Popular Epistemology Digest — 23 August 2026
News and views on the sources and systems behind what we know and believe.
Making A 'Plan B' for the AI Boom
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
Sam Palmisano argues that the AI boom rests on long-cycle investments in data centers, chips, and energy, even as AI software continues to evolve rapidly. The discussion centers on the risks and contingency planning associated with that infrastructure-heavy bet.
Harvard Is Selling a $699 Course Taught by A.I. Clones of Its Faculty
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
Harvard Business School has created AI avatars of its instructors to deliver a new entrepreneurship bootcamp priced at $699. The course represents an experiment in using AI-generated faculty likenesses for commercial education.
If You're Not Using AI to Attack Your Own Systems, Your Adversaries Will
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
A piece in The Register warns that AI is increasingly being used as an offensive security tool, and that AI agents represent an emerging attack surface. The argument is that organizations should employ AI for proactive self-testing before adversaries exploit it against them.
The AI Boom Is Lifting Asia's Economies, but for Southeast Asia, It Might Be a 'Short-Term Blip'
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
Economists studying Asia warn that the economic gains from the AI boom may not be evenly distributed across the region, with Southeast Asia at particular risk of benefiting only temporarily. Geopolitical and structural divides are cited as factors shaping how AI's advantages are shared.
OpenAI Calls for Stronger AI Laws in California
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
OpenAI has publicly called for stronger artificial intelligence regulations in California. The company's position was reported in the context of ongoing state-level AI policy discussions involving Governor Gavin Newsom.
'Digging the Grave of My Profession': The Hollywood Creatives Training AI to Do Their Jobs
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
The Guardian reports on Hollywood creative workers who are participating in training AI systems capable of performing their own professional roles. The piece examines the tension between economic pressures driving that participation and the broader threat AI poses to jobs in the film and television industries.
Nvidia Customers Notified About AI-Related Price Hikes Above 15%, Bloomberg News Reports
2026-08-22 · Google Alerts
Nvidia has reportedly notified customers of AI-related price increases exceeding 15%, according to Bloomberg News. Reuters carried the report without additional detail on the scope or timeline of the hikes.
