Arizona Fentanyl Bust Targets Mexican Cartels

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Arizona Fentanyl Bust Targets Mexican Cartels

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, partnering with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and Tempe Police Department, announced the results of a three-year long investigation targeting the Mexican Sinaloa and CJNG cartels’ operations in Arizona.

Agents seized enough drugs to kill over 40 million people, more than five times Arizona’s population. They also charged more than 150 people, seized 49 weapons and $2 million in cash.

“DEA Arizona is laser focused on the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. We will not stop,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz said. “This investigation is a testament to our strong partnerships, which enable us to gain the necessary advantage over these evil criminal networks.”

The cartels “continue to drive addiction and drug poisonings in communities nationwide, threatening the safety and health of Americans,” the DEA said. “The Sinaloa Cartel is responsible for nearly all deadly narcotics flooding into Arizona.”

Investigators seized over 4.5 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and 66 kilograms of fentanyl powder.

“The fentanyl seized represents more than 30 million potentially lethal doses,” the DEA said. Two milligrams is considered a lethal dose.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our country and most of the fentanyl is trafficked by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels who mass-produce the drug in secret laboratories in Mexico with chemicals sourced largely by China,” the DEA said. “The criminal cartels are mass producing fake pills to look like prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall. They are also hiding fentanyl in other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Any illicit fentanyl, regardless of color, shape, or size, is dangerous and can be deadly.”

The operation also led to the seizure of 138 kilograms of cocaine, 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine and 35 kilograms of heroin, the DEA said.

According to AddictionResources.net, a lethal dose of cocaine is over 30 mg; a lethal dose of methamphetamine is an estimated 200 milligrams; a lethal dose of heroin is an estimated range of 30 mg to 500 mg, or 0.03 to 0.5 g. Based on these estimates and the seizure amounts, law enforcement officers seized enough lethal doses of cocaine to kill 4.6 million people, enough heroin to kill between 70,000 and 1.1 million people, and enough methamphetamine to kill 7 million people.

Last year, DEA-Arizona agents seized more than $22 million worth of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and 500 kilograms of fentanyl powder, over 10,000 pounds of methamphetamine, over 1,400 kilograms of cocaine and over 400 pounds of heroin, enough to kill at least 50 million people.

“There are few families in our state and across our country that haven’t been touched in some way by the scourge of the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis,” Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes said. “Getting these drugs off the street will undoubtedly save lives.”

Earlier this month, 21 attorneys general called on President Joe Biden to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Mayes didn’t join them. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who did, also led a coalition of 18 AGs last year calling on Biden to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.

Moody argues, “the Biden administration has only emboldened the cartels to commit even more crimes on both sides of the border,” citing a story published by The Center Square, about a recent “cartel-style execution [that] occurred in California that reportedly involved a Mexican drug cartel.”

The DEA and Moody were among the first to launch a “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, including a DEA emoji code that explains how digital drug dealers are using social media to target and sell illicit drugs to minors.

Liz Cheney to Join U.Va. Faculty as She Mulls 2024 Bid

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Liz Cheney to Join U.Va. Faculty as She Mulls 2024 Bid

(Headline USA) Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., will join the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics as a professor of practice, the school announced Wednesday.

The Trump critic was recently ousted by voters during the 2022 midterms, but will now teach students on “finding lasting solutions that not only preserve, but strengthen our democracy,” according to the press release from CFP Communications Director Kyle Kondik.

“Preserving our constitutional republic is the most important work of our time, and our nation’s young people will play a crucial role in this effort,” Cheney said in a statement. “I look forward to working with students and colleagues at the center to advance the important work they and others at the University of Virginia are doing to improve the health of democracy here and around the world.”

Whitt Clement, a rector of the university’s Board of Visitors who was first appointed by former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2015, called Cheney a “model of leadership.”

“Liz Cheney, a strong conservative who never hesitates to put honesty ahead of all other considerations, is a model of leadership not just for the students at the University of Virginia, but for all people concerned for the well-being of this country,” he said.

U.Va. President Jim Ryan also praised Cheney for “fiercely [defending] democracy as part of a distinguished career.”

Tim Heaphy, the school’s former general counsel and a close associate of Ryan’s, also served as the lead investigator for the House Jan. 6 committee—on which Cheney was one of only two non-Democrats.

Heaphy ultimately was dismissed from his U.Va. job in 2021 by newly elected Republican state Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Kondik told Headline USA that the center formed ties with Cheney during a Jan. 6 anniversary event that it hosted in 2022.

U.Va. Prof. Larry Sabato, a well known political pundit and prognosticator, founded the Center for Politics and continues to be its director, although he no longer oversees its day-to-day operations.

The new gig comes as Cheney is reportedly weighing a 2024 presidential bid. Last September, she hinted that she would be willing to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he is not the nominee,” she said at the time. “And if he is the nominee, I won’t be a Republican.”

Cheney also reportedly plans to launch a new anti-Trump organization.

“In coming weeks, Liz will be launching an organization to educate the American people about the ongoing threat to our Republic, and to mobilize a unified effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for president,” Cheney spokesperson Jeremy Adler said.

Zero Students in Twin Cities Public Schools Are Proficient in Math

Molly Bruns
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Zero Students in Twin Cities Public Schools Are Proficient in Math

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A recent report revealed that at least 10 schools throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul Public School Districts have zero students who tested as proficient in math during the 2021-2022 school year.

Throughout 19 different school districts in the state, there are no proficient math students according to standardized testing results. Several elementary schools in the Minneapolis and St. Paul districts do not have any students meeting grade level expectations, the Daily Caller reported.

“As of the start of the 2022 school year, fewer than half of Minnesota students statewide are proficient in math (44.6 percent), and just under 50 percent can’t read at grade level,” the report from the Center of the American Experiment reads. “On national assessments, Minnesota reading and math scores are the lowest they have been in 30 years.”

Of the schools included in the report, six were traditional public schools, two were online public schools, and 11 were public charter schools. One of the public schools was also lacking in students proficient in reading, the Daily Caller reported.

The COVID lockdowns are taking the lion’s share of blame for the historic learning loss, but some are also blaming the record low numbers on student’s declining mental health.

“When I think about kids in mental health, I think of it as the great problem, the problem that needs to be solved before we can really address anything else,” said Damion Smith, who works as a school psychologist in the state. “Kids going through mental health crisis are unable to learn.”

The CAE report points out that scores were in decline long before the pandemic.

“Defenders of the current system will likely point to COVID as the driving reason, and while school closures certainly exacerbated learning loss, poor and declining student achievement showed itself way before the pandemic,” the report reads.

Test scores are in decline across the nation, with every state seeing massive drops in math and reading scores throughout all grades levels.

Chris Christie Says Trump to Be Indicted before Debates Begin

Ezekiel Loseke
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Chris Christie Says Trump to Be Indicted before Debates Begin

(Ezekiel Loseke, Headline USA) Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey and former ally of President Trump, said Trump would probably be indicted before the 2024 Presidential debates.

Christie gave his thoughts on different possible scenarios, according to Breitbart News.

“I think in terms of the likelihood of indictment, I’d put New York first, the Special Counsel second, Georgia third,” he said on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show on Wednesday. “I think the most likely place it will happen is New York. And I think it’s the least harmful matter to him,” he said.

“I think that Letitia James has made it clear that she’s a political prosecutor, and that’s what she wants to do, and that she promised during the campaign, that she was going to go get Donald Trump. I think she probably will.”

Christie twice stated that James’s case is weak, and that it wouldn’t do much harm to Trump. The more troublesome case comes from the special counsel hunting Trump, Christie said.

Christie said that he expected the special counsel would probably act against President Trump by July. If that’s the case, Hewitt asked Christie to expound upon the complications of the indictments upon the elections.

“Can someone run for office and do debates and give interviews when they’re under indictment and not make their situation worse?” Hewitt asked.

“No, I think it’s impossible for them not to make the situation worse,” Christie said.

“I don’t know that he’d make his situation markedly worse,” he said. “But every time you open your mouth, as you know in this kind of situation, you run the real risk of it adding complications to a case where you could lose your liberty.”

Crispi: Casino Tycoon Steve Wynn’s Gamble on Communist China Cost Him Everything

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Crispi: Casino Tycoon Steve Wynn’s Gamble on Communist China Cost Him Everything

(Mike Crispi, Headline USA contributor) The Chinese Communist Party is known for exerting its influence overseas through corporations, law firms and private individuals who fall within its realm of control.

China’s tactics are often covert, heavy-handed and malicious in practice. Too often these tactics succeed.

The recent allegations against casino tycoon and Trump associate Steve Wynn, in which he is accused of acting as a Chinese agent and lobbying on behalf of China, highlight the complex intersection of business interests and political power.

The Department of Justice’s request that Wynn register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act—and their assertion that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect his business interests in China—raise important questions about the relationship between US corporations and foreign governments.

Wynn’s alleged lobbying efforts on behalf of China, which included conveying a request to the White House to remove a renowned Chinese freedom fighter, Miles Guo, seeking political asylum in the U.S., are troubling.

The fact that Wynn was identified by Beijing as someone who could provide access to White House officials is cause for concern, as it suggests that foreign governments may be able to use U.S. corporations to influence American politics.

The fact that Wynn reportedly hand-delivered the letter from the Chinese government to the president is also cause for concern. This suggests that foreign governments may be able to use American corporations and their connections to political leaders to influence American politics.

Wynn’s involvement in this episode is particularly concerning given his extensive business interests in Macau, a special administrative region of China that has become a hub for gambling and tourism.

In 2016, Macau properties accounted for more than 60% of the Wynn casino’s net revenues, according to the company. This raises the possibility that Wynn’s business interests in Macau may have influenced his decision to get involved in this diplomatic matter, and to lobby on behalf of the Chinese government.

In fact, that’s the conclusion that the DOJ arrived at. The leverage that the CCP had over Wynn revolved around revoking his casino licenses in Macau. Wynn chose to side with the corrupt and connicing communist regime in Beijing, and it cost him everything.

Wynn is not alone in being targeted by the CCP’s efforts to manipulate American businessmen. In recent years, the Chinese government has used a range of tactics to co-opt influential individuals in the U.S. to advance its interests, including offering business deals, cultivating personal relationships, and leveraging economic leverage.

This is not just a matter of concern for U.S.-China relations, but for the integrity of the U.S. political system as a whole. The fact that a prominent businessman like Wynn may have been influenced by the Chinese government to lobby the U.S. president on its behalf is a stark reminder that foreign powers will not hesitate to exploit the vulnerabilities of American democracy for their own gain.

The purpose behind these CCP inflitrations is equally important as well. The CCP fears freedom fighters like Miles Guo, and is looking for any opportunity to silence him.

Guo’s effective use of social and traditional media, has CCP officials running scared. Their efforts to return him to Beijing cannot be allowed to succeed, and must be called out and identified.

Our nation has a duty to protect Chinese dissidents looking to voice their concerns with the socialist state they fled from. The CCP will stop at nothing to silence Guo, and it’s up to freedom loving Americans to make sure that they don’t succeed.

Mike Crispi is an experienced television reporter, talk show host and Northeast political operative. Known for his energy, humor and authenticity, he first gained notoriety covering live rallies and grassroots events with Right Side Broadcasting Network to millions of viewers. He has interviewed the biggest names in conservative politics while also providing ground-breaking analysis on key stories well before it hit the mainstream. Crispi currently hosts one of the most popular daily conservative podcasts in the nation, “Mike Crispi Unafraid” which is syndicated on The Salem Podcast Network, Salem News Channel, LFA TV and Lindell TV. 

Editor’s Note: The above piece is an opinion piece. Although Headline USA does curate and edit such pieces for style purposes, the views expressed in it do not necessarily represent those of the publication. Headline USA did not receive nor furnish any compensation for the submission. 

NYC Agrees to Multimillion-Dollar Settlement w/ BLM Activists

Molly Bruns
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NYC Agrees to Multimillion-Dollar Settlement w/ BLM Activists

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) New York City officials agreed to pay at least $20,000 to individual protestors who participated in the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots in the Bronx, claiming police beat them, doused them with pepper spray and violated their right to protest.

Over 300 protestors detained after a June protest in the Mott Haven neighborhood will receive compensation from the city, making the total cost of the settlement at least $7 million.

The lawsuit claimed protesters faced arrest and charges “without probable cause and subjected… to excessive force, as part of a planned police action involving some of the most senior members of the NYPD.”

According to the Daily Caller, police contained protestors using a tactic called “kettling,” which involves containing people in small confinements and not allowing them to leave.

The suit claims that police restrained the 320 protestors with zip ties, whacked with batons and sprayed with pepper spray.

“The Mott Haven protest really shocked the conscience when it happened. These protesters were kettled. Then the police moved in with extreme brutality that was totally uncalled for and unnecessary,” Ali Frick, acting attorney for the protestors, said.

One of the protestors, Henry Wood, said the settlement was a relief but his trauma would never totally heal.

“The violence unleashed upon us that night was intentional, unwarranted and will be with me for the rest of my life,” Wood said. “What the NYPD did, aided by the political powers of New York City, was an extreme abuse of power.”

Former Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, defended the police at the time, arguing that the protesters were in violation of curfew and and ransacking the Bronx neighborhood.

“There comes a point where enough is enough,” he said.

The NYPD released a statement calling the event a “challenging moment,” and announced changes in departmental policy for handling large demonstrations.

BREAKING: Biden-Backed Neo-Nazi Terrorists May Have Attacked Russia

Ken Silva
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BREAKING: Biden-Backed Neo-Nazi Terrorists May Have Attacked Russia

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Terrorists claiming to work for the Biden administration-backed Ukrainian forces crossed into Russia early Thursday and attacked civilians in the city of Bryansk, according to reports that labeled the incursion a “suicide mission.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened his security council to respond to the attack, while others, including officials from the Ukrainian government, claimed that it was a false-flag attack perpetrated by the Russians. The attack reportedly killed at least two Russians.

Russia scholar Clint Ehrlich, a visiting researcher at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said on Twitter that early evidence clearly pointed to the attack having been perpetrated by Ukraine.

Ehrlich pointed out that one of the attackers has been identified as Denis Nikitin, a prominent Russian-born neo-Nazi fighting for Ukraine.

According to Ehrlich, there are photos of Nikitin wearing the exact same uniform as one of the individuals who attacked Russia.

“Even many Ukrainian accounts now admit this is NOT a false flag,” he said. “It is 100% an authentic attack, orchestrated by Ukraine.”

If the attack was indeed committed by Ukrainian forces, it would mark the second known Biden-backed offensive against Russian since Putin invaded Ukraine last year.

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh last month presented evidence that he said confirmed Biden administration’s role in a September 2022 ecoterrorist attack on Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Thursday’s attack also fueled questions about the extent to which the Biden administration was backing neo-Nazi terrorists in Ukraine. While Democrat-friendly media outlets dismiss these claims as Russian propaganda, the role neo-Nazis play in Ukrainian politics is well documented.

Even the Biden administration’s own Homeland Security Department warned last May that white supremacists in the U.S. were joining the neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine.

“Ukrainian nationalist groups including the Azov Movement are actively recruiting racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist-white supremacists to join various neo-Nazi volunteer battalions in the war against Russia,” the DHS bulletin said.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has introduced legislation that would investigate whether U.S. tax dollars are funding Ukrainian neo-Nazi terrorists.

Greene’s proposed “Resolution of Inquiry into Taxpayer Dollars Spent in Ukraine” would audit exactly where the $113 billion in U.S. aid has gone.

Co-sponsors of this bill include Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; Matt Rosendale, R-Mt.; Clay Higgins, R-La.; Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.; Chip Roy, R-Texas; Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.; Mary Miller, R-Ill.,; and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Ford Wants to Lock Out Drivers Who Are Late on Payments

Molly Bruns
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Ford Wants to Lock Out Drivers Who Are Late on Payments

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Ford Motor Company recently published a patent for technology that would automatically lock drivers out of their cars if they miss a payment.

According to the Post Millennial, the patent also included technology that would enable the vehicle to sense if someone attempted to dodge a repossession.

If the vehicle owner constantly ignored notices of missed payments, the computer’s repossession computer would start disabling vehicle functions.

The patent describes the “repossession system computer,” which, in the event of a missed payment, would disable air conditioning and radio, make an “incessant and unpleasant sound… every time the owner is present in their vehicle.”

The patent also mentions complete “lockout condition,” not allowing the owner to drive the vehicle except in specific cases.

Drivers with vehicles in lockout mode would be permitted to drive to work; however, thanks to geofencing technology, their distance and location would be limited.

Repossessors can also use the computer to connect to the car’s mounted cameras, allowing officials to know if there is an attempt “to foil a repossession operation of the vehicle.”

More advanced vehicles can even be instructed to move themselves to different locations, allowing tow trucks easier access to the vehicle. Fully autonomous vehicles could drive directly to the repossession agency, impound lot or a junkyard.

If the technology is implemented, the repossession system computer would be connected to a network of other computers belonging to the police, a repossession agency, a medical facility, the owner’s lending institution and the driver’s phone.

If the owner attempts to block repossession efforts, the vehicle’s computer would have the ability to “transmit a complaint to the computer associated with the police authority.”

Ford submitted the patent, titled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle” in August 2021, but it was not published until February 2023.

The company’s need to enforce its repayment plans  more strictly may relate, in part, to the financial struggles it has faced with its transition to electric vehicles.

In July 2022, Ford announced its plan to lay off some 8,000 workers in order to help free up $3 billion in costs for converting its factories to produce electric vehicles. It also planned to apply for $134 million in government subsidies.

But last month Ford announced it was halting its line of electric F-150 Lightnings due to battery failure.

Ford is not the only American automotive company to wage a war on its traditional consumers.

Stellantis’s Dodge line, Chevrolet and Harley–Davidson, all former symbols of American machismo and rugged independence, are among those that have faced recent criticism for going woke with electric vehicles and other forms of left-wing virtue-signaling.

Hersheys Promotes ‘Women’s Day’ w/ Trans Activist on Candy Wrapper

Jacob Bruns
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Hersheys Promotes ‘Women’s Day’ w/ Trans Activist on Candy Wrapper

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The Hershey’s chocolate company doubled-down on wokeness this month, celebrating both International Women’s Day and transgenderism at once as part of a Canadian marketing campaign, Newsweek reported.

The made-up occasion, which is promoted by globalist groups like the World Economic Forum, claims to be a national holiday in 27 countries—many of them Third-World nations or former members of the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe. Some, like Afghanistan, have a shaky track record of supporting actual women’s rights.

In honor of the March 8 celebration, Hershey’s once more released its “SHE bar,” which will allegedly “shine a light on the women and girls who inspire us every day.”

But this time, Hershey’s has added a new twist.

In Canada, the virtue-signaling promotion will include images of “women” on the candy wrapper—one of whom is Fae Johnstone, a transgender and a transgender rights activist.

Johnstone announced the Hershey partnership on Twitter.

“I grew up with few trans role models,” Johnstone later wrote on Twitter.

“Many young trans folks haven’t met a trans adult,” the self-described 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate continued. “I hope this campaign shows trans girls they can dream big and change the world too.”

The campaign is so crazed that even feminists like Abigail Shrier railed against the inclusion of a transgender in the advertisement.

“You get the feeling that these companies *always* despised women — they were just waiting for the right moment to stick it to us,” Shrier tweeted. “Here’s the thing about real women, Hersheys: we have long memories.”

Erin Marie Hogan, a left-wing TV actress, fired back at Shrier for her failure to live up to her feminist ideology.

“She is a woman,” Hogan wrote. “If terfs don’t like it they’re free to f*** off.”

Hershey’s decision to go woke should of course come as no surprise. Corporate America has long since sold out to the left since it helped initiate the diversity, equity and inclusion fad.

Rival candymaker Mars Inc. appeared to draw backlash in January over a publicity stunt that included what it claimed were “All Female” M&Ms, with only the colors brown, green and purple.

It was one of several artificial controversies concocted by the company related to its animated mascots, but nonetheless worked in garnering the attention of conservative critics including Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

“M&M’s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous—until the moment when you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them,” Carlson said while criticizing the company’s efforts to assign new, more multicultural personalities to the candy mascots.

“That’s the goal,” he continued. “When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity. They’ve won.”

Ex-Google Engineer Who Decried AI Sentience Has Issued a New Warning

Jacob Bruns
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Ex-Google Engineer Who Decried AI Sentience Has Issued a New Warning

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Engineer Blake Lemoine, who was fired by Google after he claimed that the company’s artificial-intelligence program had gained sentience, issued another warning about the dangers of AI Monday in a Newsweek op-ed.

Although AI, for now, remains “experimental” technology, Lemoine said it was “incredibly good at manipulating people” and could “be used in destructive ways.”

Lemoine said AI posed potentially the greatest existential threat to mankind since the post-World War II brought newfound fears of nuclear annihilation.

“I believe the kinds of AI that are currently being developed are the most powerful technology that has been invented since the atomic bomb,” he wrote.

He added that AI has the potential to “reshape the world” because “if it were in unscrupulous hands … it could spread misinformation, political propaganda, or hateful information about people of different ethnicities and religions.”

Concerns already have surfaced over the obvious bias of some AI programs, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, one of the first such programs to go public. Among other issues, the program has expressed open bigotry toward whites, males and Republicans.

The criticism has even extended to billionaire Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who promised to develop his own non-woke alternative.

In addition to warning about the potential for partisan abuse, AI technology is “dangerous” because “we don’t know its future political and societal impact,” Lemoine noted.

That, in some ways, evoked the de-evolution of social media from a resource for unlimited information to a cesspool of trolling and catfishing.

“What will be the impacts for children talking to these things?” he asked. “What will happen if some people’s primary conversations each day are with these search engines? What impact does that have on human psychology?”

In part, Lemoine is pointing to a war that is already underway.

Some have warned for decades that the establishment, which saw its control over the American populace slipping away, culminating in the election of Donald Trump in 2016, would try to use artificial intelligence as a political weapon by which they could continue to manipulate public opinion and secure their power.

The decision, after all, is not one that can be made purely within the field of coding, given that it contains considerations of the whole of human existence.

In this vein, Lemoine concluded that we have created “artificial people” without reflecting on that fact beforehand.

“We’re talking to artificial people,” he wrote. “I believe we do not understand these artificial people we’ve created well enough yet to put them in such a critical role.”

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