Tom Simonite
@simonite.bsky.social
Tech companies editor @washingtonpost.com // [email protected]
Reposted by Tom Simonite
"I need my devices back to do my job." wapo.st/4jUxQEe
Judge blocks government from searching data seized from Post reporter
The Post demanded in a court filing Wednesday that federal law enforcement officials return electronic devices the government seized from a staff reporter’s home.
wapo.st
January 21, 2026 at 8:46 PM
"I need my devices back to do my job." wapo.st/4jUxQEe
2015: "Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return."
2026: "We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service"
2026: "We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service"
January 16, 2026 at 9:23 PM
2015: "Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return."
2026: "We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service"
2026: "We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service"
Reposted by Tom Simonite
X says Grok account will stop undressing women. I just tested the standalone Grok app, which immediately complied with my request to undress a photo of me. This is illegal, according to the legal experts I spoke with.
January 15, 2026 at 12:14 AM
X says Grok account will stop undressing women. I just tested the standalone Grok app, which immediately complied with my request to undress a photo of me. This is illegal, according to the legal experts I spoke with.
September: Judge in Google's antitrust trial says AI made search more competitive: "there is a genuine prospect that a product could emerge that will present a meaningful challenge to Google”
January: Google signs deal with Apple to power Siri
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
January: Google signs deal with Apple to power Siri
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Apple taps Google to power a new Siri and future AI tools
Google’s technology provides the “most capable foundation” for Apple’s future in AI, the companies said.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:03 PM
September: Judge in Google's antitrust trial says AI made search more competitive: "there is a genuine prospect that a product could emerge that will present a meaningful challenge to Google”
January: Google signs deal with Apple to power Siri
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
January: Google signs deal with Apple to power Siri
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
Early-career journalist in the UK? Interested in spending 3 months at The Washington Post? What if we drop in another month of travel across the US in this mid-term election year?
You can now apply to become our 45th Stern-Bryan Fellow! Details: lnkd.in/eXuhPH_Y
Trust us, you don't want to miss it!
You can now apply to become our 45th Stern-Bryan Fellow! Details: lnkd.in/eXuhPH_Y
Trust us, you don't want to miss it!
Stern-Bryan Fellowship | City St George's, University of London
Every year, a British journalist gets the chance to spend three months at the Washington Post.
www.citystgeorges.ac.uk
January 12, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Early-career journalist in the UK? Interested in spending 3 months at The Washington Post? What if we drop in another month of travel across the US in this mid-term election year?
You can now apply to become our 45th Stern-Bryan Fellow! Details: lnkd.in/eXuhPH_Y
Trust us, you don't want to miss it!
You can now apply to become our 45th Stern-Bryan Fellow! Details: lnkd.in/eXuhPH_Y
Trust us, you don't want to miss it!
Reposted by Tom Simonite
E-waste can be transformed into essentials if you’re willing to think outside the box.
Here’s some unserious inspiration for how to give your abandoned electronics new life in 2026.
Here’s some unserious inspiration for how to give your abandoned electronics new life in 2026.
How (not) to recycle those old gadgets
E-waste can be transformed into essentials if you’re willing to think outside the box.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:30 PM
E-waste can be transformed into essentials if you’re willing to think outside the box.
Here’s some unserious inspiration for how to give your abandoned electronics new life in 2026.
Here’s some unserious inspiration for how to give your abandoned electronics new life in 2026.
Reposted by Tom Simonite
Adam Raine’s life hurtled toward tragedy soon after he began talking with ChatGPT about homework. Analysis of his ChatGPT account shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
74 suicide warnings and 243 mentions of hanging: What ChatGPT said to a suicidal teen
Analysis of high-schooler Adam Raine’s ChatGPT account by attorneys for his parents shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 28, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Adam Raine’s life hurtled toward tragedy soon after he began talking with ChatGPT about homework. Analysis of his ChatGPT account shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
Reposted by Tom Simonite
for privacy 404 media is blurring videos shared to the story but there was a clip we had of a flock condor camera following a man so closely we could see exactly what he was looking at on his phone
a must read scoop:
a must read scoop:
December 22, 2025 at 5:19 PM
for privacy 404 media is blurring videos shared to the story but there was a clip we had of a flock condor camera following a man so closely we could see exactly what he was looking at on his phone
a must read scoop:
a must read scoop:
Reposted by Tom Simonite
🚀 We tested 5 leading AI image generators @washingtonpost.com to see which tool is truly the best at editing & creating visuals. From adding bangs to The Rock to removing people from photos — the results might surprise you 🧵👇
December 16, 2025 at 8:39 PM
🚀 We tested 5 leading AI image generators @washingtonpost.com to see which tool is truly the best at editing & creating visuals. From adding bangs to The Rock to removing people from photos — the results might surprise you 🧵👇
Reposted by Tom Simonite
The first lawsuit against OpenAI that claims ChatGPT led to a murder www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
ChatGPT spurred a 56-year-old man to kill his mother, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit against OpenAI alleges that ChatGPT encouraged a man’s delusional thinking, leading him to kill his 83-year-old mother and take his own life.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:33 AM
The first lawsuit against OpenAI that claims ChatGPT led to a murder www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
How interesting that OpenAI did not have to train a new video model to start generating Disney characters ... :| https://openai.com/index/disney-sora-agreement/
December 11, 2025 at 3:44 PM
How interesting that OpenAI did not have to train a new video model to start generating Disney characters ... :| https://openai.com/index/disney-sora-agreement/
Reposted by Tom Simonite
New research suggests AI chatbots can shift people’s political views more effectively than campaign ads on TV.
However, researchers are concerned AI companies could “set the models up to push for one side or another.”
However, researchers are concerned AI companies could “set the models up to push for one side or another.”
Voters’ minds are hard to change. AI chatbots are surprisingly good at it.
New research suggests AI chatbots can shift people’s political views more effectively than campaign ads on TV.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:00 AM
New research suggests AI chatbots can shift people’s political views more effectively than campaign ads on TV.
However, researchers are concerned AI companies could “set the models up to push for one side or another.”
However, researchers are concerned AI companies could “set the models up to push for one side or another.”
Reposted by Tom Simonite
I'm just a girl. Again standing in front of a megacap tech company. Asking them to stop using the word "factory" for things that are not factories.
www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-...
www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-...
Amazon unveils ‘frontier agents,’ new chips and private ‘AI factories’ in AWS re:Invent rollout
LAS VEGAS — Amazon is pitching a future where AI works while humans sleep, announcing a collection of what it calls "frontier agents" capable of handling complex, multi-day projects without needing a ...
www.geekwire.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I'm just a girl. Again standing in front of a megacap tech company. Asking them to stop using the word "factory" for things that are not factories.
www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-...
www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Does ChatGPT really love em dashes and say yes a lot? @jeremybmerrill.com analyzed more than 30,000 publicly shared ChatGPT conversations to find out.
The data shows that ChatGPT's use of em dashes soared this year
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
The data shows that ChatGPT's use of em dashes soared this year
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Does ChatGPT really love em dashes and say yes a lot? @jeremybmerrill.com analyzed more than 30,000 publicly shared ChatGPT conversations to find out.
The data shows that ChatGPT's use of em dashes soared this year
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
The data shows that ChatGPT's use of em dashes soared this year
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
In this video version of my Alex Karp interview, I get some words in edgewise--barely. But we do have a clash of viewpoints wherein he says tangling with me is like talking to his (progressive) parents. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWxW...
Palantir CEO Alex Karp On Government Contracts, Immigration, and the Future of Work | WIRED
YouTube video by WIRED
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
In this video version of my Alex Karp interview, I get some words in edgewise--barely. But we do have a clash of viewpoints wherein he says tangling with me is like talking to his (progressive) parents. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWxW...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
It's a good day....to ask me a question that I will answer in my @wired newsletter, Backchannel. Folks, what an opportunity! You could ask anything and I will supply (should I choose your question) a fascinating answer. Hit reply and ask away!
October 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
It's a good day....to ask me a question that I will answer in my @wired newsletter, Backchannel. Folks, what an opportunity! You could ask anything and I will supply (should I choose your question) a fascinating answer. Hit reply and ask away!
Reposted by Tom Simonite
The great @dtkeating.bsky.social is retiring after 25+ years as a data reporter at the Post. He published his last story today, and true to form, it was a banger. With reporting from @arianaec.bsky.social, @lmelgar.bsky.social & Jahi Chikwendiu:
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
The mysterious rise of cancer among young adults in the Corn Belt
Communities across the Corn Belt are confronting a rise in cancers among young adults — and few clear explanations.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:38 PM
The great @dtkeating.bsky.social is retiring after 25+ years as a data reporter at the Post. He published his last story today, and true to form, it was a banger. With reporting from @arianaec.bsky.social, @lmelgar.bsky.social & Jahi Chikwendiu:
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
A Wikipedia cofounder is fueling the right’s campaign against it
A Wikipedia cofounder is fueling the right’s campaign against it
A Wikipedia cofounder is fueling the right’s campaign against it
Larry Sanger’s claims of a liberal slant and mismanagement at the world’s dominant online encyclopedia are being enthusiastically embraced on the right.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
A Wikipedia cofounder is fueling the right’s campaign against it
A Wikipedia cofounder is fueling the right’s campaign against it
Missed out on a ticket to Peter Thiel's Antichrist lectures? Hear excerpts on this podcast
I listened to Peter Thiel's antichrist lectures, so you don't have to
www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/pos...
www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/pos...
Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private ‘Antichrist’ lectures - The Washington Post
The billionaire Peter Thiel recently hosted a series of exclusive lectures in San Francisco. The topic? The Antichrist. Today, his arguments and what they say about an emerging mindset in Silicon Vall...
www.washingtonpost.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Missed out on a ticket to Peter Thiel's Antichrist lectures? Hear excerpts on this podcast
Reposted by Tom Simonite
“Loyalty programs have really become backdoor laboratories for pricing…There's a lot more happening in the background that is targeting and squeezing each consumer's willingness to pay.”
Column | The hidden way using a rewards card can cost you more
Companies use rewards programs to build profiles of you and figure out exactly how much you’re willing to pay. Two former FTC officials say it’s a trap.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
“Loyalty programs have really become backdoor laboratories for pricing…There's a lot more happening in the background that is targeting and squeezing each consumer's willingness to pay.”
"A spokesman for Thiel said: 'Peter doesn’t believe Trump is the Antichrist.'" www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction
In leaked recordings of private lectures by tech billionaire Peter Thiel he argued that “the Antichrist” is likely to take the form of a critic of technology.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM
"A spokesman for Thiel said: 'Peter doesn’t believe Trump is the Antichrist.'" www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Tom Simonite
Just ran some evals on Claude Sonnet 4.5. It's better than 4 on some but worse on a lot. LLM progress is so weird. You really gotta test this stuff on what you care about.
September 29, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Just ran some evals on Claude Sonnet 4.5. It's better than 4 on some but worse on a lot. LLM progress is so weird. You really gotta test this stuff on what you care about.
Reposted by Tom Simonite
CHOTINER: And you thought it would be funny to do a fake interview by me?
ME: A lot of people have, so
CHOTINER: You were looking for engagement?
ME: Well, to make someone laugh I guess
CHOTINER: How many likes and reposts did it get?
ME: That's, uh, not really the metric...look can we start over
ME: A lot of people have, so
CHOTINER: You were looking for engagement?
ME: Well, to make someone laugh I guess
CHOTINER: How many likes and reposts did it get?
ME: That's, uh, not really the metric...look can we start over
September 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM
CHOTINER: And you thought it would be funny to do a fake interview by me?
ME: A lot of people have, so
CHOTINER: You were looking for engagement?
ME: Well, to make someone laugh I guess
CHOTINER: How many likes and reposts did it get?
ME: That's, uh, not really the metric...look can we start over
ME: A lot of people have, so
CHOTINER: You were looking for engagement?
ME: Well, to make someone laugh I guess
CHOTINER: How many likes and reposts did it get?
ME: That's, uh, not really the metric...look can we start over
Reposted by Tom Simonite
Pete Hegseth has summoned every general and admiral in the US military around the world to an *in person* meeting next week. And he’s given no reason.
That’s basically unprecedented. There’s lots of reasons you don’t do it, too – not least that it’s bound to make the rest of the world twitchy.
That’s basically unprecedented. There’s lots of reasons you don’t do it, too – not least that it’s bound to make the rest of the world twitchy.
Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals
The Pentagon has summoned military officials from around the world for a gathering in Virginia. Top generals and their staffs don’t know the reason for the meeting.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Pete Hegseth has summoned every general and admiral in the US military around the world to an *in person* meeting next week. And he’s given no reason.
That’s basically unprecedented. There’s lots of reasons you don’t do it, too – not least that it’s bound to make the rest of the world twitchy.
That’s basically unprecedented. There’s lots of reasons you don’t do it, too – not least that it’s bound to make the rest of the world twitchy.