The hottest Big Tech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top U.S. Politics Topics

Elon Musk’s terrifying vision for AI

Marcus on AI • 10908 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Data Privacy Tech Ethics Big Tech
  1. Elon Musk's AI, Grok, is seen as a powerful tool for propaganda. It can influence people's thoughts and attitudes without them even realizing it.
  2. The technology behind Grok often produces unreliable results, raising concerns about its effectiveness in important areas like government and education.
  3. There is a worry that Musk's use of biased and unreliable AI could have serious consequences for society, as it might spread misinformation widely.

Google Is Now the East India Company of the Internet

The Honest Broker • 38864 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech Digital economy Corporate ethics Monopoly power
  1. Google has become a powerful force in the digital world, much like the East India Company was for trade in the past. It controls key connections or 'links' that affect how users and businesses interact online.
  2. Just like the East India Company faced backlash for its ruthless business practices, Google is also experiencing growing resentment from users and governments who feel exploited and manipulated.
  3. The story of the East India Company's rise and fall serves as a warning for Google. Unchecked greed and ambition can lead to eventual downfall, and history shows that those who gain too much power often attract a pushback.

Facebook’s Fact-Checkers Changed the Way I See Tech—and Speech—Forever

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3093 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Free speech Big Tech Media influence Censorship Social media
  1. Fact-checking on social media can drastically affect the visibility of certain stories. Sometimes, a story can go viral and then suddenly lose all traction because it's flagged as misinformation.
  2. There are alternative theories about major events, like Covid's origins, that may be dismissed initially but can gain credibility over time. It's important to keep an open mind to different viewpoints.
  3. The way tech companies manage information can shape public discourse and control which narratives are heard. This raises questions about free speech and the power of online platforms.

PSA: Microsoft may be training on your private data without your knowledge

Marcus on AI • 4070 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Privacy Big Tech Ethics Consumer Rights
  1. Microsoft might be using your private documents to train their AI without you knowing. It's important to check your settings.
  2. If you have sensitive information in your Office documents, make sure to turn off any options that share your data.
  3. Big tech companies are increasingly using sneaky methods to gather training data, so it's vital to stay informed and protect your privacy.
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Big Tech's AI shock troops came for us

Disaffected Newsletter • 1278 implied HN points • 31 Jul 24
🕹 Technology AI Big Tech Media Freelancing
  1. Big Tech is using AI significantly, impacting jobs in various sectors. Many workers, including freelance writers, are losing their jobs because of AI advancements.
  2. The rise of AI poses challenges for those in industries reliant on human creativity and labor. It raises questions about the future of work as more tasks get automated.
  3. There are concerns about the influence of Big Tech, especially regarding political leanings and job security for workers in media and similar fields. The landscape is changing, and many feel it's not in their favor.

Beyond Big Tech: The Reality Of Data Engineering Outside Silicon Valley

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 847 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Big Tech Infrastructure Data Systems Business Processes
  1. Working in big tech offers many advantages like better tools and a strong focus on data. This environment makes it easier to get work done quickly and efficiently.
  2. Many companies outside big tech struggle with data because it's not their main focus. They often use a mix of different tools that don't work well together, leading to confusion.
  3. Without a strong data leader, companies may find it hard to prioritize data spending. If data isn't tied to profits, it's tougher to justify investing time and money into it.

Who's Michael Shellenberger?

Emerald Robinson’s The Right Way • 5277 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government censorship Federal Government Big Tech
  1. Michael Shellenberger was presented as an expert witness in government censorship without the necessary expertise.
  2. Shellenberger's varied career includes roles as a governor candidate, lobbyist, journalist, and professor.
  3. The House Committee on Government Censorship may be overlooking conservative voices censored by social media.

Exposing Big Tech’s Complicity in Genocide | The Chris Hedges Report

The Chris Hedges Report • 226 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech Censorship Data Privacy Corporate ethics Digital Rights
  1. Many big tech companies are accused of censoring information about the situation in Gaza, with some employees losing their jobs for speaking out against this censorship.
  2. Employees from companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Apple report that there are double standards when it comes to moderating content, often suppressing pro-Palestinian voices while allowing anti-Palestinian sentiments to thrive.
  3. Some tech companies are deeply involved in supporting military actions in Israel, providing necessary technology and services that could be used in the ongoing conflict.

Big Tech Myths And Facts: Vision Pro, Google Culture, Digital Ad Market Edition

Big Technology • 3878 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech AI Digital Advertising Company Culture Revenue
  1. Big Tech companies are experiencing a mix of record revenue and deep layoffs as they navigate the costs of developing new technologies like AI and mixed reality.
  2. Apple may face challenges with the Vision Pro as it might not reach mass-market success until 2030 or beyond, despite initial hype.
  3. Google is acknowledging the need to address its slow-moving culture by simplifying its organizational structure and removing layers to improve efficiency.

Gemini: how did we end up here?

lcamtuf’s thing • 2652 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Language Models Big Tech Content Moderation
  1. The development of large language models (LLMs) like Gemini involves mechanisms like reinforcement learning from human feedback, which can lead to biases and quirky responses.
  2. Concerns arise about the use of LLMs for automated content moderation and the potential impact on historical and political education for children.
  3. The shift within Big Tech towards paternalistic content moderation reflects a move away from the libertarian culture predominant until the mid-2010s, highlighting evolving perspectives on regulating information online.

Human Intelligence, Inc.

Teaching computers how to talk • 136 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Computing Data Innovation Big Tech
  1. AI might seem really smart, but it actually just takes a lot of human knowledge and packages it together. It uses data from people who created it, rather than being original itself.
  2. Even though AI can do impressive things, it's not actually intelligent in the way humans are. It often makes mistakes and doesn't understand its own actions.
  3. When we use AI tools, we should remember the hard work of many people behind the scenes who helped create the knowledge that built these technologies.

How BigTech Invested in AI Companies in 2023

AI Supremacy • 1022 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Investments Venture Capital Big Tech Emerging Tech
  1. BigTech, including companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, made significant investments in AI companies in 2023.
  2. Nvidia emerged as a leading investor in Generative AI in 2023, making diversified bets in the space and establishing a dedicated venture capital arm.
  3. Foundation models and development platforms were major beneficiaries of Big Tech's investment funding, with companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce deeply involved.

Algorithms start out as magic. But then become captive to corporate interests.

Asimov’s Addendum • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🕹 Technology AI Algorithms Big Tech Data Privacy Competition
  1. Google has been found to have abused its power to control search engine results, limiting competition. This means they had an unfair advantage to keep other companies from competing effectively.
  2. Algorithms that start off as amazing tools can end up being exploited for corporate gain. The way Google uses its algorithms looks like magic at first but turns out to serve its own business interests.
  3. To foster fair competition in the tech industry, we need more transparency and rules about how algorithms work. This could lead to better choices for users and support new companies to grow.

Star Trek or Mad Max?

Diane Francis • 619 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Internet Virtual reality Big Tech Digital Rights
  1. Experts debate whether AI will lead to a better future like 'Star Trek' or a dystopian one like 'Mad Max.'
  2. Some say AI, like ChatGPT, doesn't really think or create but uses existing data, raising concerns about job losses and content theft.
  3. Regulation and accountability are important, as many believe tech companies should be held responsible for their actions instead of managing themselves.

Long Take: Is Apple Wallet's Open Banking integration a fintech extinction event?

The Fintech Blueprint • 530 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
💰 Finance Fintech Banking Technology AI Big Tech
  1. Sharks' decline and human growth show the power of general intelligence over specialized adaptations.
  2. Smartphones like iPhones with general intelligence capabilities outperform specialized devices like ATMs.
  3. Big tech's embrace of open banking could lead to a future where standalone bank apps become obsolete.

Long Take: Is Apple's Goldman-powered 4.15% yield account the fintech apocalypse?

The Fintech Blueprint • 491 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
💰 Finance Big Tech Banking Lending Blockchain Wealth Management
  1. Apple has launched a Savings account with a 4.15% yield through Goldman Sachs, creating a disruptive financial product.
  2. Goldman Sachs plays a significant role in the product's distribution, benefiting from Apple's massive consumer base.
  3. Other big tech companies like Google, PayPal, and Ant Financial have also made inroads into financial services, showcasing a trend towards tech-powered banking.

The End of the Golden Age of Tech Accountability

The Klonickles • 412 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Big Tech Regulation Social Impact Tech Policy Corporate Accountability
  1. The economic downturn has impacted the soft power of technology civil society and projects aimed at improving technology and social welfare.
  2. In the last five years, tech companies voluntarily engaged in initiatives for transparency and accountability, which were more significant than perceived.
  3. Despite the progress made, this voluntary cooperation is not enough, and there is a need for regulations to enforce continued efforts by tech companies.

The New Fusionism

Reactionary Feminist • 20 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Dynamics Election Analysis Conservatism Big Tech
  1. There's a big shift happening in American politics, especially after the recent elections. People are curious about what a Trump victory means for the future.
  2. The coming political landscape will mix traditional social conservatism with the influence of big tech, like what Elon Musk represents. This could change how conservatives think about family and human values.
  3. Some people are worried about new tech affecting society, but there's a sense of hope that not everything will lead to extreme changes, like Trump promising to ban certain medical transitions for youth.

What Google's Leaked Letter tells us about the AI Landscape [Finance Fridays]

Technology Made Simple • 199 implied HN points • 06 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Finance Big Tech Open Source Language Models
  1. Open source in AI is successful due to its free nature, promoting quick scaling and diverse contributions.
  2. The rigid hiring practices and systems in Big Tech can stifle innovation by filtering out non-conformists.
  3. The leaked letter questions the value of restrictive models in a landscape where free alternatives are comparable in quality.

6 March is DMA-Day

Platform Papers • 59 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Regulation Big Tech Compliance Market Impact Digital Platforms
  1. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) will enforce new rules on major digital platforms starting March 6, 2024, aiming to make markets fairer and more contestable for platforms like Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, and others.
  2. The DMA introduces obligations for gatekeepers to open up ecosystems, ensure fairness for business users, and promote transparency by submitting compliance plans publicly.
  3. The enforcement of DMA rules faces challenges from wealthy companies like Apple resisting compliance and the European Commission needing to balance limited resources with rigorous enforcement, highlighting the need for immediate action and collaboration with national agencies.

Why can't I be a dick to AI?

The Rectangle • 113 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Ethics Big Tech Human-computer interaction
  1. We often treat AI with politeness and empathy because our brains expect something that talks like a human to be human.
  2. Despite AI being just a tool, companies make them human-like to leverage our trust and make us more receptive to their messages.
  3. There's a societal expectation to be decent even towards artificial entities, like AI, even though they're not humans with feelings and consciousness.

The asymmetry of nudges

lcamtuf’s thing • 103 HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech API Browser Extensions Privacy
  1. It's common to blame big businesses for unethical practices, but often founders and CEOs are genuinely trying to do the right thing.
  2. The development of Manifest V3 in Google Chrome, though controversial, aimed to address major security and privacy risks posed by browser extensions.
  3. The concept of the asymmetry of nudges highlights how well-intentioned changes in tech companies can inadvertently limit user choices or negatively impact user experience.

This is a Netflix world, and we are all living in it. Part #1

Philoinvestor • 58 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
💼 Business Media Streaming Big Tech
  1. Netflix has seen significant gains while Legacy Media companies like Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and Paramount have faced declines.
  2. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pivot has been challenging for Legacy Media companies due to lack of scale and high losses.
  3. Big Tech companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google have disrupted the media space with their robust distribution networks and significant resources.

They Invent, Amazon Re-invents

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Cloud Software Innovation Big Tech
  1. Big tech companies are competing to showcase new technologies, trying to outdo each other with better innovations.
  2. AWS has introduced a new chatbot named Q, which is designed for their customers to chat and generate content easily.
  3. AWS Q can be customized to work with various software used by organizations, making it flexible for different business needs.

We Are What We Click

Diane Francis • 399 implied HN points • 04 Mar 21
🕹 Technology Privacy Surveillance Big Tech Data Mining Social media
  1. Big Tech companies collect and sell our online data, which makes them extremely wealthy and invades our privacy. It’s important to be aware of how much information we share online.
  2. Cookies and algorithms create 'filter bubbles' that limit our exposure to different views and ideas. This can lead to social isolation and political division.
  3. We can take steps to protect our privacy online, like blocking cookies and clearing our search history. However, government regulations are also needed to help keep our data safe.

Sneaky strategies

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 59 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
💼 Business Public Sector Innovation Data Protection Big Tech Strategy
  1. It's important for innovation to understand and accept uncertainty, especially in public sector work. When organizations ignore not-knowing, they hinder their ability to create new solutions.
  2. Many critical problems in the public sector are complex and difficult to tackle, so innovation is crucial. However, there are obstacles that make it hard for these organizations to embrace uncertainty.
  3. Using creative, low-key tactics can help public sector organizations overcome barriers to innovation. These 'sneaky strategies' can effectively introduce new ways of thinking about challenges.

How to Earn Six Figures as a Software Engineer in the UK

The Fat Software Engineer • 72 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
💼 Business Career development Startups Big Tech Job Market
  1. Earn six figures in the UK as a software engineer by working hard, smart, and grinding Leetcode.
  2. Consider going to university for benefits beyond education like adulting skills, lifelong friends, and networking.
  3. Transition from a first job at a bigger company to a startup after gaining experience, focusing on learning, negotiating salary, and preparing for big tech roles.

Big Tech Platforms’ Entry into Healthcare and Education

Platform Papers • 59 implied HN points • 13 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Big Tech Data Analytics Regulations Data Privacy Healthcare
  1. Big Tech platforms like Google and Apple enter regulated industries like healthcare and education by capturing sensitive data, leading to concerns about privacy and competition.
  2. In highly regulated industries, Big Tech firms focus on data capture and analysis, offering insights that can significantly impact incumbent service providers and drive innovation.
  3. For platform strategy, success in regulated industries hinges on superior data analytics capabilities, strategies to access and use sensitive data, and balancing stakeholder interests like privacy and security.

The Ball’s in Your Court

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Chips Copyright Big Tech
  1. Big Tech companies are finding clever ways to use internet data for their AI projects, even with new copyright laws in place.
  2. Semiconductor companies are developing chips specifically for the Chinese market that almost meet US rules, showing a creative approach to regulations.
  3. Generative AI tools like GoogleBot and GPTBot are accessing online content unless website owners clearly say no, which raises questions about data usage.

6. Dancing between the physical and digital; big tech and macroeconomics

Insight Axis • 19 implied HN points • 03 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Digital Macroeconomics Tech Companies Information processing Big Tech
  1. Digital innovation is faster and more flexible than physical innovation, making digital iteration more efficient.
  2. Translating between the physical and digital worlds is essential, requiring 'on-ramps' for data input and 'off-ramps' for implementation.
  3. Information processing is crucial, with 'ramps' serving as gatekeepers between physical and digital realms in big tech and macroeconomics.