Jamie Bartlett

1 week ago | jamiejbartlett.substack.com | Jamie Bartlett

Could it really be possible? That the most consequential trade policy of the last 100 years was in fact concocted by a large language model? It seems impossible – absurd!Or maybe not. As a quick reminder, last week Donald Trump announced swingeing import tariffs on almost everyone. The aim, he said, was to redress trade imbalances – and they were ‘reciprocal tariffs’. (Although with a Trump discount of 50 per cent, because Trump’s a good guy). You will remember his chart.

3 weeks ago | jamiejbartlett.substack.com | Jamie Bartlett

The most fascinating new cat-and-mouse game in our AI drenched society is not between cyber-criminals and the police; it’s between students and teachers. The former are using ChatGPT to co-author their essays, of course. And the latter are trying to figure out how to spot them doing it. It’s not just the students. A recent survey found around half of job applicants are using AI to craft their CVs. The predictable consequence?

3 weeks ago | jamiejbartlett.substack.com | Jamie Bartlett

I don’t have the best memory in the world. But I can still name (in order) the ‘hardest’ boys in my year at comprehensive secondary school in the 1990s. Not that you would care:1. Dave W. =2. Lennie W=2. Ronnie O4. Nicky M. And so on. Sad, isn’t it? Sad that I can remember. Doubly sad, that how ‘hard’ you were at school was such an important marker of social status. If you went to a normal comprehensive school, from a normal UK anywhere town, I reckon there’s a decent chance you could do the same.

1 month ago | jamiejbartlett.substack.com | Jamie Bartlett

I am extremely confused. Baffled, even! The Labour government – no stranger to the occasional gaffe – has scored another completely unnecessary own goal. And not just a normal own goal, like an unfortunate deflection. Kier Starmer dribbled past his own Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in goal, before slotting home. 0-1. I’m referring to the decision by Number 10 to decide not to support a mobile phone ban in schools as part of its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

1 month ago | jamiejbartlett.substack.com | Jamie Bartlett

I hope you don’t mind. I’m going to divert from technology for a moment. Because every now and again I have a thought that I’m compelled to share, since I think it might be useful to some of you. I used to post these brainwaves on Twitter, but…Anyway, the subject is feedback. Every writer knows this is one of the most important – and helpful – phases of writing anything. From a 500 word blog to a 100,000 word book, nothing isn’t improved by sharing and asking for advice.