Future Around & Find Out BONUS: A quick riff on that weird Anthropic graph with Paul Ford | FAFO Friday
Mar 13, 2026
Paul Ford, writer and founder of Aboard known for sharp tech commentary. He and Dan riff on that viral, Rorschach-like Anthropic radar graph and why people share it for looks rather than clarity. They geek out on a taco-themed AI remake, explain why radar charts mislead, and talk about how AI can quickly materialize bad ideas.
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Cool Visuals Drive Sharing More Than Clarity
- People share inscrutable visualizations because they look smart, not because they illuminate data.
- Dan suspects the Anthropic graph is circulating mainly for its cool, spiky visual rather than clear, evidence-backed conclusions.
Why Radar Graphs Obscure Meaning
- Radar graphs look visually striking but obscure meaning and order.
- Dan Blumberg and Paul Ford criticize the Anthropic radar viz because axes are semantic, non-linear, and the spikes prioritize aesthetics over interpretability.
Data Viz Rant Replaces AI Discussion
- Paul and Dan briefly turned the conversation into a data visualization rant instead of AI talk.
- Paul joked Edward Tufte would be 'bursting into flames' at the poor design, signaling shared disdain among data viz aficionados.