As promised, to help ease the transition to our more slimmed-down format, here are some links to resources that might scratch your old-school AI StopWatch itch, organized by type of itch.
I’ll add and update links as I think of more things and collect more suggestions from the team.
Accessible explainers
AGI.FYI is a curated hub of explainers from people we know with good taste. We’ve recommended it before.
The Rational Animations YouTube channel isn’t always about AI, but is almost always AI relevant. Great art, great narration, great material. I’ve recommended them several times here.
If you haven’t already read If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, it’s more relevant than ever — to the point where it returned to the NYT Bestseller list and is continuing that run for the second consecutive week as I write this.
Maximally accessible coverage of AI developments
I’m pre-recommending the Machine Gods podcast launching October 19, from Kevin Roose and Casey Newton. These were the hosts of Hard Fork — the podcast I’ve probably recommended to StopWatch readers more than any other, even though it wasn’t always about AI. Roose and Newton do their homework without making it feel like your homework, and are a highly engaging duo. (I think Hard Fork is set to continue with new hosts, but I don’t know if it will still be any good.)
Ethan Mollick isn’t so much a provider of AI news as a provider of AI demonstrations, putting the latest models through their paces, comparing them to their rivals and predecessors, helping you understand just how far we’ve come and how fast we’re going.
More in-depth coverage that is only somewhat less accessible
The AI Explained YouTube channel is a great source for insider news and context, though you might have to wait a week or two between videos. In recent months it has been especially good, accessibly prying into concerning developments and piecing things together.
Zvi Mowshowitz is the GOAT in this department, covering a truly ungodly amount of AI news — much of it pretty deeply. Somehow, he is only one person. If you don’t resort to skimming, you will struggle to keep up with his output.
Hot scoops
Andrew Curran has emerged as perhaps the most important rumor and scoop hub in the AI Twitterverse, which is itself the hub of AI insider discourse.
Accessible MIRI perspectives on current events
Twitter (X.com). As some podcasters I once listened to used to say, “It’s a terrible place, but we’re there.” Many MIRI staff participate in the Twitter discourse, not always in official capacity. Among the more regular and accessible:
Nate Soares, MIRI President and co-author of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
Harlan Stewart, MIRI Head of Outreach. Be sure to check out his replies, where he does a lot of his best work with patience and bone-dry wit.
Rob Bensinger, MIRI comms legend, never one to waste a teaching opportunity
Short-form video — There will be a lot of overlap of content between the MIRI channels; pick your channel of choice:
The analyses and opinions expressed on AI StopWatch reflect the views of the individual contributors and the sources they cover, and should not be taken as official positions of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute.