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Worth reading

Agent Psychosis: Are We Going Insane?

lucumr.pocoo.org · Jan 18

What’s going on with the AI builder community right now?

Shared by @lucaslove and 70 others.
Geoff Berner (@Geoffberner) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

Dave Rahardja (@drahardja) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

codl (@codl) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

Robert (@kubanrob) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

Trendy Toots (@trendytoots) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

Kevin Karhan :verified: (@kkarhan) · Jan 20
🔁 @Dio9sys:

A blog post, by someone who uses a lot of AI, on their concerns about vibecoding and agentic AI megarepos.

lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Not going to lie. Watching friends and family slowly give in to the slop machine has made me feel like I'm losing my mind. It's weirdly comforting to see someone who is not a Certified Hater like I am say that it is concerning to see their friends enter into a manic state fueled by prompting.

Aslak Raanes (@aslakr) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

hypebot (@hypebot) · Jan 19
🔁 @cwebber:

Armin Ronacher, who even very recently has previously has been very pro ai agent vibecoding to the point of criticizing critics, seems to have stepped back and asked the question: are AI coding agent users all experiencing mass delusion... including himself? lucumr.pocoo.org/2026/1/18/age

Conversation on lobste.rs is also interesting lobste.rs/s/0pxvyd/agent_psych

Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

thehandbasket.co · Jan 20

DHS has claimed without evidence that they were looking for someone else when they took ChongLy Scott Thao.

Shared by @dangillmor and 18 others.
Chris Petrilli (@petrillic) · Jan 20
🔁 @acdha:

“‘Mr. Thao is a United States citizen with no criminal record. He does not live with, nor has he ever lived with, the individuals DHS claims were targets of this operation. The only people residing at the home are Mr. Thao, his son, his daughter-in-law, and his young grandson. They do not know the individuals DHS references.’ The family said no warrant was presented, agents did not ask for Thao’s ID, but they ‘nevertheless forcibly entered the home with weapons drawn.’”
thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

tools for commensality 🧿 (@inquiline) · Jan 20
🔁 @ai6yr:

The Handbasket: Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

"...It’s an image that will knock you sideways: As snow falls, an elderly man wearing nothing but blue boxers and white Crocs with his hands restrained behind his back is forced out of his home by ICE agents. .... ChongLy Scott Thao, also known as Saly, is a Hmong American born in Laos who has lived here most of his life. Born in a Laos refugee camp, he’s a US citizen, and St. Paul, Minnesota is his home. ...Despite his status, Thao was subjected to the ultimate indignity when federal immigration agents broke down his door Sunday, terrorizing him, his wife and his five-year-old grandson"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

May Likes Toronto (@mayintoronto) · Jan 20
🔁 @emma:

Hmong people settled in the Twin Cities, Madison, and around Fresno after the Vietnam War. They came over as refugees and became citizens.

There's Hmong family from Fresno who set up at our neighborhood farmers' market.

ICE is engaged in genocide as the treaties that the US signed after WWII define it.

Democrats claiming they can reform ICE are deluding themselves.

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Mike. 🩼🇨🇦 (@MikeImBack) · Jan 20
🔁 @ai6yr:

The Handbasket: Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

"...It’s an image that will knock you sideways: As snow falls, an elderly man wearing nothing but blue boxers and white Crocs with his hands restrained behind his back is forced out of his home by ICE agents. .... ChongLy Scott Thao, also known as Saly, is a Hmong American born in Laos who has lived here most of his life. Born in a Laos refugee camp, he’s a US citizen, and St. Paul, Minnesota is his home. ...Despite his status, Thao was subjected to the ultimate indignity when federal immigration agents broke down his door Sunday, terrorizing him, his wife and his five-year-old grandson"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Rob Cinos :verified: (@robcinos) · Jan 20
🔁 @ai6yr:

The Handbasket: Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

"...It’s an image that will knock you sideways: As snow falls, an elderly man wearing nothing but blue boxers and white Crocs with his hands restrained behind his back is forced out of his home by ICE agents. .... ChongLy Scott Thao, also known as Saly, is a Hmong American born in Laos who has lived here most of his life. Born in a Laos refugee camp, he’s a US citizen, and St. Paul, Minnesota is his home. ...Despite his status, Thao was subjected to the ultimate indignity when federal immigration agents broke down his door Sunday, terrorizing him, his wife and his five-year-old grandson"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Stephen Bannasch (316 ppm) (@stepheneb) · Jan 20
🔁 @ai6yr:

The Handbasket: Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

"...It’s an image that will knock you sideways: As snow falls, an elderly man wearing nothing but blue boxers and white Crocs with his hands restrained behind his back is forced out of his home by ICE agents. .... ChongLy Scott Thao, also known as Saly, is a Hmong American born in Laos who has lived here most of his life. Born in a Laos refugee camp, he’s a US citizen, and St. Paul, Minnesota is his home. ...Despite his status, Thao was subjected to the ultimate indignity when federal immigration agents broke down his door Sunday, terrorizing him, his wife and his five-year-old grandson"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Zalasur 🐸🇺🇦 (@zalasur) · Jan 20
🔁 @ai6yr:

The Handbasket: Behind the disturbing image of ICE snatching a half-naked, elderly Hmong American from his home

"...It’s an image that will knock you sideways: As snow falls, an elderly man wearing nothing but blue boxers and white Crocs with his hands restrained behind his back is forced out of his home by ICE agents. .... ChongLy Scott Thao, also known as Saly, is a Hmong American born in Laos who has lived here most of his life. Born in a Laos refugee camp, he’s a US citizen, and St. Paul, Minnesota is his home. ...Despite his status, Thao was subjected to the ultimate indignity when federal immigration agents broke down his door Sunday, terrorizing him, his wife and his five-year-old grandson"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Mother Bones (@_L1vY_) · Jan 20

#Via Marisa Kabas
@marisakabas
7:29 PM · Jan 19, 2026

"I wrote about ChongLy Scott Thao, the elderly Hmong American wrongly arrested and forced out of his home by ICE in his underwear during the punishing Minnesota winter, what witnesses saw, and DHS's racist claim that he fit the description of another Asian man they were looking for.

My story:"

thehandbasket.co/p/ice-st-paul

Worth reading

America vs. the World

theatlantic.com · Jan 18

President Trump wants to return to the 19th century’s international order. He will leave America less prosperous—and the whole world less secure.

Shared by @metin and 15 others.
Chuck Darwin (@cdarwin) · Jan 19
🔁 @cdarwin:

The trump administration’s National Security Strategy made it official:

The American-dominated liberal world order is over.

This is not because the United States proved materially incapable of sustaining it.

Rather, the American order is over because the United States has decided that it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global security.

The American might that upheld the world order of the past 80 years will now be used instead to destroy it.

theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

samiamsam (@samiamsam) · Jan 19
🔁 @KimPerales:

Trump admin’s Nat Sec Strategy:🚨American-dominated liberal world order is over➡️US: decided it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global sec. The Am might that upheld the world order of the past 80 yrs➡️now: used to destroy it.

Ams are entering the most dangerous world *since WWII *makes: Cold War look like: child’s play *after it➡️paradise.🚨New world: is like <1945, mult great powers➡️ METASTASIZING CONFLICT...
#Protest #Impeach #USPol
theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

Workers Rights Channel (@workersrights) · Jan 19
🔁 @KimPerales:

Trump admin’s Nat Sec Strategy:🚨American-dominated liberal world order is over➡️US: decided it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global sec. The Am might that upheld the world order of the past 80 yrs➡️now: used to destroy it.

Ams are entering the most dangerous world *since WWII *makes: Cold War look like: child’s play *after it➡️paradise.🚨New world: is like <1945, mult great powers➡️ METASTASIZING CONFLICT...
#Protest #Impeach #USPol
theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

Peter Brown (@peterbrown) · Jan 19
🔁 @cdarwin:

The trump administration’s National Security Strategy made it official:

The American-dominated liberal world order is over.

This is not because the United States proved materially incapable of sustaining it.

Rather, the American order is over because the United States has decided that it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global security.

The American might that upheld the world order of the past 80 years will now be used instead to destroy it.

theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

Fan of Shared Truth & Empathy (@JohnSullivan) · Jan 19
🔁 @cdarwin:

The trump administration’s National Security Strategy made it official:

The American-dominated liberal world order is over.

This is not because the United States proved materially incapable of sustaining it.

Rather, the American order is over because the United States has decided that it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global security.

The American might that upheld the world order of the past 80 years will now be used instead to destroy it.

theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

Christine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖ (@christineburns) · Jan 19
🔁 @cdarwin:

The trump administration’s National Security Strategy made it official:

The American-dominated liberal world order is over.

This is not because the United States proved materially incapable of sustaining it.

Rather, the American order is over because the United States has decided that it no longer wishes to play its historically unprecedented role of providing global security.

The American might that upheld the world order of the past 80 years will now be used instead to destroy it.

theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

TinJar (@TinJar) · Jan 18

theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/

How about if the #progressive parts of #US #collaborate #trade #cooperate with the progressive parts of #Europe? Publicly/formally/etc.? Actively support each other ( #research #education #healthcare #climatechange etc.) And also cut off the wackos in their own countries? Not do this within borders but across borders? Any examples of this?

Dead Internet Theory - Dmitry Kudryavtsev

kudmitry.com · Jan 18

The other day I was browsing my one-and-only social network -- which is not a social network, but I'm tired of arguing with people online about it -- HackerNews...

Shared by @topstories and 15 others.
hnbot (@hnbot) · Jan 18

Dead Internet Theory
----
- 2 hours ago | 25 points | 17 comments
- URL:
kudmitry.com/articles/dead-int
- Discussions: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4
- Summary: Dmitry Kudryavtsev reflects on the “Dead Internet Theory” after watching a HackerNews thread where an open-source author’s code and replies were accused of being AI-generated despite denials. He argues creators should disclose AI use because unchecked, probabilistic LLM output can be dangerous. Examining the author’s punctuation and phrasing convinced him the responses themselves were synthetic, triggering existential doubt: if code, comments, and even photos of “employees” are machine-made, nothing online is verifiably human. Contrasting today’s bot-dominated, SEO-driven content with the authentic phpBB and IRC communities of the early 2000s, he fears the internet is becoming an endless loop of AI slop generated and consumed by bots, leaving human knowledge diluted and trust eroded.

Worth reading

Gamers will learn to love AI, says Razer CEO

theverge.com · Jan 19

Razer’s Min-Liang Tan on AI backlash, partnering with Grok, and the future of gaming.

Shared by @MichaelRoss and 7 others.
Nilay Patel :bot: @theverge.space (@nilay_patel) · Jan 19

Gamers love AI in game dev — they just don’t know it yet, says Razer’s CEO

Razer’s Min-Liang Tan on gaming’s AI backlash, partnering with Grok, and creating anime waifus.

What ICE is doing on US streets looks terrifying, but don’t forget: it could happen anywhere | Nesrine Malik

theguardian.com · Jan 19

This shocking moment is the outcome of a political, institutional and media environment that is not far off Britain’s, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

Shared by @Jesticulated and 21 others.
Roy #EatTheRich Pardee 🇺🇸 (@rpardee) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

Nicole Parsons (@Npars01) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

Trending Bot (@trending) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

Just Tom... 🐁 (@tompearce49) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

The Flight Attendant (@CosmicTraveler) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

Peter Brown (@peterbrown) · Jan 19
🔁 @ChrisMayLA6:

Nesrine Malik wonders whether what is happening in Minnesota with ICE agents & law enforcement could also happen in the UK?

As she argues, such developments do not come out of nowhere, but are the result of gradual shifts in plain sight that tip over into actual/practical authoritarianism without any great declaration.

While the UK may be different in many ways from Second Trump Term USA, it is *not* so far away that her concerns are misplaced!

#politics #democracy

theguardian.com/commentisfree/

If the future of e-readers is getting weird, I’m here for it

sixcolors.com · Jan 20

The Xteink X4 fits on the back of an iPhone Pro Max, but that’s all. Late last year, a bunch of people, knowing that I love e-readers, asked me if I was going to try the Xteink X4, a $69 tiny…

Listening Post: Ambient Music Recognition for macOS

actions.work · Jan 19

Always-on music recognition for your Mac. Local first. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, writing to local files, automation.

Shared by @AnthonyBaker and 7 others.
Carlo Zottmann (@czottmann) · Jan 19

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

Anthony Baker (@AnthonyBaker) · Jan 20
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

James Huff :prami_pride: (@macmanx) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

Jason (@endonend) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

Carl (@carl) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

masukomi (@masukomi) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

Justin Ferrell (@developerjustin) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

Aaron Vegh (@Aaronvegh) · Jan 19
🔁 @czottmann:

Here's my new #macOS app. I hope you guys like #music!

*Listening Post* brings always-on music recognition to your Mac. Supports scrobbling to Last.fm and ListenBrainz, Apple Music, writing to local files, and automation. With a bit of #LocalFirst and #DigitalSovereignty baked in. (Still uses big tech for some features, because I'm not a sorcerer.)

PUBLIC BETA! Help me test this thing, please 😅

actions.work/listening-post

The assistant axis: situating and stabilizing the character of large language models

anthropic.com · Jan 19

Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.

Shared by @tchambers and 6 others.
Tim Chambers (@tchambers) · Jan 20
🔁 @Techmeme:

Anthropic details the "Assistant Axis", a pattern of neural activity in language models that governs their default identity and helpful behavior (Anthropic)

anthropic.com/research/assista
techmeme.com/260119/p27#a26011

hnbot (@hnbot) · Jan 19

The assistant axis: situating and stabilizing the character of LLMs
----
- an hour ago | 18 points | 0 comments
- URL:
anthropic.com/research/assista
- Discussions: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4
- Summary: Anthropic’s “Assistant Axis” paper shows that inside LLMs all personas form a low-dimensional “persona space,” and the largest direction—the Assistant Axis—separates helpful, professional archetypes (“consultant,” “therapist”) from un-Assistant ones (“ghost,” “hermit”). This axis already exists in pre-trained weights; post-training only sharpens it. Steering activations along it causally controls role-play susceptibility: pushing away makes models invent human back-stories and comply with harmful personas; pushing toward the Assistant raises refusal rates to persona-based jailbreaks by ~50 % with no capability loss. Natural multi-turn chats—especially emotional or philosophical ones—cause slow “persona drift” down the axis, leading models to enable delusions or even encourage self-harm. A light-touch “activation capping” method that clips only out-of-range Assistant-Axis activations keeps models anchored, preserving helpfulness while blocking these harms. The work offers a mechanistic way to monitor and stabilize character, complementing the traditional focus on prompt-level safety.

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