Hello from sunny Orange County, CA. I arrived here a couple of nights ago to participate in the “Empire Resurgent” conference at the University of California, Irvine, where I plan to talk about memory and hegemony. Someone must have told them I was coming because they set up a nice installation on the intersection between American military power, the Frontier Thesis, and Hollywood right at the exit of the airport.

Did I mention that John Wayne Airport is situated right on (Douglas) MacArthur Boulevard? This country makes it so easy sometimes.

As promised, here is your travel week mailbag.

Ethan asks:

The technology isn’t “there” yet and there is a lot to be worried about, but it isn't going away so ... what are the potential upsides of ChatGPT-esque AI? Particularly for under-resourced schools, communities, and regions? Can it be deployed in a way that helps level playing fields?

Remember when I (and others) showed that these chatbots are bullshit-producing machines, and a bunch of people showed up to tell me we were dumb and didn’t understand how large language models work? $173 billion worth of lost Google