Chris Riley

Hi everybody! For anyone finding me on a starter pack, I'm a tech policy wonk, trained in computer science and law, living+working in WA, USA but focused just as much on Europe + UK. I've built my career around internet openness and governance. These days, I focus on getting data portability right.

New from me at Tech Policy Press: Building Trust Infrastructure for Agentic AI. There are challenges coming; let's get out ahead of them, if it's not already too late. www.techpolicy.press/building-tru...

Fantastic thread linking Taiwanese independence, the state of the chip market, and the stability of the US economy.

Pick a Bond from photos you already have on your phone.

Just minding my own business, reading Dungeon Crawler Carl book 8, when all of a sudden ... Hey, what the heck, man! What did redheads do to you?

I am sure I am the first person ever to vibe code while eating dinner and accidentally spill hot sauce on my MacBook, AMA

This is a Peace Corps recruitment poster in the pedestal at the Statue of Liberty. Sure hits different now.

this is just so wonderful

Excited for this event coming up on Friday: "Who Controls Data in the Age of AI?" luma.com/kpf2voda Sign up and come to UC Law San Francisco to learn about the law and practice of data transfers with several distinguished speakers, and me. (But I organized it, so they had to include me, mwahaha!)

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We are, collectively, struggling to come to terms with the emerging capabilities of AI. Two conversations are happening with no cross-pollination, optimistic and pessimistic. I am trying to create a workable theory to reach both. Here is my chapter on self: mchrisriley.medium.com/chapter-9-th...

"Doing harm at scale requires infrastructure." So good, from @johnathan.bsky.social @shappy.bsky.social I always read World's Best Newsletter, but this one I am going to save and reread. mailchi.mp/rawsignal/yo...

Federal judge has ordered the release of Liam Ramos (the bunny hat boy) and his father. A brief and rather remarkable order. Clearly written to be shared widely, so please do. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

NEW: When can states prosecute federal agents? While it may not be easy, especially if federal officials impede an investigation, states have more power than people may realize. @aliciabannon.bsky.social breaks down the tools states have to hold federal officials accountable:

Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/s... There is a callout box in the print version of this piece that reads, "Like all gods, this technology is inscrutable." .... sheesh. The piece itself is pretty great though, and reinforces what I wrote about idolatry and dangerous mutual worship dynamics.

Excited to kick off the spring concert prep cycle!

This is an incredible conversation, touching on several distinct and worthy issues -- not just AI, but even more so science and how we approach it, the pervasive confusion of correlation and causation, and a bit of current politics/events at the end. Well worth a read.

This is a very sad, but of course not surprising, development.

I'm sure literally no one involved in making this happen will care, but I shudder to think of the child psychologist reaction to this Universal Basic Investment proposal: www.axios.com/2025/12/21/t... Making every kid aware of, and competing over, money seems like a fast way to ruin childhood.

Breaking recommendation algorithms with my highly specific tastes, 2025 edition. Had a lot of long car rides with kids in the first half of the year...

As a practicing Christian, I genuinely believe God engages with the present world in mysterious ways, and if we but listen quietly and humbly, He will speak to us. ... but not like that. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/o... (See also, by me: mchrisriley.medium.com/interlude-co...)

All of Bluesky this morning:

The comments on this post are illuminating.

This is, of course, a fascinating thread from Kate asking why Google is effectively cannibalizing its own market for both digital ads on third party properties and search ads, by effectively taking away the incentive to click through to third party sites. I have a theory as to why they're doing it.

Today is @dansinker.com 's birthday. If you're not already signed up for his emails, you should! dansinker.com/follow/ And maybe buy some stickers or something. I love my "TRYING" sticker, it is the anchor sticker on my laptop, the first one I put on.

Where will things progress now? Will law enforcement in NYC face thrown slices of pizza? Hot dogs in Chicago? Sushi in LA or SF? Teriyaki in Seattle? Only time will tell.

AI has no place in beer. Today's edition of "sentences I never thought I'd have to say", but thanks to @404media.co apparently we do? www.404media.co/what-happene...

The longevity cult is going to be ALL OVER the naked mole rats. For science, I guess. Hat tip @404media.co of course, because they are the best.

I really enjoyed this piece on AI + consciousness, a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately. It covers some of the key thinkers + dimensions of the problem, and touches on why it matters: the future possibility of moral welfare, + the risk of it distracting from more pressing concerns.

I somehow had missed this news, but this is huge and wonderful news in the midst of so much bad stuff. Alaa being freed is great...

cool cool apnews.com/article/unga...

Governing AI starts with user control To keep AI open, competitive, & user-centred, we need real data portability — no more platform lock-in, writes @mchrisriley.com, Data Transfer Initiative, in a new blog: www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/blog/governi...

👀 And don't miss the closing line of their announcement: "If you would like to bring your memory details over from a different AI tool or export your memory from Claude for backup or migration, you can follow these instructions." (link goes to: support.anthropic.com/en/articles/... )

... wow

Chris Riley offers a set of principles for personal AI data transfers, and proposes that technologists begin to immediately develop AI data transfer tools, starting with a concrete and yet valuable data model: generative AI conversation histories.

"think harder" not smarter apparently...

I am dying omg.

just this headline is disturbing me. maybe i should go back to bed...

umm www.404media.co/constitution...

Another excellent piece from Rosie Spinks: rojospinks.substack.com/p/does-where... Read through to the end, the bit about how AI will remove more friction, which will undercut our thriving and sense of life's meaning. Great stuff.

And yet, there will be (many) mainstream Democrats hemming and hawing about whether this is an intellectually sound or fair argument to make, on the grounds that allegedly Trump and friends are paying for the costs, as if that distinction mattered any more.

I can see this, particularly in 2025, yeah. But my greater concern is that we will put AI in charge of everything, and then everything will break.

This feels like an Onion article.

Sam Altman says "don't use GPT for therapy" (techcrunch.com/2025/07/25/s...), meanwhile "therapy/companionship" is literally the #1 use case (hbr.org/2025/04/how-...)

I know approximately one million. Paul is good people, for those who spot this.

"vibe physics" lol gizmodo.com/billionaires...