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Friday, January 30. 2026

AI's HAL 9000 Problem, and What It Portends For the Future

Tesla backs of from cars

The drive toward electric cars has been a disaster

Inside the billionaire enclaves just out of reach of CA’s wealth tax

Ilhan Omar's Winery Disappears...Literally Gone From the Internet and Archives

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Europe Is Not Re-Arming: It’s a Fraud, a Fake and a Lie

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 08:03 | Comments (19) | Trackback (1)

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Weblog: www.thepiratescove.us
Tracked: Feb 01, 09:25

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QUOTE:

The drive toward electric cars has been a disaster... Yes, it’s true global EV sales are rising. Some 20.7 million EVs were sold last year, up 20 percent on 2024, but those numbers are misleading because nearly two-thirds of those EVs were sold in China.

Of course, we can’t expect backward countries such as the United States to match China’s technological prowess. But the Americans could learn from others, as China has done. Wonder what they'll come up with next!

#1 Zachriel on 2026-01-30 09:25 (Reply)

Actually, China has little choice but to go electric. They have minimal amounts of crude and if they need transportation it has to be electric. It is doubtful that they worry about coal pollution to get electric but technological prowess isn't a consideration. And the toxic mining processes don't seem to bother them either. Electric isn't very practical in areas of cold winter weather and electric also requires considerable silver use in the manufacture process.

#1.1 indyjonesouthere on 2026-01-30 12:50 (Reply)

Do tell how EVs charged with coal generated electricity are "green." Or deal with the fact that Chinese EVs and their batteries are trash. Explain why there are literally thousands of acers covered with complete or mostly complete Chinese EVs that are just setting there rusting away. (Here's a hint: the CCP subsidizes industry purely to keep people employed so that they are less likely to go on a long walk.)

Or, while you're at it, why you completely swallow CCP propaganda in order to make unfavorable comparisons to the USA. Since you have repeatedly insisted you love the USA.

#1.2 James on 2026-01-30 17:41 (Reply)

James: Do tell how EVs charged with coal generated electricity are "green."

The question wasn't whether EVs are green or not, but whether it is a viable industry. That the United States is being out-competed doesn't mean the industry is not viable. A 20% increase in sales over the last year is a significant increase.

#1.3 Zachriel on 2026-01-30 19:18 (Reply)

As long as it is subsidized by carbon credits. Do remember Al Gore and the carbon credit grift.

#1.3.1 indyjonesouthere on 2026-01-30 23:55 (Reply)

It's a very odd notion of "viable" that requires large subsidies or government mandates. The correct term is "not viable."

The fact that the best capitalized, most innovative, most efficient EV manufacturer is ending two lines of production is not a good sign for the industry. And sales are in decline globally now. Both nominally and as a percentage of all vehicles sold.

If EVs are not green, then they have no reason to exist.

#1.3.2 James on 2026-02-02 17:23 (Reply)

James: And sales are in decline globally now

That is not supported by the data. BloombergNEF expects drivers to buy 24.3 million passenger EVs this year, an increase of only 12% on 2025 and weaker than the 23% growth in sales last year.

#1.3.2.1 Zachiel on 2026-02-02 21:10 (Reply)

Fumento’s story about AI’s resisting shutdown like HAL is BS, pure fiction. The real problem is AI producing fake results. This means all AI output has to be checked by humans, which reduces its value.

#2 bob sykes on 2026-01-30 10:11 (Reply)

bob sykes: This means all AI output has to be checked by humans, which reduces its value.

The best way to think of current AI is to consider it a force multiplier. It's a machine that makes humans more capable. A simple example is that a human might sift Google for results, but AI can quickly look through hundreds of results and compile the results, providing links for human-checking. The result? Saved time and providing a broader overview than a human alone could have done.

The point is that AI-assisted workers are capable of replacing a number of other workers. Similarly, while John Henry outdrove the steam-powered drilling machine, he died in the effort. With a bit more technological development, one person operating the steam-powered drilling machine could replace several John Henrys.

QUOTE:

John Henry said to his captain,

“A man is nothing but a man,
But before I let your steam drill beat me down,
I’d die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord,
I’d die with a hammer in my hand.”

#2.1 Zachriel on 2026-01-30 10:46 (Reply)

"The best way to think of current AI is to...."

Nah. You don't know the best way to think about anything. You're not clever, nor nearly smart enough to tell anyone what the best way is to think about any subject based on your inane comments here.

#2.1.1 eeyore on 2026-01-30 16:06 (Reply)

Why AI hallucination is not an easy fix. Lawyers and judges were the early victims. A short read.

https://aicentral.substack.com/p/the-training-data-problem

#2.1.2 indyjonesouthere on 2026-01-30 17:48 (Reply)

If the AI inputs are correct then the outputs will be correct. A current example is with AI being used to show that TENS is falsified by using the appropriate math which it seems the biologists were never capable of doing.

https://voxday.net/2026/01/30/no-way-out/

#2.2 indyjonesouthere on 2026-01-30 13:42 (Reply)

Don Lemonhead has been taken into custody:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/don-lemon-arrested-federal-authorities-attorney-says-rcna256680

#3 Maniac on 2026-01-30 10:20 (Reply)

Even better... the FBI is packing up the Georgia election ballots, tapes, etc.

#3.1 indyjonesouthere on 2026-01-30 13:27 (Reply)

It is NOT: "Can AI be misused". It WILL be misused and false information will be the least of the misuse. It will be a F-in disaster and it will appear to be good and real. It could start the next world war, the next genocide, oppression, the list is endless. It will be used to make better and more believable propaganda. It's potential threat to humanity and freedom should not be underestimated.

#4 OneGuy on 2026-01-30 23:25 (Reply)

The engineers I know tend to prefer hybrids over all-electric vehicles. Many of them consider redundancy a good thing in critical situations.

#5 Assistant Village Idiot on 2026-01-31 09:18 (Reply)

A hybrid can have a lot of advantages. For most people most of the time, they make relatively short trips to work or to shop, so electric makes sense. Charge at night. Costs are low. But they might also want to take a longer trip to the beach or to visit grandma, so a longer range might be preferable. A hybrid neatly solves both those problems, as well as alleviating range anxiety. (As a bonus, the combustion system in a hybrid can be more efficient, due to energy capture from braking, and a smaller engine and lower engine output for the same power because of electric assist.)

As many families have more than one car, one might be a full electric for commuting, the other the old conventional car for road trips.

#5.1 Zachriel on 2026-01-31 09:46 (Reply)

Automotive engineers!! Don't get me started. The list of stupid and contradictory things that automotive engineers have done is endless. There is a better than 50/50 chance that if your car breaks down and costs you thousands it was the "expected" result of an engineering design decision. Car suddenly quit on you and everything shuts off?? There is nothing wrong, it's built into the electronics, sorry for the inconvenience but the engineers are in the backroom laughing their ass off. The fix??? You will never in your wildest dreams guess what it is. Here's a hint, take your key and press unlock. What! Your car is unlocked and you are in the drivers seat so why would this make any sense. LOL. Welcome to the world of automotive engineers... Oh! By the way, they prefer hybrids!! The engineers also prefer a "kill switch". The kill switch would allow police to shut off the engine in a chase. Seems OK. But it sits there in your electronics waiting, waiting to go bad at the worst possible time. The "Kill" switch will kill people. Yeah it might stop a police car chase now and then but it will kill people when it malfunctions.

#6 JustMe on 2026-01-31 10:15 (Reply)

A good example of how the kill switch malfunction could kill you: The million dollar road in Colorado. Beautiful drive, a windy two lane road over the mountains. There is no "side of the road" it is just two lanes wide for most of it's length. On one side is the mountain and on the other is the valley. There is no barrier between you and the valley. One mistake, look away and you go over the side. 1000', more in some places, your dead. Now imagine on this winding road that your engine quits, which means your power steering quits. Your right front wheel is less than 4' from a 1000' drop and the road turns sharply left. You barely have time to swear before you are airborne. Thank a engineer.

#6.1 JustMe on 2026-02-01 10:18 (Reply)

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Friday, January 30. 2026

Friday morning links