AI | Steve Woods

EU Commission investigates Grok and X under DSA

26/01/2026 Steve WoodsAI, Politics, Security, Social Media, Tech
The European Commission has today announced a new formal investigation against X (the ~~conduit of hate~~ alleged social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Ed.) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In parallel, the Commission extended its current investigation launched in December 2023 into X’s compliance with its recommender systems risk management obligations.

The new investigation will examine whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks associated with the deployment of Grok’s functionalities into X in the EU, including risks related to the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, such as manipulated sexually explicit images, including child sexual abuse material.

These risks seem to have materialised, exposing EU citizens to serious harm. Consequently, the Commission will further investigate whether X complies with its DSA obligations to:
- Diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks, including of the dissemination of illegal content, negative effects in relation to gender-based violence and serious negative consequences to physical and mental well-being stemming from deployments of Grok’s functionalities on its platform;
- Conduct and transmit to the Commission an ad-hoc risk assessment report for Grok’s functionalities in the X service with a critical impact on X’s risk profile prior to their deployment.
Furthermore, the Commission has extended its continuing formal proceedings initiated against X in December 2023 to determine if X has properly assessed and mitigated all systemic risks (as defined in the DSA) associated with its recommender systems, including the impact of its recently announced switch to a Grok-based recommender system.

If proven, these failures would constitute infringements of Articles 34(1) and (2), 35(1) and 42(2) of the DSA. The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation as a matter of priority. The opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge its outcome.

In the run-up to this investigation, the Commission has closely collaborated with Coimisiún na Meán, the Irish Digital Services Coordinator. In addition, Coimisiún na Meán will be associated with this investigation pursuant to Article 66(3) as the national Digital Services Coordinator in the EU country where X is based.

The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps, such as adopting a non-compliance decision. The Commission is also empowered to accept any commitment made by X to remedy the matters subject to the proceeding.
Reform candidate emulates tRump

25/01/2026 Steve WoodsAI, Language, Politics, Social Media

On Terry Pratchett’s fictional Discworld, Ankh Morpork local newspaper publisher William de Worde remarks: “Lies could run round the world before the truth could get its boots on” in the novel The Truth.

That turn of speed definitely applies today to internet memes, whether AI-generated slop or otherwise.

It hasn’t taken long for the Farage fascist fan club otherwise known as Reform UK (Ltd.) to pick up on some of the latest garbage emanating from the White House (posts passim) and adapt it for their own Z-list candidate for mayor, Laila Cunningham, another Conservative Party defector who, amongst other things, want to dictate what women choose to wear.

AI from the hard of thinking. Since when have there mountains on the banks of the Thames? And why are the two figures shown leaving no tracks in the snow?

Whatever the direction Farage’s Reform is planning on taking the country, those mythical sunlit uplands of politics (© Winston Churchill, July 1940) do not seem to be involved.
President promises penguins

24/01/2026 Steve WoodsAI, Oddities, Politics, Social Media

The disgraced 45th and current disgraceful 47th President of the United States, adjudicated sexual predator, condemned business fraudster, convicted felon and compulsive liar, one Donald John Trump (who is on a personal quest to Make America Grate Again or something similar. Ed.), has never been renowned for his intellectual prowess. This, plus his overweening narcissism, means that for his second spell of squatting in the Oval Office, he has surrounded himself with sycophantic staff who will not embarrass him mainly because they are just as stupid as their boss, if not more so.

This stupidity was again on display yesterday on the White House social media accounts, with a post based on the lonely penguin meme from the Werner Herzog film Encounters at the End of the World. The meme features footage of a lone Adélie penguin wandering away from its colony in Antarctica and was posted in connection with the Tangerine Tyrant’s obsession with acquiring Greenland from Denmark, an ambition which has provoked both a consumer boycott (posts passim) and demonstrations in both Denmark itself and Greenland.

Here’s what White House staffers embarrassed themselves and the entire Trump regime with yesterday.

Needless to say the image was produced with the aid of Artificial Ignorance, otherwise abbreviated to AI.

Moreover, it goes without saying that the post attracted extensive mockery online. Here’s an example.

However, this criticism overlooks one vital fact; The Donald’s importing of penguins to Greenland is a far better use of US tax dollars than towing Greenland down to the southern polar region to enable it to be populated by penguins! 😀
EU Commission launches yet another investigation into a US tech giant

09/12/2025 Steve WoodsPolitics, Tech
After fining X €120 mn. last month for breaching the transparency obligations of the Digital Services Act, the European Commission has announced it has initiated a formal anti-trust investigation to assess whether Google has breached EU competition rules by using the content of web publishers and content uploaded to YouTube, for artificial intelligence (‘AI’) purposes.In particular, the investigation will examine whether Google is distorting competition by imposing unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators or by granting itself privileged access to such content, thereby disadvantaging the developers of rival AI models.

The Commission is concerned that Google may have:
- Used the content of web publishers to provide generative AI-powered services (‘AI Overviews’ and ‘AI Mode’) on its search results pages without appropriate compensation and without offering them the possibility to refuse such use of their content. AI Overviews shows AI-generated summaries responsive to a user’s search query above organic results, while AI Mode is a search tab similar to a chatbot answering users’ queries in a conversational style. The Commission will investigate to what extent the generation of AI Overviews and AI Mode by Google is based on web publishers’ content without appropriate compensation for that, and without the possibility for publishers to refuse without losing access to Google Search. Indeed, many publishers depend on Google Search for user traffic, and they do not want to risk losing access to it.
- Utilised video and other content uploaded on YouTube to train Google’s generative AI models without appropriate compensation to creators and without offering them the opportunity to reject such use of their content. Content creators uploading videos to YouTube are obliged to grant Google permission to use their data for different purposes, including training generative AI models. Google does not remunerate YouTube content creators for their content, nor does allow them to upload their content on YouTube without allowing Google to use such data. At the same time, rival developers of AI models are barred by YouTube policies from using YouTube content to train their own AI models.
If proven, the practices under investigation may breach EU competition rules that prohibit the abuse of a dominant position (Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’)) and Article 54 of the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) Agreement.

Commenting on the launch of the investigation, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition remarked as follows:

A free and democratic society depends on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape. These values are central to who we are as Europeans. AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies. This is why we are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage, in breach of EU competition rules.
Evolution

30/11/2025 Steve WoodsSocial Media, Tech

Life forms are not the only things that undergo evolution, i.e. a change in characteristics over generations and/or time.

This is also true of technology. One only has to compare and contrast one’s present operating system and its applications and what was in use twenty years ago, for example.

That brings us neatly to the graphic below acquired from social media, which sarcastically tracks the progress of the trash icon on Microsoft’s Windows desktop over the decades.

For those unfamiliar with the final icon on the bottom right, it’s that of MS’ Copilot generative artificial intelligence chatbot, which has not been without criticism. Indeed, one Microsoft Tech Community post has even called the software a “frustrating flop in AI-powered productivity“.

More specifically, the post states:

Here’s the problem: when you ask Copilot to alter a document, modify an Excel file, or adjust a PowerPoint presentation, it’s practically useless. Instead of performing the tasks as requested, it often leaves you hanging with vague suggestions or instructions. Users don’t want to be told how to perform a task—they want it done. This is what an AI assistant should do: execute commands efficiently, not just offer advice.

If the MS tech enthusiasts are less than impressed, your ‘umble scribe need say no more!
Australia initiates consumer protection proceedings against Microsoft

02/11/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Tech
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, which is responsible for ensuring individuals and businesses comply with Australian competition and consumer protection laws has announced that it has initiated proceedings in the Federal Court against Microsoft Australia and its parent company Microsoft Corporation for allegedly misleading approximately 2.7 million Australian customers when giving notice of subscription options and price increases after it integrated its Copilot AI assistant into Microsoft 365 subscription plans.

The ACCC alleges that since 31st October 2024, Microsoft has told Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plan subscribers with auto-renewal enabled that to maintain their subscription, they must accept the integration of Copilot and pay higher prices for their plan, or else cancel their subscriptions.

Following the integration of Copilot, the annual subscription price of the Microsoft 365 Personal plan increased by an eye-watering 45% from $109 to $159. In contrast, the annual subscription price for the Microsoft 365 Family plan increased by a mere 29% from $139 to $179.

Microsoft’s communications with subscribers did not refer to the existence of the “Classic” plans without Copilot integration and the only way subscribers could access them was to begin the process of cancelling their subscriptions. This involved accessing the subscriptions section of their Microsoft account and selecting “Cancel subscription”. It was only on the following page that subscribers were given the option to move to the Classic plan instead.

Click on the image for the full-sized version

Maximum penalties

Should Microsoft lose the case, the maximum penalty for each breach of the Australian Consumer Law is the greater of the following three options:
- $50 million;
- three times the total benefits that have been obtained and are reasonably attributable; or
- if the total value of the benefits cannot be determined, 30 per cent of the corporation’s adjusted turnover during the breach turnover period.
For Microsoft Australia, not to mention its parent company, the emphasis in the word consumer is firmly on its first three-letter syllable.
Grammer, AI style

12/06/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Oddities, Tech

From your ‘umble scribe’s social media timeline.

We all occasionally need help with English grammar, even we pensioners who have spent decades working at linguists, but the above ‘suggestion‘ from Grammarly could be diplomatically described as unhelpful.

According to Wikipedia, “Grammarly is an American English language writing assistant software tool. It reviews the spelling, grammar, and tone of a piece of writing“, as well as being a tool for detecting plagiarism.

On its own website, Grammarly is described as ‘Grammarly, the trusted AI assistant for everyday communication‘.

On the basis of the above howler, your correspondent would not trust it to write out the alphabet in the correct sequence.
New abbreviation in the wild

25/05/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Social Media, Tech

Ever since it was first coined in 2002, the online world has benefited from the creation of the slang abbreviation TL;DR, i.e. too long; don’t read, indicating that a body of text is not worth one’s while to read.

The abbreviation is used in both upper and lower case versions.

As the Wikipedia entry states, ‘TL;DR is commonly used in online discussions, comment sections, and social media posts. Writers often employ the acronym to summarize a preceding lengthy text, allowing readers who prefer brevity to quickly understand the main point. Conversely, readers might use TL;DR as a critique, signaling that a text was excessively verbose or lacked clarity‘.

Official recognition of the abbreviation came some 11 years after its first appearance, as Wikipedia explains.

In August 2013, TL;DR was officially added to Oxford Dictionaries Online, recognizing its widespread use in digital communications. Merriam-Webster also documented the term, noting its establishment as part of modern digital lexicon.

TL;DR has now been joined by another new slang abbreviation, AI:DR. This denotes that the text in question has been produced by generative AI, that environmentally costly means of producing low quality output (affectionately known as slop. Ed.) without human intervention.

There is already speculation that AI is being deployed in regional newspaper offices in titles owned by Reach plc, but that would prove difficult to verify as the quality of their content starts from a very low base anyway. 😀

Your correspondent trusts that readers and the wider public will not be shy in using this new abbreviation accordingly.
Reform VE Day cock-up

09/05/2025 Steve WoodsOpen Source, Politics, Social Media

Politicians and thus by implication the parties to which they owe their allegiance have a relationship with the truth that can be described diplomatically as problematic and at worst non-existent.

Yesterday’s VE Day 80th anniversary provided ample proof of both.

Perhaps the most egregious example of being less than truthful was posted on the X/Twitter account of Reform UK Ltd., a limited company masquerading as a political party, the latest incarnation of the cult dedicated to the promotion and adoration of a perennial charlatan commonly known as Nigel Paul Farage, who also just happens to be a great pal of the disgraced former 45th president and current disgraceful 47th president of the United States of America, insurrectionist, convicted felon, adjudicated sexual predator, business fraudster, congenital liar and golf cheat commonly known as Donald John Trump, who is on a one-man mission to Make America Grate Again (or something similar. Ed.). Whether Farage’s adoration is reciprocated in equal measure is not known. given The Felon‘s disposable relationships with the rest of the human race.

What the Farage Fan Club posted on X/Twitter is shown below.

There’ll be bullshit over the white cliffs of Dover…

So far, so patriotic at a first casual glance – the white cliffs, a union flag, Churchill at Buckingham Palace, a Royal Navy ship is glorious monochrome and any reference to the Brits in WW2 would be incomplete without a Spitfire.

However, this impression is debunked the closer one looks at the image. We’ll come back to the Spitfire, but first let’s look at that naval vessel used by Reform’s graphics whizz-kids. A special research technique otherwise known as using a search engine for five minutes reveals it is in fact HMS Vanguard, the last battleship ever to be built. Although her construction started during the war, she did not enter into naval service until 1946, i.e. after VE Day and even VJ Day, which marked the final official end of hostilities.

The vessel’s identity can be easily confirmed by looking at one of the photographs used by Wikipedia; the motor launch can be seen in both the image on Wikipedia and in the much edited image used by Reform.

HMS Vanguard. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Now let’s return to that Spitfire. Doing an image search for a Spitfire with the roundel identification AI yields not a single result; and your ‘umble scribe can find no reference anywhere to an actual squadron with that identification. Besides that, a search for AI or A1 Spitfire squadron identifications yielded zero results. Furthermore, the aircraft itself has a very glossy appearance, a feature that was shared by all the Spitfire images produced by generative AI that came up in your correspondent’s search. The conclusion I’ve reached is that the Spitfire exists solely in digital format and has never actually flown, let alone seen active service. This seems very reminiscent of the dishonesty shown by the equally right-wing British National Party, who attracted much derision in 2009 when in a supposedly patriotic poster where they used a Spitfire flown by a Polish squadron.

A final reminder to Farage and his fellow travellers; your side surrendered unconditionally on 8th August 1945.
Generative AI art – the ultimate comment

02/05/2025 Steve WoodsLanguage, Social Media, Tech

The photograph below showed up in your ‘umble scribe’s social media feed today and is the best comment he has seen to date in respect of the so-called “AI slop” (or just plain “slop”. Ed.) produced by generative AI engines.

However, your ‘umble scribe is not the only person who questions the utility of generative AI, let alone its accuracy and/or faithfulness. Here’s the historian Dan Snow of History Hit clearly suffering from the output of generative AI in respect of great events in world history Whoever would have guessed the USA had ships in the thick of the Battle of Trafalgar? :-D.

Maximum penalties

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