October 2025

Hey all,

I believe that AI poses a real, existential risk to humanity. Companies today are competing against each other to achieve superintelligence which—if pursued using current technology, could kill us all.

That’s why I chose the AI Futures Project as the recipient of my Dann Chronicles charity t-shirt drive.

Humanity has been in this spot before—when nuclear weapons were first developed. Humankind was on the cusp of extinction, but scientists, researchers, and writers banded together to help people understand the true danger of these weapons. And that likely saved humanity.

We’re at that same point again with artificial intelligence. We need researchers and writers to help AI engineers around the world understand that the risks are just as great—if not greater.

That’s why I believe it’s more important than ever to support the people who are trying to push back against this race to superintelligence.

There’s one more week left to get a Dann Chronicles t-shirt. 100% of the proceeds go to the AI Futures Project. Plus, you get a pretty snazzy t-shirt, designed by me without the use of any AI.

I hope you’ll join!

-Dann

🫧 Pop goes the AI bubble

I predict that we’ll see more and more AI pushback in 2026. There’s no doubt we’re currently in an AI bubble, and next year we’ll start to see a refinement of useful use cases and a correction against AI slop.

I really enjoyed The Oatmeal’s contribution to the conversation around AI art. Likewise, I think John Gruber’s disagreement was also compelling. I think my own opinion lies somewhere in the middle.

I don’t think AI-generated art has no place in the world, but I do think it should be quarantined off. It is, and should be, treated as a second-class medium.

In a perfect world, images and videos created by AI would all be properly labeled as such (like the videos created by the new Sora 2). Pretty soon, AI-generated media will be completely indistinguishable from real content, and that’s extremely frightening to me.

And that’s a completely separate issue from the risks superintelligence poses to humanity. I’ve been reading If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares and am convinced AI is as much of an existential threat as nuclear weapons...if not more.

This next decade is going to be both exciting and scary; we’re on the cusp of seismic change. And the risk of it all going wrong is far higher than I’m comfortable with.

🎈 That spooky season

Sometimes it feels like I blink and it’s suddenly Halloween. Other times, the change of season goes slowly, and I really have a chance to bask in the spooky season. This year has been the latter.

Most people of a certain age will have a special fondness for The Blair Witch Project. It was released at a magical time when the Internet was still new and its innovative online marketing strategies—which would be ethically questionable at best in today’s world—were mind-blowing and revolutionary.

Michael C. Williams, one of the actors in The Blair Witch Project, has been posting a daily TikTok video (start here) sharing his behind-the-scenes experience filming the movie. My morning routine this month has included watching these daily updates, and it’s been a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the season. The full story of how that movie was filmed is incredible.

I also re-watched both It and It Chapter Two, along with the two behind-the-scenes featurettes (I & II). For anyone wondering, they hold up smashingly. I read the book It in 2017, in preparation for the first movie, and decided to make my way through the ~45 hour audiobook this year. It’s a marathon tour-de-force performance by Steven Weber and I can’t recommend it enough.

I’m not sure why some years I dive deep into the Halloween spirit and others I don’t, but I’ve been really enjoying reveling in the season this year.

💦 Social Lubricant

There is an art to throwing parties. It’s a skill that takes practice and one that anyone can learn. As the host of occasional social gatherings and networking events, I can attest that you get better over time.

I think the most important thing to remember is that throwing a party is a public service (from 21 Facts About Throwing Good Parties):

Let me repeat that: Parties are a public service—you’re doing people a favor by throwing them. Someone might meet their new best friend or future lover at your gathering. In the short term, lovely people may feel less lonely, and that’s thanks to you. In the long term, whole new children may ultimately exist in the world because you bothered to throw a party. Throwing parties is stressful for most people, but a great kindness to the community, so genuinely pat yourself on the back for doing this.

It’s not easy throwing parties, but it really is about more than just having a good time in the moment.

I really liked that 21 Facts article linked above. It has some solid tips for throwing a good party. For a bit of a deeper dive, I also really enjoyed The 2-Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray.

I think I’m going to make some New Year’s goals around hosting more events. It takes work, and often I’m just not in the mood, but I do recognize that it’s incredibly valuable to everyone involved.

🙈 Out of sight...

Did you know that cell phone screen protectors don’t suck anymore? It’s been decades since I last tried one, and they used to be impossible to apply without tiny bubbles and dust spots. Then, within weeks, the edges would start to peel. It was a good concept but nearly impossible to execute properly.

Now, screen protectors come with precise application systems that remove dust and apply the protector perfectly. After a bit of research, I decided to go with the Belkin ScreenForce InvisiGlass Privacy Screen Protector for my new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Specifically, I wanted side-angle privacy. It works great. I guess I’m a screen protector person now.

Small discoveries like this are a great reminder of how fast technology changes. When you follow product releases closely—like smartphones, computers, or smartwatches—all you see are small incremental changes each year. It’s easy to lose perspective on the broader evolutions.

Last July, I described a similar experience with inflatable air mattresses when I purchased the Exped Duo. It had again been decades since I’d used an air mattress, and my assumption that they all still sucked was completely shattered when I tried this specific product.

Maybe this has less to do with the rate of technological change than it does with simply getting older. The longer you’re alive, the more time everything has to improve. And when there are certain products or categories that aren’t front of mind, those improvements can feel miraculous.

🥾 Creative writing journeys

The creative process is a magical thing, and I always appreciate catching glances of the evolution of my favorite films and TV shows.

Last month, I mentioned my love of the movie Beau Is Afraid. It turns out there’s an early script of the film floating around online, and a good portion of the story is radically different from what’s in the theatrical release. By all accounts, the film version is superior to this early draft, but it’s fascinating to see the threads that would eventually become this complex film.

Likewise, the first draft of Being John Malkovich, available on Charlie Kaufman’s website, has a completely different ending than the film. In it, Malkovich doesn’t become a puppeteer but is instead Craig’s puppet and battles a large puppet of Harry S. Truman in the climax of the story.

Both Beau Is Afraid and Being John Malkovich are cerebral films that are so good they make me angry. Seeing these earlier drafts, and getting peeks at the creative process, always makes me feel better about my own work. No, these ideas didn’t just materialize fully formed—it’s a journey getting to the final version.

End note

If you’ve enjoyed this, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.

I send these newsletters once per month, and I’m happy you’re along for the ride. I’m trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can just reply to this email.

Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.

Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Dann