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Burning the Future

Burning the Future: Why Waymo Robotaxis Are Being Targeted in Los Angeles

By Skeeter Wesinger
June 11, 2025

The future is burning in Los Angeles—and it’s driving itself into the flames.
In recent weeks, autonomous vehicles operated by Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving subsidiary, have become a flashpoint in the city’s ongoing social unrest. What began as scattered protests against housing inequality and police overreach has turned sharply against the most visible emblem of Silicon Valley’s quiet conquest of urban life: the driverless car.
Waymo’s robotaxis—sleek, sensor-laden electric vehicles that glide through city streets with no one at the wheel—have been set on fire, spray-painted, disabled, and blocked. In some cases, protesters jumped on their hoods. In one instance, the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery ignited, blanketing an intersection in black smoke and toxic fumes. Five cars were torched in a single night near the Beverly Center. Waymo has since suspended service in key areas.
Why Waymo? Why now?

A Rolling Surveillance State
Part of the answer lies in optics. A Waymo car looks like what it is: a surveillance platform in motion. Packed with LiDAR, radar, and 360-degree cameras, each vehicle is effectively a roving sensor array collecting vast troves of visual and environmental data. Protesters increasingly believe that Waymo footage is being shared—or could be shared—with law enforcement. That makes the robotaxi a surveillance threat, especially in communities already skeptical of over-policing and state monitoring.
In an age when public space is contested ground, a driverless car is not just an anomaly—it’s a trespasser.

Automation as Class War
But the backlash isn’t only about privacy. For many in Los Angeles, Waymo represents something even more existential: job loss at the altar of automation.
The city’s economy still depends on tens of thousands of human drivers—Uber, Lyft, taxis, delivery vans, and commercial transport. Waymo’s expansion signals a not-so-distant future in which those workers are rendered obsolete. That future is arriving without public input, without protections, and with little concern for who gets left behind. The Teamsters and the LA County Federation of Labor have protested Waymo’s rollout since 2023. Their warnings are now finding a wider audience, and a louder voice.
If you’re looking for a symbol of job displacement and unaccountable tech governance, you won’t find a better target than a car that drives itself and costs a man his living.

Tech as the Face of Gentrification
There’s also the unavoidable truth that Waymo vehicles are highly visible in neighborhoods already under pressure from gentrification. The sleek, whirring robotaxis feel alien, indifferent—like emissaries of a world that values efficiency over community, and sensors over people. For longtime residents, they are reminders of a city being hollowed out, algorithm by algorithm, until only the surface remains.
In this context, setting a Waymo car on fire is not just an act of destruction. It is a political statement.

Spectacle and Strategy
And then there’s the media effect. A burning Waymo is headline gold. It’s instantly legible as a rejection of Big Tech, of automation, of surveillance, of the inequality that comes when luxury innovation is layered on top of public neglect. Images of charred autonomous vehicles make the evening news, circulate on social media, and galvanize protestors elsewhere.
It’s not unlike what the Luddites did in the 19th century—targeting the machines that symbolized their displacement. Only now the machine drives itself and livestreams the revolution.

A Dangerous Road Ahead
Waymo’s executives are right to be concerned. What’s being targeted isn’t just a brand—it’s a future that many people were never asked to vote on. One where machines replace people, where public spaces are privately surveilled, and where “innovation” often means exclusion.
The destruction of these vehicles may be unlawful, but the message is clear: you can’t automate your way out of accountability.
Until the tech industry confronts this unrest not with PR statements but with real dialogue, real reform, and a real respect for the communities it drives through, the streets will remain dangerous, not just for Waymos but for any vision of the future that forgets the people in the present.

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McKinsey Has a Bot for That

How AI is quietly taking over the consulting industry—from slide decks to strategy sessions.

By Skeeter Wesinger
June 10, 2025

Let’s say you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. You’ve just paid McKinsey a few million dollars to help streamline your supply chain or finesse your M&A pitch. What you may not know is that some of that brainpower now comes from a machine.

McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group—the Big Three of strategy consulting—have embraced artificial intelligence not just as a service they sell, but as a co-worker. At McKinsey, a proprietary AI platform now drafts proposals, generates PowerPoint decks, and even outlines market entry strategies. That used to be a junior analyst’s job. Now it’s done in seconds by software.

The firm insists this is progress, not replacement. “Our people will be doing the things that are more valuable to our clients,” a McKinsey spokesperson told the Financial Times.¹ It’s the kind of line that sounds better in a press release than in a staff meeting.

Meanwhile, Bain & Company has rolled out a custom chat interface powered by OpenAI.² It’s more than just a chatbot—it’s a digital consigliere that surfaces insights, runs simulations, and drafts client memos with GPT-powered fluency. Over at Boston Consulting Group, AI-driven engagements already make up 20 percent of the firm’s total revenue.³ That’s not a rounding error—it’s a shift in the business model.

This Isn’t Just Efficiency. It’s a Redefinition.

AI doesn’t sleep, bill overtime, or ask for a promotion. It digests case studies, slurps up real-time market data, and spins out “insights” at breakneck speed. A proposal that once took two weeks now gets turned around in two hours. A slide deck that required a team of Ivy Leaguers is built by algorithms trained on millions of prior decks.

That’s the efficiency part. But the real story is what happens next.

Strategy consulting has always sold scarcity—the idea that elite firms offered unique, human insight. But what happens when AI systems trained on decades of reports can replicate that thinking, and maybe even improve on it?

“Empathy,” the firms say. “Judgment.” “Relationship building.” Those are the buzzwords that now define human value in consulting. If the machine can do the math, the humans must do the trust. It’s a plausible pivot—until clients bring their own AI to the table.

The Consultants Are Pivoting—Fast

McKinsey and its rivals aren’t fighting the change—they’re monetizing it. They’re building internal tools while also selling AI implementation strategies to clients. In effect, they’re profiting twice: first by automating their own work, then by teaching others how to do the same.

This is the classic consulting playbook—turn a threat into a line item.

But beneath the slideware optimism is an existential question. If your AI builds the deck, drafts the strategy, and even suggests the pricing model, what exactly are you buying from a consultant?

Maybe it’s still the name on the invoice. Maybe it’s the assurance that someone—some human—stands behind the recommendation. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the beginning of a new normal: where the smartest person in the room isn’t a person at all.

Citations

  1. Mark Marcellis, “McKinsey’s AI Revolution Has Begun,” Financial Times, May 29, 2025. https://www.ft.com/content/mckinsey-ai-presentation-tools
  2. Derek Thompson, “How Bain Is Using OpenAI to Redefine Consulting,” The Atlantic, March 12, 2025. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/bain-openai-strategy
  3. David Gelles, “At BCG, AI Consulting Now Drives 20% of Revenue,” The New York Times, April 10, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/business/bcg-ai-revenue-growth
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When the Dead Speak

When the Dead Speak: AI, Ethics, and the Voice of a Murder Victim
By Skeeter Wesinger
May 7, 2025

In a Phoenix courtroom not long ago, something happened that stopped time.

A voice echoed through the chamber—steady, direct, unmistakably human.

“To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances.”

It was the voice of Chris Pelkey, who had been dead for more than three years—killed in a road rage incident. What the judge, the defendant, and the grieving family were hearing was not a recording. It was a digital recreation of Chris, constructed using artificial intelligence from photos, voice samples, and memory fragments.

For the first time, a murder victim addressed their killer in court using AI.

Chris’s sister, Stacey Wales, had been collecting victim impact statements. Forty-nine in total. But one voice—the most important—was missing. So she turned to her husband Tim and a friend, Scott Yentzer, both experienced in emerging tech. Together, they undertook a painful and complicated process of stitching together an AI-generated likeness of Chris, complete with voice, expression, and tone.

There was no app. No packaged software. Just trial, error, and relentless care.

Stacey made a deliberate choice not to project her own grief into Chris’s words. “He said things that would never come out of my mouth,” she explained. “But I know would come out his.”

What came through wasn’t vengeance. It was grace.

“In another life, we probably could’ve been friends. I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do.”

It left the courtroom stunned. Judge Todd Lang called it “genuine.” Chris’s brother John described it as waves of healing. “That was the man I knew,” he said.

I’ve written before about this phenomenon. In January, I covered the digital resurrection of John McAfee as a Web3 AI agent—an animated persona driven by blockchain and artificial intelligence. That project blurred the line between tribute and branding, sparking ethical questions about legacy, consent, and who has the right to speak for the dead.

But this—what happened in Phoenix—was different. No coin. No viral play. Just a family trying to give one man—a brother, a son, a victim—a voice in the only place it still mattered.

And that’s the line we need to watch.

AI is going to continue pushing into the past. We’ll see more digital likenesses, more synthesized voices, more synthetic presence. Some will be exploitative. Some will be powerful. But we owe it to the living—and the dead—to recognize the difference.

Sometimes, the most revolutionary thing AI can do isn’t about what’s next.

It’s about letting someone finally say goodbye.

Let’s talk:
➡ Should AI have a role in courtrooms?
➡ Who owns the voice of the deceased?
➡ Where should we draw the ethical boundary between tribute and manipulation?

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Beyond Euclidean Memory

Beyond Euclidean Memory: Quantum Storage Architectures Using 4D Hypercubes, Wormhole-Looped States, and Braided Qubit Paths

By Skeeter Wesinger
April 16, 2025

Abstract In the evolving landscape of quantum technology, traditional memory systems rooted in Euclidean geometry are hitting their limits. This post explores three radical constructs—4D hypercubes, wormhole-looped memory states, and braided qubit paths—that are redefining how information is stored, accessed, and preserved in quantum systems. Together, these approaches promise ultradense, energy-efficient, and fault-tolerant memory networks by moving beyond conventional spatial constraints.

  1. Introduction Classical memory architecture assumes linear addressability in a 2D or 3D layout—structures that struggle to scale in the face of today’s power, thermal, and quantum coherence constraints. Quantum memory design, on the other hand, opens the door to higher-dimensional and non-local models. This article outlines a new conceptual framework for memory as a dynamic, entangled fabric of computation, rather than a passive container of bits.
  2. The 4D Hypercube in Memory Design The tesseract, or 4D hypercube, expands traditional 3D memory lattices by adding a fourth spatial axis. This architecture allows non-linear adjacencies and exponential addressability.

2.1 Spatial Folding and Compression

  • Logical neighbors can occupy non-contiguous physical space
  • Memory density increases without amplifying thermal output
  • Redundant access paths collapse, reducing latency

2.2 Picobots and MCUs

  • Picobots manage navigation through hyperedges
  • Micro-Control Units (MCUs) translate 4D coordinates into executable memory requests
  1. Wormhole-Looped Memory States Quantum entanglement allows two distant memory nodes to behave as if adjacent, thanks to persistent tunneling paths—or wormhole-like bridges.

3.1 Topological Linking

  • Entangled nodes behave as spatially adjacent
  • Data can propagate with no traversal through intermediate nodes

3.2 Redundancy and Fault Recovery

  • Instant fallback routes minimize data loss during decoherence events
  • Eliminates thermal hotspots and failure zones
  1. Braided Qubit Paths Borrowed from topological quantum computing, braided qubit paths encode information not in particle states, but in the paths particles take.

4.1 Topological Encoding

  • Logical data is stored in the braid pattern
  • Immune to transient local noise and electromagnetic fluctuations

4.2 Persistent Logic Structures

  • Braids can be reconfigured without data corruption
  • Logical gates become pathways, not gates per se
  1. Non-Local 3D Topologies: The Execution Layer Memory in these architectures is not stored in a fixed location—it lives across a distributed, entangled field.

5.1 Flattening Physical Constraints

  • Logical proximity trumps physical distance
  • Reduces energy costs associated with moving data

5.2 Topological Meshes and Networked Tensors

  • MCUs dynamically reconfigure access paths based on context
  • Enables self-healing networks and true parallel data operations
  1. Conclusion Quantum systems built around 4D hypercubes, wormhole-bridged memory states, and braided qubit paths promise not just new efficiencies, but a reimagining of what memory is. These systems are not static repositories—they are active participants in computation itself. In escaping the confines of Euclidean layout, we may unlock memory architectures capable of evolving with the data they hold.

Welcome to memory without location.

Follow Skeeter Wesinger on Substack  For more deep dives into quantum systems, speculative computing, and post-classical architecture. Questions, insights, or counter-theories? Drop a comment below or reach me at skeeter@skeeter.com.

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Schrödinger’s Cat Explained & Quantum Computing

Schrödinger’s Cat Explained & Quantum Computing

Schrödinger’s cat is a thought experiment proposed by physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 to illustrate the paradox of quantum superposition and observation in quantum mechanics.

Google’s Sycamore Processor EXPOSED What’s Next for Quantum Supremacy

The Setup:

Imagine a cat placed inside a sealed box along with:

  1. A radioactive atom that has a 50% chance of decaying within an hour.
  2. A Geiger counter that detects radiation.
  3. A relay mechanism that, if the counter detects radiation, triggers:
    • A hammer to break a vial of poison (e.g., hydrocyanic acid).
    • If the vial breaks, the cat dies; if not, the cat lives.

The Paradox:

Before opening the box, the quantum system of the atom is in a superposition—it has both decayed and not decayed. Since the cat’s fate depends on this, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time until observed. Once the box is opened, the wavefunction collapses into one state—either dead or alive.

This paradox highlights the odd implications of quantum mechanics, particularly the role of the observer in determining reality.

How Does Antimony Play into This?

Antimony (Sb) is relevant to Schrödinger’s cat in a few ways:

  1. Radioactive Isotopes of Antimony

Some isotopes of antimony, such as Antimony-124 and Antimony-125, undergo beta decay—which is similar to the radioactive decay process in Schrödinger’s experiment. This means that an antimony isotope could replace the radioactive atom in the setup, making it a more tangible example.

  1. Antimony’s Role in Detection
  • Antimony trioxide (Sb₂O₃) is used in radiation detectors.
  • In Schrödinger’s experiment, the Geiger counter detects radiation to trigger the poison release.
  • Some radiation detectors use antimony-doped materials to enhance sensitivity, making it potentially a critical component in the detection mechanism.
  1. Antimony and Quantum Mechanics Applications
  • Antimony-based semiconductors are used in quantum computing and superconducting qubits—which are crucial for studying quantum superposition, the core idea behind Schrödinger’s paradox.
  • Antimonides (like Indium Antimonide, InSb) are used in infrared detectors, which relate to advanced quantum experiments.

 

  1. Schrödinger’s Cat and Quantum Computing

The paradox of Schrödinger’s cat illustrates superposition, a key principle in quantum computing.

Superposition in Qubits

  • In classical computing, a bit is either 0 or 1.
  • In quantum computing, a qubit (quantum bit) can exist in a superposition of both 0 and 1 at the same time—just like Schrödinger’s cat is both alive and dead until observed.
  • When measured, the qubit “collapses” to either 0 or 1, similar to opening the box and determining the cat’s fate.

Entanglement and Measurement

  • In Schrödinger’s thought experiment, the cat’s fate is entangled with the state of the radioactive atom.
  • In quantum computing, entanglement links qubits so that the state of one affects another, even over long distances.
  • Measurement in both cases collapses the system, meaning observation forces the system into a definite state.
  1. How Antimony Plays into Quantum Computing

Antimony is significant in quantum computing for materials science, semiconductors, and superconductors.

  1. Antimony in Qubit Materials
  • Indium Antimonide (InSb) is a topological insulator with strong spin-orbit coupling, which is important for Majorana qubits—a type of qubit promising for error-resistant quantum computing.
  • Superconducting qubits often require materials like antimony-based semiconductors, which have been used in Josephson junctions for superconducting circuits in quantum processors.
  1. Antimony in Quantum Dots
  • Antimony-based quantum dots (tiny semiconductor particles) help create artificial atoms that can function as qubits.
  • These quantum dots can be controlled via electric and magnetic fields, helping develop solid-state qubits for scalable quantum computing.
  1. Antimony in Quantum Sensors
  • Antimony-doped detectors improve sensitivity in quantum experiments.
  • Quantum computers rely on precision measurements, and antimony-based materials contribute to high-accuracy quantum sensing.
  1. The Big Picture: Quantum Computing and Schrödinger’s Cat
  • Schrödinger’s cat = Superposition and measurement collapse.
  • Entanglement = Cat + radioactive decay connection.
  • Antimony = Key material for qubits and quantum detectors.

Schrödinger’s cat symbolizes the weirdness of quantum mechanics, while antimony-based materials provide the physical foundation to build real-world quantum computers.

 

  1. Topological Qubits: A Path to Error-Resistant Quantum Computing

Topological qubits are one of the most promising types of qubits because they are more stable and resistant to errors than traditional qubits.

  1. What is a Topological Qubit?
  • A topological qubit is a qubit where quantum information is stored in a way that is insensitive to small disturbances—this makes them highly robust.
  • The key idea is to use Majorana fermions—hypothetical quasi-particles that exist as their own antiparticles.
  • Unlike traditional qubits, where local noise can cause decoherence, topological qubits store information non-locally, making them more stable.
  1. How Antimony is Involved

Antimony-based materials, particularly Indium Antimonide (InSb) and Antimony Bismuth compounds, are crucial for creating these qubits.

  1. Indium Antimonide (InSb) in Topological Qubits
  • InSb is a topological insulator—a material that conducts electricity on its surface but acts as an insulator internally.
  • It exhibits strong spin-orbit coupling, which is necessary for the creation of Majorana fermions.
  • Researchers use InSb nanowires in superconducting circuits to create conditions for topological qubits.
  1. Antimony-Bismuth Compounds in Topological Computing
  • Bismuth-Antimony (BiSb) alloys are another class of topological insulators.
  • These materials help protect quantum states by preventing unwanted environmental interactions.
  • They are being explored for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
  1. Why Topological Qubits Matter
  • Error Correction: Traditional quantum computers need error-correction algorithms, which require many redundant qubits. Topological qubits naturally resist errors.
  • Scalability: Microsoft and other companies are investing heavily in Majorana-based quantum computing because it could scale up more efficiently than current quantum architectures.
  • Longer Coherence Time: A major problem with quantum computers is that qubits lose their quantum states quickly. Topological qubits could last thousands of times longer.
  1. Superconducting Circuits: The Heart of Modern Quantum Computers

While topological qubits are still in the research phase, superconducting circuits are the most widely used technology in quantum computers today.

  1. How Superconducting Circuits Work
  • Superconducting quantum computers rely on Josephson junctions, which are made of two superconductors separated by a thin insulating barrier.
  • These junctions allow Cooper pairs (pairs of electrons) to tunnel through, enabling quantum superposition and entanglement.
  • Quantum processors made by Google, IBM, and Rigetti use this technology.
  1. How Antimony Helps Superconducting Qubits
  • Some superconducting materials use antimony-based compounds to enhance performance.
  • Antimony-doped niobium (NbSb) and indium-antimonide (InSb) are being tested to reduce decoherence and improve qubit stability.
  • Antimony-based semiconductors are also used in the control electronics needed to manipulate qubits.
  1. Superconducting Qubit Applications
  • Google’s Sycamore Processor: In 2019, Google’s Sycamore quantum processor used superconducting qubits to perform a calculation that would take a classical supercomputer 10,000 years to complete in just 200 seconds.
  • IBM’s Eagle and Condor Processors: IBM is scaling its superconducting quantum processors, aiming for over 1,000 qubits.

By Skeeter Wesinger

February 21, 2025

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DeepSeek’s Mind-Blowing AI Solution Caught in a Cover-Up?

DeepSeek, a rising CCP AI company, was under siege. The company’s official statement, issued in careful, bureaucratic phrasing, spoke of an orchestrated “distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack” aimed at crippling its systems. A grave and urgent matter, to be sure. Yet, for those who had followed the firm’s meteoric rise, there was reason for skepticism

DeepSeek had, until this moment, presented itself as a leader in artificial intelligence, one of the few entities capable of standing alongside Western firms in the increasingly cutthroat race for dominance in machine learning. It was a firm backed, either openly or in whispered speculation, by the unseen hand of the Chinese state. The company’s servers, housed in mainland China, were reportedly fueled by NVIDIA H800 GPUs, their interconnections optimized through NVLink and InfiniBand. A formidable setup, at least on paper

But then came the curious measures. Whole swaths of IP addresses, particularly from the United States, were unceremoniously blocked. The platform’s registration doors were slammed shut. And in the vague, elliptical style of official Chinese pronouncements, the public was assured that these were emergency steps to preserve service stability. What the company did not say—what they could not say—was that these actions bore all the hallmarks of a hasty retreat, rather than a tactical defense

For a true DDoS attack—one launched by sophisticated adversaries—there were measures to mitigate it. Content delivery networks. Traffic filtering. Rate-limiting techniques refined over decades by those who had fought in the trenches of cybersecurity. Yet DeepSeek’s response was not one of resilience, but of restriction. They were not filtering the bad actors; they were sealing themselves off from the world

A theory began to take shape among industry watchers. If DeepSeek had overestimated its own technological prowess, if its infrastructure was ill-prepared for rapid growth, the sudden influx of new users might have looked, to their own internal systems, like an attack. And if the company was not merely a commercial enterprise but an entity with deeper ties—perhaps to sectors of the Chinese government—it would not do to admit such failings publicly. To confess that their AI could not scale, that their systems could not bear the weight of global interest, would be an unpardonable humiliation.

The consequences of such a revelation would be severe. The markets had already felt the tremors of cyberattacks; the global economy had bled $1.5 trillion due to disruptions of this nature. If DeepSeek, a firm hailed as the vanguard of China’s AI ambitions, was faltering under its own weight, the financial and political repercussions would extend far beyond the walls of its server farms. The illusion of invulnerability had to be maintained

Thus, the narrative of a “DDoS attack” was not merely convenient—it was necessary. It allowed DeepSeek to take drastic action while obscuring the truth. Blocking foreign IPs? A countermeasure against cyber threats. Suspending new users? A precaution against infiltration. A firm whose technological backbone was more fragile than its reputation suggested had suddenly found an excuse to withdraw from scrutiny under the guise of self-defense

It is in such moments that history leaves its telltale fingerprints. The annals of technological development are filled with entities that stumbled not due to sabotage, but due to their own shortcomings, concealed under layers of propaganda and misdirection. One wonders if, years from now, when the documents are unsealed and the real story emerges, historians will look back at DeepSeek’s so-called DDoS crisis not as an act of foreign aggression—but as a moment of revelation, when the cracks in the edifice became too great to hide

Also, the DeepSeek app has been removed from both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in Italy. This action occurred after Italy’s data protection authority, known as the Garante, requested information from DeepSeek regarding its handling of personal data. Users attempting to access the app in Italy received messages indicating that it was “currently not available in the country or area you are in” on Apple’s App Store and that the download “was not supported” on Google’s platform. As reported by REUTERS.CO

Regarding Ireland, the Irish Data Protection Commission has also reached out to DeepSeek, seeking details about how it processes data related to Irish users. However, as of now, there is no confirmation that the app has been removed from app stores in Ireland. As reported by THEGUARDIAN.COM

Currently there is no publicly available information indicating that DeepSeek has specifically blocked access from Apple, Google, or individual reporters’ servers. It’s possible that access issues could be related to the broader measures DeepSeek has implemented in response to recent events, but without specific details, it’s difficult to determine the exact cause.

For now, the truth remains elusive, hidden behind digital firewalls and the careful hand of censorship. But as in all such cases, history is patient. It waits for those who will dig deeper, who will look beyond the official statements and ask: Was it an attack? Or was it something else entirely?

Story By Skeeter Wesinger

January 30, 2025

 

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Breaking boundaries When the dead come alive

The recent emergence of an animated representation of John McAfee as a Web3 AI agent is a notable example of how artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies are converging to create digital personas. This development involves creating a digital entity that emulates McAfee’s persona, utilizing AI to interact within decentralized platforms.
In the context of Web3, AI agents are autonomous programs designed to perform specific tasks within blockchain ecosystems. They can facilitate transactions, manage data, and even engage with users in a human-like manner. The integration of AI agents into Web3 platforms has been gaining momentum, with projections estimating over 1 million AI agents operating within blockchain networks by 2025.

John McAfee
Creating an AI agent modeled after John McAfee could serve various purposes, such as promoting cybersecurity awareness, providing insights based on McAfee’s philosophies, or even as a form of digital memorialization. However, the involvement of hackers in this process raises concerns about authenticity, consent, and potential misuse.
The animation aspect refers to using AI to generate dynamic, lifelike representations of individuals. Advancements in AI have made it possible to create highly realistic animations that can mimic a person’s voice, facial expressions, and mannerisms. While this technology has legitimate applications, it also poses risks, such as creating deepfakes—fabricated media that can be used to deceive or manipulate.
In summary, the animated portrayal of John McAfee as a Web3 AI agent exemplifies the intersection of AI and blockchain technologies in creating digital personas. While this showcases technological innovation, it also underscores the importance of ethical considerations and the need for safeguards against potential misuse.
As John McAfee was reported deceased on June 23, 2021, while being held in a Spanish prison. Authorities stated that his death was by suicide, occurring shortly after a court approved his extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. Despite this, his death has been surrounded by considerable speculation and controversy, fueled by McAfee’s outspoken nature and previous statements suggesting he would not take his own life under such circumstances.
The emergence of a “Web3 AI agent” bearing his likeness is likely an effort by developers or individuals to capitalize on McAfee’s notoriety and reputation as a cybersecurity pioneer. By leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies, this project has recreated a digital persona that reflects his character, albeit in a purely synthetic and algorithm-driven form. While this may serve as a form of homage or a conceptual experiment in Web3 development, ethical concerns regarding consent and authenticity are significant, mainly since McAfee is no longer alive to authorize or refute the use of his likeness.
While John McAfee is indeed deceased, his name and persona resonate within the tech and cybersecurity communities, making them a focal point for projects and narratives that intersect with his legacy. This raises broader questions about digital rights, posthumous representations, and the ethical boundaries of technology. Stay tuned.

Skeeter Wesinger
January 24, 2025

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SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) Poised for Growth Amid Surging Stock Performance

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) Poised for Growth Amid Surging Stock Performance

Soundhound AI

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) has seen its shares skyrocket by nearly 160% over the past month, and analysts at Wedbush believe the artificial intelligence voice platform is primed for continued growth heading into 2025.

The company’s momentum has been driven by its aggressive and strategic M&A activity over the past 18 months. As SoundHound has acquired Amelia, SYNQ3, and Allset, a move that has significantly expanded its footprint and opened new opportunities in voice AI solutions across industries.

Focus on Execution Amid Stock Surge

While the recent surge in SoundHound’s stock price signals growing investor confidence, the company must balance this momentum with operational execution.

The focus for SoundHound remains focused on two key priorities:

  1. Growing its customer base by onboarding new enterprises and expanding existing partnerships.
  2. Product delivery: Ensuring voice AI solutions are not only provisioned effectively but also shipped and implemented on schedule.

As the stock’s rapid growth garners headlines, the company must remain focused on its core business goals, ensuring that market hype does not distract teams from fulfilling customer orders and driving product adoption.

Expanding Use Cases in Enterprise AI Spending

SoundHound is still in the early stages of capitalizing on enterprise AI spending, with its voice and chat AI solutions gaining traction in sectors like restaurants and automotive industries. The company is well-positioned to extend its presence into the growing voice AI e-commerce market in 2025.

Several key verticals demonstrate the vast opportunities for SoundHound’s voice AI technology:

  • Airline Industry: Automated ticket booking, real-time updates, and personalized voice-enabled systems are enhancing customer experiences.
  • Utility and Telecom Call Centers: Voice AI can streamline customer support processes, enabling payment management, usage tracking, and overcharge resolution.
  • Banking and Financial Services: Voice biometrics are being deployed to verify identities, reducing fraudulent activity during calls and improving transaction security.

Overcoming Industry Challenges

Despite its promising trajectory, SoundHound AI must address key industry challenges to ensure seamless adoption and scalability of its technology:

  • Accents and Dialects: AI systems must continually improve their ability to understand diverse speech patterns across global markets.
  • Human Escalation: Ensuring a seamless handover from AI-driven systems to human agents is essential for effectively handling complex customer interactions.

Partnerships Driving Technological Innovation

SoundHound continues strengthening its technological capabilities through partnerships, most notably with Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). By leveraging Nvidia’s advanced infrastructure, SoundHound is bringing voice-generative AI to the edge, enabling faster processing and more efficient deployment of AI-powered solutions.

Looking Ahead to 2025

With its robust strategy, growing market opportunities, and focus on execution, SoundHound AI is well-positioned to capitalize on the rapid adoption of voice AI technologies across industries. The company’s ability to scale its solutions, overcome technical challenges, and expand into new verticals will be critical to sustaining its growth trajectory into 2025 and beyond.

By Skeeter Wesinger

 

December 17, 2024

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/soundhound-ai-nasdaq-soun-poised-growth-amid-surging-stock-wesinger-h7zpe

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How Taylor Swift Concerts Turn Fans into Digital Gold

When you picture a Taylor Swift concert, the images that come to mind are likely of electrifying performances, crowds belting out every lyric, and phones lighting up arenas like a starry sky. But the story doesn’t end with the music. Every fan, knowingly or not, leaves behind a digital trail—a trove of metadata that transforms a single concert into a powerful tool for marketers, event organizers, and brands.

The journey to a Taylor Swift concert often begins long before the show. GPS data from smartphones unveils travel patterns with surprising precision. Organizers can discern how many fans are locals and how many travel from afar, identifying regional fan hubs and their popularity. Travel patterns from hotel bookings, public transit usage, and ride-sharing apps provide further insights into attendee logistics. These patterns inform everything from tour schedules to marketing strategies, allowing organizers to better cater to their audience.

Demographics go beyond what’s captured during ticket purchases. Social media activity, linked accounts, and payment methods contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the audience. AI tools analyzing concert photos or posts refine demographic estimates such as age and gender distribution. The choice of ticket tiers, from standard admission to VIP experiences, offers insight into income brackets, while additional data on spending for hotels, dining, and transportation completes the economic snapshot. These details provide invaluable context for planning future events and crafting targeted campaigns.

The fan frenzy on social media is more than just entertainment. It’s data. Hashtags like #ErasTour and #TaylorSwift serve as digital breadcrumbs, revealing shared interests and passions like fashion, activism, and pop culture. Taylor-inspired outfits showcased in concert photos often influence larger industry trends. Platforms like Spotify analyze shifts in listening behavior before and after the concert, providing insights into fan engagement and preferences.

The Social Factor asking did attendees come solo, with friends, or as part of a family group? Ticket purchase data and metadata from social media interactions provide answers. Additional data points, like selfies and group tags, flesh out the narrative. Heatmaps of venue movement identify popular zones like concession stands or merch booths. These dynamics reveal how fans interact with each other and their environment, creating opportunities for better crowd management and targeted merchandise placement.

Tracking merchandise sales tells its own story. Hot-selling items and their price points reveal fan preferences and inform future merchandise strategies. AI tools analyzing smiles in photos, cheers during key moments, and online reviews provide a sense of the audience’s emotional connection to the performance.

For sponsors, the metadata is a goldmine of insights. Fans tagging sponsor booths, using branded hashtags, or interacting with giveaways provide measurable metrics for engagement. Real-time mentions on social media reveal which partnerships resonate most with the audience.

A Taylor Swift concert is not just a performance—it’s a live data lab. Where every transaction, hashtag, and movement contributes to a greater narrative, informing decisions about future tours, sponsorships, and merchandise. Yet, this treasure trove of data raises important questions about privacy and consent. As technology advances, so does the need for ethical data collection and usage practices. Also, one must ask who is looking at this data.

Ultimately, a Taylor Swift concert is more than music—it’s a symphony of information. The fans may carry memories of a lifetime, but their digital footprints leave a legacy that continues to shape the entertainment world long after the last note has faded.

By Skeeter Wesinger

December 9, 2024

 

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Salt Typhoon: The Cyberattack That Threatens Global Stability

In response, U.S. officials have urged the public to switch to encrypted messaging services such as Signal and WhatsApp. These platforms offer the only reliable defense against unauthorized access to private communications. Meanwhile, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are working alongside affected companies to contain the breach, fortify networks, and prevent future incursions. Yet, this incident raises a troubling question: Are we witnessing the dawn of a new era in cyber conflict, where the lines between espionage and outright warfare blur beyond recognition?

The Salt Typhoon attack is more than a wake-up call—it’s a stark reminder that robust cybersecurity measures are no longer optional. The consequences of this breach extend far beyond the immediate damage, rippling through geopolitics and economics in ways that could reshape global power dynamics.

One might wonder, “What could the PRC achieve with fragments of seemingly innocuous data?” The answer lies in artificial intelligence. With its vast technological resources, China could use AI to transform this scattered information into a strategic treasure trove—a detailed map of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, user behavior, and exploitable vulnerabilities.

AI could analyze metadata from call records to uncover social networks, frequent contacts, and key communication hubs. Even unencrypted text messages, often dismissed as trivial, could reveal personal and professional insights. Metadata, enriched with location stamps, offers the ability to track movements and map behavioral patterns over time.

By merging this data with publicly available information—social media profiles, public records, and more—AI could create enriched profiles, cross-referencing datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and relationships. Entire organizational structures could be unearthed, revealing critical roles and influential figures in government and industry.

AI’s capabilities go further. Sentiment analysis could gauge public opinion and detect dissatisfaction with remarkable precision. Machine learning models could anticipate vulnerabilities and identify high-value targets, while graph-based algorithms could map communication networks, pinpointing leaders and insiders for potential exploitation.

The implications are both vast and chilling. Armed with such insights, the PRC could target individuals in sensitive positions, exploiting personal vulnerabilities for recruitment or coercion. It could chart the layout of critical infrastructure, identifying nodes for future sabotage. Even regulatory agencies and subcontractors could be analyzed, creating leverage points for broader influence.

This is the terrifying reality of Salt Typhoon: a cyberattack that strikes not just at data but at the very trust and integrity of a nation’s systems. It is a silent assault on the confidence in infrastructure, security, and the resilience of a connected society. Such a breach should alarm lawmakers and citizens alike, as the true implications of an attack of this magnitude are difficult to grasp.

The PRC, with its calculated precision, has demonstrated how advanced AI and exhaustive data analysis can be weaponized to gain an edge in cyber and information warfare. What appear today as isolated breaches could coalesce into a strategic advantage of staggering proportions. The stakes are clear: the potential to reshape the global balance of power, not through military might, but through the quiet, pervasive influence of digital dominance.

By Skeeter Wesinger

December 5, 2024

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/salt-typhoon-cyberattack-threatens-global-stability-skeeter-wesinger-iwoye

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