Andrew Cherry
@kolektiv.xyncro.com
Tech-person, primarily software, occasionally hardware. Somewhat of the left. Dog-dad (also actual child-dad). He/Him. European.
I'd really love to see the competitive tender that resulted in that work, and the SOW it ended up as. Pretty sure from memory some of that should be open, at least the RFP...
January 29, 2026 at 7:35 PM
I'd really love to see the competitive tender that resulted in that work, and the SOW it ended up as. Pretty sure from memory some of that should be open, at least the RFP...
Can't wait to meet the generation of children raised by robots based around Elon Musk's idea of parenthood. They're going to turn out great!
January 29, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Can't wait to meet the generation of children raised by robots based around Elon Musk's idea of parenthood. They're going to turn out great!
"Provocative" and "Controversial" are doing some heavy lifting as ever.
January 29, 2026 at 5:11 PM
"Provocative" and "Controversial" are doing some heavy lifting as ever.
You don't want to know what they've done to my old boots, though.
January 29, 2026 at 4:57 PM
You don't want to know what they've done to my old boots, though.
Nope, there was no actual interaction involved, just videos - although you were encouraged to play along at home. No way to actually make that useful for people, though - you're on your own in reality.
January 29, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Nope, there was no actual interaction involved, just videos - although you were encouraged to play along at home. No way to actually make that useful for people, though - you're on your own in reality.
Good point, and an extra point for your York-related username.
January 29, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Good point, and an extra point for your York-related username.
It is, and so much of it seems to be based on abstract numbers which can't possibly measure anything useful, like "job ads which mention AI". That number went up? In an AI hype cycle? That is a shock. So much confusion of medium/message, so little understanding of value/implication.
January 29, 2026 at 12:59 PM
It is, and so much of it seems to be based on abstract numbers which can't possibly measure anything useful, like "job ads which mention AI". That number went up? In an AI hype cycle? That is a shock. So much confusion of medium/message, so little understanding of value/implication.
If in doubt, it's always Other... That's usually where the gremlins hide in any system anyway, but it was particularly amusing given the prior "everyone, everywhere" strapline...
January 29, 2026 at 12:49 PM
If in doubt, it's always Other... That's usually where the gremlins hide in any system anyway, but it was particularly amusing given the prior "everyone, everywhere" strapline...
I'd be amazed if any of this isn't just existing corporate training jazz pulled together under a maddening portal structure. Even twenty years later, government departments still love a portal.
January 29, 2026 at 11:04 AM
I'd be amazed if any of this isn't just existing corporate training jazz pulled together under a maddening portal structure. Even twenty years later, government departments still love a portal.
As it turns out, you can simply screenshot the badge! Which is pretty in keeping with the whole "claiming expertise you demonstrably lack" theme of the whole charade.
January 29, 2026 at 10:57 AM
As it turns out, you can simply screenshot the badge! Which is pretty in keeping with the whole "claiming expertise you demonstrably lack" theme of the whole charade.
Years ago, when it first started, I used to get junior candidates interviewing based on what they'd seen on The Apprentice (Uk version, thankfully). To that question, one replied, "Yes, is there any reason you wouldn't hire me?" I mean... now there is? I can't legally say so, but yes.
January 29, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Years ago, when it first started, I used to get junior candidates interviewing based on what they'd seen on The Apprentice (Uk version, thankfully). To that question, one replied, "Yes, is there any reason you wouldn't hire me?" I mean... now there is? I can't legally say so, but yes.
No, that seems fair. Having looked up exactly what it is, I kinda want to be a mechatronics engineer now.
January 29, 2026 at 10:06 AM
No, that seems fair. Having looked up exactly what it is, I kinda want to be a mechatronics engineer now.
Hah! I wish - as someone who's interviewed/hired a bunch of people over the years - that this didn't sound quite so reasonable to me...
January 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Hah! I wish - as someone who's interviewed/hired a bunch of people over the years - that this didn't sound quite so reasonable to me...
Sadly, the quantity of "typos you only notice far too late" (and the fact that I managed to misthread one of my own replies) marks this out as reliably organic.
January 29, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Sadly, the quantity of "typos you only notice far too late" (and the fact that I managed to misthread one of my own replies) marks this out as reliably organic.
Nicer people than Zuckerberg and his gang? Low bar! But yes, they do actually seem to be genuinely decent people who care about what they're building - and more importantly, honest about what they can/can't do.
January 29, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Nicer people than Zuckerberg and his gang? Low bar! But yes, they do actually seem to be genuinely decent people who care about what they're building - and more importantly, honest about what they can/can't do.
I actually originally wrote a serious, lengthy thread about the flaws in the AI adoption research they'd published, but then the threading website I was using crashed, and I lost my homework. So we got this instead. But yes, the wrongness of technical/sociological understanding spans so many levels.
January 29, 2026 at 9:03 AM
I actually originally wrote a serious, lengthy thread about the flaws in the AI adoption research they'd published, but then the threading website I was using crashed, and I lost my homework. So we got this instead. But yes, the wrongness of technical/sociological understanding spans so many levels.
I nearly printed and framed it, but my printer is in its natural state, which is to say, broken. I never got a Blue Peter badge, though, so I'm treasuring this one.
January 28, 2026 at 11:45 PM
I nearly printed and framed it, but my printer is in its natural state, which is to say, broken. I never got a Blue Peter badge, though, so I'm treasuring this one.
Any kind of sci-fi-like tech seems to drive it from them at astounding speed. I can't imagine they could have been as credulous in their previous careers; they'd be destitute. I've never worked out what happens to them once they sit on a green leather bench.
January 28, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Any kind of sci-fi-like tech seems to drive it from them at astounding speed. I can't imagine they could have been as credulous in their previous careers; they'd be destitute. I've never worked out what happens to them once they sit on a green leather bench.
No, absolutely none of it would. It's industry marketing and propaganda that they've somehow convinced the government to put its seal on. I've worked with government departments; this would have been laughed out of the room a few years ago. Now it gets a minister on the hype circuit.
January 28, 2026 at 3:33 PM
No, absolutely none of it would. It's industry marketing and propaganda that they've somehow convinced the government to put its seal on. I've worked with government departments; this would have been laughed out of the room a few years ago. Now it gets a minister on the hype circuit.
Obviously I'm not a lawyer but... that doesn't sound ideal. It sounds more like me cancelling a subscription I'd forgotten after noticing yet another direct debit I wasn't expecting to be honest. Maybe the economy is like a household budget! Just not in the good way...
January 28, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Obviously I'm not a lawyer but... that doesn't sound ideal. It sounds more like me cancelling a subscription I'd forgotten after noticing yet another direct debit I wasn't expecting to be honest. Maybe the economy is like a household budget! Just not in the good way...
It's ok, I took one for the team and did some training on behalf of the rest of you. TLDR? You can probably skip it.
bsky.app/profile/kole...
bsky.app/profile/kole...
I think I might take one of these "under 20 minutes" AI skills courses the UK Govt. seems very keen on everyone doing and live-post it here... Maybe we can all learn something together! The press release sends me to aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/ - let's go and see!
AI Skills Boost - AI Skills Hub
aiskillshub.org.uk
January 28, 2026 at 1:35 PM
It's ok, I took one for the team and did some training on behalf of the rest of you. TLDR? You can probably skip it.
bsky.app/profile/kole...
bsky.app/profile/kole...
This government clearly don't really understand the complexity or the danger of the situation. They show no sign of beginning to understand, and every sign of asking the monorail salesman how public transport should work. It's going to be an uphill struggle, but don't leave this to politicians.
January 28, 2026 at 1:26 PM
This government clearly don't really understand the complexity or the danger of the situation. They show no sign of beginning to understand, and every sign of asking the monorail salesman how public transport should work. It's going to be an uphill struggle, but don't leave this to politicians.
Ok, I'm going to have to write something less sarcastic about this, but this is... not wonderful.
More importantly, in the longer term, this isn't going to help anyone. This is volume over quality, rapid-slop. This is Thorium Toothpaste - let's use this for everything before we understand it.
More importantly, in the longer term, this isn't going to help anyone. This is volume over quality, rapid-slop. This is Thorium Toothpaste - let's use this for everything before we understand it.
January 28, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Ok, I'm going to have to write something less sarcastic about this, but this is... not wonderful.
More importantly, in the longer term, this isn't going to help anyone. This is volume over quality, rapid-slop. This is Thorium Toothpaste - let's use this for everything before we understand it.
More importantly, in the longer term, this isn't going to help anyone. This is volume over quality, rapid-slop. This is Thorium Toothpaste - let's use this for everything before we understand it.
We're done! There's a "celebration time" video, where a woman in denim dungarees refers to me as a "future rockstar". Obviously, she's AI-generated, but the sense of accomplishment is... well, that's also AI-generated. Thanks, Accenture!
There's a summary PDF. I'll get ChatGPT to summarise it.
There's a summary PDF. I'll get ChatGPT to summarise it.
January 28, 2026 at 1:21 PM
We're done! There's a "celebration time" video, where a woman in denim dungarees refers to me as a "future rockstar". Obviously, she's AI-generated, but the sense of accomplishment is... well, that's also AI-generated. Thanks, Accenture!
There's a summary PDF. I'll get ChatGPT to summarise it.
There's a summary PDF. I'll get ChatGPT to summarise it.