Now that AI got involved it's on topic for TechTakes I guess. Making a containment thread because there might be a lot to sneer about this.
Boring version of of the main story: https://text.npr.org/nx-s1-5345802
Skynet declares trade war on penguins: https://archive.is/Nn5MC
Reactionary news outlet celebrates 77% drop in stock price by taking everyone else down with them: https://bsky.app/profile/brianmfloyd.bsky.social/post/3lluybov3i22o
Brian Merchant's given his thoughts on the situation, focusing mainly on the situation as a case of Trump's administration falling for the AGI hype.
You want my off-the-cuff thoughts on these tariffs, I'm putting them down as another nail in the coffin for AI as a concept, and a possible blow to "AI doom" narratives as a whole.
For AI as a concept, this entire debacle is a very public and very high-profile example of AI failing to live up to the "AGI/Superintelligence" hype that OpenAI and pals have been cranking out - and failing in a manner which suggests their AI systems (rightfully so, IMO) to be worse than useless.
For "AI Doom" narratives, whilst this economic clusterfuck is an example of AI dealing a nasty blow to humanity, said blow was dealt through a combo of unambiguous incompetence on the AI's part, and the Trump administration overestimating the AI's own competence. No diamonoid bacteria, no Skynet-style Terminator apocalypse, just sheer unfiltered stupidity on a government-wide level.