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Hey there, it’s…Friday (October) the 13th!!
I think we’re starting to get a sense of who’s under that mask
Here’s what we got for you:
SBF Trial Coverage – Week 2!
Google AI is learning humility
That Drip – Not-So-Much Edition
SBF Trial Coverage – Week 2!
What a week it has been. An incredible number of revelations have come out so far and honestly, I am not even a little disappointed.
Ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison took the stand and didn’t seem to hold much back – including answering yes/no questions with way more detail than necessary – and oh yes….talking about “the frauds.”
If you recall, Ellison entered a plea deal with the US Government, which granted her immunity from all the things. Without that, one would have to wonder how much of this would actually come to the surface.
If you think Taylor Swift handles breakups poorly, Ellison says, “Hold my herbal chai latte” as she absolutely dismantled her ex in court.
This reminds me of those anti-drug commercials of the 90s.
The highlights:
“We did the frauds” (loosely paraphrased)
The frauds were even worse than originally speculated.
The frauds were directed entirely by SBF.
FTX customer deposits were used for all sorts of non-FTX things – Alameda loan paybacks, political donations, personal loans to friends, and more.
She made SEVEN different balance sheets, painting largely different pictures of their financial situation in different contexts.
SBF was so caught up in his own definition of right and wrong, that nothing was off the table when it came to pursuing “right”.
Sam sold his luxury car to buy a Corolla in order to downplay his billionaire status, because “it would be better for his image.”
SAM THOUGHT HE HAD A 5% CHANCE OF BECOMING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
SBF’s attorneys thought they’d be able to pin it all on Ellison, but that’s not really working out for them.
The only moral rule that mattered to Sam was whatever maximized utility.
Perhaps even more surprising, it’s being reported that SBF’s attorneys did absolutely nothing to challenge Ellison’s character, judgment, or integrity. No mention of the illicit drug use, no talk about her being a scorned ex-lover, not even a mention of her credentials as a “math genius.”
In a direct quote from the judge, it appears that even he is trying to coach them on doing a better job.
You have spent the last day and a half doing your level best – and I'm not criticizing. I understand it's your job. You should have been doing it – trying to impugn her credibility. You did that in the opening statement. You are going to do it in closing.
Kaplan may emerge to be my favorite part of this whole trial. Quotes from him have been popping up all over the place and not since Johnny Cochran (RIP) have we seen such snark in a courtroom.
“You both get A+ in evidence law, but this is a colossal waste of time”
After being asked for 10 minutes to handle a sidebar, "Some people don't have 10 minutes left to live”
“If your case rises and falls on whether this guy believed that Sam Bankman-Fried was running the show, you've got troubles”
“[Are you trying to] set a record for the longest trial?"
With four more weeks left in the trial, we’re only just getting started. The lovable doofus schtick is officially dead and the era of SBF the supervillain is in full swing.
Google AI is learning humility
Well, not really.
Google has developed a new AI system that it believes can act as a “fact checker” for the typical AI behavior of being “confidently incorrect.”
While addressing the hallucinations feels like a step in the right direction it best the question – who checks the fact-checkers?
The use of AI in cases where it has to be right more than a human counterpart seems like a barrier to entry that won’t be overcome through real-time validation. The expectation of quality will always live with the generative LLM.
We’re asking for trust, transparency, and rigor and we’re getting an auditor.
That Drip
NVIDIA is canceling its AI summit in Israel, due to some not-so-great stuff.
Facebook’s new AI stickers can make some not-so-copyright-friendly stuff.
Why it’s not-so-smart to text people pictures of things you don’t want made public, even if you’re AMC’s CEO
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