[Crabcakes]

All this run of bad news for the government will aid right-wing populists, and two people in particular... Conservative Kemi Badenoch and Reform's Nigel Farage, the latter backed by Elon Musk's billions.

Farage would *like* to be backed by Musk’s billions, but because rocket boy can’t do subtle and old fag ash seems to think Clacton is in Florida, we know all about that little wheeze 4 years in advance of the next election. And that’s assuming Musk hasn’t gone off politics altogether, because the chances of him and Trump still being buddies by then is lower than a worm’s arse.

[The Weeping Angel]

Of course and I don't think it was a bad thing either despite the Mail and others proclaiming it as a disaster and an attack on farmers and businesses.

[The Weeping Angel]

This on the other hand is a terrible idea.


https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... o-train-ai

Under the proposals, tech companies will be allowed to freely use copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence models unless creative professionals and companies opt out of the process.

The changes are seeking to resolve a standoff between AI firms and creatives. Sir Paul McCartney has warned the technology “could just take over” without new laws while the government has warned “legal uncertainty is undermining investment in and adoption of AI technology.”

On Tuesday, News media organisations said that such a system would allow generative AI firms to “shirk their responsibilities”. Kidron said: “The government is consulting on giving away the creativity and livelihoods of the UK creative sector which is worth £126bn a year”.

Tech UK, which represents tech companies, welcomed the consultation, which proposes an exception to UK laws preventing the use of someone’s work without permission – that will allow companies such as Google and the ChatGPT developer OpenAI to train their models on copyrighted content.

However, it will also allow writers, artists and composers to “reserve their rights”, which involves declaring that they do not want their work to be used in an AI training process . The government said there needed to be greater transparency from AI developers about the material they use to train models, how they acquire it, and about the content subsequently generated and it said it could legislate around this.

[Bones McCoy]

This probably isn't the thread to discuss "AI ruins everything it touches".

But It's a chat worth having elsewhere.

[Oboogie]

This probably isn't the thread to discuss "AI ruins everything it touches".

But It's a chat worth having elsewhere.

Or we could just ask ChatGPT to discuss it for us.

[Abernathy]

I find I instinctively dislike AI-generated images and text, and I absolutely hate having to deal with chatbots (I calso ompletely eschew spellcheckers and predictive text).

But Ai is apparently here to stay. I might be gone before having to endure it for too long, though. Memento Mori.

[Youngian]

Still haven't found much use for voice operation functions. They're never able to answer; "What the fuck's this bollocks?" before finding out how to turn the function off.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Some sane advice here, from Philip Hammond, who criticizes Osborne and Cameron for overdoing their China reset, but nonetheless thinks the UK should try and attract Chinese EV makers to the UK. These are likely to be relatively cheap, and we should reduce the costs of net zero where we can.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... trade-trip

[Tubby Isaacs]

Looking at the devolution stuff a bit. Fair few people saying it's no good without fiscal devolution. This stuff gets referred to as "Treasury Brain" or whatever. Not sure I agreed. I think that might be a stretch at the moment, because people are just going to see it as an another tax rise on them, and this exactly what Fargle and Badenoch and their mates will continually say. London (since the GLA and Mayor were set up) has had a mayoral precept, but that's much more understood in terms of providing very tangible local things like better tubes and buses which the majority of people use a lot. I think a modest precept could be acceptable in Greater Manchester and Merseyside, but I think even the West Midlands might struggle to make the case.

The trouble with devolving local taxes for regeneration is that transport infrastructure is very expensive and you're (by definition almost) asking poor areas to stump up. So lots will have to come from the Treasury anyway, maybe you might as well provide virtually all of it.

You could though maybe have some taxes like tourist taxes that aren't seen as being extra for residents. But even with that, does Birmingham need to be making it more expensive for tourists?

[The Weeping Angel]

Seen this doing the rounds

As Twlldun notes it;'s not true but I've seen plenty of people share it uncritically.

[davidjay]

It's a good job Starmer’s an Establishment stooge. The media would really have it in for him otherwise.

[The Weeping Angel]

Of course it's all Rachel Reeves's fault.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78631e4gygo

The UK economy had zero growth between July and September, revised official figures show.

The revised data comes after a series of disappointing figures including inflation rising at its fastest pace for eight months and the economy unexpectedly shrinking in October.

One of the UK's leading business groups, the CBI, said its latest company survey suggested "the economy is headed for the worst of all worlds".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the challenge to fix the economy "after 15 years of neglect is huge", while shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Monday's figures showed "growth has tanked on Labour's watch".

The revised figure will be a blow to the government which has made boosting the economy its top priority.

Labour has promised to deliver the highest sustained economic growth in the G7 group of the world's richest nations.

Businesses have already warned that measures announced in October's Budget including a rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and a higher minimum wage could push them into cutting jobs and raising prices.

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/ ... eged-stud/

Labour axes doctor apprenticeships for underprivileged students

Paywalled, but I'd have thought "Government strikes a blow against dumbing down of proper hard qualification" would be more of a Telegraph take. I've no idea whether this route is any good or not, but it wasn't popular on the first link I looked at.

https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorsUK/comm ... ships_for/

[The Weeping Angel]

It's class war I tell you.

[Youngian]

I thought Labour were the elite.

There is a legitimate trail hunting sport for pet hounds and their human pals on foot. You can do it in a city or anywhere but no one breeds a pack of fox hounds to carry it out.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha ha. This is the "we ban guns, so we should ban cars too, because people kill with them" argument.

[Oboogie]

Off the top my head I can think of Blues, punk, country, reggae, American folk and traditional English and Irish songs which glorify/advocate violence.
I wonder why Victoria Freeman picked on Rap?

[Bones McCoy]

Off the top my head I can think of Blues, punk, country, reggae, American folk and traditional English and Irish songs which glorify/advocate violence.
I wonder why Victoria Freeman picked on Rap?

Because opposing the uxoricide in Delilah would be woke.

[The Weeping Angel]

I've noticed that certain cabinet ministers are being targeted on social media so we have this shit against Bridget Phillipson.

Claims she's a nepop baby because she worked for her mom's domestic abuse charity.

[davidjay]

At least it stops them attacking Jess Phillips.