some anti-data center wackos came up on stage tonight just before I spoke. So I made sure to remind everybody what the fight was all about: Stopping the anti-progress parasitic class of people who have nothing better to do than to complain about the future. I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM!

Gavin Newsom and the California legislature have achieved near total victory over the Trump Administration and Republican Congress on AI policy. My comments to @Reason on how California has positioned itself as "a super regulator for the entire nation" 👉

while you were sleeping, the FCC quietly became the Federal Robotics Commission. Classic case of mission creep.

One of the things I remember most vividly about the DC Tea Party rally of 2009 is ​how Gadsden ("Don't Tread on Me") flags surrounded me everywhere I looked. I ​distinctly remember thinking to myself​ at the time: Now there's a symbol and ​a phrase that still has real meaning and has not been stolen by people who fail to appreciate the plain meaning of it. ​That was refreshing to me because one of the most frustrating things about modern American history is the way the meaning of some ​things have been completely inverted to mean the opposite of what they should. ​For example, the terms "liberal" and "progressive" come to mind because they should (or once did) mean something quite different than they do today. ​Alas, these two terms are now largely synonymous with a belief in Big Government activism and the imposition of a wide variety of restrictions on freedom and progress.  When people ask me how I describe my politics, I always want to say "classical liberal progressive," but I know that no matter who I say that to, they will not understand it properly. These descriptors have been stolen from me and countless other liberty-loving, pro-progress ​A​mericans. And now the most basic symbol and phrase associated with ​f​reedom and a healthy skepticism of authority ​has become a matter of contention. I can't even believe that it​ has happened, but now - - especially in the wake of the recent ICE controversies - - it is clear that the Gadsden flag and rallying cry of "Don't Tread on Me" might be next up on the list of things that could have have their meaning corrupted and become something quite different. I've been watching the debates over the recent Minneapolis killings unfold here on Twitter and it's been remarkable to see ​many people who all love this symbol at odds in the ugliest of ways. The term "shared meaning" gets tossed about in discussions about social cohesion and the stability of societies. Americans have often argued over the meaning of some phrases and symbols (including our nation's flag), but it would seem like there is less shared meaning about some core things recently. That makes me sad and scared for our nation. Nonetheless, I'd like to be so bold as to suggest that the phrase "Don't Tread on Me" and the flag that carries it still has the benefit of plain meaning! I mean, when words and images are as clear as this​ -- and have such a long history of being associated with a healthy skepticism of state power and authorities -- they should be able to retain ​at least some common understanding, no? Alas, many apologists for the aggressive tactics of ICE recently still sport the Gadsden flag in their bios or posts​ and behave as if it is perfectly acceptable to endorse the feds treading all over their political opponents, their lives, and their First and Second Amendment rights. ​ ​Luckily, a growing number of people who share my attitude are pushing back with creative depictions of the Gadsden flag, including some with the snake licking the ​heel of a jack-booted thug​, or changing the phrase to "Just Comply Bro," to reflect the casual attitude of some about what is happening today.  I've pasted some of my ​other favorite examples below. I'm glad to see people standing up and protesting both the aggressive (and now deadly) behavior of some Federal agents in recent months​, and also the implicit effort by some to steal ​away from us the Gadsden flag and its ​plain meaning. "Don't Tread on Me" should still mean something​ in this world. In fact, it should mean exactly what i​t says.

the FAA has delayed important drone innovations for over a decade & given China the global lead in this sector. This is precisely why we cannot repeat the same mistakes with AI & robotics. This is about both geopolitical competition & national security. wsj.com/health/healthcare/dr…

"if the U.S. government turns off the [open-source AI] tap, it will promote a global reliance on Chinese technology from labs regulated by the Chinese Communist Party. It will erode the influence of U.S. firms abroad, and displace U.S.-trained, U.S.-aligned and U.S.-regulated models from the world’s AI systems." 🎯 - from @opensauceAI writing in @TheHillOpinion: