Plus: Albania uses AI to appoint imaginary friend as a minister ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

September 12, 2025 | Read online
# OpenAI-Microsoft's awkwardness, tech gives up on removing Aussie misinfo Plus: Albania uses AI to appoint imaginary friend as a minister
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Edition 2417
"Despite the Evolv being a pretty roomy case, the R9 390 only just fits...." (Flickr: N3XUS Computing)
# The News
### OpenAI-Microsoft’s relationship is getting really awkward
OpenAI and Microsoft are getting closer to formalising their divorce, allowing the ChatGPT maker to go for-profit, according to a bizarrely vague joint corporate statement (Microsoft). The statement says they’ve signed “a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the next phase of our relationship”, whatever that means. This comes just after OpenAI announced a AU$450B server deal with Oracle (WSJ, gift) and Microsoft told its employees that it’s developing proprietary AI (Business Insider).
The Sizzle: OpenAI is betting a lot of other people’s money that their own LLM tech and products are going to come first in a “winner-takes-all” AI race. Going for-profit is their only path to paying back those debts. Meanwhile, Microsoft seems to be calmly diversifying its risk from OpenAI specifically, while it continues to invest in AI broadly. The fact that these two put this out despite no actual agreement says to me that they — probably OpenAI — need people to believe they will soon have an agreement. That seems desperate.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### Big tech doesn’t really remove misinfo in Australia anymore
Social media companies are removing less fake news, bullshit and conspiracy theories than they have in the past, according to government analysis (ACMA). Regulator ACMA’s analysis of most of the major tech platform’s voluntary annual reports (here) on mis/disinformation found that Meta went from doing 180,000 content removals in 2021 — at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — to 250 in 2024 total. The companies say that this is because they are getting better at preventing offending content from being posted in first place. The analysis also says that fact-checking has “stalled”.
bro
The Sizzle: With social media platforms overrun with videos of Charlie Kirk being assassinated yesterday (WIRED, $) — seemingly in spite of their own rules — it feels a bit silly to say this but tech companies have clearly decided that they will happily change their policies to increase the amount of gore, lies, and scams that their billions of users will see, causing untold harm.
It started before Mark Zuckerberg did his embarrassing Trump tribute video at the beginning of this year, but that’s the moment of grovelling that I’ll always associate with it.
Zuckerberg can be rich, powerful, with billions of people using his platforms — but he’ll always be a pathetic person who goes along with bullies
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### Yesterday’s edition
Thank you all for the kind feedback on yesterday’s edition. I took a risk breaking format, but it seems like people enjoyed it (at least, no one told me otherwise). I already knew Sizzlers were warm, caring and good people, and your response yesterday was more proof of that. It meant a lot to me!
(FYI - don’t forget to join the Sizzle Slack and forum!)
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
#### Leftovers
Porn age-check rules will risk users’ privacy and lead to censorship, sex workers and adult industry say(Crikey, $) Platforms raised alarm on age assurance trial midway through (InnovationAus, $) NSW government leaked confidential medical documents, leaving doctors outraged personal and professional data was online (The Guardian) YouTube cements its position as Australia’s top streaming platform (techAU) Australia's first electric prime mover charging hub gets federal funding (The Driven) Finalists Announced for the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards (IGEA) Europe Will Study Social Media Bans like Australia’s for Children Under 16 (Bloomberg, $) Internet detectives are misusing AI to find Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter (The Verge) US Investment in Spyware Is Skyrocketing (Wired, $) Kids in the UK are hacking their own schools for dares and notoriety (TechCrunch) Apple warns customers targeted in recent spyware attacks (BleepingComputer) Google, Meta, OpenAI Face FTC Inquiry on Chatbot Impact on Kids (Bloomberg, $) Tesla scraps its wireless EV charging plans, leaving Porsche to pioneer the technology (TechRadar) Grok claimed the Charlie Kirk assassination video was a ‘meme edit’ (Engadget) How Palantir Is Mapping Everyone’s Data For The Government (Techdirt) How FOSS projects handle legal takedown requests (F-Droid) A macOS app that plays fart sounds as you open and close your MacBook lid (GitHub)
Liquid g—
Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Oh, Also
### Albania uses AI to appoint imaginary friend as a minister
The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama says all government tenders will be awarded and managed by AI that he has appointed to the country’s cabinet (Reuters). He said the bot, named Diella, will be the country’s “first cabinet member who isn’t physically present” and will help make notoriously corrupt Albania “a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption.”
This is at best the technology equivalent of everyone pretending that you can appoint an invisible friend as a minister. At worst? Turning over decisions about a system that’s being rorted to a technology that is vulnerable to exploitation? 👍️ Sounds great!
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Bargains
Electrical & electronics
Bauhn 100W GaN Universal Charger - $69.99 at ALDI JBL Live 660 Noise Cancelling over-Ear Headphones - $129 at JB Hi-Fi (Down from $199) Reolink 4K PTZ Wi-Fi 6 Security Camera with Auto Tracking, E1 Outdoor Pro - $149 at Reolink AU (down from $277) Uniden X76 Value Pack UHF CB & Antenna - $299 at Uniden Australia (down from $399) ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S Pro Robot Vacuum - $999 at Amazon AU (down from $1999)
Computing
Seagate 24TB BarraCuda 3.5inch SATA Hard Drive (ST24000DM001) - $550 at Scorptec, Umart, etc Apple MacBook Air 13" M1 256GB - $999 at BIG W MSI Prestige 16 AI Studio 16 Inch Laptop B1veg-064au - $1899 at Costco
Mobile
OnePass Mobile 365-Day 360GB Prepaid Mobile Plan - $179 at OnePass Mobile Samsung Galaxy S25 256GB - $899 at Samsung.com Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold at Officeworks 256GB for $1697 512GB for $1897
# The End
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