#Tag · BT Free Social

Google is *spending* a lot on AI, but what's not clear is how Google will *make* a lot from AI. Or, you know, even break even. Given, you know, that businesses are seeing *zero* return from AI:

https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/20/pwc_ai_ceo_survey/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/21/cod-marxism/#wannamaker-slain

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https://pluralistic.net

Pluralistic: Google's AI pricing plan (21 Jan 2026)

1 more link(s)

Nicole Parsons

@Npars01@mstdn.social replied · 2 days ago

@pluralistic

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-06/google-thiel-stand-out-in-saudi-prince-s-silicon-valley-tour

Google accepts money from #PrinceBonesaw to end any democracy acting on climate.

Ditto Koch Network.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-13/google-backs-saudi-ai-fund-as-trump-mbs-tout-new-investments

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/07/17/bill-gates-charles-koch-and-three-other-billionaires-are-giving-1-billion-to-enhance-economic-mobility-in-the-us/

Election meddling, wage suppression, frauds & scams, and world wars are the main purposes.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-05-13/trump-mbs-tout-1-trillion-saudi-deal-commitment

Forbes

Five Billionaires Pledged $1 Billion To Boost Economic Mobility Using AI

Five of America’s top philanthropists are teaming up for a new venture aimed at helping low-income Americans rise from poverty. An AI giant has signed on to help.

DeSmog

The Koch Network Is Pushing Trump to Accelerate AI, Documents Show

Right-wing political group Americans for Prosperity, backed by oil and gas billionaire Charles Koch, sees data centers as part of a larger pro-fossil fuel agenda.

Bloomberg.com

Google, Thiel Feature in Saudi Prince's Silicon Valley Tour

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wrapped up a whirlwind tour of technology titans on Friday, part of a three-week U.S. visit focused on economic opportunities to diversify the oil-rich nation.

Jared White (ResistanceNet ✊)

@jaredwhite@indieweb.social · last week

Every major software project should appoint a UX Czar who has the authority to kill a feature if they have reason to believe it will royally piss off any more than a mere fraction of the userbase of the product.

New features should always benefit *a reasonable subset* of the total users of the product.

Either that, or release the possibly-hated feature as a totally optional add-on and make it clear that it's optional.

This feels like it shouldn't be rocket science… 🙃

Nicole Parsons

@Npars01@mstdn.social replied · 3 days ago

@jaredwhite

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-06/saudis-plan-100-billion-ai-powerhouse-to-rival-uae-s-tech-hub

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/07/17/bill-gates-charles-koch-and-three-other-billionaires-are-giving-1-billion-to-enhance-economic-mobility-in-the-us/

AI slop is being imposed on an unwilling user base for reasons other than feature development.

AI slop is spyware.
AI slop is fossil fuel funded fascism.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2025/11/26/saudi-arabias-push-for-ai-remains-a-challenge/

Petrostate despots and #PrinceBonesaw assure us that AI isn't malign.

https://www.arabnews.jp/en/saudi-arabia/article_162676/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/02/tech/saudi-arabia-ai-powerhouse

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-saudi-deals-expected-defense-nuclear-energy-ai-senior-us-administration-2025-11-18/

The worst vulture capitalists...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-28/blackstone-saudi-ai-firm-humain-ink-3-billion-data-center-deal

Doesn't everyone want a AI automated nuclear war?

Arab News Japan

Saudi House kicks off Davos with push on Vision 2030, AI platform and ‘humanizing’ tourism

DAVOS: For regulars at the World Economic Forum, Monday in Davos is usually a chance to ease into the week, a ・・・

Forbes

Saudi Arabia’s Push For AI Remains A Challenge

Saudi Arabia, which currently lags behind AI field leaders China and the U.S., aims to become a major player in the global AI and data infrastructure race.

Forbes

Five Billionaires Pledged $1 Billion To Boost Economic Mobility Using AI

Five of America’s top philanthropists are teaming up for a new venture aimed at helping low-income Americans rise from poverty. An AI giant has signed on to help.

CNN

Saudi Arabia is making a massive bet on becoming a global AI powerhouse | CNN Business

Humain is setting out to make Saudi Arabia the world’s third-largest AI market, after the United States and China. It’s a bold ambition for a newcomer to the industry, but its CEO argues the Kingdom’s competitive edge lies in its abundant and cheap energy resources that can feed the seemingly insatiable demand for computing power.

Bloomberg.com

Saudis Plan $100 Billion AI Powerhouse to Rival UAE Tech Hub

Saudi Arabia is planning a new artificial intelligence project with backing of as much as $100 billion as it seeks to develop a technological hub to rival the neighboring United Arab Emirates, people familiar with the matter said.

Nonilex

@Nonilex@masto.ai · 6 days ago

By contrast, large #corporations in #Minneapolis have been much less vocal about the effects of #immigration enforcement on the city, known as both a bastion of progressive politics in the #US #Midwest & a robust corporate #employer. 17 #Fortune500 companies are based in #Minnesota, including #Target, #UnitedHealth, & #GeneralMills.

#complicit #economy #business #SmallBusiness #WorkingAmericans #Trump #affordability #CostOfLiving #authoritarianism #kleptocracy #plutocracy #ForMeButNotForThee

Nicole Parsons

@Npars01@mstdn.social replied · 6 days ago

@Nonilex

In an era where tech oligarchs have been paid by the likes of Paul Singer, Putin, #PrinceBonesaw, and Koch Network to develop digital dossiers on almost everyone on the planet, purportedly simply for "advertising", but it's been morphed into a marketing campaign for a future ruled by fascist corporations & plutocrats, not citizens.

With technology at this scale, why do we have political parties at all?