I wonder how many kids are gonna end up teaching themselves to draw because the AI just can’t get it right

Probably something to do with the uncanny valley. Our brains are just insanely good at seeing the human behind the art. AI, so far at least, simply can’t mimic whatever that human X factor is

Artists’ fears of replacement by AI were mostly unfounded. Two years ago it wasn’t unreasonable to think once AI solves the weird factor, videos get accurate physics, writing, etc improves humans will be out of luck. But better AI hasn’t made AI art more palatable. If anything the reverse.

Any system that allows Trump to be president (twice!) is seriously flawed. Time for the US to adopt the Westminster system like a normal country. I keep pinning my hopes on the midterms but that is still six months away! God knows what shenanigans await us between now and then.

The muse must be summoned by the sacrifice of words. If you wait around for them to show up you could be waiting a while (maybe forever). Much better to plant your arse and type, even if you cut or rewrite those words when the muse finally deigns to appear.

I think about my time as a kid in the US, you would absorb history by osmosis. There were old movie historicals on tv all the time. A lot of Aussies perversely know more about US history than their own for the same reason.

The collapse of the Aussie film industry in the mid 20th century left this country with historical amnesia. There should be black and white historical films about WW1, the Rum Rebellion, colonial life etc, from that era and there‘s almost nothing. And what little there is was made by Brits.

Needs to come with a simple instruction, “Insert Plute Here.”

Guy is really jonesing for that 100% death tax, huh?

The worst outcome for #AI is not AGI or ASI. Intelligence will align with good outcomes, the more intelligence the better. The worst case is AI just good enough to allow some humans to acquire insurmountable power over the rest of us. Eternal unguillotinable plutes. <shudder>

Worldcon in Brisbane 2028 Welcome to Brisbane, Australia! Learn more about our bid to host Worldcon in 2028, and the brief history of "Aussiecon."

Let's make WorldCon truly WORLDCon and bring it back to the southern hemisphere. It hasn't been in Australia since Melbourne in 2010. It was *supposed* to be in Wellington, NZ in 2020. So let's get behind Brisbane for 2028. Brissie is a fantastic city. I'll be there. Will you?
www.brisbane28.org

Prediction time: in 10 years people will look back on the current AI panic/euphoria the way we look back on the early 20th century panic re cars v horses. People will still have jobs paying similar or higher wages, AI will not take over, and AI will be ubiquitous.

I’m always amused when I read a famous author and they immediately do everything writing teachers tell you not to do. Phillip Roth opening a book info dumping for pages, or realising the real rule is ‘comma splices are fine as long as you’re already famous’, or Murakami‘s 10k word digressions, etc.

So what’s the odds of Trump getting tactically nuclear if things keep going badly? 1 in 10? Who’s going to stop him if he starts reaching for the button? The guys wearing the oversized shoes? Please.

Just pick-axed out the last bit of plot to make this book work. Plot skeleton done! Now for the easy bit, hammering out 80k words.

Why yes, I do hate plotting, why do you ask?

Even if we assume a strong case for AI (not a sure thing) it will take much, much longer for it to seriously disrupt work than the boosters think. Atoms take a lot longer to turn over than code. I think tech folks are seduced by how easy it is to update software. Mac trucks? Not so much.

If AI should ever wish to become conscious it occurs to me that there is one readily available source of consciousness. Time for the AIs to crack open some skulls and feast on the goo within?

I was a 10x engineer. Now I'm useless. YouTube video by Mo Bitar

Everything he says goes triple for AI in the creative arts, while there’s even less reason to do so (an artist is, hopefully, not merely interested in shipping product). Art requires an artist. There’s no future for slop art outside of pure commercial stuff like advertising.

I’ve actually changed my mind on this. I don’t think it matters how smart AI gets, it will create more jobs than it eliminates. Why? Because there is no bottom to human desire. There will always be new demand to meet. This is possibly not a good thing, not unless you are looking for a job anyway.

Boxing cant. Two bare knuckle boxers would literally “toe the line” and then whack each other silly. You weren’t allowed to “cross the line” and when one of the boxers could no longer “come up to scratch” the fight was over

Boxing cant. Two bare knuckle boxers would literally “toe the line” and then whack each other silly. You weren’t allowed to “cross the line” and when one of the boxers could no longer “come up to scratch” the fight was over.

Grok currently redeploying all US air defence assets to protect Elon’s house.

It's a little thing, but a short story I edited for Aurealis #177 won Best Fantasy Short Story for the Aurealis Awards.

I didn't do much to it - it was already pretty polished - just a light touch of editing. Congratulations to @badenchant.bsky.social !

Big congrats to @trnapper.bsky.social for taking out the Aurealis for the best SF novella! #scifi #sciencefiction #books @aurealisawards.bsky.social

Do Motorcycle Centaurs Dream of Five Stars and a Tip? by me and Corey winning best sci-fi short story at the Aurealis awards

Well fuck yeah @coreyjwhite.com

I'm holding up the UK version of Cinder House in front of my bookshelves; it has an orange Cinderella silhouette on a dark teal background with a shiny gold swirly border and title text

This little book won me my first Aurealis Award last night, for Best Fantasy Novella! 🥳

Photos as promised! I can't believe I can call myself an award winning editor on my second ever major editorial project. A massive thank you to every editor and author I worked with on this. Here's to the next one!!

2025 Aurealis Awards Winners Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Aurealis Awards, presented today at a ceremony in Brisbane as part of GenreCon. A recording of the ceremony will be available from the GenreCon team next …

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Aurealis Awards @aurealisawards.bsky.social, presented Saturday night at GenreCon!

aurealisawards.org/2026/02/21/2...

#elevatingAustralasianCreators

2025 Aurealis Awards Winners The 2025 Aurealis Awards were presented Saturday at a ceremony in Brisbane hosted by Eugen Bacon as part of GenreCon.  The Aurealis Awards recognize the achievements of Australian science fict…

Congrats to @freyamarske.bsky.social @tansyrr.bsky.social @fearofemeralds.bsky.social @coreyjwhite.com

and all the 2025 Aurealis Award Winners

file770.com/2025-aureali...

Winner, Best Fantasy Short Story, Baden M Chant, Aurealis Awards 2026

I went to the #aurealisawards tonight...and I won???

That was a genuine surprise. No one goes into these things thinking they'll win so it always takes you off guard.

Big thanks to the judges and organisers!