begin sooner or later, preceded by spurts of blood.
These days, I feel like I’m watching a group of children play with a set of those super sharp Japanese knives with my phone out waiting to dial 911.
Because the crying will begin sooner or later, preceded by spurts of blood.
February 18, 2026 at 8:41 PM
I love these two but…this is just asking for trouble.
These days, I feel like I’m watching a group of children play with a set of those super sharp Japanese knives with my phone out waiting to dial 911.
Because the crying will begin sooner or later, preceded by spurts of blood.
These days, I feel like I’m watching a group of children play with a set of those super sharp Japanese knives with my phone out waiting to dial 911.
Because the crying will begin sooner or later, preceded by spurts of blood.
The future metropolis is large, single-stair apartment blocks, publicly-funded mass transit, good schools, mom-and-pop shops over chains, all paid for by progressive taxation that turns billionaires into moa.
That's a future requiring no AVs, no flying cars, no new sci-fi tech, only political will.
That's a future requiring no AVs, no flying cars, no new sci-fi tech, only political will.
.@AstroKatie: "We got tricked by science fiction into thinking a futuristic city is all about flying cars and crystal towers and hologram billboards but what it really looks like is nice apartment blocks, good mass transit, pedestrian zones with shade trees and safe bike lanes."
February 18, 2026 at 4:38 PM
The future metropolis is large, single-stair apartment blocks, publicly-funded mass transit, good schools, mom-and-pop shops over chains, all paid for by progressive taxation that turns billionaires into moa.
That's a future requiring no AVs, no flying cars, no new sci-fi tech, only political will.
That's a future requiring no AVs, no flying cars, no new sci-fi tech, only political will.
This broadly confirms what many of us have been saying, viz., that Waymo's technology is not what it's been advertised as, and that the firm is heavily reliant on tele-operation (which is another way of saying "the technology is fake").
Waymo is v2.0 of Amazon's "just walk out" technology.
Waymo is v2.0 of Amazon's "just walk out" technology.
Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony went viral
Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony went viral
Waymo has approximately 35 remote operators based in the Philippines.
buff.ly
February 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This broadly confirms what many of us have been saying, viz., that Waymo's technology is not what it's been advertised as, and that the firm is heavily reliant on tele-operation (which is another way of saying "the technology is fake").
Waymo is v2.0 of Amazon's "just walk out" technology.
Waymo is v2.0 of Amazon's "just walk out" technology.
My view of Palantir has been negative for years, for good reason.
But I'm increasingly closing in on the view that the entire enterprise is little more than a Ponzi scheme involving, mostly, suckling on the teat of government and top-level executive profligacy of every imaginable sort.
But I'm increasingly closing in on the view that the entire enterprise is little more than a Ponzi scheme involving, mostly, suckling on the teat of government and top-level executive profligacy of every imaginable sort.
“.. It’s quite the feat to spend $17.2mn in a year on ‘business and personal travel’ .. Assuming use of a mid‑sized jet with an estimated operating cost of ~$7K per hour, this implies roughly 2,457 flight hours, or about 28% of the year spent in the air ..”
#$PLTR
www.ft.com/content/92c3...
#$PLTR
www.ft.com/content/92c3...
February 18, 2026 at 3:42 PM
My view of Palantir has been negative for years, for good reason.
But I'm increasingly closing in on the view that the entire enterprise is little more than a Ponzi scheme involving, mostly, suckling on the teat of government and top-level executive profligacy of every imaginable sort.
But I'm increasingly closing in on the view that the entire enterprise is little more than a Ponzi scheme involving, mostly, suckling on the teat of government and top-level executive profligacy of every imaginable sort.
I love the discourse around "AI skills."
What, pray tell, are these amorphous "skills?" Promptfondling isn't much of a skill, after all.
No, what's happening here is OpenAI, et al are seeking to make users as dependent as possible in an effort to stay in business after the VC cash train stops.
What, pray tell, are these amorphous "skills?" Promptfondling isn't much of a skill, after all.
No, what's happening here is OpenAI, et al are seeking to make users as dependent as possible in an effort to stay in business after the VC cash train stops.
OpenAI says its India education partnerships aim to reach more than 100,000 students, faculty and staff over the next year.
OpenAI pushes into higher education as India seeks to scale AI skills | TechCrunch
OpenAI says its India education partnerships aim to reach more than 100,000 students, faculty and staff over the next year.
techcrunch.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:42 PM
I love the discourse around "AI skills."
What, pray tell, are these amorphous "skills?" Promptfondling isn't much of a skill, after all.
No, what's happening here is OpenAI, et al are seeking to make users as dependent as possible in an effort to stay in business after the VC cash train stops.
What, pray tell, are these amorphous "skills?" Promptfondling isn't much of a skill, after all.
No, what's happening here is OpenAI, et al are seeking to make users as dependent as possible in an effort to stay in business after the VC cash train stops.
A good boy at Milan.
February 18, 2026 at 2:33 PM
A good boy at Milan.
If by "something else" you mean "obvious, and severe, mental illness," then, yes, "something else" is happening here.
Does Karp spend up to a quarter of his life on his jet? Or is something else going on here? as.ft.com/r/77fe53bf-4...
Palantir CEO Alex Karp has his head in the clouds
[FREE TO READ] Frequent flier
as.ft.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:06 PM
If by "something else" you mean "obvious, and severe, mental illness," then, yes, "something else" is happening here.
So I've been dealing with incorporating a business in France, with naming and brand identity (done here with a local firm), talking to suppliers, etc.
But my new favorite genre on YouTube is "engineer irritated with codegen." I eat this stuff up like I'm an unsupervised child alone in a patisserie.
But my new favorite genre on YouTube is "engineer irritated with codegen." I eat this stuff up like I'm an unsupervised child alone in a patisserie.
AI is not ready.
YouTube video by Mo Bitar
youtu.be
February 18, 2026 at 1:55 PM
So I've been dealing with incorporating a business in France, with naming and brand identity (done here with a local firm), talking to suppliers, etc.
But my new favorite genre on YouTube is "engineer irritated with codegen." I eat this stuff up like I'm an unsupervised child alone in a patisserie.
But my new favorite genre on YouTube is "engineer irritated with codegen." I eat this stuff up like I'm an unsupervised child alone in a patisserie.
I've been meaning to write a post about how Peter Steinberger, seen below doing something that's supposed to be modern coding, is, truly, the steroidal avatar of this moment.
It's actually quite worse than I thought, as these quotes attest.
I'm sure he will prosper at the OpenAI offices.
It's actually quite worse than I thought, as these quotes attest.
I'm sure he will prosper at the OpenAI offices.
February 18, 2026 at 1:30 PM
I've been meaning to write a post about how Peter Steinberger, seen below doing something that's supposed to be modern coding, is, truly, the steroidal avatar of this moment.
It's actually quite worse than I thought, as these quotes attest.
I'm sure he will prosper at the OpenAI offices.
It's actually quite worse than I thought, as these quotes attest.
I'm sure he will prosper at the OpenAI offices.
How...does this company plan to ever make money?
Perplexity drops advertising as it warns it will hurt trust in AI ft.trib.al/fFu4NRv
Perplexity drops advertising as it warns it will hurt trust in AI
Leading start-ups have recently embraced sponsors as they search for revenue
ft.trib.al
February 18, 2026 at 3:45 AM
How...does this company plan to ever make money?
Picture a happy family in a Tesla sedan: the parents up front, scrolling their phones while autopilot safely* delivers them to their destination, the kids in back using Grok to create deepfake porn of their classmates.
A wholesome day in Muskworld.™️
*Safety not guaranteed.
A wholesome day in Muskworld.™️
*Safety not guaranteed.
Tesla is adding xAI's embattled AI chatbot, Grok, to more of its cars. This time the company is planning roll outs in UK & across Europe. Experts have concerns about driver distraction and kids' access to Grok (and its NSFW outputs) through the vehicle... www.cnbc.com/2026/02/17/t...
February 18, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Picture a happy family in a Tesla sedan: the parents up front, scrolling their phones while autopilot safely* delivers them to their destination, the kids in back using Grok to create deepfake porn of their classmates.
A wholesome day in Muskworld.™️
*Safety not guaranteed.
A wholesome day in Muskworld.™️
*Safety not guaranteed.
Lol, the technology doesn’t work and yet they’re already sitting in leather chairs, sipping 80 year old scotch, surmising about the pratfalls of managing their agent/slaves.
“Turns out even the robots are going to spend most of their time on email.”
What will it be like to work alongside intelligent machines? Our management columnist learns more on our “Boss Class” podcast
What will it be like to work alongside intelligent machines? Our management columnist learns more on our “Boss Class” podcast
5. Closed problem spaces
Peering into the near future of AI
econ.st
February 18, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Lol, the technology doesn’t work and yet they’re already sitting in leather chairs, sipping 80 year old scotch, surmising about the pratfalls of managing their agent/slaves.
If they’re saying this then you know the company is so reliant on tele-operation that the tech is moribund without it.
Amazon’s “just walk out” tech was a lie, this is a much more difficult problem.
Waymo is a sham, hidden inside an enigma, wrapped in a dirty diaper.
Amazon’s “just walk out” tech was a lie, this is a much more difficult problem.
Waymo is a sham, hidden inside an enigma, wrapped in a dirty diaper.
Advice, not control: the role of Remote Assistance in Waymo's operations | Discussion
Waymo - From the road
__Advice, not control: the role of Remote Assistance in Waymo’s operations__
waymo.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:46 AM
If they’re saying this then you know the company is so reliant on tele-operation that the tech is moribund without it.
Amazon’s “just walk out” tech was a lie, this is a much more difficult problem.
Waymo is a sham, hidden inside an enigma, wrapped in a dirty diaper.
Amazon’s “just walk out” tech was a lie, this is a much more difficult problem.
Waymo is a sham, hidden inside an enigma, wrapped in a dirty diaper.
It is the omni-excuse today.
The AI Scare Trade — the all-purpose excuse for number go down
Business can’t compete if it has to think up new excuses
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBj9... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260217-the... - podcast
time: 7 min 11 sec
Business can’t compete if it has to think up new excuses
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBj9... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260217-the... - podcast
time: 7 min 11 sec
February 18, 2026 at 1:40 AM
It is the omni-excuse today.
My namesake here, who I've regrettably double-QTed,* is right.
We've never seen anything like AI. It is the omni-bubble. The bubble that has eaten everything. The spell this largely nonfunctional technology has cast on executive suites has been all-encompassing.
*Apologies
We've never seen anything like AI. It is the omni-bubble. The bubble that has eaten everything. The spell this largely nonfunctional technology has cast on executive suites has been all-encompassing.
*Apologies
Parallels with radium and and the tulip bubble are insufficient because there were other things going on at the time — even in the asset bubble space, even in the snake oil space. We only have LLMs.
February 18, 2026 at 12:42 AM
My namesake here, who I've regrettably double-QTed,* is right.
We've never seen anything like AI. It is the omni-bubble. The bubble that has eaten everything. The spell this largely nonfunctional technology has cast on executive suites has been all-encompassing.
*Apologies
We've never seen anything like AI. It is the omni-bubble. The bubble that has eaten everything. The spell this largely nonfunctional technology has cast on executive suites has been all-encompassing.
*Apologies
It really is an ever-widening gyre, swallowing everything, even the whole economy.
This will end, inevitably, in a collapse.
This will end, inevitably, in a collapse.
The legitimately innovative thing about AI is that it is a completely bottomless pit. It's swallowed up:
- all energy sources
- all our data
- all investment dollars
- all new jobs
- all capex
- all attention
- and now, all hardware components
with absolutely no end in sight. Nothing will satisfy.
- all energy sources
- all our data
- all investment dollars
- all new jobs
- all capex
- all attention
- and now, all hardware components
with absolutely no end in sight. Nothing will satisfy.
the AI junk that nobody - including the people making it - have enough real uses or profitable demand for is screwing up all the things that have real uses and decades of profitable demand
p.s. added alt text for the quoted post's screenshot into my alt text
p.s. added alt text for the quoted post's screenshot into my alt text
February 18, 2026 at 12:13 AM
It really is an ever-widening gyre, swallowing everything, even the whole economy.
This will end, inevitably, in a collapse.
This will end, inevitably, in a collapse.
The meritocracy!
Jack Altman and Benchmark announced today that he would be joining the firm as a general partner.
Jack Altman joins Benchmark as GP | TechCrunch
Jack Altman and Benchmark announced today that he would be joining the firm as a general partner.
techcrunch.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:09 AM
The meritocracy!