60% of US Consumers Say ‘AI’ in Brand Messaging Is a Turnoff

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60% of US Consumers Say ‘AI’ in Brand Messaging Is a Turnoff (Maria)

The author writes, “Getting cited by AI is easier than earning consumers’ trust, according to a new report from WordPress VIP, the Automattic-owned company that offers an enterprise version of the WordPress publishing platform. As brands race to have links appear in AI search results, consumers have grown skeptical about whether they can trust the answers. … Sixty percent of U.S. consumers say brands that use ‘AI’ in their messaging are a turnoff; 86% don’t fully trust AI and want to explore original sources.”

Billionaires Know Just How They Want Supreme Court Justices to Rule — and Are Spending Big to Tell Them (Dana)

From Mother Jones: “Last June, the Supreme Court gave a gift to the fossil fuel industry, whose proceeds have not only lined the pockets of some of the United States’ wealthiest men, but which those men have in turn invested in the creation of a right-wing Supreme Court. In Diamond Alternative Energy v. EPA, seven justices made it easier for the industry to sue the government over regulations it dislikes, granting polluters access to the courts that the justices have routinely denied to ordinary Americans. … It’s hard to view it as a coincidence that a Supreme Court majority built on fossil fuel money went out of its way to help the industry. Indeed, the case is emblematic of a broader distortion of American law. Billionaires and the industries they run have a well-monied thumb on the scales of justice, an oligarchic influence operation that, among other tactics, funds a flood of amici to push the justices toward a preferred outcome.”

Mysterious Libertarian Venture in the Caribbean (Reader Jim)

The authors write, “The small Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis has been making headlines. At the center of the attention is ‘Destiny,’ an effort spearheaded by Belgian cryptocurrency millionaire Olivier Janssens to create a special economic zone on the island of Nevis. Destiny’s developers are making big promises about the potential of the project. Their website touts Destiny as the ‘World’s First Special Sustainability Zone’ and the ‘Monaco-Dubai of the Caribbean.’ As an experiment in ‘revolutionary eco-luxury living,’ it promises to ‘substantially increase the GDP of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the entire Eastern Caribbean’ as well as create ‘thousands of jobs.’ Additional benefits advertised are a 5 percent profit share ‘paid out to [Nevisians] directly and through technology we will create early next year,’ a 10 percent profit share for the Nevisian government, a 10 percent profit share into a sovereign wealth fund that will ‘support Nevisians in many ways,’ a $50-million investment into Nevisian infrastructure, and a $1-million yearly scholarship for Nevisians.”

‘We Will Hunt You Down,’ Trump Says in Pre-Movie Ad That Stunned Portland Theatergoers (Reader Steve)

From The Oregonian: “A liberal Portland activist who says his leisurely outing to the movies Sunday took an Orwellian turn when a new ‘Department of War’ video promoting President Donald Trump’s hyper-macho foreign policy interrupted the trailers is fighting back against what he called the government’s ‘propaganda’ — and drawing support on social media. The Rev. Chuck Currie shared his experience on Facebook, Instagram and Threads after going to Portland’s Regal Lloyd Center to watch Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbuster ‘Disclosure Day.’ That’s when a 90-second advertisement for Trump’s ‘Department of War’ flashed onto the movie screen, prompting loud boos from the Portland audience, Currie said. The video, which debuted Sunday during Trump’s UFC fights at the White House, touts the US’s military prowess and ‘warrior ethos.’”

Hackers Publish Knicks and Madison Square Garden Data Online (Sean)

From 404 Media: “Hackers have published data stolen from Madison Square Garden online for anyone to download, including what they say is customers’ personal information. A sample reviewed by 404 Media includes files mentioning specific sports teams, and specifically Knicks-related personalities, with fields such as ‘address,’ ‘claim to fame,’ ‘cost of talent,’ and sometimes contact information for them or their representatives. ‘It’s very simple. When you pay us, your data is deleted, and you move on with your life. When you don’t pay us, you get posted here, among other things,’ a popup on the hackers’ website reads. … The data  dump comes just days after the Knicks won the NBA Finals in five games against the Spurs.”

Deadly ‘Red Sky’ Solar Storm From 800 Years Ago Discovered in Ancient Trees (Mili)

The author writes, “Researchers in Japan traced a hidden medieval solar storm using ancient tree rings and centuries-old sky observations. The team linked reports of eerie red auroras with spikes of carbon-14 trapped in buried wood, revealing a powerful solar radiation event around 1200 CE. The findings suggest the Sun was far more active at the time, with unusually short solar cycles.”