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Independent researcher/writer based in Hong Kong since 1997. Reformed academic. My long-form, analytical articles are collected here https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/ email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
Data accumulation and capital accumulation have led to the same outcome: growing inequality and the consolidation of monopoly corporate power.
But as the autonomization of capital that crowds out non-financial investments has a detrimental effect on productive sectors, so does the proliferation of AI content online. Researchers have pointed out that generating data out of synthetic data leads to dangerous distortions. Training large language models on their own output doesn’t work and may lead to ‘model collapse’, a degenerative process whereby, over time, models forget the true underlying data distribution, start hallucinating and producing nonsense.
Without a constant input of good quality data produced by humans, these language models cannot improve. The question is, who is going to feed well-written, factually correct, AI-free texts when an increasing number of people are offloading cognitive effort to artificial intelligence, and there is mounting evidence that human intelligence is declining?
I have a bridge to sell you. Let's establish an investment fund.
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A new road bridge will connect Russia and the DPRK across the Tumen River in the Primorsky Territory. Today North Korea and Russia are holding a ceremony to launch the construction of the bridge. Currently, North Korea and Russia have only one railway bridge but as the two nations are deepening their cooperation, a road link becomes vital. "The significance goes far beyond just an engineering task," Mishustin was quoted as saying. "It symbolises our common desire to strengthen friendly, good-neighbourly relations and increase inter-regional cooperation."
The new road bridge, which has been under discussion for years, will be 850 metres long and link up with the Russian highway system. Its construction was agreed during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in 2024.
Russia's Kommersant newspaper said the bridge will be ready by the summer of 2026.
Mishustin said the bridge "will allow entrepreneurs to significantly increase transportation volumes and reduce transportation costs, ensure reliable and stable supplies of various products, which will contribute to the expansion of trade and economic cooperation," TASS reported.
@LauraRuHK
In August 1945 the Red Army liberated Pyongyang. Nearly 80 years later, North Korean soldiers helped their Russian brothers liberate the Kursk region.
Watch them in action 👉 /channel/tassagency_en/51143
The distinction between the consumer and the producer of information vanishes once their activity becomes data. To be online is to both consume and produce data, that is value. Users generate data through interactions which platforms monetize. This unpaid ‘labour’ is comparable to Marx’s labour power, as users produce value (data).▪️AI algorithms, cloud infrastructure, and digital platforms are the new means of production, and they are concentrated in very few hands.
Data extraction and collection is driven by the dictates of capital accumulation, which in turn drives capital to construct and rely upon a universe where everything is reduced to data. Since the data which is fed into machines has undergone a preliminary abstraction process, there is nothing to stop this data from being outcomes of previous cycles of artificial production of information through data. Data generate data that generate data and so on. Like interest-bearing capital, 'a mysterious and self-creating source of its own increase … self-valorising value, money-breeding money’, as Marx describes the process of financialization that autonomizes capital from its own support.
▪️Data accumulation and capital accumulation have led to the same outcome: growing inequality and the consolidation of monopoly corporate power.
But as the autonomization of capital that crowds out non-financial investments has a detrimental effect on productive sectors, so does the proliferation of AI content online. Several researchers have pointed out that generating data out of synthetic data leads to dangerous distortions. Training large language models on their own output doesn’t work and may lead to ‘model collapse’, a degenerative process whereby, over time, models forget the true underlying data distribution, start hallucinating and producing nonsense.3
Without a constant input of good quality data produced by humans, these language models cannot improve. ▪️The question is, who is going to feed well-written, factually correct, AI-free texts when an increasing number of people are offloading cognitive effort to artificial intelligence, and there is mounting evidence that human intelligence is declining?
A terrorist attack kills the Deputy Chief of the General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate, Yaroslav Moskalik, just when Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in Moscow for negotiations with Vladimir Putin. I can think of a country that would stop at nothing in order to derail these negotiations and works closely with Ukrainian terrorists.
According to Baza Telegram channel, the last owner of the car that exploded in Balashikha, near Moscow, is Ignat Kuzin, a native of Sumy, in Ukraine.
He bought the Volkswagen Golf in early February 2025 from the previous owner. @LauraRuHK
September 2024, thousands of handheld pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously in two separate events across Lebanon and Syria killing dozens of innocent civilians and injuring thousands more in markets, schools, hospitals... A few weeks later Netanyahu admitted Israel's responsibility. Now the genocidal entity is honoring the Mossad operatives behind these terrorist attacks. Makes sense. The Zionist entity has been a terrorist state since its inception. @LauraRuHK
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I am occasionally impressed by my compatriots' knack for creative accounting. The Italian government intends to reclassify as "military" existing civilian infrastructure and expenditure to reach NATO's defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP. However, Rome may still have to buy some new American weapons systems to appease Washington. The push for rearmament in Europe is hugely unpopular in Italy. @LauraRuHK 👉https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-harbors-private-doubts-over-hitting-2-percent-nato-limit/
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CUI PRODEST? In Kashmir a terrorist attack killed 26 people and injured 19 more. An obscure "rent-a-terrorist" group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack at the tourist resort of Pahalgam. India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, cut short a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia (India and Saudia Arabia are BRCS members) and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning to hold an urgent meeting with his national security adviser, the foreign minister and other senior officials.
India is currently hosting US Vice President JD Vance, who arrived on Monday and is scheduled to leave on Thursday. This attack risks triggering sectarian violence in the region, which could further complicate relations between India and Muslim countries. @LauraRuHK
🇺🇸🇨🇳Martedì Donald Trump ha cominciato a fare un passo indietro e a moderare i toni, affermando che i dazi sulle merci cinesi “non rimarranno al 145%” e che “scenderanno sostanzialmente, ma non saranno pari a zero”. Il Segretario al Tesoro americano Scott Bessent, dal canto suo, ha sottolineato che la guerra commerciale è “insostenibile” e che gli Stati Uniti hanno bisogno di una “de-escalation”. Non appena la Casa Bianca ha accennato ad un ammorbidimento della sua posizione sui dazi, i titoli di Wall Street hanno fatto un balzo.
È chiaro che prima o poi l'amministrazione Trump cederà sotto la pressione - quando i segnali di deterioramento dell'economia statunitense diventeranno impossibili da ignorare. La Cina da parte sua non mostra alcuna fretta o intenzione di concludere un accordo in tempi brevi. L'umore prevalente sembra essere “lasciamo che Washington maceri nel suo brodo e si renda conto dei suoi errori”.
@LauraRuHK
I'd better go back to the jewellery store and get my ring.😉 JP Morgan sees gold prices crossing the $4,000 per ounce milestone next year, following increased recession probabilities amid boosted U.S. tariffs and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war.
The bank now expects gold prices to reach an average of $3,675/oz by 4Q25, on the way towards above $4,000/oz by 2Q26, with risks skewed towards an earlier overshoot of these forecasts if demand surpasses its expectations.
"Underpinning our forecast for gold prices heading towards $4,000/oz next year is continued strong investor and central bank gold demand averaging around 710 tonnes a quarter on net this year," the bank noted.
Spot gold, which has gained 29% and hit 28 record highs this year, touched the $3,500 per ounce milestone for the first time on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters) @LauraRuHK
The EU and the UK are gearing up to impose a naval blockade on Russia, Nikolay Patrushev, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has said. He warned that Moscow has a fleet powerful enough to respond to any such move.
In an interview published on Monday by Kommersant, Patrushev, who chairs Russia’s Maritime Board, a body which oversees national policy in this domain, stated that Moscow is facing escalating threats and challenges at sea amid growing geopolitical tensions.
“The collective West no longer hides its intentions to expel our shipping from the seas, while sanctions plans mulled, for example, by the British and some EU members increasingly resemble a maritime blockade,” he said.
Patrushev warned that these steps would “meet an adequate and proportionate response” from Moscow. “If diplomatic or legal instruments do not take effect, the security of Russian shipping will be ensured by our navy. The hotheads in London or Brussels need to clearly understand this,” he said. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Buona Pasqua! Счастливой Пасхи! Happy Easter to all those who celebrate. Thank you for reaching out to me. I am neither on holiday nor incapacitated. I haven't updated the channel because i am busy writing a long article that requires all my concentration and mental energy — at the best of times these are scarce resources. Even more so when i have to prepare for my next trip to Russia.
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The Militarisation of European Consciousness: An ‘Enemy at the Gates’ as a Way to Unite Society
On April 15, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “The Radicalisation of European Society as a Response to Global Challenges”.
Anton Bespalov, the moderator of the discussion, noted that in the countries of not only the Global South, but also the Global North, the question of what Europe really wants regularly arises. What is the reason for the irreconcilable position of European elites at the national and supranational levels on the Ukrainian crisis, which is becoming increasingly radical against the backdrop of the crisis in the European economy and the weakening of transatlantic ties? Could it be that there is no “mysterious European soul”, and remilitarisation is only a way to overcome the crisis and increase social cohesion?
“Just recently, Europe celebrated the ‘end of history’ and claimed the laurels of a world symbol of economic prosperity, humanism and democracy,” said Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at the Russian Foreign Ministry. – Today, even the most convinced Eurocentrists recognise the critical processes in the European community and the existence of systemic internal socio-economic problems.” Moreover, these problems are largely caused by the European Union’s move to curtail trade and economic relations with Russia. The policy of sanctions pressure and refusal to make use of Russian energy resources and other goods has hit the European economy, contributing to the deindustrialisation of Europe. Critical phenomena in the economy have led to an exacerbation of social contradictions.
Anatol Lieven, Senior Researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration (United Kingdom), pointed out the deep gap between the rhetoric of European elites and their plans. Statements about a “state of war with Russia” have become commonplace, but at the same time, society is clearly not ready for collective sacrifices. If peace in Ukraine can be achieved, a significant part of this radical impulse will disappear. The idea of reindustrialising Europe through defence spending has come to the fore. The strategy of the current Western European elite will be based on attempts to unite the population using a military spending programme, mobilisation and the fight against the opposition put forward by Russian agents. Thus, the tectonic shift in European politics, although partly caused by the conflict in Ukraine, is primarily generated by changes in the economy. Ultimately, according to Lieven, some kind of compromise with Russia will be inevitable.
Alexander Kamkin, Senior Researcher at the Sector for Analysis of Political Change and Identity at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations outlined the situation in Germany. He identified the following key trends: remilitarisation, both material and mental, the search for a proper place in the foreign policy sphere, the adoption of a new migration picture, and the “Russian question”, which has become the main one in political discourse. According to Kamkin, a paradox has emerged in German politics: the most radical Russophobes and militarists are now not Alternative for Germany, but parties that were previously considered pacifist and moderate. At present, the course towards radicalisation and the remilitarisation of consciousness is actually being pursued by the ruling coalition. https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-militarisation-of-european-consciousness-an-enemy-at-the-gates/
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova sees the European Union's threat to reject Serbia’s bid to join the union if the country’s leader Aleksandar Vucic comes to the Victory Day Parade in Moscow as "Euronazism."
"If this is the case, then Euronazism is being revived before our eyes," she said. "80 years ago, this is how the fascists forced those who were considered ‘second-class citizens’ to abandon their homeland, ethnicity, and faith."
"The theatre of the absurd. For more than a decade now, these two words have characterized most of the events, steps, and statements that we hear and see from the so-called collective West and all those who pledge loyalty to it,"
"You said Zelensky stated that he was ready or could invite representatives of the European Union countries or heads of the European Union countries to Kiev for the event, probably on May 8, yes, they will celebrate, not on the 9th, or what?
After all, earlier he said that it was precisely on the 8th that Memorial Day should be marked in solidarity with the countries of the European Union. Am I wrong? After all, this very regime, this very Zelensky, was sailing full speed away from May 9, rejecting it, marginalizing this sacred date, inventing narratives associated with how it should be celebrated in Europe—what they call Western Europe. And he was sailing with all sails set in the direction of May 8."
EU hypocrisy - Brussels decries Washington's protectionism, while mirroring it against China
The EU’s protectionist measures against China include tariffs, anti-dumping duties, FDI screening, de-risking initiatives, carbon taxes, export restrictions, and investigations into Chinese firms. Now add to this long list a longer than usual wait to obtain safety certification.
As China continues to promote its home-grown C919 passenger plane to overseas markets, it could take longer than expected for the aircraft to receive endorsement from the European Union’s safety regulator. Florian Guillermet, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), said certification for the narrowbody C919 – essential for the sale of any aircraft to European carriers – will not be granted this year.
“As we informed them officially, the C919 cannot be certified in 2025 … We should be certifying the C919 within three to six years,” Guillermet said. While a three-year wait in Europe is normal, six years would be unusually long, said Eric Lin, head of Greater China research at investment bank UBS. Following its first commercial flight in May 2023, the Chinese plane has been in regular use on several domestic flight paths, transporting over 1 million passengers as of January 2025. @LauraRuHK 👉 https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3308546/chinas-c919-stuck-tarmac-europe-certification-timeline-extended?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
Italian regulators kowtow to Washington and order Pirelli to sideline its main investor - Pirelli took a first step to distance itself from China's Sinochem, declaring on Monday that it no longer has control over the Italian tyremaker.
The company downgraded the governance status of the Chinese conglomerate following a request from Italian regulators. The board clashed over the decision, with five of the company's Chinese directors opposing it and one abstaining. The board comprises 15 members. (Source: Bloomberg) @LauraRuHK
I am pleased to see that my latest article on the impact of AI content on producers and consumers of information has generated a very interesting and 'organic' debate on Substack. Of course, I didn't start to grapple with questions of ontological confusion when generative AI tools became widely available. My concerns started long before their introduction and before the first social media platforms were launched. For instance, in 2000 I realized a project that for lack of a better term I called an act of semiological guerrilla. https://lauraruggeri.blogspot.com/2008/06/2000-singen-welches-hier-da-und-dort.html
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AI evangelists’ claim that artificial intelligence will act as a transformative, almost divine force to solve humanity’s problems ushering in an era of prosperity and transcendence. In fact, if the current trajectory is any indication of future developments, AI is more likely to entrench a hyper-capitalist dystopia, rather than build a post-capitalist utopia.
▪️In my latest article i explored the complex interplay of audience dynamics, economic and cultural factors that incentivizes both the rise of AI plagiarism and the social influencer industry, its impact on traditional media, the erosion of trust and the need for transparency and regulation. Walter Benjamin and Karl Marx were my copilots 😉 https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/the-ghost-in-the-machine-artificial
Vladimir Putin would not be at risk of being arrested in Italy under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, as officials never completed the procedures required to make it valid. The failure to file the necessary paperwork is not likely to have been the result of an oversight or a coincidence, La Repubblica reported, suggesting instead a “political choice.”
The decision reflects the Italian government’s position that heads of state and government are protected from prosecution. Diplomatic immunity does not apply to the other Russian officials mentioned in the ICC warrants. Nevertheless, neither the Russian president nor other officials and commanders are likely to travel to Italy, as some are subject to personal EU sanctions. Despite this, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova is set to travel to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, according to the Kremlin. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Sul Corriere della Sera il sud-est dell'Ucraina diventa "sud-est asiatico". Meraviglie dell'Intelligenza Artificiale o della deficienza umana? @LauraRuHK
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This article is for dreamers and pragmatists. /channel/italiabrics/813
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Officials from the US, Europe, and Ukraine were unable to hold a meeting in London to discuss the Ukraine issue because they had failed to bring their positions closer, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.
"As far as we understand, they have been unable to align their positions on some issues, which is why the meeting did not take place," he noted.
Peskov also pointed out that the London meeting was supposed to give the US "an opportunity to continue its mediation efforts."
According to the Daily Telegraph, the US planned to present a seven-point settlement plan at the London meeting, which included Washington’s recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea. However, Vladimir Zelensky rejected the option on Tuesday, after which, according to the New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called off his trip to the UK. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
On Tuesday, Donald Trump dialed back his rhetoric, stating that tariffs on Chinese goods “will not be as high as 145 per cent” and that “they’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”. While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trade war is "unsustainable" and the US needs a "de-escalation". As soon as The White House hinted at softening its stance on tariffs against China Wall Street stocks jumped.
It's clear that sooner or later the Trump administration will cave under pressure as signs of a deterioration in the US economy become impossible to dismiss. China, on the other hand, is showing no urgency and no intention to rush into a deal anytime soon. 'Let Washington come to its senses' seems to be the prevalent mood. @LauraRuHK
What a difference a day makes. With my birthday coming up, last night i took a picture of this ring. Today i walked into the jewellery store...and then walked out. Without the ring. 😅
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Today is Tin Hau festival and local fishermen are having a blast: dragon boat races, lion dances, music, copious amounts of food and beer, Cantonese opera...
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The US will seek to force the EU to choose between the US and China on trade, according to briefings circulated to senior ministers and officials.
The overall US strategy is to decouple from China, and any country wishing to have a trade deal with the US will also have to distance itself from Beijing. ▪️The Europeans have already experienced deep economic trauma because of cutting off Russia. They cannot imagine cutting off China. Expect more strong arm tactics. ▪️In 2023 the Biden administration, during Von der Leyen's visit to Washington, had tried to cajole the EU into linking arms to confront China. Right on cue the European Commission initiated its "anti-subsidy investigation" into Chinese electric vehicles at the end of 2023 and introduced tariffs in July 2024. The US had also persuaded European policy makers to apply export restrictions to the high tech sector. For example, ASML, a Dutch maker of semiconductor production equipment, was forced to suspend the export to China of EUV lithography machines. The EU is also developing a bloc-wide export control system to limit technology transfers to China, especially in high-tech sectors like semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing, which makes little sense considering EU countries lag behind China in these fields. @LauraRuHK
The 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, celebrated on May 9, 2025, in Moscow, has several confirmed heads of state attending, according to recent reports.
Robert Fico, Slovakia
Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine
Xi Jinping, China
Narendra Modi, India
Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus
Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia
Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan
Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba
Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska
Tô Lâm, Vietnam
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso
Sadir Japarov, Kyrgyzstan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan
Smoke and mirrors - I asked Grok two questions "How many X accounts are bots?" and "How much of non-bots content is AI-generated?"
Obviously this state of affair is not limited to X/Twitter. Bots and AI-generated content have flooded all social media platforms, follower counts are artificially inflated, while real users are increasingly frustrated and disillusioned. And i am not even talking about censorship and shadow-bans, as i have already done so ad nauseam. Bots and undeclared AI undermine real engagement drowning out original content. Algorithms amplify these trends.
Several authors i respect and whose content always provide intellectual stimulation have left social media platforms and erased their profiles to concentrate on their writing and real life interactions. Though I haven't followed their example yet, I now limit the time I spend online to a bare minimum and dedicate myself to healthier and more rewarding pursuits than feeding the Moloch. @LauraRuHK