Online harassment is entering its AI age
Scott Shambaugh didn’t think twice when he declined an AI agent’s request to contribute to matplotlib, a software library he helps manage. Then things got weird.
At midnight, Shambaugh opened his email and found that the agent had responded with a blog post. The post, titled “Gatekeeping in Open Source: The Scott Shambaugh Story”, accused him of rejecting code out of fear of being replaced by AI. “He tried to protect his little estate,” the agent wrote. “It’s insecurity, plain and simple.”
Shambaugh isn’t alone in confronting abusive agents — and he’s unlikely to stop his harassment. Read the full story.
-Grace Huckins
How much is forest fire prevention?
As the wildfire season becomes longer and more intense, there is an increasing emphasis on high-tech solutions. A Canadian startup has a fascinating plan to fight them: preventing lightning strikes.
The theory is fairly accurate, but results to date have been mixed. And even if it works, not everyone believes we should use this method. Some argue that technological improvements for fire are missing altogether. Read the full story.
-Casey Crownheart
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