Sarah Steel

This is the stuff everybody really needs to understand about what’s actually going on within the big Silicon Valley AI tech companies

an expert here: designing chatbots to be anthropomorphic, sycophantic yes-men is a choice ai developers make

New guide for healthcare workers to identify modern slavery victims

I don’t make a habit of watching many government inquiry hearings so I’m not sure what’s normal, but hearing Coalition senators act like lawyers for the PBCC, interjecting on their behalf to object to questions constantly, felt quite odd www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...

Queensland coroner begins probe to examine whether system failures led to death of Elizabeth Struhs

‘At the time the ACNC announced its investigation, the regulator said it would "act firmly where vulnerable people or significant charity assets are at risk".’ www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...

"It should not go unnoticed that whenever the inflation conversation takes hold, profits never enter the chat. The usual suspects are happy to talk further cuts – to services and jobs – but never actually raising funds from those businesses that benefit from our pain." #RBA #inequality #auspol

Many people don’t realize that many people in the tech industry, especially in its upper echelons, have developed a deeply harmful and delusional worldview they’re trying to impose on everyone else. That’s at the root of their misguided view of where AI is going. disconnect.blog/the-media-ha...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_8...

over the past few weeks several AI evaluation/cybersecurity experts have explained how what's happening is a result of human incompetence rather than "AI going rogue". I'm begging the media to show a shred of journalistic integrity and stop parroting what altman or amodei say

If ultimately there's no criminal responsibility for this incident here then FOI just became a lot easier if we ask AI agents to go find those documents for us. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The Jehovah's Witnesses governing body has changed longstanding doctrine to allow followers to choose whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets. There has been relief and anger in the wake of lives lost after transfusions were refused. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...

"It is perfectly honest to say, 'I chose a private school because I want the best for my kid, but it is also true that private schools are bad for society and do more to reproduce inequality than to remedy it." Great @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social piece. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/private-sc...

‘Many adherents believe humans must merge with AI to become a new species, or even that sentient AIs should replace humanity altogether. Some want to colonise the universe with “digital beings”.’ cheekmedia.substack.com/p/will-ai-re...

“Four sources with knowledge of the sect’s secret election influence campaign said Brethren elders had shifted their attention even before the Coalition’s 2025 defeat, with church middlemen reaching out to One Nation and other smaller parties with offers to help.” www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

www.mediaweek.com.au/how-ai-helpe...

“I want to draw your attention to another reality: Right now, the US economy & our financial futures are riding on Silicon Valley's bet that Al will soon be immensely profitable… that bet isn't looking good. The formula for a profitable business isn't complicated: make more than you spend…“

Very worth reading this comprehensive overview of a lot of elements of the belief systems behind the hype that are less covered than they should be, in spite of many working to shift this

I’m hanging out for @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social’s Musk, but Going Clear (and the book, and so much more from survivors) has been available long enough now that it honestly surprises me how many people don’t have any qualms about watching TC films. Saddened that Iñárritu cast him.

It's a Python loop and a chatbot. The people responsible didn't accidentally create god: they created autonomous malicious software and then failed to closely monitor it, resulting in it doing something both foreseeable and bad.

I wrote down my thoughts about the last several weeks of AI hell. aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...

Anyway, good piece in the Times here. (It still happens!) People are starting to talk very weird about AI on this site, and honestly it's kind of distressing seeing people fall into the abyss thinking it's alive. That ain't good. The rest of us should expect boring bad stuff and guard against it.

“Our governments are ramping up suppression of protest instead of tackling the very real threat to Australians’ welfare.” Yes, they do know something we don’t know. Climate refugees, food and water insecurity, unaffordable insurance and climate ‘permacrisis’ - good word @davemilbo.bsky.social

Can’t wait for Alex Gibney’s latest “adventurous but methodical movie grounded in the thesis that, as he sees it, a dangerous huckster is stealthily aggregating power to exploit us”

This thread (and essay) on a chain of AI-first private schools points to the staggering influence of the optimization cult. It reminded me of reading about children of acid cults or EST workshops. Kudos to Ben for digging in and laying this out.

“Never in human history have so many people been forced from their homes, by persecution, by violence or climate shocks, by economic instability and political fragility.”

A Times Reporter went undercover at Scientology’s Edinburgh headquarters and uncovered labour exploitation including serious exploitation of children podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...

bsky.app/profile/lets...

Enshrined

Australia Institute research showed in 2023 that 69% of the inflation above the RBA's target after COVID was due to excess corporate profits. But the Reserve Bank continues to ignore profits driving inflation. #auspol @richarddenniss.bsky.social

Your next thrilling read? Universal Predator is a true courtroom drama like no other. How I faced aggressive retaliation and defamation action when I exposed sleazebag guru Serge Benhayon and his creepy Universal Medicine scam #cults youtu.be/mcqETL6UlA0?...

A few more tix on sale for this one, will sell out again soon… festivalofdangerousideas.com/program/how-...

It’s honestly outrageous that META continues to ban queer accounts across Facebook and Instagram. On the face of it a very obvious breach of discrimination law that the Government should be looking to enforce.

"For survivors of high-control groups, often referred to as cults throughout the inquiry, the 'monumental' report offers a sense their experiences were heard, and there was hope ahead." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07...

The report is out! Much reading to do: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/cofg-reports

The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into cults and "organised fringe groups" will table its report this week, earlier than we were expecting. Patrick McIvor (co-author of the Beyond Belief submission) has put together a scorecard by which we can measure it: patrickmcivor.com.au/2026/07/27/w...

FINALLY. Christian Brothers tried to say they had no money to pay out abuse survivors when they’d divested $billions into their education arm but said it had nothing to do with them. Lawyer says “It was a cruel, shocking way to treat people who were raped as children.” www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07...

My book will never earn out its advance, but you know what royalties I retain and receive each year in Australia? Public lending royalties!

Being involved in something like this has been an intensely stressful experience, and seeing her face constantly pop up in the headlines I guess is a kind of weird exposure therapy at least? Pleased that this prolonged chapter of it is done now.

Single session tix are now available for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas just in case anyone was waiting for these… looking forward to it.

“That Segal, the government’s official envoy, would present false material and bad-faith arguments to a royal commission is disturbing, but it also draws attention to deeper flaws in the commission.”