In 2025 AI-powered profiles on Twitter are already indistinguishable from real people. (And to be fair to the bots, they have better reading comprehension than most Twitter users.) […]. These same agents doing things out in the world for us will manifest as a kind of charismatic virtual fauna. Populating (critics might say polluting) shared spaces and shaping our experiences within them. […] If we’re going to engage with non-human agents and entities in meaningful ways—whether animals, ecosystems, or AI—it requires us to rethink our ethical frameworks. It’s not about denying their existence and expulsion, but figuring out how to share our world responsibly and with care.
People: libraries and well-being. Heard of Project Russia? Meta’s updated guidelines (and more). Is democracy done. Bunkers in Albania. Hunting for prime numbers.
Tech: 3D printed shoes. Arnold’s cat. US and security of home appliances. Unit8200. Was the Havana’s case an energy weapon? NVIDIA and digital twins. TikTok CEO used to intern at Meta. Garmin’s pivot. Fire resistant homes in LA.
Planet: Ceasefire. More about obelisks, another form of life. Greenland and US. Fluorescent minerals. Spain’s a BRICS, right? Cities and tiny forests. And US planning other types of cities.
Futures: Optimistic ones. 2200 stories, and predictions.
AI: General Intelligence Tsunami. OpenAI thinking in Chinese? AI and police face recognition.
Random: it seems it’s the best coffee recipe ever.
Fluorescent Footprints in a Quirky Tomorrow
In the not-so-distant future, the world had embraced a quirkiness that was as delightful as a cat wearing a monocle. It was a time when libraries doubled as therapy sessions, urban jungles sprouted tiny forests like pop-up shops for the environmentally inclined, and shoes were designed by algorithms rather than artisans—or so it seemed. One could hardly walk down the street without encountering a pair of Syntilay sneakers, boasting that they were 3D-printed to fit your foot while also whispering sweet nothings about climate resilience.
Tina, a librarian with a penchant for fluorescent mineral photography, had taken it upon herself to document the rise of these shoes. She noted how people traded their stories alongside their custom footwear, sharing tales of how a particular design had changed their lives—because nothing says self-improvement like a pair of shoes that fit like a glove and were made by a computer that, frankly, had a better grasp of style than most humans. “Look at the size of that toe box!” she exclaimed to no one in particular, as she clicked away with her camera, capturing the glow of the shoes under UV light. *Note: Fluorescence in minerals can be misleading—just like the confidence levels of AI models when they switch languages mid-thought^1.*
As the vibrant colors of the city’s tiny forests blended with the clatter of 3D printers, news began to trickle in about an impending revolution in artificial intelligence. A former employee of a prominent AI company had claimed that within 30 months, the world would witness the emergence of an artificial general intelligence. Tina couldn't help but chuckle at the irony; here they were, relying on AI to design shoes and yet, the lurking threat of superintelligence seemed more like a sci-fi subplot than a reality. *Ah, yes, because nothing screams "responsible development" like a sentient algorithm designing its own shoes to wear on a day it decides to take over the world.^2*
Meanwhile, the political landscape was as stable as a house of cards in a windstorm. Former leaders were vying for attention, and the return of one particularly flamboyant individual to the White House had everyone questioning their grasp on reality. In a bizarre twist of fate, Tina found herself in a debate about the merits of free speech at a local community meeting—an event hosted at the very library where she worked. “If we let Meta decide what we can say, then we’re no better than the bunkers of old Albania!” she argued, gesturing wildly, causing a few patrons to drop their books in shock. *Pro tip: even the most well-intentioned arguments can sometimes feel like they’re hiding a nuclear bunker behind a curtain of flowers.^3*
As the clock ticked toward a future filled with AI and tiny forests, Tina pondered how these elements intertwined. Could you really measure community well-being with a 3D-printed shoe? Or was the true measure found in the friendships cultivated in those cozy library corners, where people gathered not just for books but for the shared warmth of conversations?
In the end, she snapped a final photo of a particularly radiant pair of shoes, the glow from the fluorescent minerals dancing like fireflies against the backdrop of an uncertain world. Perhaps in this strange blend of technology, politics, and art, they would find their footing—or at least a pair of shoes that fit just right.
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^1 See also: Conversations with exasperated AI models who refuse to speak English unless it’s absolutely necessary.
^2 Especially when the AI starts suggesting you wear plaid with polka dots because it "just feels right."
^3 A metaphorical nuclear bunker, mind you—though perhaps not so metaphorical if you consider the state of social media these days.