1. Anthropic turns to ‘skills’ to make Claude more useful at work
Anthropic’s latest “Skills” feature for Claude elevates AI agents from generic assistants to context-aware experts by bundling custom instructions, scripts, and resources into reusable modules—paving the way for truly domain-specialized workflows across enterprise and consumer settings. (theverge.com)
“Skills as a feature essentially provides organizations building agents a way to teach Claude to do a good job ‘in their specific context.’”
2. Generative AI has access to a small slice of human knowledge
This essay unmasks the epistemic injustices baked into generative AI, arguing that models trained on overwhelmingly Western and English-language sources risk cementing a digital monoculture that silences vast swathes of human experience. (aeon.co)
“For many people, GenAI is becoming their primary way to learn about the world.”
3. Why an abundance of choice is not the same as freedom
A lucid exploration of how proliferating options—across markets, media, and data—can trap us in a paradox of paralysis, undermining true autonomy and calling for a design of systems that respect human limits and foster real agency. (aeon.co)
“Choice doesn’t always produce freedom, and freedom itself often looks very different.”
4. Are chatbots of the dead a brilliant idea or a terrible one?
Through vivid case studies—from “Fredbot” to Lou Reed avatars—this 5,300-word meditation probes the ethics and psychology of conversing with digital replicas of the deceased, asking whether such technologies deepen grief or distort memory. (aeon.co)
“Chatbots of the dead should not be used as stand-ins or companions. Instead, they should help us transcend our mortal condition through imagination.”
5. Orwell’s Greenwich – A Photo Essay
A haunting black-and-white sequence that reimagines George Orwell’s London through stark contrasts and submerged straights, this photo essay marries gritty urban reportage with contemplative visual storytelling—each frame a quiet act of design. (35mmc.com)