Techdirt Mike And Karl Talk AI
21 snips
Mar 17, 2026 
Karl Bode, technology journalist who writes on policy and tech’s social impacts, joins a wide-ranging conversation about AI. They unpack why public anger runs high and when AI is actually useful. They debate industry politics, open downloadable models, regulation risks, geopolitics, and the long, messy road ahead for AI.
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AI Anger Is Entangled With Class Politics
- AI debates are entangled with class and political anger, making nuance hard to achieve.
- Karl Bode notes AI fury ranks with big political grievances and is tightly wound with class-based resentments.
Using Gemini To Dig Up Obscure Records
- Karl uses Gemini to find obscure regulatory filings and vintage-computer cable part names, saving hours of manual search.
- He reports Gemini gets such niche queries right more often than not, though he still double-checks results.
Politics And VC Behavior Amplify AI Distrust
- Tech industry's political choices amplified public distrust of AI by associating companies with unpopular politics.
- Michael Masnick argues embrace of Trumpism and VC behavior made AI part of broader class anger.