Althouse: Sunrise.

October 17, 2026

Sunrise.

45 comments:

bagoh20 said...: How will we know anything is true when it's impossible to tell. We are already there, and we are not ready for it. Civilization has never faced such a thing. There is no playbook and no vaccine.

"Federal judges meeting in Boston heard tech industry warnings that AI-generated images and video are becoming nearly impossible to verify, as a judiciary committee considers whether courts need new rules for evidence that may be deepfakes instead of the real thing."

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/10/17/openai-ai-generated-deepfakes-will-become-impossible-to-verify/; 10/17/26, 6:18 PM
bagoh20 said...: I wonder if people will do what they seem to be already doing a lot, which is not care if it's true or not. Ever see when one of those on-the-street interviewers debunks a person's committed view and the person just says "This conversation is over" and walks away?; 10/17/26, 6:22 PM
rehajm said...: speaking of impossible to tell, are you following the Omar ‘family’ saga? Not if you’re following traditional media. They’re all running interference for her, questioning the legality of judges enabling warrants, claiming everything surrounding the investigation is unlawful. Spaghetti defense…; 10/17/26, 6:35 PM
Aggie said...: @bagoh20 maybe the change will be quite simple, in the end. Personal accountability will reassert itself, because any kind of recorded audio or video will be discarded as suspect, and only eyewitness testimony or certified data will be accepted. Things that depend on belief absorbed by visual or audio means will be viewed as under suspicion without some kind of due accreditation.; 10/17/26, 6:51 PM
Aggie said...: I'm reading that the Omar case is a deep dive, being prepared as an object lesson to the thousands that game the immigration system for citizenship. They're digging out DNA evidence, and the rumor is that the family isn't even a family. We'll see. I can think of few subjects more worthy of deportation, out of pure anti-American spite in her spoken record. But we'll see what takes its course.; 10/17/26, 6:54 PM
Mason G said...: "speaking of impossible to tell, are you following the Omar ‘family’ saga?"

Might be a good time to buy some Orville Redenbacher stock...; 10/17/26, 6:55 PM
john mosby said...: If video and audio recordings become untrustworthy, then maybe some of the 24/7/everywhere surveillance will become uneconomical. Why invest in cameras for your store if, in the unlikely event your local authorities find, arrest, and prosecute the guy in the video, the jury buys his deepfake defense?

On the other hand, I have said for years that all evidence is testimonial. That is, even/especially the most scientifically forensic evidence requires that the scientist can get on the stand, explain her methods to laypeople, and convince them that she didn't tamper with anything. So even physical evidence depends on people's believability.

Not sure that much would change for surveillance footage.

Also, the strongest cases feature forensic science as just one strand of the web, which can survive on the strength of the other strands. For instance, if you got facial recognition from the store video, which enabled you to get an address for the mope, and you then did an old-fashioned physical surveillance of that address, to find lots of brand-new merch moving in and out of the house on a daily basis.

Old time coppers talked about 'cutting out the snitch:' once an informant fingers a suspect, you develop independent corroborating evidence, so you never have to even mention the snitch, let alone put him on the stand.

We may have to go with 'cutting out the video,' while still relying on it for leads. CC, JSM; 10/17/26, 6:56 PM
Mason G said...: "But we'll see what takes its course."

If she's done nothing wrong, she's got nothing to be afraid of.

I'm told.; 10/17/26, 6:57 PM
Original Mike said...: Glorious fall day in the north woods.
Spent the afternoon dismantling a beaver dam. It's preventing the winter draw-down of the lake.; 10/17/26, 6:57 PM
Gerda Sprinchorn said...: Original Mike said:

"Spent the afternoon dismantling a beaver dam."

Was dynamite involved?; 10/17/26, 7:51 PM
Original Mike said...: "Was dynamite involved?"

Unfortunately, no.
It would have helped.; 10/17/26, 8:13 PM
Mason G said...: Spencer Pratt has thoughts.; 10/17/26, 8:29 PM
Grant said...: I once considered buying a property that included a beaver dam. Unfortunately circumstances argued against it, not least because, if the dam failed, my prospective neighbors would have been flooded.; 10/17/26, 8:53 PM
Josephbleau said...: “ Things that depend on belief absorbed by visual or audio means will be viewed as under suspicion without some kind of due accreditation.”

There will be an answer, pictures, videos, audio will be bit by bit uploaded to a service that will testify that each bit received is a true recorded datum. And the sender will be geolocated by satellite, and the transfer times will be logged by atomic clocks so that it will be impossible for data processing to occur on the bit. I should patent it, and the “pure pixel” trademark.

So to fake something you would have to be in the right place within a few meters, and have instantaneous processing power, and know the context of future events so that your fake would make sense. Elon could do this certification in real time via satellites in Leo.

Fakes happen now in retrospect, you take two pictures in different places and times and blend them. And you have context checking. My proposal would break the chain.; 10/17/26, 9:26 PM
Josephbleau said...: “I once considered buying a property that included a beaver dam.”

When I was general manager of a mine in Michigan I had a state license to shoot beavers who were blocking water flow on the property, but I was only allowed to do this with .22 rifle cartridges. Le E’stat Cest Moi.; 10/17/26, 9:37 PM
Peachy+2 said...: Mason G. - excellent.
Spencer Pratt has a future.; 10/17/26, 9:38 PM
Aggie said...: I think the answer will be innovation with blockchain type technology, coupled with the video and audio streams to certify them, providing an instant running provenance.; 10/17/26, 9:43 PM
Peachy+2 said...: I didn't forget; 10/17/26, 9:43 PM
Eva Marie said...: Press Sec
In the running: Anna Kelly and Scott Jennings.
My choice: Spencer Pratt. I thought that was an original idea, but he was a contender in August. Less so now, since he’s untested, and that’s what tripped up Zacharia.
Scott Jennings would be a fabulous choice. I kinda think they have to give it to a guy. It would eliminate the snide question: did they go for ugly this time?; 10/17/26, 9:53 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Marjoe Gortner had the revival tent. Donald Trump has the rally stage. Both know the value of a captive audience, a little theatrical outrage, grand promises and a well-timed collection plate.

One sold salvation. The other sells MAGA. Both understand the oldest rule of the carnival: keep the crowd entertained, and nobody looks too closely behind the curtain.; 10/17/26, 9:55 PM
Josephbleau said...: Hey, all I know is that the new press person had a shirt with a collar tied together and the buttons unbuttoned so you could see a triangle of flesh above the boob. A triangle ok?

What fashion says show an above boob triangle, fire her. Did they?; 10/17/26, 10:00 PM
Eva Marie said...: Trump sold secure borders and he delivered. Look at Europe today and thank MAGA for supporting President Trump.
Vote Republican in November.; 10/17/26, 10:00 PM
Josephbleau said...: IEE, IEE, get some help man.; 10/17/26, 10:03 PM
Original Mike said...: Look at Europe today

But I'm on your side! Chump.; 10/17/26, 10:06 PM
Mason G said...: "But I'm on your side!"

If she was on their side, she wouldn't be complaining about the looting.; 10/17/26, 10:12 PM
Josephbleau said...: Which Side are you on man, which side are you on.; 10/17/26, 10:18 PM
Old and slow said...: 'cutting out the snitch:' Good point moseby; 10/17/26, 10:24 PM
bagoh20 said...: Loved that AWFL telling people not to steal her stuff because she's down with the stealing, just not her stuff.; 10/17/26, 10:28 PM
Mason G said...: "just not her stuff."

Kind of like Democrats and "Nobody is above the law" except- well, us.; 10/17/26, 10:49 PM
Eva Marie said...: It’s fitting that Celine Dion is in France giving a concert. Here is she is on the Larry King Show commenting about the looting in New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in 2005. “Let them touch those things.” I couldn’t believe it at the time and I never forgot it.
comment starts at 2:09
https://youtu.be/QXD4BGvPngM?is=WG9gDiBsN3HW5x89; 10/17/26, 11:21 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I happened to joined in, yesterday afternoon, as Glenn Loury announced a cancer diagnosis via a Substack livestream. Sad.
Some of you may remember him from the times he joined Althouse at BloggingHeads.; 10/18/26, 1:10 AM
wendybar said...: This is their NEW mostly peaceful protests lie.....

Adel Suleiman
@AdelSuleiman
·
6h
You don’t hate the media enough
👎
https://x.com/AdelSuleiman/status/2111620303935705173?s=20; 10/18/26, 2:29 AM
Howard said...: Apparently the translation of the French shopkeeper ululations are slanted to create you're MAGA wet dream, enjoy!!; 10/18/26, 2:29 AM
wendybar said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/18/26, 2:31 AM
wendybar said...: Won't somebody please think about the poor little wheelchair bound terrorist??? Please????
To think THIS is what breaks this assholes heart. Not the 13 people he murdered, and the 22 he gunned down in cold blood shouting "Allah Akbar" at.

Ezydu
@ezradulis
·
Follow
NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill on the execution of Nidal Hasan: "The thing that just keeps breaking my heart: imagine the 20-year-old, maybe the 18-year-old that stepped up to serve, that gets orders and says, you’re going to go shoot this guy who’s in a wheelchair."

https://x.com/ezradulis/status/2111434565709684802?s=20; 10/18/26, 2:35 AM
wendybar said...: And we all know the Apple is ripe for the picking off..... To conquer NYC is a dream to them.....

Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD
@houmanhemmati
·
5h
In case you were wondering what @ZohranKMamdani & others means when they say “Globalize the Intifada,” it’s this 👇

Coming soon to a DSA-run city and state near you.
Quote
Shai Goldman
@shaig
·
13h
Marseille city hall has fallen & they have put up Palestinian flags inside

https://x.com/laralogan/status/2111715834934784484?s=20; 10/18/26, 2:51 AM
wendybar said...: Lee Kuan Yimby
@LeeKuanYimby
·
3h
WAIT. France was hiding their educational resources in the Louis Vuitton store this entire time!
Quote
Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼
@DrewPavlou
·
10h
French rioters loot Louis Vuitton store located just 2 KM away from the Élysée.

https://x.com/LeeKuanYimby/status/2111677546714833007?s=20; 10/18/26, 2:58 AM
wendybar said...: Miranda Devine
@mirandadevine
·
2h
What a piece of work. And this is what the Democrats present as a "moderate"
Quote
The Chicago Thinker
@ThinkerChicago
·
11h
ON UCHICAGO CAMPUS: U.S. Senator from Michigan Elissa Slotkin hopes planned political prosecutions of republican leaders will scare young conservatives from getting involved in politics.

https://x.com/mirandadevine/status/2111696684992381108?s=20; 10/18/26, 3:14 AM
Breezy said...: I can’t even read about France these days. All the fires and unrest are heartbreaking. What’s Macron doing about it? It seems the rioting is completely out of control with no response from him. Do they not have a national guard? At this point, it’s not hard to imagine significant damage being done to the Eiffel Tower.; 10/18/26, 4:31 AM
Jimmy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/18/26, 5:06 AM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/18/26, 6:29 AM
Leland said...: Just a few scuffles in France as protesters march for better conditions in the local high schools. At least that's the sense I got from CBS.; 10/18/26, 6:35 AM
Not an oldster. said...: Vote Democrat in November if ypu want the destabilizing wars t9 end so we dont import more war refugees here...

Maybe destabilizing the world and assasinating/capturing foreign leaders isn't to the benefit of Americans coming up? Vote for your country, boomers. Your heirs wont curse your pro war politics.; 10/18/26, 6:42 AM
Big Mike said...: “Marseille city hall has fallen & they have put up Palestinian flags inside”

They need to send in the French army! Like they did when the Germans invaded in 1940. Oh …; 10/18/26, 6:51 AM
rehajm said...: …it’s definitely more than just rounding up the illegal immigrants in Congress. Think about the Somali equivalent of every major mafia crime family working together with the American hood rats in Congress to raid the US Treasury and trillions in entitlements while traditional media runs cover for them. Oh and you might marry your brother to get him into the county or you might marry your brother to have his kids. Both A-okay…; 10/18/26, 6:59 AM